During the designated weekend of mass mobilisation for the climate talks at COP26, activists and community leaders from across the world are leading a global wave of Deep Time Walk’s, bringing a deep time aspect to the ecological and climate emergency.
Participants who join a Deep Time Walk will be able to:
- Comprehend the vastness of Earth’s 4.6 billion year history by walking across a 4.6 km geological timeline of Earth (every step is one million years!), experiencing how humans have evolved in the blink of a geological eye.
- Gain a sense of the high-level, macro-evolutionary story of Earth, learning about the coevolution of life with the environment and understand the story of our human family as deeply entangled with that of the Earth.
- Understand that the Earth is not a static, passive backdrop on which humans reside, but a set of complex interrelated active actors which have in themselves agency to move and dramatically change the Earth’s systems.
- Help participants overcome a widespread ‘temporal illiteracy’ and develop an appreciation of the long arc of deep time, helping people develop a sense of what Marcia Bjornerud calls ‘timefulness’.
- Understand through the latest peer reviewed science the impact that humans are having on the Earth, initiating the sixth mass extinction.
- Appreciate the gifts from deep time fostering people to become what Jonas Salk calls ‘good ancestors’, to consider their decisions based on long-term, intergenerational justice.
- Obtain a transformative, deep experience that leads people into a profound connection and love of their local place.
- Provide a rich set of hope-filled narratives for humanity, to inspire people to take urgent personal action and collective advocacy to address the climate and ecological emergency.
The map shows the many places across the world where walks are happening for COP26. You can find out exact times and places of the walk, by clicking on the location icon.
If you woud like to learn more about leading a Deep Time Walk in your local community, please visit our Field Kit.
If you have planned a Deep Time Walk for COP26, and want to add you walk, please use this Global COP26 Deep Time Walk Map Listings form.