Festival of Nature 2022 Programme

FESTIVAL NATURE

2022

OF

10–18 June 2022 Programme of events

festivalofnature.org.uk @festofnature

WATCH THIS SPACE! Check out the Festival of Nature website, and come say hello on social. We’ll be adding any events, speaker and programme announcements, and ticket releases live over the coming weeks…. www.festivalofnature.org.uk @festofnature

WELCOME! Festival of Nature returns 10–18 June! We can’t wait to see you there…

Festival of Nature 2022 will take place from Friday 10 to Saturday 18 June.

We’re thrilled to be returning to live events, our Natural History Consortium partners have lined up a series of nature walks & talks, family activities, and wildlife workshops. After two years developing our digital offer, we’re also bringing you a series of interactive online events for anyone in the region – or far beyond!

Booking is now open for the 90+ events across the week, so get in quick!

See you there!

Savita, Ellie, Stuart, Izzy, Sam, Bibiana and Dan from the Natural History Consortium team Questions? Contact us at festival@bnhc.org.uk

Festival of Nature is an initiative of The Natural History Consortium, a charitable collaboration of 14 partners working on joint projects to engage people with the natural world. Find out more about our work at www.bnhc.org.uk

Festival of Nature Action Day Friday 10 June All day Join us as we kick off the Festival of Nature with a whole day of taking action across the region. Work together with friends and family, get your school or business involved, or join a community event.

Spend time in nature, join a volunteer session, try out wildlife recording, growing and planting – together we can act to help nature’s recovery.

Don’t forget to order your free Festival of Nature Action Pack!

Action Day has been made possible with support from The Worshipful Company of Grocers.

Work in the sector? Join our special lunchtime event

Nature Visuals Friday 10 June 1.00–2.00 p.m.

Toby Smith from Climate Outreach will explore how inclusive imagery of the natural environment is key to building a diverse climate movement.

© Cheryl Deuerden

Capturing ecology

Buzz and Scuttle

Digital wildlife photography exhibition

Outdoor exhibition

Friday 10 – Saturday 18 June

Friday 10 – Saturday 18 June

A fully explorable 3D virtual gallery displaying exciting wildlife photography, taken by the ecologists who work to understand and protect our planet.

Visit the exhibition display by artist Marian Hill at the play area in Royal Victoria Park throughout the Festival. Learn more about our local fascinating beetles and pollinators.

Behind the scenes with BBC’s ‘The Green Planet’ Saturday 11 June 1.00–2.00 p.m.

Join Paul Williams, Producer and Director of BBC Studio’s recent production ‘The Green Planet’ for a behind the scenes look at the making of the series, the power of plants, and what it is like to work with Sir David Attenborough.

Saturday 11 June 11.00–11.30 a.m.

Draw along with Lauren Cook Saturday 11 June 1.00–2.00 p.m.

Tune in and grab your colouring pencils and a sheet of paper as we learn how to draw a carpenter bee with wildlife artist Lauren Cook.

© Alex Rotas

Tune in to this live interview with Nicola Bassett from Blue Ventures all about their work in communities around the globe.

© Lauren Cook

© Louise Jasper

An interview with Nicola Bassett, Blue Ventures

Den-building at Bath City Farm Saturday 11 June 1.00–3.00 p.m.

Build dens at Bath City Farm using junk materials and play games to learn about food webs, including where our food comes from and who is eating who.

Nordic walk and mindfulness taster session Saturday 11 June 10.30–12.30 p.m.

A free Nordic walking taster session run by Soul Trail Wellbeing CIC & Let’s Walk Bristol.

Family gardening workshops at Blaise Plant Nursery Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 June 12.00–1.00 p.m.

These interactive gardening workshops will get the whole family thinking about how to make your garden nature-friendly through interactive games, quizzes, demonstrations and hands-on activities

Family nature party At Bristol Beacon Sunday 12 June 10.00 a.m. – 4.00 p.m.

Free entry all day with loads of free drop-in and stage activities.

The Family Nature Party is an all-day event aimed at under 10’s. The day will include workshops, storytelling, music, arts and crafts, toddler sessions, games and inspiration for families to take action for nature and find out about the natural world.

Some craft, music and drama workshops are bookable, with a small fee.

Visit the festival website for the full list of activities and information for parents and carers.

Wildlife at St George’s An outdoor photo trail

Dive into ocean nature and conservation

Sunday 12 – Saturday 18 June

Severnside Sub Aqua Club

Discover the world of wildlife that inhabits the gardens of St George’s Bristol in an outdoor picture trail that winds through this peaceful urban paradise. Produced by Nature Picture Library.

