CAP’s meeting all about our rivers, lakes and coasts was held on Saturday 15th March at St George’s Church Hall in Preston. It was the first CAP event with nature as its key theme, other than the practical volunteer session at Andy’s Bee Meadow last September. The turnout was great – thanks to all who supported the day!
Two talks were received very well by the attendees, the first from Dr Barbara Kneale representing Fylde Coast against Sewage and the second from Chi Gerrard, CAP committee member. Barbara explained the group’s citizen science work in testing for levels of bacterial growth from various locations along the Fylde Coast, including Fleetwood and St Anne’s North beaches, to detect whether there was evidence of sewage pollution. You can learn more about the group from her presentation which you can view here part1 and part2
Chi gave an overview of why our freshwater bodies i.e. rivers, streams and lakes are important to us, why they are in crisis and what we can do to help. See here for more information.
The talks were followed by a brief AGM at which a summary of CAP activity over the last year was given and committee members elected.
The event finished with a vegan buffet lunch which, along with the fantastic, welcoming venue, was thoroughly enjoyed by all.
The meeting hopefully highlighted some of the most pressing problems affecting our waters and our natural spaces more generally, and presented various ways in which we can all step-up to help fight the issues.
Last week I spent a few hours with a group of volunteers planting native trees – oak, hawthorn, alder, blackthorn, lime – at the Pope Lane Tree Planting site. There were about 15 of us plus two members of staff from the Ribble Rivers Trust and it was estimated we planted about 800 saplings that day. It was a satisfying and sociable day and I went home feeling tired and a bit achy but happy to have contributed towards making Preston a cleaner, greener place for the future.
The Pope Lane Tree Planting site is a big project being run jointly between Preston City Council and Lancashire Wildlife Trust. The Ribble Rivers Trust have been tasked to get 7000 trees planted here, starting last winter and into this winter. The planting area is just across the footbridge over the M6 from Grange Park near Ribbleton, and North of Boilton Wood, part of a strip of ancient native woodland (Red Scar and Tun Brook Woods) and one of the only SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) woods in Lancashire.
Here is the location – an easy walk from Grange Park and also right next to the Guild Wheel for those of you who are cyclists and walkers.
It is hoped that this new woodland will help protect Boilton Wood and connect it to Brockholes Nature Reserve and with nearby Red Scar Wood to provide a bigger, better area of habitat for wildlife. In time, these trees will also help absorb carbon and so help the climate. It is fantastic that Preston has such a valuable site for nature and for people on its doorstep in addition to its several lovely, accessible parks and of course the River Ribble. We all know how being outdoors, especially in nature, is great for our physical and mental health. It felt good to be able to give something back by planting a new woodland to help protect and sustain our natural environment.
To find out more about the Pope Lane tree planting project see this Blog Preston article
There are still plenty more trees to be planted on this site. The Ribble Rivers Trust are running at least 4 more volunteer days this month, starting this Wednesday 6th November. To volunteer on one of these tree planting days see here in order to book your place. Be part of something that’s great for you, for Preston’s future and for the planet!
Our well-attended day at Plungington Community Centre was full of interest. Information about the ‘Better Buses‘ campaign was brought to us from South Yorkshire by Fran Prostlethwaite. See here for that and for details of the input we had from Friends of the Guild Wheel and Community Energy Preston. Julie’s presentation about Preston Pedals is attached here. We also heard from Alex Conroy about the experience of being part of Preston’s Climate Jury and the satisfaction of having its 24 recommendations accepted by PCC. A BBC North West news item featuring members of the Jury was broadcast on Tuesday 22nd October. You can read about this here. Some members of the Climate Jury are now planning to hold a Climate Festival in association with Let’s Grow Preston’s Spring Fair on May 31st. The next planning meeting (some CAP members are part of this) takes place at 6pm on November 6th at the Town Hall, Lancaster Road, PR1 2RL Helen Rimmer from NW FoE once more facilitated the day, drawing out points of achievement and challenge from CAP’s activities of the last year.
