The organisers of the 2014 Shetland Nature Festival have announced the programme for the 7th annual festival, to be held from 5th to 11th July.
The festival is organised jointly by Geopark Shetland, the RSPB and Scottish Natural Heritage but, this year, two new partners have joined to create a varied programme that mixes old favourites with some exciting new opportunities.
The team from Our Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh will be inspiring all comers as they explore Earth's 4.6 billion year history and the Clipperton Project will be running a series of unique expeditions of discovery aboard a floating laboratory at various locations around Shetland.
As always, there will be guided walks for all abilities. The ever-popular open days at the National Nature Reserve on the island of Noss and Sumburgh Head – an RSPB reserve – are included in the programme; both of these are superb sites for viewing seabirds. Other ways of engaging with the natural world also feature, such as Parkour sessions and snorkeling tours. Art lovers can enjoy an artist studio and nature trail, while craft workshops using recycled materials are also new for this year.