Event information
Suitable for adults aged 16+. This event is not suitable for children. We are holding an alternative bat walk for families on 22 August. Bookings close 27 August.
The walk element of the event is weather dependent. In poor weather only the poetry reading will take place, at an indoor venue at the Botanic Garden.
How might a poet respond to the rhythms and echoes of bats? Join us at the Botanic Garden for a unique evening that pairs natural science with poetic exploration.
As dusk settles, you’ll begin a guided walk through the Garden’s woodland paths to experience one of the UK’s most vital – yet often misunderstood – mammals. Using handheld detectors, we will tune in to the unique, high-frequency calls of bats as they navigate the night’s sky.
Along the way, ecopoet Dr Briony Hughes (Royal Holloway, University of London) will present an immersive performance from her latest poetry collection, Speculative Frequencies – a book inspired by her own nocturnal encounters with bats in the Surrey Hills.
This event invites you to re-experience the Botanic Garden through multisensory and multispecies perspectives, revealing the language of the night sky and the incredible creatures that inhabit it.
