Family Fun at the UK’s Largest Free Nature Festival

Thursday 06, June 2013

The UK’s leading nature festival returns to Bristol this month with a host of new exhibitors and activities to entertain the whole family.

The Bristol Festival of Nature will celebrate its tenth anniversary this year in style, as over 25 major exhibitors host interactive activities on the Harbourside across three fun-filled days.

The festival is the UK’s largest free natural history event and takes place at Bristol Harbourside on the weekend of 15-16 June, with the Festival of Nature Schools’ Day, supported by Clifton College, taking place on 14 June.

There are some fantastic new additions to this year’s festival including a pop-up butterfly garden created by North Somerset Butterfly House, which offers visitors the chance to surround themselves with exotic butterflies and learn more about these beautiful insects from expert Pete “the Bug Man”.

Another new addition is the Seeds of Change garden, created by Arnolfini and the University of Bristol, which will present a living history of the city's trade and maritime past. The garden will exhibit a variety of beautiful plants that have made their journey to Bristol on the ballasts of ships since the 17th century, and visitors will be able to take part in exciting activities and learn more about the incredible journeys these plants made to reach the city.

Other highlights include the chance to try your hand at being a natural history presenter with the BBC Natural History Unit, learning to love bugs with Bristol Zoo, making a kite with the National Trust and digging up fossils with the Bristol Dinosaur Project.

Savita Custead, Chief Executive of Bristol Natural History Consortium which organises Bristol Festival of Nature, says:

“This year is the tenth anniversary of the festival so we wanted to do something extra special to celebrate.

“Bristol is the home of natural history in the UK and we have pulled out all the stops to bring together all of the top wildlife organisations in the city to deliver an unforgettable and inspirational festival.

“Our programme includes a host of exciting new activities alongside some returning favourites from previous years, so there will be something for the whole family to enjoy.”

Other exhibitors at the festival include the RSPB who will educate visitors on how to make homes for wildlife, Oxfam who will explore our global food system and At-Bristol who will consider the science of sustainability.

Visitors will also be able to find out more about 40 different local and national environmental organisations in the Green Forum, catch a fantastic range of wildlife films on the big screen in Millennium Square, visit the brand new arts tent and enjoy some fantastic food at the festival market.

The festival was named “Tourism Event of the Year 2011” in the Bristol Tourism and Hospitality Industry Awards 2011, and was awarded Bronze in the Tourism Event of the Year category at the South West Tourism Excellence Awards 2011-2012.

More than 150,000 people have attended the festival since 2004, and the past 10 years have seen it grow significantly to become one of Bristol’s most popular festivals, helping to raise the profile of environmental issues and natural history in the city and across the UK.

The Bristol Festival of Nature takes place on the Bristol Harbourside and is open from 10 am – 6 pm on Saturday June 15, and 11 am – 5 pm on Sunday June 16. Admission is free.

Less than two weeks until the Festival!

Tuesday 04, June 2013

It’s less than two weeks to go until the Bristol Festival of Nature. The skies are blue (for now at least), the birds are singing, our phones are ringing and there are loads of things to get excited about!

Next weekend, 15^th and 16^th June, the Bristol Harbourside will be packed full of exhibitors, musicians, market traders, science experts, animals, bugs, plants and of course, thousands of lovely Bristolians.

There are some fantastic new additions to this year’s festival including a pop-up butterfly garden created by North Somerset Butterfly House, where you can surround yourself with exotic butterflies and learn more about these beautiful insects from expert Pete “the Bug Man”. Another new feature is the Seeds of Change garden, created by Arnolfini and the University of Bristol, were you can explore a variety of beautiful plants that have migrated to Bristol on the ballasts of ships since the 17^th century!

The University of the West of England are hosting a whole range of hands-on activities based on the theme of “healthy people, healthy planet”, including everything from generating pedal power and learning about food production to interacting with a robot and seeing bioluminescent bacteria! And if you love those activities, you’ll probably love to learn even more about bioluminescence, fluorescence and the science of pigments with Clifton College.

