London Discovery Walks, Talks & Events!

Let's have another: 🌼Daisy 🌼Chain🌼 Event!!! We haven't been here for years - So, let's revisit one of the finest museums in London!
The Natural History Museum!

Part One: New Gallery - Fixing our Broken!
They say: We’re facing a nature crisis, but there’s hope
Packed with contemporary science from our world-leading researchers, our new gallery explores practical, nature-based solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing the planet today.
It delves into topics such as the food we eat, the energy we consume, the stuff we use and the impact of all of this on our health. We’ve brought together a special selection of more than 200 specimens, from a Sumatran rhino to an ancient cow skull. Together they tell the story of our impact on the natural world and explore the opportunities we have to save it.
Hear from our scientists as well as leading environmentalists and young changemakers from around the world. Plus, discover all the ways we, both as individuals and communities, can make a difference. You’ll also get to have your say with our interactive conversation starter.
There’s a whole host of amazing things to discover, whether it’s what whale ear wax tells us about ocean pollution, how fungi-based fertilisers support food production or how European bison are helping us to store more carbon. Plus, if you’ve ever wondered about the carbon footprint of your pet or what local lichen can tell you about air pollution in your area, we’ve got the answers to that too!

Part Two: Nature in Focus
They say: This year we’re celebrating the sixtieth anniversary of our world-renowned Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.
Over the past six decades, the stunning photographs it’s championed have not only told stories about the beauty and vulnerability of the natural world but advanced our scientific understanding of it.
In this free display, we take a look at the role photography has played in advancing the science of natural history. Tracing the history of photography in natural history, we explore not only the close ties between science, photography and art but how modern imaging techniques are used in science and storytelling.
As equipment and technology continue to advance, we’re seeing photography play an ever more vital role in research. From images of cyanotypes to a 3D-printed cardboard head of Dippy our iconic dinosaur, new imaging techniques are unlocking previously unknown details about life on Earth both past and present.

Part Three: The Garden
They say: Escape the hustle and bustle of city life in our gardens.
Follow the story of how life on Earth has changed over time in our new gardens, from the days of the dinosaurs through to today.
As you move through our gardens, follow in the footsteps of evolution. Along the way feel ancient fossils, spot a grazing Hypsilophodon and tread among the footprints of your oldest ancestors.
Then leave the past behind as you step into the present day. Into an urban world, but one that makes space for wildlife. As you explore our grassland, wetland and woodland habitats, experience how nature can thrive in urban spaces.
Sink into your surroundings and soak in the sights and sounds of nature as you discover the creatures that have made their homes here. Take time to tune into the birds singing in the trees, to watch the ripples dance across our ponds and to contemplate a future that works for people and the planet.

I have got the museum entry tickets for our group - this means that we shouldn't have to queue...

Let's celebrate VE 80 Day! With another 🌼Daisy 🌼Chain 🌼Event!!!

To start: The Tower Remembers: Poppies return to the Tower of London!
Thousands of poppies will be returned to the moat at the Tower of London, for a commemorative display lasting all summer. 30,000 of the 880,000+ ceramic poppies which made up the Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red installation in 2014 will be arranged in the moat to resemble a 'wound' at the heart of the Tower, from which the poppies will form a crater, with ripples flowing outwards.
We will view this from the edge... don't forget your camera 📷🤳
Whilst here, we'll also see the war memorial by Tower Hill Station...
BTW - there may well be a fly by going on too 🙏🤞

From here we'll take a social riverside walk (on the south side) to the OXO Gallery to see: Brushstrokes from the Front Lines exhibition
Paintings by trailblazing British war artist Doris Zinkeisen go on display for the first time, for this VE Day exhibition. She was a British Red Cross and St John Ambulance Brigade volunteer nurse during the Second World War, and many of her artworks depict things she witnessed, such as hospital wards, rescue missions during night air raids and the repatriation of prisoners of war.
Zinkeisen was one of the first artists — commissioned by the British Red Cross — to paint the horrors of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp after it was liberated in April 1945, capturing both the relief work being undertaken, and the disturbing death, sickness and suffering of those who were held there in captivity.

Whilst coasting along the riverside we will pass HMS Wellington:
HMS WELLINGTON is the only surviving Battle of Atlantic ship on the east side of the Atlantic and has been an iconic feature on the River Thames since 1948. The Battle of Atlantic was the longest battle of WW II, starting on 3 September 1939, and ending on 8 May 1945. HMS WELLINGTON is credited with escorting over 103 Atlantic convoys, saved over 400 lives and is listed on the National Historic Ships Register. She is also the last Grimsby Class Sloop.

Before our final stop, we will see the Cenotaph on Whitehall it will be draped in Union Jack flags!!!