Sunday 12 June 11.00 a.m. – 4.00 p.m.

Image by Ferguson Mann Architects

Felix Road adventure playground drop-in session Sunday 12 June 2.00–4.00 p.m.

Free drop-in session at Felix Road Adventure Playground with Eastside Community Trust – all children and families welcome.

A fun family day exploring the wonderful marine life in UK waters, from tiny jewel anemones to magnificent large mammals.

Get Fishing Awards

Men’s walk and talk

Bronze and silver session

Sunday 12 June 10.30 a.m – 1.00 p.m.

Sunday 12 June 3.00–6.00 p.m.

Discover the wonders of angling!

Whether you’re new to fishing, with the family, or getting back into angling, fishing is a great way to spend time in nature.

Join this Green Social Prescribing Walk and Talk taster session run

by Soul Trail Wellbeing CIC.

Please note this session is for men only.

‘Forget Me Not’ In conversation with Sophie Pavelle Sunday 12 June 2.00–3.00 p.m.

Join writer and science communicator Sophie Pavelle as she shares readings and stories from her brand new book Forget Me Not: Finding the forgotten species of climate-change Britain.

Hosted by Dr Clare Wilkinson, Associate Professor and Co-Director of the Science Communication Unit, UWE Bristol.

Voices of future generations Sunday 12 June 11.00 a.m. – 12.00 p.m.

Tune in to story-time hosted by the Voices of Future Generations. Child authors from across the world will take you on a magical journey through their stories.

Gathering moss Using creativity to tackle climate change (18+ event) Monday 13 June 1.00–2.00 p.m.

Join early career artists/activists from Art Center Nabi, Watershed and Bang & Lee to explore how creativity can be a powerful tool in the fight to tackle climate change.

Alive dementia-friendly allotment session Monday 13 June 1.30–3.30 p.m.

Join a free community allotment taster session, suitable people living with dementia, older people, their care-partners, relatives, and practitioners in similar fields.

Nature Content Creators Monday 13 June 6.30–9.00 p.m.

Are you interested in the power of podcasts, filmmaking, writing or illustration to engage with audiences? This event will explore the various content being created by science communicators through workshops and talks, this will be a chance for people to showcase their work and meet likeminded people in an evening of networking.

The biggest part of the evening is networking, reconnecting face to face, and sharing ideas to invigorate new activities. We’ve deliberately chosen to host this event at the Watershed who have great food, and a great bar!

Nature writing workshop with Moving Mountains Monday 13 June 7.00–8.00 p.m.

Unleash your creative side in this nature writing session hosted by Louise Kenward. The workshop will explore the themes of chronic illness and physical disabilities, and the connections to the outdoors.

Please note we particularly encourage audience members with chronic illness or physical disabilities to register for this workshop, although all are welcome.

Tree Yoga with EcoWild film release

Buttercup Meadow Meditation

Tuesday 14 June 10.30–11.00 a.m.

Tuesday 14 June 1.30–3.30 p.m.

Join us for the premier of this relaxing short film, as Emily Malik (EcoWild) explores the benefits of being active in nature.

A guided experience in the meadows of Bath City Farm, bringing you closer to the ecology and beauty of the land as we near solstice.

Dark Ecologies Art and poetry at nightfall Tuesday 14 June 7.30–9.30 p.m.

Join environmental historians Andy Flack and Alice Would, Bristol City Poet Caleb Parkin and audio-visual artist Kathy Hinde to explore darkness in their work and its connection to the more-than-human.

Deer talks at Ashton Court Estate

Introduction to horticulture

Tuesday 14 & Wednesday 15 June 10.00–10.30 a.m.

with Heart of BS13

We are BS15 community allotment taster session

Tuesday 14 June 1.00–2.30 p.m.

Tuesday 14 June 10.30–1.00 p.m.

Explore horticulture techniques at Molesworth Drive Allotment such as soil health, sowing seeds, plus garden tours and demonstrations.

Join this free Green Social Prescribing taster session run by “We are BS15” Community Group.

Enjoy an illuminating talk about the Ashton Court Estate red deer by the experienced park rangers and learn more about these beautiful animals.

In conversation with Lawyers for Nature Tuesday 14 June 7.00–8.00 p.m.

Join the team at Lawyers for Nature for a panel discussion exploring the Rights of Nature, Wild Law, and Access to Nature.

Lawyers for Nature empower people to use the law themselves, to protect their local environments. They seek to create a more inclusive legal system, so that community action groups and environmental defenders can access the support they need to protect nature.

Wildlife treasure mapping Weston General Hospital Tuesday 14 June 12.00–2.00 p.m.