CAP members were out on Preston’s Flag Market this Pride Saturday with a stall highlighting the impact of arms spending and warfare on the environment as well as people round the world. In particular we were showing solidarity with PENGON, our sister Friends of the Earth group in Palestine, with information – including facts about local arms company BAE – and an online petition. We also had a “what would you spend the money on?” sheet. Despite the rain and the other attractions we engaged with at least ten people, some of whom expressed an interest in CAP. A teacher from Chorley said that local people were leaving jobs like teaching and auto repair to get more money at BAE, and that had a real impact. She suggested people could be trained in making and installing wind turbines – currently being done by Dutch companies [using low paid non union labour we think – CAP] We gave away a few stickers, told people about other CAP events, and would like to thank Dave at the Oxfam bookshop for the loan of their stall. A worthwhile outing.
Last Saturday 21st September, ten volunteers spent a couple of hours with Chris Taylor, Horticultural Project Lead for Let’s Grow Preston, raking the recently mown Andy’s Bee Meadow on Broadgate. The weather was lovely and had been all week – really lucky for those of us raking and then moving all the grass away from the meadow!
In the dual Climate and Nature crisis that we face action to address both is crucial. Britain is known to be one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world so anything that can be done to restore nature, even in urban areas, is important. Chris started by giving a short talk on the significance of allowing grasses and wildflowers to grow tall in areas such as this to change it from a sterile lawn to a haven for bees, butterflies, other pollinators and their larvae, beetles, spiders, small mammals, reptiles, etc etc. He also covered different methods of converting areas of grass that had been regularly mown (be it in public-owned land such as in a park or in your garden) into a wildlife-friendly area which was really interesting. Part of the regular maintenance of a nature-friendly meadow is a once-a-year cut followed by raking and removing all the mowings so that the soil nutrient level stays low. This helps native grasses and wildflowers which provide habitat and food for our wildlife to thrive, instead of the area being dominated by a small number of species which provide very little support for biodiversity. The raking and removing was where the volunteer group came in!
To learn more about meadows, see this presentationkindly shared by Chris who led our session. You’ll see how different types of meadow are created and maintained, their importance in providing habitat for wildlife and, perhaps most helpfully, how we can all do something positive to help enable more meadows to be created, even in urban areas.
It’s a great time of year for enjoying the outdoors, walking the dog, spending time with the kids, etc. When my other half and I are out with the dogs, we love looking at what’s in bloom or fruiting. Right now on the unmown bits of our regular walk, there are a lot of thistles flowering.
Their seeds are loved by goldfinches and these birds can arrive at fields of thistles in groups of tens and twenties – so look and listen out for them feeding and chattering in a few weeks time!
There are still plenty of common hogweed flowers blooming as well as some which are ripening their seeds in big umbels.
Our favourite bush in August, however, is the blackberry or bramble – so common and abundant yet offering such wonderful, versatile, nutritious and free fruit! If you keep a little box or punnet in your bag or pocket as you go out, it’s hardly any effort to pick blackberries while you walk. We find being in the outdoors blackberry picking to be a happy, mindful and stress-busting experience!
Did you know that there are up to 400 different micro-species of bramble in the UK?!
Scatter blackberries on your cereal or salads. If you pick larger amounts you can gently stew them with a little cooking apple (apple thickens the final mixture) or preserve them in jars using a low oven so you can enjoy the taste of summer in the gloom of the winter.
Blackberries make lovely jam or can be added to bread and butter pudding Eastern European style which incorporates seasonal fruit; healthier and more eco than using dried fruit. There are a myriad ways of using them and plenty of recipes available in books or online for more unusual ways of enjoying them. One of our favourite books is River Cottage Fruit every day! by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (Available from Lancashire Libraries)
We find that connecting with the plants in our local area brings an added layer of enjoyment to our walks. Learning to enjoy and respect nature and wildlife that is on our doorstep and that gives us pleasure, better physical and mental health and even food, is the first step to making us want to protect it. It’s worth remembering that protecting nature ultimately helps protect us, humans, and helps the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss, the two biggest threats our world faces today.
As you may be aware, CAP is one of 114 LancsCAN member organisations. Membership has grown significantly since the first Lancashire Community Climate Action Forum last May at Edgehill University which is fantastic.
