Great Big Green Week 2024
Great Big Green Week is back in Henley
from 8 – 16 June!
Join us for a week packed full of walks, talks, film, art, exhibitions, poetry and workshops that explore how, together, we can tackle climate change and restore nature and wildlife in the local area – and beyond.
Saturday 8th June
Nature Discovery Day
Mill Meadows – 10am-2pm
Take part in a range of drop-in activities including a wildflower walk, butterfly sweep and bug hunt to reveal the nature living all around us. You can also get the chance to chat with conservation groups about your exciting finds and a multitude of local expert naturalists about the area and its river, especially its water quality.
Keen gardeners can collect free native wildflower seeds and learn about Greener Henley’s ‘Nature Squared’ campaign, plus budding photographers can take part in a wildlife photography session.
Plant Vs Beef Burger Taste Test
Market Square – 12-2pm
Over in town on Saturday, come and tickle your tastebuds at the Plant vs Beef Burger Taste Test outside Pavilion Foods and tell us which burger is best. You may well be surprised!
The Gardening Drawing Club
Henley Library – 2-4pm
Later you can let your creativity and love of nature entwine at The Gardening Drawing Club, a family-friendly art and gardening session hosted at Henley Library.
No art or gardening experience is necessary. All organic seeds, veganic soil, pots, art supplies and plant-based painting materials will be provided!
Book your tickets here
Sunday 9th June
Paddleboard River Clean
9.30am-12pm
Join Lynne Lambourne of Warriors on Waste and Go with the Flow paddleboarding for a morning session cleaning up our stretch of the Thames.
Elephant Mother – film + panel discussion
Regal Picturehouse – 2-5pm
A session of our ever popular Green Screen, in collaboration with Regal Picturehouse. Lek Chailert, a tribal Thai woman, rescues elephants from abuse in the Thai tourist industry whilst threatened by a powerful so-called Elephant Mafia. But as COVID strikes, Lek cleverly sees a chance to out-manoeuvre her adversaries.
After the film there will be an open discussion and Q&A with Lek herself and the film’s Director Jez Lewis.
Book your tickets here
The Henley Prelovd Fair
Henley Town Hall – 3-6pm
Shop the best in vintage and second-hand fashion. The fair is a stylish edit with 30 stalls of gorgeous sustainable fashion and accessories.
Pre-book your tickets here or buy on the door
Our Moral Obligation? Faith, climate & displacement – talk with Q&A
Henley Town Hall – 7-9pm
As hundreds of millions of people face potential displacement over the next two decades due to climate-change, what is our social and moral responsibility? For an engaging evening discussion, head to Our Moral Obligation? Faith, climate & displacement at Henley Town Hall Council Chamber, where Dr Krish Kandiah, The Bishop of Reading, Dr Alex Arnall and Rachael Orr will explore different perspectives to this question.
Book your tickets here
Monday 10th June
In Our Hands: Our climate future – talk with Q&A
Town Hall Council Chambers – 7-9pm
If you’d like expert feedback to your questions on the formidable challenge of climate change, come to this talk and Q&A with our guest speaker, Professor Chris Merchant (University of Reading), who will present the key science and explore how ingenuity and determination can meet the net zero target.
Book your tickets here
Tuesday 11th June
Tread Gently on the Earth – poetry readings
Henley Library – 6-7.30pm
If creativity and words are your thing, why not write a poem for this year’s poetry competition: Tread Gently on the Earth? Submit your entries before 2 June and a Poetry Reading session at Henley Library will showcase some of the best entries.
Wednesday 12th June
Wilding – film + panel discussion
Regal Picturehouse – 8-10pm
Nature lovers are in for a treat with our special preview screening of Wilding, followed by a live panel discussion plus Q&A. The film follows a young couples’ remarkable journey to set the land of their failing 400-year-old farmed estate back to the wild, based on the book of the same name by author Isabella Tree.
Book your tickets here
Thursday 13th June
Greening Your Business – workshop with speakers
River & Rowing Museum – 5.30-7.30pm.
Local business owners can get involved in the interactive Greening Your Business workshop at the River & Rowing Museum. During the session you can learn how the green agenda will help your business cut costs, reduce waste, reduce your carbon footprint and inspire customer loyalty.
Book your tickets here
Sunday 16th June
Badgemore School Open Gardens
Badgemore Primary School – 11am-2pm.
Come and explore the varied landscapes that the children from Badgemore Primary School enjoy. Showcasing areas like the woods, willow dome and pond, discover the wildlife that can be found there. There will be a mini hunt for the kids, and tea and cake for everyone!
All Week
Art Exhibition
River and Rowing Museum – 23 May to 17 June
The River & Rowing Museum is hosting a fabulous exhibition over the week. Pollution showcases local students’ work, in response to Greener Henley’s Schools Environmental Science Challenge and runs alongside work from the wonderful waterside arts and ecology project, The Beautiful Blue.
The exhibition runs from 23 May to 17 June.
Henley’s Big Green Read
Throughout June
For the whole of June, you can join in Henley’s Big Green Read and choose from eight enlightening books on nature. Read a book, share it, start a conversation!
Window Walkabout: Nature Edition
Central Henley
Entertainment for little ones and big ones alike! Centred around 10 Henley shop windows, crafted flowers with letters hidden inside them spell out a mystery word. Can you find all 10 and work it out?! A great trail to do with kids, and some fab prizes!! Entry forms for the prize draw are at the Information Office at the Town Hall, or in the Window Walkabout shops.