Bristol Heart Institute Tuesday 14 June 4.00–6.00 p.m.

Explore the hospital gardens and greenspaces to survey and map the natural treasures we find.

Unlocking the Severn Tuesday 14 June 7.00–8.00 p.m.

Every June, traite shad (a rare and endangered migratory fish) are returning out to sea through the Severn Estuary and the Bristol Channel, after an epic spawning migration up the UK’s longest river. Join us online for a screening of a documentary film about it.

Art in the Garden At Redcatch Community Garden Tuesday 14 June 10.00 a.m. – 12.00 p.m.

Join this free Green Social Prescribing Art in the Garden taster session run by Redcatch Community Garden.

The future is collective social at Watershed Tuesday 14 June 5.00–6.00 p.m.

Come to Watershed’s Pervasive Media Studio for a free informal social event open to anyone with an interest in climate and community activism. Attendees can join the event in-person or online.

The Planetary Crisis Telling a story that brings positive change Tuesday 14 June 7.00–8.00 p.m.

Join Colin Butfield and Jonnie Hughes from Studio Silverback as they share the secrets of their successes in taking the story of our environment to the mass audience with an industry show and tell before leading a wider conversation. Whether you’re a professional, volunteer, academic or commentator, join us to get inspired, share your ideas, and build your Bristol network of passionate environmentalists over a drink in the Bristol Old Vic bar.

Water Guardians Tuesday 14 June 6.00–6.30 p.m.

Somerset Wildlife Trust, Dorset Wildlife Trust and Wiltshire Wildlife Trust have joined forces with Wessex Water to work towards cleaner rivers and good quality habitats for wildlife. Funded by Wessex Water, the aim of the project is to recruit and train local volunteers – the Water Guardians – to monitor watercourses, identify possible pollution incidents and report them to Wessex Water for further investigation. Join this session to find out more about how the project is going and the partnership working underway.

Roots to wellbeing taster session Hengrove Mounds With Knowle West Health Park Wednesday 15 June 9.45–11.30 a.m.

Join this free Hengrove Mounds Green Social Prescribing session with Knowle West Health Park Company.

Nordic walking wellbeing taster session for women Wednesday 15 June 10.00–11.00 a.m.

Join an exciting women’s Nordic Walking Wellbeing class hosted by Let’s Walk Bristol C.I.C for a fun and social walk in a local green space.

Hartcliffe Session Wednesday 15 June 10.00–12.00 p.m.

Eastville Park Session Wednesday 15 June 1.30–3.30 p.m.

Practice mindfulness through a guided meditation, create hammered leaf and flower prints and engaging in some light seasonal maintenance work around the park.

Kingswood community allotment taster session Wednesday 15 June 2.00–4.30 p.m.

Join this free Green Social Prescribing taster session run

by Southern Brooks Community Partnerships.

Gardening for wildlife at Sydney Gardens Wednesday 15 June 2.00–4.00 p.m.

Hands-on gardening training session at Sydney Gardens looking at what planting can benefit and encourage wildlife and pollinators.

Meet the lemurs!

Wednesday 15 June 12.30–1.00 p.m.

Meet the lemurs at Wild Place! Join us for a live behind the scenes interview with lemur keeper Joe Norman, and find out about saving lemurs in Madagascar with Zoo conservationist Sam Cotton.

Stories from the Field Wednesday 15 June Join Bristol Zoological Society for an online conservation lecture from Shoal on freshwater biodiversity. Shoal is the global initiative to halt extinctions and recover populations of the most threatened freshwater species around the world.

This talk will be focusing on some of the fish species discovered and described by scientists for the first time in 2021 and what can be done to ensure freshwater biodiversity can be conserved!

ZOO-LOL-OGY Stand-up comedy Wednesday 15 June 7.30–9.00 p.m.

Join hosts Hana Ayoob and Sam Langford online as they introduce a raft of incredible zoological standup comedy talent!

Expect puns, poo and possibly a parrot or two in this anarchic exploration of the minds of wildlife biologists.

Sketch & stroll Weston General Hospital Wednesday 15 June 12.00–2.00 p.m.

Alive Lawrence Weston Bristol Heart Institute Wednesday 15 June 16.00–18.00 p.m.

Sketch and stroll session hosted by Arts & Culture Programme, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust.

Community Garden Group Wednesday 15 June 1.30–3.30 p.m.

Join this free Green Social Prescribing taster session run

by Alive Activities with Lawrence Hill Community Garden.

Play Overgrown with Coney Wednesday 15 June 6.30–8.00 p.m.

