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.

Communicate 2013: Stories for Change - 6 & 7 November

Friday 05, April 2013

We are pleased to announce that Communicate 2013: Stories for Change, will be held on 6 and 7 November 2013 at Arnolfini, central Bristol. Delegate registrations will open in mid-April. Join our mailing list to keep up to date with the latest news.

Communicate 2013: Stories for Change

As environmental communicators, we are both storytellers and story-liberators. Our role is to help find the ways that people and nature can co-exist, and to reconnect people with the natural world.

 There is a spectrum, with some people just beginning to make that connection, and others who have made great progress. Yet many remain sceptical, hostile, unable or unwilling to start that journey. From the outside, it is difficult to determine where someone is on that spectrum, and how best to help them take the next step. We can use many methods to try to establish their place on this journey; appearances, demographics, surveys and monitoring tools.

But to truly understand where our audience is, we have to liberate a particular story

We are also storytellers. We use the media, campaigns, images, exhibitions and event to construct narratives, convey messages, and to tell stories about the natural world that capture the imagination and engage, persuade, and empower. To make more of a difference, we strive to improve our skills. We work in partnership, and organisations have stories too – to be liberated, but also to be shared.

Communicate 2013 is a training session, and a discussion opportunity on these themes, with plenary sessions and debates on liberating stories, and practical workshops focused on telling stories.

Communicate 2013: Stories for Change

Tuesday 29, January 2013

Communicate 2013: Stories for Change will be held this Autumn in Bristol. Sign up to our mailing list now to keep up to date with all the latest news from the conference and the Communicate community.

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

2012 was a big year for BioBlitz!

Monday 07, January 2013

Last year there were more than 65 BioBlitz events across the UK - twice as many as 2011, getting a huge number of people out discovering and monitoring their local wildlife. More events are being planned for 2013 right now so watch this space!

Find a BioBlitz near you or keep up with the latest BioBlitz news on Facebook and Twitter

Communicate 2012 Videos and Presentations now online

Monday 07, January 2013

Videos and presentations from Communicate 2012: Breaking Boundaries are now online at the newly updated Communicate Toolkit.

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.

Communicate 2012 - Registration is now closed

Tuesday 23, October 2012

Communicate 2012 Registration is now open

Friday 17, August 2012

Join us at Communicate 2012 – Breaking Boundaries: The Next Ten Years for People and Nature

24/25 October, Brunel’s Old Station, Central Bristol

Communicate is the UK’s leading conference for environmental communicators, bringing together a blend of NGOs, media professionals, green business leaders, academics and policy makers. With over 100 different organisations represented each year, Communicate gives delegates the opportunity to stay informed on the crucial current debates in the sector, share best practice, hear from inspirational speakers, and get direct feedback on their own communication campaigns.

 Join us for our tenth anniversary as we break the boundaries of environmental communication – crossing the barriers to engagement; challenging the boundaries between sectors; overcoming the gap between awareness and action – and look ahead to the next ten years for people and nature.

• Reaching new audiences and breaking down the barriers to engagement – including naturalist and author of the National Trust’s Natural Childhood report Stephen Moss on engaging the next generation.

• Head versus Heart Changing Behaviour or Influencing Core Values – our expert panel debate different approaches to environmental communication, from behavioural economics to engagement with intrinsic values, with panellists including Theresa Marteau and Ed Gillespie.

• Keynote speech from marine biologist and BBC presenter Monty Halls.

• Relationship Counselling for Conservation - we examine the opportunities and the difficulties of stepping outside the conservation bubble and working productively in partnership with business.

• The Next Ten Years for People and Nature – think ahead as we consider the most pressing upcoming conservation issues, and the latest communications strategies. Hear visions from the future from inspirational speakers including Chris Baines.

• People Engagement Group – an opportunity to directly influence government policy through Defra’s People Engagement Group.

• The Delegate Showcase – Hear practical case studies from leading communicators and share your own innovative campaign with an expert audience.

Register now to secure your place at this annual event, or take a look at last year's conference summary.

We look forward to welcoming you to Bristol in October. For further details visit contact Ben Connor, Project Manager on Turn on JavaScript!, 0117 317 8751.

