As always, The Canterbury Festival reflects the world of science in a series of talks and discussions covering a wide range of topics. Television zoologist and presenter Megan McCubbin celebrates her experience and expertise in Living Wild, Weird and Wonderful, a talk combining stories from field working with a clarion call to take a stand for the natural world. A further combination of celebration and an environmental call to arms comes as Fred Pearce tells a revelatory new history of our relationship with trees in A Trillion Trees: How we can Reforest our World.  

It is, astonishingly, nearly 50 years since the last Apollo mission. Discover with astronomer David Whitehouse what the next half century of space exploration has in store. Space 2069: After Apollo: Back to the Moon, To Mars and Beyond is a talk based on up-to-date findings, tempered with healthy realism. Explore the future of humanity in space. The complete story of the universe? Join Rutherford and Fry to find out. Skipping over some of the boring parts, Rutherford and Fry’s Complete Guide to Absolutely Everything celebrates the weirdness of the cosmos and how we somehow make sense of life amid all the strangeness of humans. A journey through time and space, expect head-scratching questions that only science can answer.

Canterbury Climate Action Week is marked by a series of events during the Festival. Starting with a United Nations Peace Service & Launch led by the Bishop of Dover in Canterbury Cathedral. A Festival Talk, The Global Climate Emergency, marks Local Government Day. The talk takes the form of a panel discussion exploring what is needed locally, nationally and internationally to tackle the global climate emergency. Community and Civic Action Day showcases local projects addressing carbon reduction, climate change and biodiversity. Green Business is a celebration of local businesses committed to reducing carbon emissions, addressing climate change and promoting biodiversity. The event also provides support for those moving towards a net zero economy and hosts the launch of the 2020 Climate Action Awards (business category).

The focus is on education as local schools and universities showcase projects and engagement in climate action. Education and Schools Day also sees the launch of the 2022 Climate Action Awards (education category). The week concludes with a review of the outcomes in the Public Rally and Closing Ceremony and the Fairtrade and Climate Action Fairtrade Fair.

For more information regarding Canterbury Climate Action Partnership, visit ccap.org.uk