Captn Preet Chandi MBE joins Clean Planet Foundation
The Clean Planet Foundation announces Captain Preet Chandi MBE, known as ‘Polar Preet’, has joined the Clean Planet Peninsula Project as expedition leader
In her new role with the Clean Planet Foundation, Captain Chandi will lead its flagship polar expeditions — beginning with Svalbard in 2025 and continuing to the Arctic and Antarctic in 2026. A Guinness World Record polar explorer and former British Army physiotherapist, Captn Chandi made history for the longest solo unsupported one-way polar ski journey by a woman and the overall longest solo unsupported one-way polar ski journey ever. Her appetite for adventure also made her the first woman of Asian heritage to complete a solo expedition to the South Pole.
*Captn Chandi will work alongside Professor Fay Couceiro, Head of the Microplastics Research Group at the Revolution Plastics Institute, to identify suitable locations for fieldwork, ensure scientific rigour, and maintain the highest standards of safety, inclusivity, and expedition readiness.
Capt Chandi says she's thrilled to be joining the peninsula project: 'The polar regions have taught me so much and I can’t wait to help others experience the incredible power of these environments while making a real contribution to science.'
The Clean Planet Peninsula Project started as a pilot in 2023 in collaboration the UK Polar Network. Last year it completed a successful Year 1 expedition on Dartmoor, and nine of these participants will continue their journey in Svalbard starting this month, led by Captn Chandi. This expedition marks the start of full-scale sample collection for its microplastics research agenda and paves the way for our milestone expeditions in 2026.
So far the project has trained 40 early-career polar scientists in core survival techniques, scientific sampling, and teamwork with an emphasis on inclusivity and field equity. The course syllabus includes practical training in areas such as female hygiene management in extreme conditions, which remains an under-addressed but critical topic in ensuring equal access and participation in remote scientific fieldwork.
The Clean Planet Foundation's aim is to deliver world-class polar field survival training, and to build a new model for environmental leadership — one that promotes women in STEM, champions diverse voices in research, and supports early-career scientists with the tools and confidence to thrive in the field.
* Clean Planet Peninsula
The Clean Planet Peninsula Project is the flagship polar science and education initiative of the Clean Planet Foundation. It is a multi-year, multi-expedition programme designed to support early-career scientists and communicators in the Arctic and Antarctic. Through immersive field training, diverse leadership, and global collaboration, the Peninsula Project contributes critical research, influences environmental policy, and inspires climate action through storytelling.
