Lisburn in its element as NI Science Festival is set to return

The STEM celebration, which has grown to become the largest of its kind on the island of Ireland, boasts more than 120 events taking place over 11 days from Thursday February 17 – Sunday February 27 throughout NI – with a selection of events scheduled to take place in the Lisburn area.

From learning about the fascinating world of honeybees to a behind the scenes conservation tour, celebrate NI Science Festival with a range of talks, tours and workshops at Hillsborough Castle and Gardens.

Kicking off the programme of events is A Beginner’s Guide to the Science of Compost on February 17. Find out how to make compost with Hillsborough Castle’s gardeners, learning how to get the carbon and nitrogen ratio just right, what can be composted and how to tell when it is ready to use.

Delving into the fascinating world of the Honeybee, join Hillsborough Castle’s beekeeper Gwen Earnshaw to find out about their role as pollinators and how they make honey and wax comb. On February 19, discover the honey extraction process, taste honey made by Hillsborough Castle’s very own honeybees and mould shapes with the wax to take home.

Then, on February 26, discover how to make your own beeswax balm and take a jar home with you.

On February 23 and 24, take a behind the scenes conservation tour of Hillsborough Castle. Led by castle and collections manager David Orr, learn the techniques used to care for its collections, visit exclusive behind the scenes rooms and meet one of its highly skilled specialist furniture conservators, Fergus Purdy.

Elsewhere, join Libraries NI at Lisburn City Library for a screening of The Snail and the Whale on February 18. A beautiful tale of an unlikely friendship, a tour of the world and a heroic rescue, The Snail and the Whale is based on the picture book written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler. The screening will be followed by Science Starz talk, Learn Some Interesting Facts About Snails and Slugs!

Commenting on the launch of the 2022 NI Science Festival, its director, Chris McCreery, said: “Our festival exists to engage audiences, stimulate discussion, and ignite interest in the wonders of science, technology, engineering and mathematics – and we’re confident this year’s diverse programming will expand the horizons of festival goers of all ages and abilities across Northern Ireland.”

NI Science Festival is supported by the Department for the Economy, Belfast City Council, Tourism Northern Ireland, Derry City and Strabane District Council, Queen’s University Belfast, Ulster University, British Council Northern Ireland, MCS Group, The Open University NI, Innovate UK, Matrix NI, Film Hub NI and Arts & Business NI.

For more information about NI Science Festival events and to book, visit nisciencefestival.com.