Generation Hope: Act for the Planet

A blue and green illustration of a semi-circle Earth with the overlay Generation Hope Act for the Planet 12 to 16 September.

Event information

Join us for a free programme of inspiring workshops, panels and talks created in partnership with young people, for young people.

This event ran from 20-25 March 2023

Across the Museum

Free

Everyone has the power and potential to take meaningful action for the planet. 

Our mission is to create advocates that are informed, confident and motivated to make wise decisions, get involved and use their influence and actions to drive positive change for the planet's future.

Join us across the week of 20-25 March for a free programme of inspiring workshops, panels and talks created in partnership with young people, for young people aged 16+. Whether it's getting to grips with the science, understanding the impacts of the planetary emergency or strengthening your own skills, join us to take the next step, no matter where you are on your journey.

Booking tickets is essential, as there are a limited number of spaces for each event. Sessions are most suitable for ages 16+. Please check the individual sessions for age restrictions and guidance. All children must be accompanied by an adult. 

Discover the Generation Hope Hub

Not sure what to do between sessions? Then head to the Marine Invertebrates gallery to join us in the Generation Hope hub.

Take a moment to write a Letter to the Earth, discover projects and communities around the world driving action for change, or simply chat with us and other like-minded individuals.

Pop up activities

Drop in to Hintze Hall throughout the week to meet our scientists, consider our relationship with food and see some specimens from our collections.

Food Wave pop-up

From reducing food waste to embracing planet-friendly diets, learn how you can help tackle climate change, one meal at a time. Explore our relationship with food at this dynamic pop-up run by Food Wave.

Hintze Hall 20-25 March, 11:00-14:00

Drop in any time

Meet our scientists

From beautiful butterflies to fossilised coral, see specimens from our collections and discover how Museum research is helping us understand the most pressing impacts on the natural world - as well as actions needed to protect it.

Hintze Hall 20-25 March, 11:00-14:00

Drop in any time

Free workshops

Our programme of free workshops includes both online and in-person events so you can connect with our mission from anywhere in the world.

Politics to Save the Planet by Patchwork Foundation 

An evening looking at how young people can leverage policy and politics to combat the climate crisis, organised by Patchwork Foundation. 

In-person event

Attenborough Studio, Wednesday 22 March, 19.00-21.30

Online event

Zoom, Wednesday 22 March, 19.00-21.30

Reflecting on the present, reimagining the future: Storytelling in a planetary emergency

Join us for an evening of powerful stories, highlighting the interconnected nature of the planetary emergency, exploring the natural world around us and uncovering hope for the future.

Earth Hall

Monday 20 March 18:30-20:30

Our Future Health: mind, body and climate

In this workshop you'll learn about some of the health impacts of climate change from leading experts. They'll discuss how these impacts vary across communities and how we can become more resilient to them together.

Neil Chalmers Seminar Room

Thursday 23 March, 13:30-15:00

Imagine a Just Future – art and resilience workshop

In this workshop tap into your imagination, expression and creativity and join others in painting a collective mural, centred on a shared vision of the future.

Darwin Centre Atrium

Saturday 25 March, 12:30-15:30

Talking Climate

Join Climate Outreach for an interactive workshop and help create a practical toolkit to engage youth audiences with climate science and climate justice. We'll take a solutions-oriented approach to sharing stories of hope on how we're mobilising knowledge to tackle climate change.

In-person event

Spirit Gallery, Tuesday 21 March, 13:00-17:00

Online event

Zoom, Monday 20 March, 13.00-16.00

Indigenous leadership for our collective future

To truly mitigate the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss, we must centre Indigenous knowledge at the heart of our climate response. Hear directly from Indigenous climate experts Hamangaí Pataxó and Serena Mendizabal in this online panel.

In-Person Screening & workshop:

Neil Chalmers Seminar Room, Thursday 23 March, 16:00-17:30

Online event

Zoom, Thursday 23 March, 16:00-17:00

Communications for Climate Justice

A workshop designed to equip communities aged 16 and up with the communication tools required to amplify their cause. The session is created by Team TerreGeneration.com, which specialises in communications in the climate and biodiversity space.

Online, Zoom

Friday 24 March 12:00-15:00

Anxiety to Agency Classroom by Force of Nature 

A crash-course in tackling eco-anxiety, mobilising mindsets and understanding barriers to taking action. Created by Force of Nature, a youth-led organisation that empowers people to channel their feelings into taking action.

In-person event

Darwin Centre Atrium, Tuesday 21 March 18:30-20:00

Online event

Zoom, Thursday 23 March 14.00-15.30

Speed Networking for Collective Action

This session is for ages 18 and above only. Please bring a valid form of ID (passport or drivers license) or you may be refused entry.

Get the chance to meet people from a spectrum of disciplines and backgrounds, from science to art, policy to education. Find out how to channel your passion for the planet through your work, no matter what it is.

Spirit Gallery

Wednesday 22 March, 16:00-18:00

Back to Nature

Join a small group of artists, activists, and Museum scientists to re-envisage and reimagine a reciprocal, healthier relationship with nature for the future.

Neil Chalmers Seminar Room

Friday 24, 14:00-16:00

Free talks

Join us in the Museum's Attenborough Studio, or connect with us on YouTube to join the discussions and help shape what it means to be an advocate for the planet.

