Festival of Nature 2021

Students on the Cabot Institute for the Environment's Master's by Research in Global Environmental Challenges programme have worked on an exciting public engagement activity for Bristol's Festival of Nature - 'Castle Park as an Island of Discovery.'

In collaboration with the University's Public Engagement team and artist Ellie Shipman, our master's by research students have been involved in creating a two-way dialogue between researchers and the public, focusing on the value of nature in the city. By communicating with the students about their research and their interpretation of the theme 'Actions for Nature,' Ellie created an interactive map of Castle Park in Bristol as a fictional island, inviting the public to learn more about nature and climate change.

To accompany the interactive map is an audio tour that can be experienced online from anywhere, or from Castle Park. The audio tour introduces participants to explore nature, find out what glacial flour is, discover new perspectives on nature filmmaking, consider how creative activism is affecting environmental change and much more…

You can listen to the audio here and please respond to the questions posed by the students here.

If you have any questions for them, click on their profiles below to get in touch!

Meet the Master's researchers

Want to know more about the Master's by Research in Global Environmental Challenges? Please contact cabot-masters@bristol.ac.uk.

The University of Bristol's Public Engagement team provide a bridge between the University's research community and people living and working in communities outside.

To discuss this project please contact Mireia Bes mireia.bes@bristol.ac.uk and Ellie Hart ellen.hart@bristol.ac.uk.

Ellie Shipman is a participatory artist and illustrator living in Bristol. Debate around sustainability, urban change, what it means to be a woman and notions of community underpin her creative practice. Ellie's work responds to and challenges public, urban and socio-political tensions through encouraging and engaging the general public and a diverse range of community groups: from people with dementia to school children or refugee women amongst others. Ellie also regularly works with researchers to translate and visualise academic research into public facing exhibitions, events and illustration.

Find out more about Ellie's illustration at: ellieshipman.com, or participatory projects at eleanorshipman.com

Festival of Nature 2021

Meet the Master's researchers

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