Talks, seminars and walks run beside Bath Festival of Nature
Festival of Nature will be taking over Bath’s Guildhall during 25th June between 12pm – 5pm for a programme of free interesting and thought-provoking talks on a range of subjects from Jane Austen to Paleontology!
All talks are free, but to avoid disappointment book your space by clicking on the events below or have a look at the full schedule here.
Healthy Water – 12:00pm – 12:45pm
Wessex Water and the University of Bath have been working together for the last few years to understand more about pharmaceuticals in the river environment. This cutting edge research gives an insight into the health and wellbeing of our society, as well as our watercourses. The research focuses on medicines which are excreted into the sewerage system by the general public, flow to sewage works and following treatment are discharged into the environment.
Jane Austen & Nature – 12:45pm – 1:30pm
Jane Austen was born a country child. This talk explores her love of nature and her understanding of it as much more than just beautiful scenery. For her, it was a retreat in which to write and the source of much of her inspiration.
What do aliens look like?– 2:00pm – 2:45pm
Speculating about what aliens look like has kept children, film producers and scientists amused for decades. If they exist, will extra terrestrials turn out to look similar to us, or might they take a form beyond our wildest imaginings?
The answer to this question really depends on how we think evolution works at the deepest level. In this talk, Professor Matthew Wills will consider (taken with a bag of salt) whether our understanding of life on Earth can tell us anything about the nature of life elsewhere in the Universe.
Nature writing workshop with Stephen Moss – 2:00pm – 4:00pm
Join one of Britain’s leading nature writers, Stephen Moss, to explore your personal connection to nature through the power of words. This unique workshop offers an opportunity to gain expert advice from the author of titles such as ‘Wild Hares and Hummingbirds’ and ‘Tweet of the Day’, whilst discovering the incredible urban wildlife that calls Bath its home.
Please note, part of this workshop will be on a guided walk around Bath, so please bring suitable clothing. Meet at the Guildhall foyer at 2 pm for one hour walk, followed by one hour inside the Guildhall.
Due to limited spaces for this talk, please email Maddy@bnhc.org.uk to register your interest.
Nature Connection – 4:10pm – 4:30pm
Join Roy Kareem to talk about ‘nature connection’: why connecting to nature is beneficial both to human wellbeing and our environment; the latest research and evidence on the positive effects on our psyches’ as well as our bodies from time spent in contact with nature; and what practical steps we can take in our daily lives to increase this contact, especially when we feel we live increasingly urban lives.
The Wonderful World of Spiders – 4:40pm – 5:00pm
Spiders are incredible predators that are found in every habitat on earth. They exhibit a range of bizarre and fascinating body shapes, almost unbelievable behaviours and are master engineers making the most intricate webs. Spiders are full of surprises, do you dare to come along and discover more about them?
Peter Smithers is an Associate Research Fellow at Plymouth University, and Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society.
