Nature Festival "Garden of Life" programme open to the public

The Nature Festival will take place from 7-11 June, with a programme inspired by wildlife in gardens, the Botanical Gardens' 220th anniversary and the Year of Mobility. Over five days, there will be exciting activities for everyone.  

The Festival of Nature, which will take place from 7-11 June, features over 60 events in Tartu and Tartu County, Tallinn, Räpina, Võru, and the Nature Observation Marathon in public areas across Estonia. The events are organised by all 30 partners, including those who have organised events in previous years and those taking part in the programme for the first time. 

The Nature Festival programme includes over 60 events. This time, the focus is on both public and private gardens and the treasures they hold, especially natural biodiversity. "This year, we invite you to relax, enjoy the garden, and move and listen. To make it easier to find the right events in the programme, we are experimenting with pictograms to create thematic categories so that it is easy to find events suitable for families or, for example, concerts and lectures," said Kaarin Hein, Nature Festival Project Manager." The traditional events will not be missed either - the festival starts early Wednesday morning with a birdsong morning on Toomemägi." 

The Nature Festival will include tours of both Tartu and Tallinn Botanical Gardens and several activities in private and community gardens and public parks. Weekend events for the whole family will occur in the courtyard of Tartu Aparaaditehas and Tallinn Zoo. The highlight of the Nature Festival, the Nature Observation Marathon, will take place on 10-11 June. You must register at your observation site by 1 June to participate in the marathon. 

The Nature Festival will spotlight the University of Tartu Botanical Garden, celebrating its 220th anniversary this year. The opening event will occur at the Botanical Garden on 7 June from 12-14. Speakers will include Valdur Mikita and Urmas Tartes, the "Wild City" urban nature photography competition winners will be announced, and a photo exhibition will be opened. The song-accordion duo Erkki Otsman and Allan Jakobi will set the mood. Several other activities will be held in the Botanical Garden during the festival. 

The Nature Festival will take place from 7 to 11 June across Estonia. The festival invites people to appreciate the diversity of urban nature as a living environment, to notice nature in the city and promote behaviours promoting biodiversity. The University of Tartu Natural History Museum and Botanical Garden and its partners organise the festival. The Nature Festival is part of the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024 programme. The Environmental Investment Centre and Tartu 2024 support the festival.