About

Stories connect us. Stories are how we first learn about the world around us, and how we share our experiences and dreams. Big Skies Media looks to tell the stories that matter about our planet, our society and the people at the heart of each tale.

Big Skies was first established out of a desire to increase the audience for scientific research, to bring research findings out of academic circles and publications and to the eyes and ears of the public and those influencing policy. Big Skies also looks to connect people with stories of our natural environment, adventure, innovation and creativity.

Big Skies endeavours to use story-telling to help demystify science and scientists, to promote advances in innovation and technology, and to highlight the environmental issues that matter.

Dr Noel Fitzpatrick is a research meteorologist, science communicator and photographer. Noel gained a PhD in Atmospheric Science, running a research campaign on the glaciers of the Canadian Rockies, looking to better understand the drivers of their melt. He has been part of research and photography missions to remote mountains, the Arctic, at sea on the Atlantic Ocean, storm chasing in tornado alley and to the Amazon Jungle. Noel currently works for the National Meteorological Service of Ireland, Met Éireann, and also presents the Met Éireann Podcast, one of the most listened to science podcasts in Ireland. He has won several awards for his photography and is a past winner of the NSERC Science Action Film Awards. Noel lives on the wild Atlantic coast of Ireland, where he is an avid surfer, hiker, and musician.

Courtesy of Melt (2020)

“My work has brought me to some of the most beautiful and fragile locations on Earth. None more so than our planet’s cold places like high mountain glaciers and the Arctic. These are the front lines in the battle against climate change.”

“I’ve always considered it a privilege to be able to work in and visit these places. Photography has been my way to bring people with me, to give a sense of what it is like to stand in these landscapes and to grow an understanding of the need to protect them.”

“As a scientist, communicating the message of my research beyond academic borders and to the public and policy makers, has been of the utmost importance. Big Skies was established to help scientists to tell their stories to a wider audience and to increase the impact of their research.”