Get the dates in your calendar now 🗓️ We’ll be bringing our mega free celebration of the natural world back to Bristol, Bath, local regions and online from Saturday 6th–Sunday 14th June 2026
Keep up to date with the mailing list: https://www.bnhc.org.uk/festival-of-nature/
#FestivalofNature
Planning a bonfire? Check out Avon Wildlife Trust's tips to protect hedgehogs:
1. Only build your bonfire on the day you light it
2. Place it on open ground, not on leaves where they hide
3. Check the entire bonfire first, they tend to hide in the centre
Photo © Jon Hawkins Surrey Hills Photography
A photo of Milennium Square in Bristol during Festival of Nature, with lots of people on deckchairs, and walking around. There are marquees and the Bristol big wheel in the background, and the sky is a deep blue. White writing that says 'We're hiring'
We're hiring! We are looking for a Programmes Officer to join us on a fixed term 1 year contract throughout 2026.
Apply via email before 6am on Monday 17th November – read the full job description: https://www.bnhc.org.uk/job-opportunities
WWT's research shows that just 10 minutes in a wetland setting can lead to an increase in positive feelings. WWT's YouTube playlist brings the rivers, ponds, lakes and wetland reserves to you - wherever you are https://ow.ly/490y50X9e4X
#WorldMentalHealthDay
Open Planet video, Hydro Motion Media
A photo taken from above of a grey seal swimming in the sea, with her seal pup clinging to her side. The water is calm and a greeny-grey colour, with some rocks in the foreground.
What autumn wildlife are you looking forward to spotting?
Our team have been on the last of our summer trips, enjoying the #wildlife as we head into #autumn, with one of our highlights being adorable seal pups. This pair were spotted at Martin's Haven, #Pembrokeshire
📷 Ellie Turner-Wallace
Photo of a beaver with large blue words that say '11 Big River Watchers recorded beavers in the last survey', 19th-25th September. Download the app, survey your river. What will you see?
Want to help the health of your local river? Get involved with the #BigRiverWatch between 19-25 Sep! You just need to download the free Big River Watch app, take 15 minutes to observe your local river and then answer the in-app survey
@theriverstrust.bsky.social
theriverstrust.org/take-action/...
Feeling the heat this week? Find out how you can help decrease urban heating with Avon Wildlife Trust
Try to: use hanging baskets, window boxes, plant trees, add wall climbers and create green bin covers
Avoid: paving over gardens or adding fake grass
www.avonwildlifetrust.org.uk/team-wilder-...
And there are plenty of fun nature ideas you can try out at home, indoors, on a balcony, or in your front or back garden. Visit @avonwt’s website for plenty of ideas, like pond building: www.avonwildlifetrust.org.uk/actions/how-...
Photo © Tom Wilmott
Visit @wwtworldwide.bsky.social Slimbridge's arts & crafts weekend starting this Friday as part of their Dragonfly Festival
You can head to Bristol Zoo Project to try out Andy’s Adventure Explorer Trail bristolzoo.org.uk/events/andys...
@nationaltrust.org.uk have got their Summer of Play activities happening across sites until the end of August, with tons of nature-related events in there - www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/family...
Photo © National Trust, Trevor Ray Hart
Westonbirt Arboretum Apprentice activities for 11-14 year olds are running from 12-13 August www.forestryengland.uk/westonbirt/a...
Looking for more summer holiday ideas to see you through until September? We’ve rounded up a few nature and fun-filled activities you can take part in, at home or with some of our partners 👇
Enjoy getting out and about in nature this summer!
Have you visited the @banesgreens.bsky.social Climate Hub yet? Step inside the Bath Bus Station to explore the Bath River Line and Bathscape display – a beautiful celebration of nature, community and climate action.
Pop in for free before the end of July, open daily
From last month's workshop with @abipalmer.bsky.social for @festofnature.bsky.social with thanks to @literatureworks.bsky.social
literatureworks.org.uk/festival-of-...