 And when you’re so full of knowledge that you need a well-deserved rest, there’s even a market, beer garden and two live performance stages with some truly fantastic artists for your very own enjoyment!

Festival of Nature 2013: Exciting updates on our exhibitors!

Wednesday 08, May 2013

It is now less than six weeks to go until this year’s most exciting natural history festival! Here at the Bristol Natural History Consortium, we are extremely excited by these recent updates on what our partners have in store for us!

In the Millennium Square you will be able to find Bristol Zoo Gardens, who will be giving everybody the opportunity to get up close to some exotic insects. Not only this, but you can also find out which brilliant bugs live locally at the Avon Gorge and Downs! Visit the BBC Natural History Unit, where you can peek behind the scenes, have a go at presenting your own wildlife documentary, get in front of a thermal imaging camera and meet the presenters of some of your favourite shows!

In the Amphitheatre, the Bristol Aquarium will be teaching some important lessons about the damaging effects of discarded waste on our oceans and giving you the chance to fish for rubbish in their sand pit. Lucky you! Stop by at Westonbirt Arboretum and detect the hidden life of trees using microscopes and lenses, and even make your own mini-arboretum. Dig up fossils and handle real dinosaur bones with the Bristol Dinosaur Project, see the sun as you never have before with the Bristol Astronomical Society, and join the At-Bristol team to learn about sustainable buildings, cutting-edge green technology and meet Brian the robotic peregrine falcon!

That’s just a tiny snippet of what we have in the offing though, visit our festival website for more info, and come down on Saturday 15^th and Sunday 16^th of June for what’s looking set to be a nature-tastic weekend!  

Bristol Festival of Nature celebrates a decade of discovery

Wednesday 01, May 2013

A new challenge to uncover Bristol’s hidden environmental hotspots is launching in May to celebrate Bristol Festival of Nature’s 10th anniversary.

Bristol99 will give the public the chance to discover the natural world in their own neighbourhood, with exciting wildlife events being held across the city’s 99 best sites for nature. It will encourage people to explore their local area and celebrate the wildlife in Bristol’s green spaces including everything from hidden gems to the city’s best known parks.

It begins with a ‘BioBlitz’ at Kings Weston Estate on May 3 and 4, where the festival team will seek the help of members of the public to discover as many species as possible in a designated area over 24 hours. The events will then continue over the next six weeks before culminating in the main Bristol Festival of Nature weekend.

The festival is the UK’s largest free natural history event and takes place at Bristol Harbourside on the weekend of 15-16. On June 14 the annual Festival of Nature Schools’ Day, supported by Clifton College will welcome over 1,000 primary school pupils to the site for a day of hands-on science and nature activities.

Giving wildlife enthusiasts of all ages the opportunity to explore and enjoy the natural world in the heart of the city, the public festival brings together over 150 organisations for a programme of interactive activities, live entertainment, hands-on experiences, a market packed with local produce and much more.

The highlights for the weekend include:

 • The first screenings of new wildlife films produced by the next generation of natural history filmmakers, who are studying a new MA course in wildlife filmmaking run by UWE and the BBC.

• A pop-up butterfly garden run by North Somerset Butterfly House which will give visitors an immersive experience to learn about some of the world’s most beautiful butterflies.

• The Seeds of Change Garden which will connect the natural world to the city’s history of trade and migration through a ballast seed garden produced by Arnolfini and the University of Bristol.

More than 150,000 people have attended the festival since 2004, and the past 10 years have seen it grow significantly to become one of Bristol’s most popular festivals, helping to raise the profile of environmental issues and natural history in the city and across the UK.

Savita Custead, Chief Executive of Bristol Natural History Consortium which organises Bristol Festival of Nature, says:

“The Bristol99 challenge will help to take the Festival of Nature out into the city and directly to the people of Bristol. The Festival has always aimed to inspire people about the natural world and this is a fantastic new way to take the initiative and help the public to find nature on their doorsteps.

 “Bristol is the home of natural history in the UK and we are proud of the contribution the Festival of Nature has played in developing that reputation. It is the only event that brings together all of the key environmental organisations in the city, and over the last 10 years we have seen these relationships go from strength to strength.

