Festival returns to Bath and Bristol from June 2-10
The UK’s largest free celebration of the natural world, Festival of Nature, marks its 15th birthday this summer with a bumper week of activities and events.
From the impact of plastics on our oceans to the rise of sustainable fashion, Festival of Nature will throw the spotlight on many of today’s most important environmental issues, as well as providing a chance for people of all ages to celebrate their love of nature.
Running from 2-10 June, the Festival of Nature starts at Bath’s riverside Green Park before sailing down the River Avon to Bristol’s Harbourside.
Savita Willmott, director at Bristol Nature History Consortium, which organises the festival, said: “This year is an important milestone for Festival of Nature as it celebrates its 15th anniversary. We’re excited to mark the occasion with nature and wildlife lovers from Bristol and Bath and beyond who continue to support the event year after year.
“The festival is a fantastic opportunity for city dwellers to explore the nature around them in imaginative ways including interactive workshops, interesting talks and our special after-dark wildlife pop up party. Our varied programme is all about inspiring, educating, informing and encouraging people of all ages to help protect our natural world.”
Key highlights:
- To mark the start of the celebrations, musicians, comedians and scientists will come together at Green Park station in Bath for the festival’s first Pop Up Wildlife Party on the evening of 2 June.
- On 8 June, the festival will host a national meeting, Beyond Plastics, bringing together conservationists and campaigners to discuss how the current focus on banishing plastics can help create a tidal wave of environmental change.
- Join the festival in Bristol on 9 and 10 June as 15th birthday celebrations continue. Situated alongside the ever-popular food market, pop into the brand-new Talks Tent and listen to discussions from a plethora of authors, filmmakers and wildlife heroes.
- Kids and adults alike can relax in the new ‘wild’ area in the festival’s amphitheatre and visit the riverside wildlife park, which will feature a wildlife garden and a miniature forest.
- Throughout the week, families can also explore how nature connects to different parts of everyday life with a fascinating focus on nature and health, new technologies and virtual reality, plus a special showcase on sustainable fashion.
A full festival programme will be released later this month and people are encouraged to sign up to the Festival of Nature newsletter to keep up to date with all the festival news.
All events are free to enter, but some may require some booking so visit www.festivalofnature.org.uk for further information. Follow the festival on Twitter at @FestofNature, Facebook at @BristolFON and on Instagram at @festofnature