If you haven't already, we'd still love your opinion this year's #FestivalofNature - how you found the events, what you liked the most, and any suggestions you have for the future. 📝
Share your feedback before 29 June! 👇
app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/bnhc/festi...
Photos by Ania Shrimpton.
Mother Nature threw a buzzing party last week 🎶 🐝 🪩
'Listen to Your Mother' was #FestivalofNature's first ever club night, in collaboration with Club Sol and Rising Arts Agency - and it was a smash hit! 🎧 🌊
Funding for this event was from Youth Climate Action Fund. Photography 📸 Khourie Allen
Hands-up who wants a pop-up wetland at every Festival of Nature #WildWeekend? 🙌
If you've been inspired, bring the magic home with WWT’s free 'Wetlands Where You Live' pack: fun nature activities & wildlife guides for all ages! 🌿
Download your pack: www.wwt.org.uk/discover-wet...
📸 Ania Shrimpton
Did you join a #FestivalofNature Community Event? ✨🐝
From nature walks & talks to garden open days, it was amazing to see so many people connecting with each other and the natural world.
A massive thank you to all the event organisers who made last week's activities possible! 💚
📸 Guy Manchester
Very enjoyable day talking roots, shoots and stomata @festofnature.bsky.social with @bristolbiosci.bsky.social
continued... 👉 West of England Nature Partnership, Wessex Water, We The Curious, Bloomberg Philanthropies Youth Climate Action Fund, and our Culture & Sustainability Partner Bristol Old Vic. #FestivalofNature
Photo credit: Guy Manchester
With special thanks to Bristol City Council, Bristol Avon Catchment Partnership, Bristol City Centre BID, Bristol Aquarium, Bristol Waste Company, Bristol Water, Centre For Sustainable Energy, Literature Works Seed Bed, Quartet Community Foundation, West of England Combined Authority, continued... 👇
That's a wrap on #FestivalofNature 2025! A huge THANK YOU to our partners, sponsors, funders, event organisers, venues and contributors. As well as everyone behind-the-scenes who made this year such a success, from our caterers and security teams, to photographers, musicians & artists. 👏 💙 2026? 👀
@festofnature.bsky.social this weekend 14/15 June in Millennium Square. Visit the University of Bristol Tent and find out how bats can find their insect prey by their superpower of echolocation, how carnivorous plants adapt to growing in wet boggy conditions & much more. Visit: shorturl.at/SDPQ3
Bringing the outside in - if you missed our workshop with @festofnature.bsky.social this week, we've included some of the content here.
Do look up the rest of their programme - a few days left of brilliant things.
#WritingWorkshop #CreativeWriting #NatureWriting
open.substack.com/pub/louiseke...
a mini wetland with real plants, and a painted background of sky, wetland and birds sits in the centre of Millennium Square, Bristol. A woman stands looking down at the
The big reveal! This incredible pop-up, living, breathing wetland is right here in Millennium Square in the heart of Bristol, ready for you to explore this Saturday and Sunday as part of Wild Weekend.
A @wwtworldwide.bsky.social creation, designed and built by Beautiful Wonder
Celebrate Father's Day this weekend in Millennium Square!
Spend some quality time together at Wild Weekend, learning how to build a pond, exploring watery science experiments or sharing your best disco moves with live music on the stage.
Free entry, lineup here:
www.bnhc.org.uk/festival-of-...
Great zoom session with 40 watery writers. We splashed words about, linked the particular to wider issues, dived down swallow holes and surfaced at the end with some ideas about how to develop our creative non-fiction writing. Thanks @festofnature.bsky.social for hosting me! #naturewriting
Another really great thing. Please keep the really great things coming.
Free on Sunday afternoon? Then come along to my accessible online watery #naturewriting workshop - Go With the Flow @festofnature.bsky.social. Everyone welcome.
We'll be paddling through puddles, chilling in chalk streams and having fun splashing words about on the page. 🌊🌊🌊
