Name: Grasslands - Grass & Time Soundscape Lecture @ Richard Jefferies Museum
Start: 2026-07-04T14:00:00+01:00
Location: Richard Jefferies Museum

Grasslands - Grass & Time Soundscape Lecture @ Richard Jefferies Museum

THE GRASS & TIME SOUNDSCAPE LECTURE
National Meadows Day at Richard Jefferies Museum
Saturday 4th July 2026. Afternoon Event (2pm-4.30pm)
Join Grasslands for an unusual afternoon of ecology, music and deep time in the gardens of Richard Jefferies Museum to celebrate National Meadows Day.
Part live performance, part environmental lecture and part evolving sound experience, The Grass & Time Soundscape Lecture tells the extraordinary story of grasses, one of the most successful groups of organisms ever to exist.
Across an immersive live presentation, ecologist and musician Tom Haynes (Grasslands) traces the rise of grasses from the age of dinosaurs through shifting climates, expanding grasslands, evolving mammals and ultimately the emergence of human civilisation itself.
Rather than a conventional talk, the journey is accompanied throughout by live loops, drones, environmental sound, field recordings, evolving rhythms and original music performed in real time.
Expect moments of atmosphere and reflection alongside sections with more movement, pulse and intensity as the story unfolds across millions of years.
The afternoon continues with an open discussion around grasslands, wildlife, conservation and creativity before closing with a short Grasslands live performance.
Programme:
🌾 The Grass & Time Soundscape Lecture (45–60 mins)
A live ecological lecture-performance exploring the evolutionary history of grasses through music, environmental sound and live looping.
🌾 Questions from the Meadow (15 mins)
Open Q&A and discussion around grasslands, wildlife, conservation, environmental change and working in nature.
🌾 Grasslands Live (30 mins)
A closing set of ambient and experimental music inspired by landscapes, field recordings and changing environments.
There may also be informal opportunities afterwards to discuss electronic music, field recording, live looping and creative approaches to experiencing the natural world.
Part of National Meadows Day.