Roger Harrabin, a former BBC environment analyst, shared his experiences of entering journalism and how he became interested in the environment.
Speaking at The Rumble Museum at Cheney School, held the event on July 2, he discussed the importance of young people taking action by asking questions of politicians and expressed fears about the current approach to the environment by powerful people.
Following Mr Harrabin’s talk, the festival saw more than 30 stalls and activities, including contributions from RSPB Oxford, Oxford Ornithological Society, and the Museum of Climate Hope.
Oxford Brookes provided microscopes for close-up views of small creatures, while Cheney’s Eco Club and Sixth Form Sustainability Committee showcased their projects.
The festival also featured Year Eight Museum Council students with their activity stalls, ranging from dinosaur skeleton discoveries to how species change over time to adapt to the climate.
Year Nine students presented research projects on topics such as trees and well-being, herbal medicine, and trees in popular culture, which they had been working on with Dr Lauren Daly and the Harcourt Arboretum.
As the festival concluded, the school hosted its first Bat Night, led by Ben Carpenter, principal ecologist at Bioscan.
Attendees were introduced to different bat species and had the chance to hear and see noctules and common pipistrelles in the nearby trees.
The Rumble Museum, managed by educational charity The Iris Project, is the only Arts Council-accredited museum located within a state school.
It provides opportunities for museum learning and artefact handling for all year groups and faculties.
