Say Oh Yes! to attending Humber Eco Fest
Last weekend saw the launch of Humber Eco Fest, a brand-new, 21-day celebration showcasing eco-positive organisations and projects across our region.
Devised by Hull-based arts and sustainability group the Creative & Cultural Organisation, the festival still has more than two weeks to run – which means dozens of fantastic opportunities to get involved in activities that turn climate anxiety into positive action.
Among the events being hosted Oh Yes! Net Zero members are:
· The 'One River: One Community’ Cycle Ride, from 10am on Saturday 28th October. Supported by Active Humber, the ride starts at Queen Victoria Square in Hull and crosses the Humber Bridge to Far Ings Nature Reserve (with options to join along the way for a shorter route)
· An opportunity to hear from Hull Truck Theatre’s Head of Production, Sarah Barton, about producing its latest show, ‘Pop Music’, using the Theatre Green Book, at 2pm on Saturday 28th October
· Guided walks around Loglands Nature Reserve in Hull on Sunday 29th October and Saturday 11th November, where you can connect with nature and learn ‘forest bathing’ techniques. The walks are supported by the Plant A Tree Today (PATT) Foundation
· A Library of Stuff open day on Wednesday 8th November, from 12 noon until 3pm, where you can find out about the hundreds of items available to borrow from the library for a small fee
· ‘Wonderful Wind’ – a fortnight of offshore wind energy-themed activities and talks at The Deep from 21st October to 5th November
Other Humber Eco Fest events happening across the region include:
10 events by HIP (Hull Independent Photography), involving 70 countries and including The Faces of Climate Change Exhibition 2023
21 days of online festival workshops from around the world with the Association of Sustainability Practitioners
Plastic Free Hornsea’s ‘Big End of Summer Beach Clean’, on Wednesday 1st November, from 10am until 2pm
A delicious Pumpkin Zero Waste Supper, with a cooking demonstration and meal, on 4th November at the Moon Coffee House in Scunthorpe, hosted by Slow Circular Earth UK
The Hull Friends of the Earth Green Fair in Cottingham on Saturday 5th November
The festival ends with the Humber Eco Fest Conference on Saturday 11th November at Hull Central Library. The conference will feature speakers from the Association of Sustainability Practitioners, Living With Water, Active Humber and other local and global contributors including Optimal Cities, a UK-based company developing the first all-in-one digital platform to support sustainable planning.
Festival director Alan Raw said: “As well as building awareness of climate change and what volunteers and others are doing locally to mitigate its effects, Humber Eco Fest aims to encourage greater participation in grassroots activities by inspiring more people to get actively involved, whether by joining in or starting something new.
“Across the 21 days of the festival there really is something for everyone to enjoy, whether it’s artistic inspiration, educational activities, tree-planting or simply enjoying a walk in nature.”
Melissa Rackham, community engagement manager at Oh Yes! Net Zero, said: “We’re proud to support the region’s first eco-focused festival, which will shine a light on the fantastic organisations and projects playing their part in helping people in the region embrace sustainable living.
“It’s great to see so many opportunities for people to come together to share knowledge, get involved and, ultimately, make a positive difference.”
Climate change is a huge global issue that can sometimes seem overwhelming. The events taking place as part of Humber Eco Fest are an important reminder that we can all play a part in tackling it.
You can find the full list of events taking place during Humber Eco Fest here.