Team up and have go at Overgrown, the new online game all about the tangled relationship between humans and nature. Join as a team or an individual and explore solutions for the future.

© Coney

Reclaiming the wild

Wild swimming and outdoor yoga with open minds active

Smashing the middle-class norms and conventions in nature writing

Thursday 16 June 10.00–2.00 p.m.

Thursday 16 June 1.00–2.00 p.m.

Nature writers Niellah Arboine, Natasha Carthew and Anita Sethi read from their latest works and discuss barriers working-class writers face entering the publishing world.

Join a Wild Swimming and Outdoor Yoga session with Open Minds Active at West Country Water Park Lake

George Monbiot in conversation with Olivia Sweeney Thursday 16 June 7.00–8.00 p.m.

PROPS horticulture session Thursday 16 June 10.30 a.m. – 12.00 p.m. and 1.30–2-30 p.m.

© Guy Reece

Join George Monbiot in Conversation with Olivia Sweeney in a discussion on how we can transform not only our food system but our entire relationship to the living world. Part of the Festival of Ideas & Festival of Nature.

Join the PROPS allotment team at Thingwall Park, Fishponds, for a fun introduction to accessible horticulture. Take part in some simple gardening activities like seed sowing, planting, and weeding.

Orchard Garden Club taster session

Alive Wellspring Settlement

Thursday 16 June 11.00 a.m. – 12.30 p.m.

Community Garden Group

Join this free taster session run by the Southern Brooks Community Partnerships group, focusing on growing flowers, garden craft, and nature connection through mindfulness.

Thursday 16 June 1.30–3.30 p.m.

Join this free Green Social Prescribing taster session run by Alive Activities in partnership with Wellspring Settlement

Wellbeing and volunteering taster session At St Werburghs City Farm Thursday 16 June 12.00–3.00 p.m.

Join this free Green Social Prescribing taster session with St Werburghs City Farm.

Wellbeing with nature taster sessions with Avon Wildlife Trust

An introduction to wildlife photography with George Cook

Thursday 16 June 10.00 a.m. – 12.00 p.m. and 1.00–3.00 p.m.

Thursday 16 June 6.00–8.00 p.m.

Find out more about green social prescribing with Avon Wildlife Trust at this session. All adults welcome including social prescribers and health care providers.

Have you always wanted to have a go at taking pictures of nature but don’t know where to start? Then join George Cook for an introductory course on wildlife photography!

Natural pathways Thursday 16 June 10.00–2.30 p.m.

Introduction to Google Earth Engine for environmental mapping Thursday 16 June 6.00–8.00 p.m.

Join us for this free online workshop on how you can use data to monitor environmental events, hazards and disasters. You will have the opportunity to use space-borne imagery to detect and map environmental changes over time.

A friendly wildlife conservation group with a focus to improve people’s mental wellbeing. This is a small group aimed at improving low moods or stress through nature based mindfulness. The sessions are led by experienced members of staff from Avon Wildlife Trust who will guide you through the various activities, giving demonstrations and individual support.

Sustainable Business Awards gala dinner Thursday 16 June 7.00–11.00 p.m.

Join Future Leap to celebrate businesses standing out as leaders in sustainability.

With keynote speakers and organisations taking the lead in addressing the climate and ecological emergency, this is a great opportunity to network, learn and celebrate over a delicious and sustainably-sourced dinner.

Summer meadows walk with Bathscape Thursday 16 June 10.30 a.m – 12.00 p.m.

Join Bathscape’s Dan Merrett for a stroll up from the city centre to see the wildflower rich meadows in full flower. Join us during the perfect time to visit the National Trust’s Bathwick Fields and see what wildflowers and butterflies are found on the city’s doorstep.

Create Together with Nature taster session

Healing Earth

Friday 17 June 11.00 a.m. – 2.00 p.m.

Friday 17 June 7.00–8.00 p.m.

A free taster session at Coleridge Road Community Allotment with Create Together. Unleash your creativity through therapeutic art and craft activities, including making a nature mandela and painting a bird box.

Jerome Lewis, Flourishing Diversity Co-Founder and Anthropologist, invites you to join an open dialogue with Choctaw scientist Dawn Hill Adams of Tapestry Institute, to explore some of the ways biocultural diversity serves systems in desperate need of healing.

Science & Sorcery

Nature at night

Friday 17 June 7.00–11.00 p.m.

Friday 17 June 9.00–11.00 p.m.

We’re going on an adventure! Join a band of travellers from Science & Sorcery as they return to the Isle of Cretas, a mythical island inhabited by dangerous prehistoric creatures. This livestream event is a combination of Dungeons & Dragons, improvised comedy and science communication, where the audience can influence decisions! Are you ready? Then we’ll begin.

