A Renga in Spring
Where: Meet in Firth Community Garden, or if the weather is poor, in Firth Church
When: 10am - 3pm Friday 19 May
With: Writer Yvonne Gray & RSPB Scotland. Event supported by George Mackay Brown Fellowship
Cost: Free event
Booking required: Yes. Maximum 10 people. Email to book.
Contact: RSPB Scotland - Email: [email protected]
As part of the celebration of the centenary of the birth of Orkney poet and nature writer Bessie Skea, join writer Yvonne Gray in Firth Community Garden (or in Firth Church) to create a collaborative poem based on the traditional Japanese nijuin renga. Guided by Yvonne, the renga will draw inspiration from its setting in the heart of the West Mainland near where Bessie Skea made her home.
Weather permitting, at least some of the writing will be done outside - participants may want to bring warm clothing and something to sit on. Please bring the following: pen/pencil, notebook/paper and a picnic. There will be a break for lunch and some time to explore the garden.
Needlefelt Landscape Workshop
Where: 15 Victoria Street, Kirkwall
When: 10am – 4pm Friday 19 May
With: Arts a Flutter
Cost: £75 per person
Booking required: Yes. Limited places available. Email to book.
Contact: Catherine Wells - Email: [email protected]
We will have a fun day making a small needlefelted landscape.
All materials supplied. Suitable for beginners. Light lunch and refreshments included. Please inform of any special dietary requirements.
Stromness to Brodgar Bike Ride
Where: Leaving from Stromness Travel Centre 
When: 11.30am Friday 19 May
With: Cycling UK Orkney
Cost: Free event
Booking required: Recommended. Book here
Contact: Magdalena Choluj - Email: [email protected]
For Orkney Nature Festival, we would like to invite everyone to join our daily bike rides from Stromness Travel Centre to the Ring of Brodgar, and take part in the FREE nature walks delivered by Historic Environment Scotland and RSPB Scotland Rangers.
We will meet daily, from Tuesday 16th May until Friday 19th May, at 11:30 am outside Stromness Travel Centre (next to the Bike Hub), and ride together at a slow pace, to join the walk (start at 1pm). We will cycle back together after the end of the walk. Simply bring your roadworthy bike with you and dress for the weather. Don't forget to bring a packed lunch with you. Please note that participants under 16 years old must be accompanied by an adult of 18+. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to get in touch with [email protected]
Hope to see you all there!
Brodgar Guided Walk
Where: Meet in Ring of Brodgar car park 
When: 1pm Friday 19 May
With: Historic Environment Scotland & RSPB Scotland
Cost: Free event
Booking required: No. Turn up on the day.
Contact: Historic Environment Scotland - Email: [email protected]
HES rangers will be joined by RSPB Scotland staff to help you learn more about the ring and the wider landscape in which it sits. Find out just how much effort went into creating this wonderful site and the birds and animals you can see at it.
Rockpooling at The Brough of Birsay
Where: The Brough of Birsay 
When: 4.30pm - 7.30pm Friday 19 May
With: Seasearch
Cost: Free event. Merchandise will be available to buy.
Booking required: No. Drop-in session.
Contact: [email protected]
Join Seasearch and local experts for a fun family event exploring the rockpools around the Brough of Birsay and discovering the creatures within them. A limited number of rockpooling kits available or bring your own equipment.
Oceans of Value Film Screening and Workshop for ages 16 - 30
Where: Stromness Museum 
When: 7pm - 9.00pm Friday 19 May
With: Scottish Wildlife Trust
Cost: Free event. Donations welcome.
Booking required: Advised but not essential.
Contact: Rebecca Crawford - Email: [email protected], Telephone: 07407852237
The Scottish Wildlife Trust invites anyone aged 16 - 30 to come along and watch our Community Voice Method film featuring some weel kent faces!
To capture the different values members of Orkney’s community place on the marine environment, we set out to interview a range of local people using a process known as the Community Voice Method. Some of the topics explored in the film include Orcadian traditions and dialect related to the sea, how people use the marine environment, the key issues facing the marine environment and how they would like to see it managed in the future.
We will begin welcoming people from 6:30pm where there will be an opportunity to view the museums summer exhibition and aim to start the film shortly after 7pm, including a brief introduction to the project from the Living Seas Team.
During the workshop you will be asked to consider and give feedback on a range of questions relating to some of the topics raised in the film. The discussions from the workshop will be recorded in written form by the organisers to feed into future marine planning and conservation in Orkney, and nationally, and the workshop will draw to a close at 9pm.
You can view the trailer for the Oceans of Value film here
You can discover more about the Oceans of Value Project and work of the Trust at Oceans of Value | Scottish Wildlife Trust
If you attend any of the Orkney Nature Festival events in 2023, it would really help us if you could take a minute to complete the very brief feedback form here. Thank you.