How are the climate and biodiversity crises linked?

Biodiversity - the sum of all life - is our greatest asset in tackling the planetary emergency, but it is also under threat. Join us for a panel discussion about the connection between the natural world, the climate crisis and climate solutions.

This session will also be streamed on the Natural History Museum YouTube channel at the advertised time.

Attenborough Studio

Monday 20 March, 16:00-17:30

Why Gender Equality matters in the Planetary Emergency

A discussion on the need for centring gender equality in global climate responses, why it is essential everyone is represented at the decision-making table and how elevating women's rights may be the single greatest action to tackle the planetary emergency.

This session will also be streamed on the Natural History Museum YouTube channel at the advertised time.

Attenborough Studio

Wednesday 22 March, 16:00-17:30

The role of the media in the Climate Crisis

When it comes to raising awareness of the climate crisis, the media has a fundamental role to play. Join us as our panel of experts discuss and explore the role of the media in engaging people with the climate crisis.

Flett Theatre

Monday 20 March, 18:30-20:00

In Conversation with Sir Patrick Vallance: An Exclusive Keynote and Q&A

Governments urgently need to tackle climate change and its consequences. In an exclusive keynote, Government Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance will discuss how science and technology play a key part in ensuring governments have what they need to deliver solutions.

Flett Theatre

Thursday 23 March, 18:30-20:30

Life as a Climate Activist: in conversation with Mitzi Jonelle Tan

Mitzi Jonelle Tan is the convenor and international spokesperson of Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines. Join us for a conversation with Mitzi where we'll delve into her life as a full-time activist and discover how she became a leader and organiser, what needs to be done to tackle climate injustice and what she envisages for the future.

This session will also be streamed on the Natural History Museum YouTube channel at the advertised time.

Attenborough Studio

Friday 24 March at 18.30-19.30

Environmental justice means racial justice

The inequality at the heart of the planetary emergency is intwined with the history and current-day reality of colonialism and systemic discrimination. Join this session for a dialogue on why racial justice is fundamental to our collective response to the climate and biodiversity crises having a truly lasting impact.

This session will also be streamed on the Natural History Museum YouTube channel at the advertised time.

Attenborough Studio

Tuesday 21 March, 16:00-17:30

Life as a Climate Activist: in conversation with: Daphne Frias

Join us for a discussion with Daphne Frias, a proud Latina youth activist, organiser and storyteller based in New York, who places the intersection between social justice and the climate crisis at the centre of her action.

This session will also be streamed on the Natural History Museum YouTube channel at the advertised time.

Attenborough Studio

Friday 24 March, 16:30-17:30

Our advisory board

To ensure we are listening to and learning from the people on the frontlines of our collective response to the planetary emergency, we have established an Advisory Board consisting of activists, scientists and Museum colleagues who have advised on our approach and will be contributing to sessions throughout the week.

  • Meet the board

    Natalie Cooper is an ecologist and evolutionary biologist at the Natural History Museum. She works on understanding how the diversity of life evolved and how we can protect it from human activities. She works on a variety of animal groups including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fishes.

    Daphne Frias is a proud Latina climate justice activist, disability awareness advocate, organiser and storyteller based in New York, USA. Twitter Instagram

    Kat Hamilton is the Partnerships and Programmes Director for Force of Nature, an organisation that through virtual programmes, empowers young people and decision-makers in more than 50 countries to cultivate mindsets of agency, purpose and resilience. Twitter Instagram Force of Nature Instagram

    Ken Johnson is a Principal Researcher at the Natural History Museum, London, where he studies the history of coral reef systems, covering time spans from decades to millions of years. Documenting how reefs have responded to past environmental changes will help us to understand how they might respond to future changes and how best to protect them.

    Selina N Leem is a climate warrior from Aelōn̄ Kein Ad, now known as the Republic of the Marshall Islands. A self-described 'small island girl with big dreams', Selina at the age of 18 was the youngest delegate at the COP21 conference where the Paris Agreement was adopted. Twitter Instagram

    Erica McAlister is Senior Curator for Flies and Fleas at the Natural History Museum, London. She has been recording, researching and describing flies for more than 15 years, both in the UK and across the world. Erica is very involved in public engagement both within the Museum and externally, including radio, TV, writing and events.

    Eric Njuguna is a youth climate justice organizer based in Nairobi, Kenya. They are an organizer with Fridays for future MAPA working to amplify the voices of the most marginalized by building partnerships and resourcing their work. They are also a UNICEF young leader, an advisor at Climate Vanguard and a fossil fuel non proliferation treaty champion. Twitter Instagram

    Larissa Pinto Moraes is Executive Director of Engajamundo, a Brazilian youth-led organisation dedicated to making Brazilian youths aware of their socio-environmental impact and encouraging them to engage in local, national and international decision-making processes. EngagamundoTwitter Engagamundo Instagram

    Disha Ravi is a climate justice activist based in Bangalore, India, who founded the Indian branch of the Fridays for Future network. Twitter Instagram

    Mitzi Jonelle Tan is a climate justice activist based in Metro Manila in the Philippines. She is the convenor and international spokesperson of Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines. Twitter Instagram