 The festival was named “Tourism Event of the Year 2011” in the Bristol Tourism and Hospitality Industry Awards 2011, and was awarded Bronze in the Tourism Event of the Year category at the South West Tourism Excellence Awards 2011-2012.

The Bristol Festival of Nature takes place on the Bristol Harbourside and is open from 10 am – 6 pm on Saturday June 15, and 11 am – 5 pm on Sunday June 16. Admission is free.

Festival of Nature 2013: Exhibitor registration now open

Tuesday 08, January 2013

Exhibitor registration is now open for the Bristol Festival of Nature 2013 on the 15th and 16th June. Join us for our tenth anniversary with a stall in the Green Forum, or a main Festival marquee. Find out more and register now

Dates confirmed for Festival of Nature 2013

Friday 14, December 2012

We are pleased to announce that the 10th Bristol Festival of Nature will be held on the 15th and 16th June 2013, with our annual Schools' Day on Friday 14th. Watch this space for further details of our 10th anniversary celebrations, including our new outreach project, Bristol.99.

Festival of Nature 2012: A success!

Thursday 28, June 2012

The weekend was a great success, and with many visitors braving the weather to express their love for nature on Saturday, and a capacity crowd on the sunny Sunday! With a total of over 150 organisations attending the event, the Amphitheatre and Millienium Square were decked out with marquees, most of which had literally been transformed into completely interactive exhibits ready for hand-on activities such as Wild Bristol Tent or the Connected Communities Tent! Some, such as iSpot and the BBC Natural History Unit, were decked out with the latest technology and made sure everyone had a taste of what's like to work behind their scenes. Exhibitors hadn't stopped there - many had taken the effort to dress up and no one can have missed bees buzzing about the festival...

The Green Forum tent housed over 40 environment and conservation groups and this year featured live owls! With all the celebrities - Mike Dilger, John Craven and Hugh Warwick to list a few - paying visits to the Talks Tent, every talk was well attended and the Growing Connections debate provided much food for thought for all those involved. Ready to entertain anyone stepping out of the safety of the tents, were this years amazing line up of live music acts on the festivals two main stages, Pete the Bug Man with his live insects, the 'Cloggies', the Wildlife Carnival, live poetry and some live talks in the pop up 'edible garden' which also featured a 'Plant Swap'. With all the excitement going on, the Festival beer garden was ready to seat as many people in the sun whilst they ate their lunch bought from the Festival Market, which in turn, outdid itself this year with even more local produce and sustainable goods leaving people spolit for choice!

We thoroughly enjoyed this year's festival and hope you did too! Please like our facebook page or follow us on twitter because before you know it, it'll be time for the Festival of Nature 2013 and perhaps this time, you may want to volunteer with the event, exhibit in the Green Forum tent, or organise a school visit for schools' day. Follow the links at the top of the page to find out more about what went on at the 2012 Festival of Nature. See you next year!

The 2012 Festival was supported by At-Bristol, Institute of Physics Publishing, Clifton College, Bristol Water, Sita UK, Good Energy, Wessex Water and Creative Youth Network.

The Bristol Festival of Nature worked in collaboration with Research Councils UK (RCUK), the strategic partnership of the UK’s seven Research Councils to deliver public engagement activities focussed on the new Connected Communities cross-cutting research programme. Connected Communities is led by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) in partnership with the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).

The Festival off Nature was part of Bristol’s BIG Green Week (9-17 June 2012), the UK's world-class festival of environmental ideas, art and culture that brings green ideas to life, with a packed programme of speakers, music, art, comedy and film. See www.biggreenweek.com for more details.

New programme details released for a wild weekend of fun!

Friday 01, June 2012

Voted Bristol’s ‘Tourism Event of the Year’, the Festival of Nature unleashes the city’s wild side once again this summer, taking over the Harbourside on the weekend of 16-17 June.

The UK’s largest celebration of the natural world, the Bristol Festival of Nature lets loose wildlife enthusiasts of all ages to explore, enjoy, and get close to nature in the heart of the city.

