Talk: A Natural History of Life on Earth by Andrew Planet

Join Andrew Planet live to explore the wild story of life on Earth from the very start!

When: Saturday, 5 September 2026, 10:45am - 3:00pm

This is an in-person in the flesh event only

Presentation in the Angela Marmot Centre (AMC) followed by a complimentary tour of the Natural History Museum Evolution Garden.

The talk begins by exploring the formation of chemical elements within stars, laying the foundation for planetary formation. It then traces the emergence and evolution of life on Earth, examining how living systems have, in turn, reshaped the planet’s geology. Central to the talk is the evolution of plants and their coevolution with animals, a dynamic interplay that has given rise to complex ecological networks and food chains. The talk concludes by focusing on human ecology, including the modern development of agriculture and agroforestry systems plus how we will take these with us to outer space.

Aim to be at 10:45 am the latest, at the West entrance to the Museum garden at Queen’s Gate Road (Bus No 70 stops here).

Meeting point on Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/qLWsGxVFoAsSQCXq8

Pictures of the access points can be viewed at https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1KayW8VeQUn50c83WPwhGglbn5UK36u3-?usp=sharing

Free tea, coffee and biscuits will be available after the talk and you can bring a lunch too is you so wish.

For the second part of the event on Saturday—when we go out for the Evolution Garden Tour—anyone who wishes to will be able to leave their belongings in the secure location where the talk is being held (the Angela Marmont Centre). The tour will be slow walk but there might not be much seating when we stop to chat about what is on view. It will most likely be very busy with a lot of people walking around.
After the Evolution Garden Tour, we can return to the Angela Marmont Centre to collect our belongings. There will also be more free tea, coffee and assorted biscuits for everyone if you would like to stay a little longer for a relaxing chat, and perhaps go over some of the slides again if there is interest.