Is it possible to re-imagine our cities; to see them, not as places of an over-managed sterility, but ones where multiple species of plants and animals, including ourselves, can live together to our mutual benefit?

In this talk Bob Gilbert will develop the idea of the city as a wildlife habitat in its own right. Starting from his most recent books, 'Ghost  Trees' and 'The Missing Musk', he will stress the importance of attentiveness in becoming aware of the riches that already surround us; from street weeds to wall ferns, from foxes to peregrine falcons. He will also explore some of the great surprises of urban wildlife including water voles on a Glasgow housing estate, cave spiders in Highgate and colonial nesting Quaker parakeets on the Isle of Dogs. In considering the psychological, social and spiritual benefits of living alongside nature Bob will look at the approaches we could be using to enhance urban wildlife and to develop the vision of a truly 'biodiverse city'.

Bob is an author and journalist whose books include The Green London Way, Ghost Trees (nominated for two major literary awards) and The Missing Musk. His column on urban wildlife ran continuously in the Ham and High for over 25 years. His TV and radio work included ‘The Sussuration of Trees’, ‘The Passion in Plants’ for BBC Radio 4. His new book, The Passion; a Pilgrimage in Plants, will be published later this year. His travels include walking glaciers in Kashmir and a solo journey by mule down the Dinder River in the Sudan. He has been a long-standing campaigner for inner city conservation, for the protection and improvement of urban open spaces.