Natural Manchester Tour with Johnathan Schofield and MIF19

Manchester was one of the first thoroughly industrialised cities in the UK, and we’re still witnessing the environmental fallout from mankind’s extreme intervention. Despite this bleak outlook there are resilient pockets of nature within the city centre. Whether this be in the form of bee hives hidden from public view or one of the most sustainable large buildings in Europe, expect to see some of the city’s landmarks in a different light. Natural Manchester, is lead by Johnathan Scofield a resident expert in local history who has a talent for finding lesser know stories and those nuggets of guiding gold dust that help people relate personally to whatever they’re standing in front of.

the worker bee is an excellent example of a meeting point between humans, industrialisation and environment

As well as the natural world, the tour will be looking at how humans have integrated nature into the bones of the city through representations of flora and fauna carved into the buildings and infrastructure. Manchester’s civic symbol, the worker bee, is also an excellent example of a meeting point between humans, industrialisation and environment. Along the tour you’ll hear the story behind how a humble insect came to represent a city. In an era where climate change has become one of the main threats to our existence we could all do with exploring the effects our cities have on their surroundings and understanding how we can learn from our predecessor’s bad decisions.

The tours are part of a wider programme of guided walks from the Manchester International Festival. Daily walks themed around different topics can be found leaving Albert Square during the run of the festival.