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Our Planet Our Future

Our Planet Our Future logo - tree shaped as the earth

Our Planet Our Future is a series of regular events and talks about sustainability, free for everyone to attend. Speakers are usually local, and present interesting and sometimes novel perspectives about moving towards a more sustainable life and lower carbon economy. Our events take place in Harpenden on alternate months. Annual programmes include a film, a walk and evenings with talks and discussion. The dates are below and more information and free tickets can be booked here.

2026 dates – all the discussion events (except the walk) are on Mondays at 7.30pm in Harpenden.

  • Monday 12 January – Find Your Place in the Future
  • Monday 9 March – tbc
  • Monday 11 May – Film Screening – Together We Cycle
  • Monday 13 July – Guided walk
  • Monday 14 September – tbc
  • Monday 9 November – Environmental Board Games Evening

And the Our Planet Our Future Book Club meetings are on Thursdays at 7.30pm in Harpenden (see booking information for venue information)

  • 26 February 2026 – Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World, Katharine Hayhoe
  • 23 April 2026 – We Will Not Be Saved: A memoir of hope and resistance in the Amazon rainforest, Nemonte Nenquimo and Mitch Anderson
  • 25 June 2026 – The Good Communicator, How to Make Sustainability Irresistible by Virginia Cinquemani
  • 22 October 2026 – tbc
  • 3 December 2026 – tbc

Upcoming Events

Today

Past events

Been to one of our events and want to see photos or find resources? Or just curious about what sort of speakers we’ve had and topics we’ve discussed? Head over to our Past Events page to find out and see our blogs here.

How it all started

The original Our Planet Our Future festival of ideas was held at Rothamsted Research in Harpenden, on 21 April 2018. Over three acts, 18 speakers presented topics ranging from imagining tomorrow’s homes to eco-friendly periods, from wondering how we get the City to invest in green initiatives, to edible insects, and more.

Thanks to generous funding from the Harpenden Trust, talks are available to watch here on our website or on YouTube. Take a look for the full range of topics, and get inspired!

The art installation and tree plantings

Alongside the events we displayed an art installation of three new trees, sponsored by Ayletts. Delegates hung their sustainability pledges on the branches, and the trees were then planted across the district. 

  • The first tree, a Silver Birch, was planted in Leyton Green by Harpenden Town Mayor, Cllr David Heritage on 6 November 2018. Unfortunately the tree was damaged in spring 2021, however Ayletts kindly donated a replacement tree which was planted by current Harpenden Town Mayor, Cllr Paul Cousins on 1 December 2021.
  • The second tree, a crab apple, was planted in the William Bell Playground by Sandridge Parish Councillor, Cllr John Hale on 19 December 2019.
  • The third tree, a copper beech, was planted in Clarence Park, by St Albans Mayor, Cllr Rosemary Farmer, on 6 February 2019.
St Albans Mayor Cllr Rosemary Farmer (front) plants copper beech in Clarence Park on 6 Feb 2019; l-r Andy Webb & Louise Canfield (Ayletts), Susheel Rao, Dan Fletcher, Lesley Flowers (Our Planet Our Future)

Contact the team

If you’re involved in a sustainability project locally that you think others may like to hear about, get in touch and we’ll see if you could be a good fit for one of our future talks. Either send us an email via ourplanet@sustainablestalbans.org or say hello at one of our events, we’d love to meet you!