In December of 2004 Thomas was selected to be a team member on the Ice Warrior 2006 Expedition. The aim of this expedition was to undertake vital climate change research for NASA, Environment Canada and the University of Washington. (Ice Warrior also flies the flag for Cancer Research UK). The expedition reached the Geomagnetic North Pole by an entirely new route, crossing sea ice as well as mountainous terrain. The expedition took ice core readings for NASA, measuring ice thickness using a large drill. Depths ranged from 1 metre to over 4 metres. Also, the team brought back 42 kilos of snow samples from different locations, including some from where no human has ever been before. These were for the University of Washington to analyse for soot content, thereby assessing industrial pollution in the Arctic. Snow temperatures were taken for Environment Canada for further research. The expedition experienced unseasonable 'warmth' (-30s), likely to be due to global warming, (particularly when taking into account other 'warm' years recently.) On the last night of the expedition the sea ice broke up around the team's tents initiating a much practised emergency procedure, and yet again confirming that climatic conditions were not as they should be at this time of year. The environmental motives behind this expedition are very much alive within Thomas Angel Gardens, with an emphasis on native planting, wildlife friendly gardening, and keeping a small carbon footprint. Thomas has also undertaken voluntary and paid conservation work for the BTCV (British Trust for Conservation Volunteers) in London, for WWOOF (Willing Workers on Organic Farms) in Australia, for the Department of Conservation in New Zealand, and for friends in France. This has included work in urban parks, dairy farms, National Parks and Nature Reserves. Thomas continues to volunteer with various conservation projects in the Lomond area, and also recently undertook a coast-to-coast charity trek across Scotland, returning with a catalogue of pictures of native plants and flowers.
