diff --git a/soil/VERSION b/soil/VERSION
index 9de6f86..00267f4 100644
--- a/soil/VERSION
+++ b/soil/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-1.0.0rc6
+1.0.0rc9
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/soil/agents/__init__.py b/soil/agents/__init__.py
index ce5f7da..4a4fbc1 100644
--- a/soil/agents/__init__.py
+++ b/soil/agents/__init__.py
@@ -87,6 +87,13 @@ class BaseAgent(MesaAgent, MutableMapping, metaclass=MetaAgent):
         print(msg, file=sys.stderr)
         return self.unique_id
 
+    @property
+    def env(self):
+        msg = "This attribute is deprecated. Use `model` instead"
+        warnings.warn(msg, DeprecationWarning)
+        print(msg, file=sys.stderr)
+        return self.model
+
     def __getitem__(self, key):
         try:
             return getattr(self, key)
diff --git a/soil/environment.py b/soil/environment.py
index 8b9e523..e49ef4e 100644
--- a/soil/environment.py
+++ b/soil/environment.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 import os
 import sys
 import logging
+from datetime import datetime
 
 from typing import Any, Callable, Dict, Optional, Union, List, Type
 from types import coroutine
@@ -33,6 +34,8 @@ class BaseEnvironment(Model):
 
     collector_class = datacollection.SoilCollector
     schedule_class = time.TimedActivation
+    start_time = 0
+    time_format = "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S"
 
     def __new__(cls,
                 *args: Any,
@@ -75,6 +78,8 @@ class BaseEnvironment(Model):
         collector_class: type = datacollection.SoilCollector,
         agent_reporters: Optional[Any] = None,
         model_reporters: Optional[Any] = None,
+        start_time=None,
+        time_format=None,
         tables: Optional[Any] = None,
         init: bool = True,
         **env_params,
@@ -91,12 +96,21 @@ class BaseEnvironment(Model):
             self.logger = logger
         else:
             self.logger = utils.logger.getChild(self.id)
+        if start_time is not None:
+            self.start_time = start_time
+        if time_format is not None:
+            self.time_format = time_format
+
+        if isinstance(self.start_time, str):
+            self.start_time = datetime.strptime(self.start_time, self.time_format)
+        if isinstance(self.start_time, datetime):
+            self.start_time = self.start_time.timestamp()
 
         self.schedule = schedule
         if schedule is None:
             if schedule_class is None:
                 schedule_class = self.schedule_class
-            self.schedule = schedule_class(self)
+            self.schedule = schedule_class(self, time=self.start_time)
 
         for (k, v) in env_params.items():
             self[k] = v
diff --git a/soil/time.py b/soil/time.py
index e7b815f..4f27e7b 100644
--- a/soil/time.py
+++ b/soil/time.py
@@ -62,10 +62,10 @@ class PQueueSchedule:
     If no delay is returned, a default of 1 is used.
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, shuffle=True, seed=None, **kwargs):
+    def __init__(self, shuffle=True, seed=None, time=0, **kwargs):
         self._queue = []
         self._shuffle = shuffle
-        self.time = 0
+        self.time = time
         self.steps = 0
         self.random = random_std.Random(seed)
         self.next_time = self.time
@@ -134,10 +134,10 @@ class PQueueSchedule:
 
 
 class Schedule:
-    def __init__(self, shuffle=True, seed=None, **kwargs):
+    def __init__(self, shuffle=True, seed=None, time=0, **kwargs):
         self._queue = deque()
         self._shuffle = shuffle
-        self.time = 0
+        self.time = time
         self.steps = 0
         self.random = random_std.Random(seed)
         self.next_time = self.time
@@ -226,12 +226,12 @@ class Schedule:
 class InnerActivation(BaseScheduler):
     inner_class = Schedule
 
-    def __init__(self, model, shuffle=True, **kwargs):
+    def __init__(self, model, shuffle=True, time=0, **kwargs):
         self.model = model
         self.logger = getattr(self.model, "logger", logger).getChild(f"time_{ self.model }")
         self._agents = {}
         self.agents_by_type = defaultdict(dict)
-        self.inner = self.inner_class(shuffle=shuffle, seed=self.model._seed)
+        self.inner = self.inner_class(shuffle=shuffle, seed=self.model._seed, time=time)
 
     @property
     def steps(self):