Communicate 2012: Breaking Boundaries

Friday 17, August 2012

Communicate 2012: Breaking Boundaries

Communicate 2012: Breaking Boundaries - The Next Ten Years for People and Nature, will be held on the 24/25 October 2012. Full programme and registration details will be released in the coming months.

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.

Communicate 2011: Interactive conference summary online now

Friday 02, March 2012

Communicate 2011: Nature, People, Economics, interactive conference summary online now.

View the Conference summary here

For the first time, Communicate has collated all the material from the annual conference into a single, interactive, online conference summary, providing a valuable resource for both Communicate 2011 delegates, and the wider environmental communication community. Watch the videos, download the presentations, or read contributions from all of last year’s inspirational speakers. Communicate 2011 highlights included: 

• Our special guest, comedian Robin Ince, sharing his experiences of combining science through comedy, and communicating the most difficult ideas with a dose of humour.

• Martin Brasher, Head of Wildlife, Habitats and Biodiversity at Defra, on the implications of the new Natural Environment White Paper and England Biodiversity Strategy for environmental communicators.

• Rita Gardner, Director of the Royal Geographical Society discussing the role of the society, and landscape as a means of engaging audiences with the natural world.

• Tessa McGregor on the links between people, economics and nature on the ground, and the role of eco-tourism in engaging local communities in conservation.

• Reconnecting Nature and Economics, including a video address from TEEB study leader Pavan Sukhdev, and contributions from Juliet Davenport (Good Energy), Katherine Symonds (Coca-Cola), Paul Morling (RSPB), and Paul van Gardingen (ESPA).

• Professor Aubrey Manning and Professor Myles Allen on communicating the most difficult and controversial environmental issues.

• The Psychology of Persuasion, with Professor Geoffrey Beattie, Graham Russell and Tony Butler.

• How to co-ordinate more effectively across sectors, delivered in conjunction with RCUK’s Living with Environmental Change programme.

• The Delegate Showcase, with case studies of innovative campaigns from experienced environmental communicators.

Communicate is an initiative of the Bristol Natural History Consortium. Communicate 2011 was held on the 2nd and 3rd November 2011 at Bristol Council House. The Communicate 2011 Conference Summary was produced with support from Bristol City Council.

Bristol Festival of Nature takes Bronze in the South West Tourism Awards

Tuesday 07, February 2012

The Bristol Festival of Nature was delighted to be awarded the bronze award for Tourism Event of the Year at the South West Tourism Excellence Awards 2011-2012, hosted in Torquay on 6th February. It was a great night for Bristol, with the Bristol Ballon Fiesta taking gold in the Event of the Year Category, the SS Great Britain silver for large visitor attraction of the year, and Festival of Nature supporter @Bristol taking the silver award for sustainability. 

The South West Tourism Excellence Awards are the ‘official’ tourism awards for the region, linking closely with the awards in Cornwall, Devon and Bristol as well as forming the regional heat of the national VisitEngland awards. A total of 350 entries were considered for the Awards, with all entrants undergoing a short-listing process and over 100 going on to be visited by a team of 25 judges and mystery shoppers. All entrants receive feedback on how they’ve done, giving them the best opportunity both to hone their entry in future years and make improvements to their business.

Bristol Festival of Nature 2012 - Green Forum Registration now open

Monday 06, February 2012

The Green Forum tent, located in Anchor Square, offers local and national environmental and conservation organisations the oppportunity to display their work to the thousands of people who visit the festival. Organisations can run activities, display materials, sign up new members and volunteers, collect funds and showcase their work and projects. Click here for more details of how to register.

South West Tourism Excellence Awards - Tourism Event of the Year

Tuesday 17, January 2012

We are pleased to announce that the Bristol Festival of Nature has been selected as one of the three winners in the Tourism Event of the Year category for this year's South West Tourism Excellence Awards. Take a look at the full list of winners and details of the awards.

The South West Tourism Excellence Awards are the ‘official’ tourism awards for the region, linking closely with the awards in Cornwall, Devon and Bristol as well as forming the regional heat of the national VisitEngland awards. A total of 350 entries were considered for the Awards, with all entrants undergoing a short-listing process and over 100 going on to be visited by a team of 25 judges and mystery shoppers. All entrants receive feedback on how they’ve done, giving them the best opportunity both to hone their entry in future years and make improvements to their business.

