Where do penguins come from? How do penguins keep warm? How do people interact with penguins? What damage are we doing to the penguins’ environment? These are just some of the questions to be answered at an interactive workshop by a Bristol University academic as part of Bristol Festival of Nature.
The workshop, which will appeal to the younger audience as well as parents, grandparents and play schemes, is entitled A passion for penguins and will be given by physicist Dr Peter Barham during half term on Friday 22 October.
Dr Barham, through his expertise in materials science, is leading a project with several penguin biologists to design and produce new methods to tag individual penguins. New plastic bands were field tested earlier this year on African penguins on Robben Island as part of an Earthwatch project looking at the long-term conservation of this vulnerable species, led by Peter and several South African biologists.
Dr Peter Barham said: “My interest in penguins is long-standing, in fact over 30 years. I have taken many trips to observe penguins and have been privileged to visit all 17 different species throughout the world in their natural habitats.”
The interactive workshop, organised by the University’s Outreach Team, will take place at the St Paul’s Learning and Family Centre, Grosvenor Road, St Paul’s Bristol from 10 am to 3 pm. The workshop is free but places need to be booked in advance by contacting the booking line on 0117 928 7155.
Bristol Festival of Nature 9-31 October 2004
The UK’s biggest celebration of the natural world
Bristol’s first Festival of Nature feature some 300 engaging events taking place in a host of different venues around the city. The three-week programme is packed with activities for everyone with events ranging from high profile talks from world experts such as ape authority Dr Jane Goodall to fungal forays in local woodlands. The Festival aims to engage 40,000 people in the wonder of our natural world as well as recognise Bristol’s international reputation for natural history communication. The Festival will be complemented by two events for wildlife and conservation professionals – Communicate and Wildscreen 2004 – which will take place in the city at the same time.
Bristol Festival of Nature is organised by a consortium of seven Bristol-based organisations: At-Bristol, BBC Natural History Unit, Bristol Zoo Gardens, University of Bristol, University of the West of England, Wildscreen and WWF-UK.