How do we create towns and cities where nature can truly flourish?
That will most certainly be the subject of debate during an afternoon of thought-provoking conversation about the futures we need and how we begin to imagine them into existence.
The venue is Widcombe Social Club, Widcombe Hill, Bath, BA2 6AA. The date is Wednesday, June 10th, from 1 pm to 4.30 pm -with the option to stay and chat in the bar afterwards until 5:30 pm.
Cost: £18 standard ticket (low-income and pay-it-forward options available)
How do we create towns and cities where nature can truly flourish?
This event has been created in partnership between Avon Wildlife Trust and Stride Treglown for the Bristol and Bath Festival of Nature and brings together prominent voices from design, ecology and futures-thinking. Together, we will explore how imagination can spark bold visions and the urgent practical action needed to shape greener, healthier and more hopeful futures for everyone.
Speakers include:
Nature author and campaigner Hannah Bourne-Taylor
SUGi UK forest lead Adrian Wong
Presenter and writer Kunle Barker
Landscape architect Andrew Grant
Avon Wildlife Trust CEO Leah McNally
Architect Rob Delius
Panel discussion chaired by Professor of Imagination Dr Penny Hay
With a special message recorded for the event by environmental activist and writer Rob Hopkins
More about the speakers
Hannah Bourne-Taylor’s life revolves around birds. Dubbed a ‘voice for nature’, Hannah is a bird conservationist, an award winning campaigner, and author of two books (Fledgling and Nature Needs You – The Fight To Save Our Swifts).
Hannah is known for walking naked through London (twice) as part of her swift brick campaign, and successfully reintegrating birds all of kinds back into the wild including one finch who she raised in her hair for three months.
Adrian Wong is a dedicated regenerative planting specialist with a keen interest in replicating natural ecosystems to benefit biodiversity.
As a student of the natural world, he strives to bring nature into the Urban landscape.
A passion developed from his time travelling and observing how society benefits most when nature and humanity can coexist.
Kunle Barker is co-founder of Natural Places, a consultancy working with clients to form a new reality when it comes to nature in the built environment.
Alongside Katie Mills, a PhD researcher in transformative change, he works with organisations including Natural England and Related Argent to connect nature, housing, wellbeing and long-term value through strategy, research and action.
Andrew Grant is the Founder and Director of international landscape architects, Grant Associates. Known for his pioneering approach, most notably the design of Gardens by the Bay in Singapore.
He is Chair of the Bathscape Landscape Partnership, a member of the Bath World Heritage Site Advisory Board and co-founder of the pop-up festival Forest of Imagination.
Leah is the CEO of Avon Wildlife Trust. She has worked within the urban environmental sector for the majority of her career, and led on the redevelopment of three urban nature reserves in London, including Camley Street Natural Park in Kings Cross.
With a focus on people’s engagement with nature and urban nature, Leah has prioritised EDI and has created award-winning programmes focusing on young people from diverse backgrounds to access opportunities in the nature recovery sector.
Rob Delius is an architect and sustainability lead at Stride Treglown. Rob is interested in pro-activism – how we collaboratively instigate action on climate, biodiversity and health.
He was the winner of the RIBA competition ‘Imagine-Bath’ and was behind ‘Sinking House’, a climate art installation and ‘Funeral for Nature’, an international event highlighting biodiversity loss
Dr. Penny Hay is an artist-researcher-educator, Professor of Imagination and co-chair of the eARTh research group at Bath Spa University.
Signature projects include Forest of Imagination, Playful Green Planet and School Without Walls. Penny is a National Teaching Fellow and has a Fellowship in Imagination at the Centre for Future Thinking.
Agenda
Time
Speakers and activity
1.00pm
Doors open
1.30pm
Introduction by Leah McNally, Chief Exec of Avon Wildlife Trust
Join us for an afternoon of thought-provoking conversation about the futures we need and how we begin to imagine them into existence.
Rob Delius
Stride Treglown
FAQs
How do I get to the event? By train: Bath Spa Railway Station is a 6-minute walk away. By bus: Widcombe High Street bus stop is a 2-minute walk away. By car: The nearest public car park is SouthGate, a 10-minute walk away.
What time is the event? Doors open at 1:00pm for a 1:30pm start. Talk ends at 4:30pm with the option to stay and chat in the bar until 5.30pm.
How much does it cost? Standard tickets are £18. Low income tickets are £5. Pay it forward tickets are £22.
Accessibility, Filming & Data Protection
The venue is wheelchair accessible. The event will take place in The Wharf, on the second floor, which can be accessed by lift. If you have any specific access needs, please let us know in advance, and we’ll do our best to support you.
Photos and short video recordings will be taken during the event for promotional and reporting purposes. If you’d prefer not to be included, please let a member of the team know on the day.
By registering your interest, you consent to us storing your personal details securely and will be accessed by Stride Treglown and Avon Wildlife Trust, solely for the purposes of this event and related updates, in line with GDPR. They will not be stored, retained, shared with third parties without your consent, or used for marketing, sales, or any future events.
The Imagining the Future We Want event has been created in partnership with Avon Wildlife Trust and Stride Treglown
Freelance Journalist, broadcaster, columnist and local historian. Director of Bath Newseum. Married and lives in Bath.
Interested in local history, architecture and visual display in museums and urban spaces.
View all posts by Richard Wyatt
1 Comment
Im in Singapore just now. There are such dramatic examples here of how trees, shrubs and flowers can allevite the harshness of high density modern area
Im in Singapore just now. There are such dramatic examples here of how trees, shrubs and flowers can allevite the harshness of high density modern area