With over 150 organisations offering free activities over the course of the weekend, as well as the Festival market, live entertainment, the 2012 Festival programme is packed with exciting new additions…

• Our biggest ever Festival talks tent, hosting experts and famous faces from the world of natural history and beyond. Latest additions include Countryfile’s John Craven; an interactive look at solving wildlife mysteries with National Geographic’s new Wild Scene Investigation; and BBC The One Show’s Mike Dilger on My Garden and other Animals.

• A chance to get up close and personal with a host of incredible wildlife. See birds of prey in the Green Forum tent, or encounter giant insects with Pete the Bug Man. Visit the new Land and Marine Conservation tent to meet a hedgehog, then explore the marine world with our on-site rockpool.

• Add your voice to the discussion as we consider the future of food in Bristol and beyond at the Growing Connections debate on Sunday 17th June, held in partnership with Research Councils UK. Panellists include Professor George McKay, author of Radical Gardening.

• Explore the Amphitheatre transformed into a pop-up garden. Bring your unwanted plants to our free plant swap and take home a new one in a compostable pot, and learn more about growing your own food in the edible garden.

• Go behind the scenes of the world famous BBC Natural History Unit. Experience being a presenter in front of the grey screen and try filming animals with the latest camera technology. Find out more about the making of Frozen Planet from producer Miles Barton.

Festival of Nature goes wild this summer: 16 - 17 June 2012

Friday 23, March 2012

Voted Bristol’s ‘Tourism Event of the Year’, the Festival of Nature unleashes the city’s wild side once again this summer, taking over the Harbourside on the weekend of 16-17 June.

The UK’s largest free celebration of the natural world, the Bristol Festival of Nature lets loose wildlife enthusiasts of all ages to explore, enjoy, and get close to nature in the heart of the city.

Throughout the weekend, the festival site will be packed with exciting free activities from over 150 organisations – here’s a taste of what’s in store…

• Interactive exhibits – discover the latest technology with the BBC Natural History Unit. Get closer to nature with the National Trust, hands-on with interactive science activities from UWE and University of Bristol and meet the dinosaurs with Bristol Zoo Gardens.

• The largest-ever Festival Talks tent – this year’s speakers include BBC The One Show’s Mike Dilger, Urban Birder David Lindo and author Hugh Warwick.

• The Green Forum – over 40 organisations in one place. Find out how to get involved with Bristol’s amazing array of environmental and conservation groups. Join a group, make a pledge, start a new hobby!

• Festival Market – packed with local produce and sustainable goods, the bustling market is a great place to do your weekend shopping. Sample the wares of independent producers from across the South West, take home a unique gift, and have lunch in the Festival beer garden.

• Wild Bristol tent – find out about conservation projects in the city, get involved with your local green space, and learn more about Bristol’s newest residents, the Avon Gorge goats!

• Entertainment programme – soak up the festival atmosphere with live entertainers, roaming the site and on the two Festival stages. The line-up includes everything from Pete the Bug Man and his exotic animals to live music.

• New themed areas – watch bees in action in the pop-up wildlife garden, then build a nest box in the Bee Tent. Explore the marine world in the on-site rockpool.

• Cutting-edge research – go behind the scenes of one the UK’s largest research programmes, Connected Communities, and contribute to the work of Research Councils UK researchers.

In 2012, the Festival is supported by At-Bristol, Institute of Physics Publishing, Clifton College, Bristol Water, Sita UK and Good Energy.

The Bristol Festival of Nature is working in collaboration with Research Councils UK (RCUK), the strategic partnership of the UK’s seven Research Councils to deliver public engagement activities focussed on the new Connected Communities cross-cutting research programme. Connected Communities is led by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) in partnership with the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).

In 2012 the Festival of Nature is part of Bristol’s BIG Green Week (9-17 June 2012), the UK's world-class festival of environmental ideas, art and culture that brings green ideas to life, with a packed programme of speakers, music, art, comedy and film. See www.biggreenweek.com for more details.