Culture Forager, Vol. 5

 Welcome back to Culture Forager, the roundup of stuff that’s grabbed our attention lately. Now that spring’s on its way, Nature’s putting on a stunning display. We’ve picked out some wonderful things to do in the great outdoors – and a few for indoors, in case of spring showers.

Bikes for hire in cities are nothing new, but we love the ethos behind newcomer-to-London, Human Forest. Their fleet of nippy e-bikes aims to cut carbon in the capital, plus the bikes are charged with certified renewable energy. And every user gets 10 minutes of free riding per day. As they put it: “Working together, trees and people can drastically reduce the amount of CO2 in the air – they become a HumanForest.”

Download on the App Store or Google Play

Nature takes on the starring role at Hinterlands film festival. Held in Skipton, North Yorkshire, the weekend-long programme of events promises to “celebrate the richness and variety of rural film in the heart of the Lakes and Dales.” Aside from the obvious film screenings (with dog and kid-friendly options!), you can view an art installation made from waste, dance at a ceilidh, or take part in a film-themed pub quiz.

Various venues, Skipton, 17^th-19^th March 2023 hinterlandsfestival.org.uk

A worldwide smash hit when published in hardback last year, Otherlands by Thomas Halliday is now out in paperback. Young Scottish paleobiologist Halliday takes readers on a deep journey spanning 550 million years. With 16 different fossil sites as starting points, he vividly describes the earth in various stages of its existence – and reminds us to appreciate and care for our current ecosystems.

£10.99, available from book retailers

On World Wetlands Day in February, the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust unveiled an incredible 3D mural on the floor of a Bristol shopping centre. Now the artwork is on tour around the UK. The 20-foot long canvas depicts a degraded wetland transforming into a flourishing Nature scene – and highlights the fact that wetlands are disappearing three times faster than forests. Even if you don’t catch the email, that’s a great reason to visit your nearest WWT centre.

Free. Various locations. Find out more here.

Manchester Museum just reopened after a huge development programme – and it’s the perfect place to discover Nature undercover. With a focus on sustainability and diversity, the new-look museum is packed with wonders for all ages, kicking off with the ‘Golden Mummies of Egypt’ exhibition. Aside from a menagerie of skeletons and taxidermy, there’s an enormous herbarium and a vivarium – home to critically endangered variable harlequin toads from Panama.

Open Tuesday-Sunday, admission free. museum.manchester.ac.uk