Nature, People, Economics

Tuesday 26, July 2011

The theme for Communicate 2011 will be "Nature, People, Economics". The conference will take place on the 2nd-3rd November at the Council House in Bristol, with more details of the programme and speakers to be released in the coming weeks. Register here now!

Thank you to our volunteers, exhibitors and visitors!

Monday 20, June 2011

Bristol Festival of Nature 2012 Dates confirmed

Monday 03, January 2011

Communicate 2011 - Dates Released

Friday 03, December 2010

Thank you to Communicate 2010 Contributors

Tuesday 09, November 2010

Thank you to our volunteers!

Thursday 07, October 2010

Satish Kumar to give final keynote

Friday 01, October 2010

BNHC at Nantes Creative Generations

Friday 24, September 2010

BNHC's Programmes Manager, Sara Chapple, is off to Nantes this October having been selected to take part in an exiting European conference, the ‘Creative Generations Forum’. Sara will be going to talk about the exiting and expanding National BioBlitz Volunteering Programme, as one of 22 successful projects, selected by the jury from a pool of 72. The event will bring together projects from across Europe, with the shared aim of strengthening citizenship and living together through the involvement and contributions of young people.

 Organisations from the Arts and Environment sectors will come together in Nantes to discuss different experiences and to share ideas for best practice. After a busy summer season of BioBlitz successes we look forward to contributing to the forum, and exploring ways to build on our achievements in supporting young volunteers. It will be an interesting opportunity to meet people from projects based in 17 countries from across the EU.

 http://www.nantescreativegenerations.eu/

Ann Finlayson confirmed as session chair

Wednesday 15, September 2010

Join us at Communicate 2011

Wednesday 15, September 2010

Join us at Communicate 2011

November 2 + 3, 2011. Central Bristol.

Communicate is the annual conference for environmental communicators – bringing together a mix of NGO’s, media professionals, business/CSR, academics and policy makers. Get informed and get involved with the crucial current and upcoming debates in the sector, and get direct feedback on your own communication campaigns. Organisations across the field contribute to the content - and Communicate stays ahead of the curve.

Join us this year for a special focus on:

• The new models of communication – including a keynote by Robin Ince from BBC Radio 4’s Infinite Monkey Cage on using comedy to make a difference
• Messages from the ‘Green Economy’ – debated by sustainability experts and high profile CSR professionals including Futerra, Coca-Cola, and the UNDP
• An overview of the Natural Environment White Paper, and a chance to influence the future third sector and policy cooperation of the “Living with Environmental Change” programme.
• Communicating difficult issues – led by Aubrey Manning and Mark Lynas
• The Psychology of Persuasion – with international guests Zoos Victoria presenting their world leading campaign that forever changed the perspective of zoo visitors in Australia.

Register Now and secure your place at this annual sell-out event.

We look forward to welcoming you to Bristol this November. For further information please contact Ben Connor, Communicate Project Manager, at Turn on JavaScript!

Communicate 2011 Delegate Showcase

Wednesday 15, September 2010

Do you have an innovative environmental communication project to share with other Communicate delegates?

One of the key aspects of Communicate is to allow delegates, speakers and guests to make new connections and learn from one another, and to further that aim, we will be a hosting a “Delegate Showcase” on the 3rd November, giving Communicate attendees the chance to speak about their own experiences of communicating environmental issues. This is a fantastic opportunity for your project to reach a wider audience of influential delegates.

We are looking for delegates who would like to make a short presentation of 5 minutes. We are particularly keen to see presentations that are interactive and engaging, and make good use of a diverse range of media. This year, we are particularly keen to highlight projects that make use of digital and online media; the arts; or those that closely chime with our conference theme of Nature, People and Economics.

If you are interested in showcasing your work at Communicate 2011, then please submit your proposal to Turn on JavaScript! before 28th September, including your name and organisation, the title and format of your submission, and a paragraph outlining the key points of your presentation.

Due to the number of submissions we receive, we will not be able to showcase all delegate presentations at Communicate, but will select those which the committee feels are most suitable for this year’s themes.