Almost 300 drones were used to signal an environmental message above the Eden Project’s biomes, during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26).

The Eden Project collaborated with display company Celestial – whose drone fleet is currently the largest in the UK – and Volvo Car UK to create a 90 second film imploring world leaders to Act Now to combat global warming. The film can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/MLhN7jqG6GEThe story is told from the viewpoint of a visiting alien and was created by almost 300 drones soaring over the Eden Project’s famous biomes.

The one-off film shows the illuminated solar-powered drones forming kaleidoscopic 3D patterns. The film starts with the appearance of a small blue sphere surrounded by orbiting stars.

The pattern transforms into a tree, a fish, a bird, and then a human, conveying the idea that, “all living things are connected in a dynamic dance, morphing and dependent on one another.”

In the film’s closing scene the human, disconnected from the other life forms, breaks apart into hundreds of dots of light and transforms back into the Earth, as stars swirl around it. The galaxy of stars then come together one final time with a command from the alien: “Oi, Earthling! ACT NOW.”

The film is backed by a music by Sigur Rós and narration by broadcaster Gemma Cairney.

Nick Kowalski, Co-Founder & Chief Operations Officer of Celestial, said: “We are incredibly proud of what we’ve produced – a body of work that fuses art, cutting-edge technology, and a powerful message.

“World leaders must act to tackle the climate and nature crisis, to inspire and accelerate action critical to saving the planet. We hope this is the first of many collaborations with the Eden Project and Volvo Car UK, and heartfelt thanks to the entire team at Celestial for another outstanding piece of work.”

David Harland, Chief Executive of Eden Project International, said: “With our new film we’ve chosen a dramatic way to convey to world leaders that they must Act Now. To back this up, we’ll continue to do everything in our powers to rebuild relationships between people and the natural world.

“For two decades we’ve aimed to inspire the widest possible audience into action, using creativity and culture, science and storytelling to engender change.”