A Week of Nature Positive Climate Action Returns at Free University Festival

The Lincoln Climate Action Festival will return in November this year, with the theme of nature positivity.

Now in its third year, the week-long festival at the University of Lincoln, UK, offers free climate awareness activities running between Monday 13 and Sunday 19 November and is open to all members of the public.

The event will also host a dedicated art exhibition in the University’s Project Space Plus, a gallery space for creative enquiry, experimentation, and contemporary thinking. The team are calling for local artists to present their work in celebration of this year’s theme, and are looking for artistic work which celebrates nature in all its forms, including wildlife photography, plant-based or biodegradable art.

A range of local organisations including the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, the Lincoln Climate Commission and Wilder Doddington will also be supporting the event with their own planned initiatives.

The week aims to raise awareness of how we can all engender a more sustainable, climate-friendly approach into our everyday lives. Attendees will have the opportunity to take part in many activities, including wildlife surveying, learning about carbon neutral practices, and a sustainability café with a book swap and crafting with nature-friendly materials.

Rebecca Mills, Head of Sustainability at the University of Lincoln, said: “A key aim for the University is to engage with our staff, students, and members of the local community on positive action and education in relation to sustainability, climate change and biodiversity. We hope to include as many people as possible in this week of events and instil a sense of Climate Hope and an appreciation of the natural world.

In 2019, the University of Lincoln declared a climate emergency to stand with other organisations taking the future of the planet seriously, and continues to work with its staff, students, Students’ Union, and wider community to implement sustainable pathways in all undertakings.

This commitment to the environment is reflected in a range of green spaces throughout the University’s Brayford Pool Campus, including wildflower meadows and pollinator enhancing rewilded areas on the estate and kitchen gardens. During their time at the University, students can take part in many environmental projects, from the edible campus project, Hedgehog Friendly Campus initiative, and the annual Brayford Pool clean-up.

For more information on the schedule of events or to submit your artwork for consideration in the Project Space Plus gallery, please email: environment@lincoln.ac.uk