Prof. Thomas Crowther: Nature's Echo: Harnessing ancient feedback loops to heal a changing planet
- Guests to arrive at 5pm
- £15pp
- £10 for Heligan Members
Join Professor Thomas Crowther as he presents the grounded scientific basis for environmental optimism. For anyone who feels overwhelmed and powerless about the planet’s future, this evening will replace despair with conviction.
Nature wants to heal itself, and we can help.
From the birth of galaxies to the spread of life on Earth, the greatest transformations in our universe have been driven by quiet, self-reinforcing processes known as feedback loops. Although they are currently spiralling towards environmental collapse, these immense natural forces can become powerful engines for social and ecological regeneration—if we can only work with them and not against them.
Drawing on cutting-edge ecological science, ancient philosophy, and gripping personal narrative from the frontlines of global restoration, Prof. Thomas Crowther presents the grounded scientific basis for environmental optimism. You will discover:
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how feedback loops drive everything from the explosion of life to our own inner suffering.
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why the illusion of a separate “self” may be the root of our environmental crisis.
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how nature can rebound when we relieve the social inequality that degrades it.
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why the belief in a brighter future is a prerequisite for environmental success.
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how millions of people are already putting these principles into action, building momentum towards global environmental recovery.
For anyone who feels overwhelmed and powerless about the planet’s future, this evening will replace despair with conviction. By interrogating the assumptions that form your perceptions of reality, it is possible to build a constructive and grounded basis for environmental hope. Both inspiring and empowering, Nature’s Echo transforms us from passive bystanders of planetary collapse to active participants in the greatest regenerative opportunity in Earth’s history.
By tapping into ancient feedback loops, we have the power to drive the inner personal healing that can jumpstart massive environmental regeneration.
About Prof. Thomas Crowther and special guests
Prof. Thomas Crowther
Prof. Thomas Crowther is a professor of global ecology and the founding chair of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. He is the president of the BRANCH Institute, an international network of research groups in leading universities across six countries, focused on the linkages between global biodiversity and human wellbeing.
In 2020, he founded Restor, an online platform that supports hundreds of thousands of community-led nature initiatives to access data and sustainable financing. In 2021, Restor was named an Earthshot Prize finalist, and this work was highlighted in his TED talk on global biodiversity.
Crowther was described in the Guardian as the “Steve Jobs of Ecology,” reflecting his work on the transformations between human systems and the natural world. A professor in King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Crowther’s research journey has been featured in films including ‘From Devil’s Breath’ and ‘Secrets of the forest’, and he was recognized by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader for his work on global biodiversity protection.
The Edge
Guitarist with U2, The Edge was born David Howell Evans in East London. A year later, he and his family moved to Dublin, where he attended Mount Temple School and met Larry Mullen, Bono and Adam Clayton. In 1978 U2 was formed. The Edge is the band’s lead guitarist, keyboard player and backing vocalist, as well as one of the principal songwriters and occasional lead vocal contributor. Described as one of the most innovative and influential guitar players of his generation, The Edge's guitar playing is the hallmark of U2's music and one of the most original and distinctive guitar styles in rock and roll history.
The Edge is chairperson of the board for Endeavor Ireland, the global not-for-profit organisation that aims to support entrepreneurs. He also sits on the board of the Angiogenesis Foundation and is a former board member of MIT Media Lab Europe, as well as the advisory board of MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative. The Edge is also a board member and co-founder of Oath, a public benefit corporation, established in 2022 with the mission to address soil degradation.
Not only is The Edge a world-famous rock star, but he is also a Soil Star.
Paul Hawken
Paul Hawken explores the connection between nature and commerce, working with leaders and CEOs on ecological regeneration. He has appeared in numerous media outlets and been featured in hundreds of articles, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Newsweek, The Washington Post, Forbes, and BusinessWeek. Hawken is the author of nine books, six of which are national and NYT bestsellers: Growing a Business, The Next Economy, The Ecology of Commerce, Blessed Unrest, Drawdown, and Regeneration. They are translated into 30 languages and sold in over 50 countries. His latest work, Carbon, The Book of Life, was published by Viking/Penguin in March 2025.
Hawken has served on the boards of several environmental organizations, such as the Point Foundation, the Center for Plant Conservation, Conservation International, the Trust for Public Land, Friends of the Earth, and the National Audubon Society. He has received six honorary doctorates. Hawken is the founder of Project Drawdown and Project Regeneration, which together compile the most comprehensive list of solutions for restoring climate stability and the biosphere. He lives in the Cascade Creek watershed with his wife Jasmine, along with coyotes, foxes, bobcats, ravens, red-tail hawks, and pileated woodpeckers.
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