A Deep Time Walk is storytelling through walking, it is a learning journey through our body, mind and soul, and a beautiful way to tell the story of life. Part history lesson, part mindfulness session this walk is all about stepping out of our lives and seeing the biggest picture.

This 4.6km walk, along the Port Phillip Bay foreshore in Brighton and Elwood, represents the 4.6 billion years of Earth’s history. Distance is a powerful tool to help us understand vast time scales, and along the walk we will stop to discuss the key moments in the development of our planet.

Starting at the formation of the solar system and the creation of the planet, we will cover some of the significant events which have led to life as we know it today: the formation of the Moon, the oceans, the atmosphere, the appearance of life, mass extinctions, and the arrival of our own species, humans.

In the course of this immersive, interdisciplinary experience you will:

Grasp the real meaning of 4,600,000,000 years, the age of our home, and put its history into perspective
Learn about the Gaia hypothesis of a self-regulating planet
Explore the destructive impact our species is having on the living world

About the facilitator

Tammy has a background in health psychology and believes that a strong emotional connection with the natural world is good for personal well-being, while also promoting climate awareness and action.

Tammy experienced a Deep Time Walk in 2014, and quickly saw their value in encouraging deep ecological awareness and an understanding of our planet as a precious environment from which all life has emerged. Tammy hopes the walks will renew individuals’ emotional connection with Earth and motivate them to take a more active role in confronting the climate crisis.

Tammy’s website introduces you to the notion of deep time walks, or, for more information about the Deep Time Walk project, visit www.deeptimewalk.org.

“The walk itself really does affect the comprehension much more profoundly than reading it from a book. There was a tinge of sadness for me I have to admit, at the end, when we were talking about how briefly homo sapiens have been around, and we’ve destroyed so much in no time. It was humbling and sad at the same time. I really hope this time walk will spread and more and more people participate and gain something enriching for themselves.” Jackie