The Living Landscape: Creativity, Conservation and Care

With Mary Reynolds, John Spillane and Dr Peter DoranJoin singer John Spillane, environmental activist and musician, academic Dr Peter Doran (Queen’s University), and landscape designer and environmental advocate Mary Reynolds for a thought-provoking evening exploring our evolving relationship with nature.

In conversation, they will reflect on how we treat, are inspired by, and utilise the natural world, and the responsibility we have to nurture and preserve it for future generations.Mary Reynolds will discuss her initiative, Acts of Restorative Kindness, encouraging us to reconsider our impact on the Earth and embrace actions that heal and sustain the landscape.

John Spillane will share his personal journey of “unlearning” our treatment of nature, and how his environmental activism shapes his creative work.

Dr Peter Doran will chair the discussion, exploring the rights of nature and guiding a conversation about the ethical, cultural, and creative intersections of humans and the environment.This event will also celebrate the 60th anniversary of Seamus Heaney’s landmark poetry collection _Death of a Naturalist_, reflecting on how the natural world has inspired artists, writers, and thinkers across generations.