The Natural History Museum to host live high-profile interactive panel discussions on biodiversity and plastic pollution - chaired by adventurer and environmentalist David de Rothschild

In his role as an ambassador for the Museum and Founder of Voice for Nature Foundation, David de Rothschild, will host the events on Friday 5 and Sunday 7 June, joined by a phenomenal line-up of experts, celebrities, and policy-makers to open-up debate and engage viewers with the challenges facing biodiversity and the catastrophic problem of plastic pollution. Viewers will be able to take part in a Q&A with the panel during the live discussion.

David de Rothschild said: “I am extremely excited to be hosting this series of discussions for the Natural History Museum with such a fantastic line up of speakers. The Museum has always been close to my heart and I hope that together we can inspire people that their own actions, both big and small, can help to reduce the impacts of biodiversity loss and plastic pollution. This World Environment Day, it is more important than ever to keep the conversation alive on what we can all do to protect our planet - It’s time for Nature.”

The first of the two events, “It's Time for Nature” will take place on World Environment Day, Friday 5 June at 6pm, on the Natural History Museum’s YouTube channel. David de Rothschild will be joined by Ben Fogle, UN Wilderness Patron; Sam Barratt, Chief of the Education and Youth Unit in UN Environment’s Ecosystems Division; Elise van Middelem, founder of SUGi; as well as the Natural History Museum’s Botanist, Dr Sandra Knapp.

Sam Barratt, Chief of Youth, Education and Advocacy in UN Environment’s Ecosystems Division said: “I am delighted to be joining this event at the Natural History Museum with David on World Environment Day. Nature needs to be kept alive in the world, rather than remembered in museums. We all need to play our part in protecting it.”

The second event, “New Solutions to Plastic Pollution” will take place on Sunday 7 June at 6pm when David will be joined by Dune Ives, Managing Director, Lonely Whale; Yves Béhar, founder of fuseproject; Niall Dunne, CEO of Polymateria; as well as Natural History Museum scientists Alex McGoran who is an expert in microplastics in water sources and Professor Richard Herrington, Head of Earth Sciences who will be outlining ways we can all make a difference. On the Eve of World Oceans Day, the panel will highlight the problem of plastic pollution and what we can do to reduce its impact.

Clare Matterson, Executive Director of Engagement at the Natural History Museum commented: “We are thrilled to be partnering with David de Rothschild and to be able to convene such impressive panels for these streamed events. The Museum’s mission of creating advocates for the planet perfectly dovetails with the UN’s World Environment Day aim of encouraging worldwide awareness and action to protect our environment. I’m looking forward to lively, inspirational and insightful discussions between these fascinating experts who bring such a range of expertise and experience to these major planetary issues that we believe will really chime with our UK and worldwide audience”.

For more information and to watch ‘Its Time For Nature’, visit:

www.nhm.ac.uk/events/its-time-for-nature-live-talk.html

For more information and to watch ‘New Solutions To Plastic Pollution’, visit:

www.nhm.ac.uk/events/new-solutions-plastic-pollution-live-talk.html

Notes to Editors:

Media contact: Tel: +44 (0)20 7942 5654/ +44 (0)7799 690151/ Email: press@nhm.ac.uk

About the Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum is both a world-leading science research centre and the most visited natural history museum in Europe. With a vision of a future in which both people and the planet thrive, it is uniquely positioned to be a powerful champion for balancing humanity’s needs with those of the natural world.

It is custodian of one of the world’s most important scientific collections comprising over 80 million specimens. The scale of this collection enables researchers from all over the world to document how species have and continue to respond to environmental changes - which is vital in helping predict what might happen in the future and informing future policies and plans to help the planet.

The Museum’s 300 scientists continue to represent one of the largest groups in the world studying and enabling research into every aspect of the natural world. Their science is contributing critical data to help the global fight to save the future of the planet from the major threats of climate change and biodiversity loss through to finding solutions such as the sustainable extraction of natural resources.

The Museum uses its enormous global reach and influence to meet its mission to create advocates for the planet - to inform, inspire and empower everyone to make a difference for nature. We welcome over five million visitors each year, our digital output reaches hundreds of thousands of people in over 200 countries each month and our touring exhibitions have been seen by around 30 million people in the last 10 years.

Beat Plastic Pollution Day

Beat Plastic Pollution Day is a campaign initiated by Voice for Nature Foundation and The Plastiki Project. The Voice for Nature Foundation promotes positive environmental change towards global sustainability by supporting creative, innovative and sustainable action. The Plastiki Project is a 60-foot catamaran made of recycled plastic bottles that sailed the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco to Sydney, in order to raise awareness for marine litter.