As the sunsets on Bath, we’ll explore how the city comes alive after dark. Join experts for a nocturnal adventure of wildlife spotting and star gazing, as we discover the importance of darkness.

A dialogue about the nature of living diversity

Keep your eyes peeled for bats, moths, foxes and all the nighttime wildlife that calls Bath home!

Discover nature in Bedminster’s secret gardens Saturday 18 June 12.00–5.00 p.m.

Enter a world of plants and inspiration through some of Bedminster’s 25 secret gardens that create homes for nature in the heart of the city.

Family bug hunting in Brickfields Park Saturday 18 June 10.30 a.m. – 12.30 p.m.

Join Bristol and Bath’s friendly Park Activator, Mali, for a morning of bug hunting in Brickfields Park. There will be a free nature trail, a big bug hunt and nature craft for all the family.

Women’s wellbeing walk with Soul Trail Wellbeing Saturday 18 June 10.30 a.m. – 1.00 p.m.

Join this free Green Social Prescribing Women’s Wellbeing Walk at Leigh Woods with Soul Trail Wellbeing.

© Nick Turner

Volunteer day at Hillfields Community Garden Saturday 18 June 10.30–12.00 p.m.

Join the Hillsfields Community Garden team on Saturday 18 June for a morning of taking Action For Nature to maintain and expand the community garden.

Grow Wilder Takeover Saturday 18 June 10.00 a.m. – 4.00 p.m.

The Festival of Nature is coming to Avon Wildlife Trust’s Grow Wilder!

Explore the wildflower nursery, enjoy the sights and sounds of wildlife thriving in an urban setting or join free walks, talks and workshops throughout the day as we get inspired about wildlife, growing, and planting.

Nik Pollard at Trymwood Studios

Pesticides workshop at Grow Wilder

Saturday 18 June 9.00–5.00 p.m.

Saturday 18 June 10.30–11.30 a.m.

Nik Pollard dedicates himself to making striking artwork from sustained and direct observation of wildlife and natural environments. Come to this exhibition and be inspired by Nik’s work and the bees, butterflies and meadowlands that have captivated his recent interest.

Join us for one of two free workshops to discuss pesticide use on allotments and meet others interested in reducing or eliminating chemical use at Grow Wilder site in Bristol.

Haunting Tyntesfield Saturday 18 June 1.30–4.00 p.m.

A dynamic writing workshop for young people (14-18 years) from LGBTQ+ backgrounds (or allies of), exploring the history and landscape of National Trust Tyntesfield through queer and eerie entanglements between the human and non-human.

No writing experience needed, all are welcome.

© Bob Fowler

Barton Hill Family Day Saturday 18 June 10.00 a.m. – 5.00 p.m Discover a whole world of exciting green science at the University of Bristol’s new community based microcampus at the Wellspring Settlement. Chat with fantastic environmental researchers and get hands on with some cool experiments and interactive educational games. Explore our investigations into climate change, animal and plant life and see how you can help save our endangered world. You may even encounter dinosaurs if you dare! Drop in anytime from 10am to 5pm. Suitable for families of all ages.

Proudly in partnership with Festival of Nature

Are you a Bristol community group taking 300

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Last chance to see!

Visit before we close on 3 Sept 2022 Book your tickets now! bristolzoo.org.uk Registered charity no. 1104986

Join us today to raise your voice for threatened species and spectacular landscapes.

Become an Avon Wildlife Trust member and take action for nature. www.avonwildlifetrust.org.uk/joinus

Registered in England & Wales, No. 1495108. Registered Charity No. 280422.

Bristol City Council has a new £200,000 fund to support community action that reduces greenhouse gas emissions or makes changes that benefit wildlife in Bristol.

quartetcf.org.uk/apply-for-a-grant

#BristolClimateAction

Ready to change the world?

Environmental courses at UWE Bristol: • BSc/MSci Environmental Science • BSc/MSci Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Science • FdSc Integrated Wildlife Conservation • MSc/PGDip/PGCert Advanced Wildlife Conservation in Practice • MSc/PGDip Science Communication • BSc Environmental Management • BSc Geography • MSc/PGDip Environmental Consultancy • MSc/PGDip/PGCert Environmental Management • MRes Social Research (Sustainable Futures) • MRes Applied Sciences • MSc/PGDip/PGCert Sustainable Development in Practice • MSc Environmental Law and Sustainability

Find out more: uwe.ac.uk/courses

Join the conversation info@bnhc.org.uk 0117 325 2891

Programme design by Mat Ward