Monday, March 25, 2013

Bristol Festival of Nature

Bristol Festival of Nature celebrates a decade of discovery. A new challenge to uncover Bristol’s hidden environmental hotspots is launching in May to celebrate Bristol Festival of Nature’s 10thanniversary.

 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.

For further information, interviews or images please contact Max Boon at Spirit PR on 0117 944 1415 or email mboon@spiritpublicrelations.co.uk  
Also see http://www.bnhc.org.uk/home/festival.html
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The Bristol Festival of Nature is an initiative of the Bristol Natural History Consortium, which is a charitable collaboration between 11 of the biggest natural history organisations in the city, and it is the strength of this partnership that has helped the festival to flourish for the past decade.

The Bristol Festival of Nature aims to engage the widest possible audience in the UK’s biggest celebration of the natural world.

Its main objectives are:

  • To deliver a memorable celebration of the natural world and to recognise Bristol’s reputation as a leading centre for the understanding and appreciation of natural history

  • To attract new audiences and widen participation in the understanding and enjoyment of the natural world

The festival is an initiative of the Bristol Natural History Consortium, a charitable collaboration between: Avon Wildlife Trust, BBC Natural History Unit, Bristol City Council, Bristol Zoo Gardens, Defra, Environment Agency, National Trust, Natural England, University of Bristol, University of the West of England and Wildscreen.

The festival is supported by British Ecological Society, Bristol Water, IOP Publishing, At-Bristol, Clifton College, Space Engineering Services and Company of Biologists.

In 2013 the Festival of Nature is part of the British Ecological Society’s centenary Festival of Ecology, held from 15 June to 4 August 2013. The BES will be working in partnership with over 60 organisations celebrating the science of ecology through public events for adults, schools and families. www.festivalofecology.org; www.britishecologicalsociety.org

The Festival of Nature is part of Bristol’s BIG Green Week Festival (15-23 June), the UK's annual festival of environmental ideas, art and culture. www.biggreenweek.com.

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