New LancsCAN Climate Collaboration Workshops… coming soon! Thanks to LancsCAN Co-Leader Kayt Horsley, some money from Lancashire County Council has been secured to organise two or three new LancsCAN Climate Collaboration Workshops for later this year – watch this space!
LancsCAN Lunch & Learn programme After the first highly successful Lunch & Learn event on 25 January hosted by Harvey Hamilton-Thorpe (Ribble Rivers Trust) and presented by Sam Marine and Angela Nagorski (both at Groundwork), more are planned for the rest of the year. Details to follow soon but proposed presentation themes include energy, health (and social prescribing), transport, wildlife, education and volunteering.
LancsCAN Social Media… now up and running. Please join through on Facebook, Instagram and Linked In. There is also a LancsCAN YouTube channel on which you will be able to access content such as recorded webinars in future https://sites.edgehill.ac.uk/lancscan/social-media/
Events – Some big county-wide events will be taking place later this year – please make a note for your diaries!
2nd Lancashire Community Climate Action Forum – Thursday 6 June 2024, UCLan, Preston
Continued Dialogue with Lancashire’s Councils The latest meeting with Lancashire’s Climate Officers took place on 5th February. This was a constructive meeting enabling all the councils to be updated on LancsCAN activities and a discussion on how the Network will be able to work more closely and collaboratively with them.
You may be aware that LancsCAN, or Lancashire Climate Action Network, has been formed this year, following a well-attended forum at Edge Hill University in May. Around 60 member groups have joined up including Climate Action Preston. The new county-wide network hopes to bring all kinds of groups together in their climate action work. The LancsCAN website has just gone live this week; have a look to see what is going on!
On 30th September 2023, Preston City Council hosted a local event that combined the worlds of fashion, sustainability, and education. The event collaborated with local organisations to offer an array of activities and insights to inspire attendees to embrace a more sustainable lifestyle.
The day kicked off with an original performance by Tenderfoot Theatre, an innovative eco-theatre company known for its thought-provoking productions that explore environmental themes. Their captivating performance of ‘Heirloom’ shed a light on the harmful effects of fast fashion and overconsumption whilst emphasising how memories are kept within each item of clothing. Their performance called on the audience to be more thoughtful when shopping for fashion.
Following the performance, a Q&A session was held with talented local student designer Ashwati Krishna, who also showcased her original pieces. Her creations were not only aesthetically pleasing but also served as a testament to the potential of sustainability in fashion design. Her dedication to eco-friendly design principles resonated with the audience, sparking discussions on how fashion can be produced more sustainably without sacrificing style and creativity.
The highlight of the event was the sustainable fashion show. Ten diverse looks ranging from office attire to streetwear, were showcased on the runway by volunteer models. Outfits were curated from second-hand clothing and accessories, donated by PCC colleagues, friends, and family. They were then styled by Jordan Brown, a fashion design student studying at the University of Central Lancashire in Preston. The runway served as a testament to the allure of pre-loved fashion, promoting affordability, originality, and the quality of items you can find. Following the show, all donated items were given to the Salvation Army for reuse and recycling.
Throughout the day, stalls offered educative and interactive experiences. Tenderfoot Theatre hosted a booth where they discussed the process of sustainable costuming and demonstrated the enchanting process of natural dyeing using humble cabbage, baking powder and lemon juice.
Climate Action Preston, from the Climate Emergency Centre, were on hand at their stall to impart wisdom on clothing repair through sewing, extending the life of garments and preventing them from ending up in landfills. The public could also learn more about climate projects and environmental issues relevant in their local community.
Lancashire County Council’s “Reuse 360” stall promoted their reuse shops, showing the public that these shops house a variety of different items at affordable prices, encouraging attendees to explore the benefits of giving items a second life. Preston City Council’s stall educated visitors on sustainable fashion and waste, engaging them in a match-the-stats game to enter a raffle for a chance to win a hamper full of snacks and DIY goodies.
This event engaged passers-by, with an estimated 150-200 members of the public involved in the event through watching the performances and/or taking part in discussions at the stalls. The day celebrated sustainable fashion and showcased the collaborative efforts of organisations and individuals working towards a more environmentally friendly future, leaving attendees inspired and motivated to make more conscious choices in their fashion and lifestyle.
