The future of the British countryside - Mary-Ann Ochota with Guy Shrubsole and Sue Pritchard

This year, the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) celebrates its 100th anniversary.

Broadcaster and CPRE President Mary-Ann Ochota FRGS explores some of the key moments in the history of our countryside, the wicked issues that we still need to address and looks to the future of the British countryside, and asks: Can we imagine a hopeful future, and what do we need to achieve it?

About the speakers

Sue Pritchard is Chief Executive of the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission. FFCC is a small, independent organisation that works on the complex and often contested issues: the power and political economy of food systems, land use, the farming transition, and the place of food and farming in local and regional economies. She has a particular interest in bringing seldom heard voices from citizens into policy development and delivery

Guy Shrubsole is an environmental campaigner and author of The Lie of the Land (William Collins, 2024), The Lost Rainforests of Britain (2022), and Who Owns England? (2019). He has twice won the Wainwright Prize for writing on conservation; worked for Friends of the Earth, Rewilding Britain, and DEFRA; and co-founded the Right to Roam campaign.

Mary-Ann Ochota is an award-winning broadcaster and author specialising in anthropology, archaeology, and the outdoors and countryside. Her TV and radio credits include Walking the Iron Curtain (BBC World Service & Radio 4), Will the Unicorns of the Sea Fall Silent?, Time Team (Channel 4) and Mystic Britain (Smithsonian / Channel 5).

Mary-Ann is the current President of CPRE, the Countryside Charity. She’s a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and Patron for the Ridgeway National Trail. She’s a proud member of All the Elements, a network of professionals, campaigners and community leaders committed to diversifying the outdoors. She’s currently working on a book about the history of our species.

Booking information

Monday night lectures are open to Fellows and Members and are included in the cost of membership.

Attending in-person

• All Fellows and Members wanting to attend in person must pre-book a free ticket. You will receive an e-ticket with a QR code that will be scanned on arrival. Your ticket can be shown on a mobile phone or printed. If you do not have a smartphone, we can find your name on the door list instead.
• Doors open at 5.30pm. Please use the Society's entrance on Exhibition Road. The lecture will begin at 6.30pm.
• Monday night lectures are held in person in the Ondaatje Theatre. The bar will be open in the Map Room before and after the lecture. Please be advised all payments are card only.
• The Ondaatje Theatre is fitted with a hearing loop. For the best quality sound we recommend sitting on the outside rows of the front seating section.
• There is step free access to the theatre. Wheelchair spaces can be booked in advance. If you have any questions about the venue, please contact events@rgs.org

Watch online

• You do not need to pre-book to watch the lecture online.
• All Monday night lectures are livestreamed via our website so you can watch them from wherever you are.

If you have any questions or require assistance with your booking, please email events@rgs.org

About Monday night lectures

Our Monday night lectures are exclusive to Fellows and Members and are included in the cost of membership. Members can book to attend the lectures in-person at the Society, or enjoy them live from the comfort of your own home.

These lectures are also recorded and uploaded to our website solely for members to catch up on whenever they like. If you would like to receive a weekly reminder email about the upcoming Monday night lecture, please sign up to our Updates about our Monday night lectures newsletter.

Accessibility at our events

We want everyone to feel welcome at our events. Key accessibility features of this event include:

• Step-free access to the event
• Accessible toilets
• Assistance dogs are welcome
• Hearing loop

For full details, please visit our accessibility page. If you have any questions or specific access requirements, feel free to get in touch with us on access@rgs.org