GET INVOLVED – GO GREEN – GET READING – GET ACTIVE
(All images referred to are at the end of the text)
News and recent activities
Transition Network
As most of you are (hopefully!) aware, our group is part of the national Transition Network. As part of their on-going plans for helping groups and working together, the Network have an event planned for February 2025 where there will be lots of opportunities to share ideas and listen to what other groups have been up to.  More details here if you are interested in being part of that.  Do let us know if you would like to attend though as there is only capacity for two people from each group to attend at the moment.  

Lichfield District Council Food Partnership
Lichfield District Council are facilitating the creation of a Food Partnership, to ensure that groups and organisations are better connected and share opportunities and good practice.  Regular meetings of representatives from the groups will be held and a central resource created that all can access.  The aim is to ensure that opportunities for learning to cook, improving nutrition, growing your own veg, accessing free or reduced price food etc are available to the community. If you are interested in being part of this then contact Charlotte Fu, the project co-ordinator – [email protected].  Resources such as this one from the Eden Project will be shared and adapted.
One initiative that has had a mention is the community orchard at Larks Rise in Burntwood.  This orchard came about as part of a local business thinking about sustainability, circular economy and staff wellbeing. You can read about Mercian Labels mission here. A lot that can be learned from businesses like this one.

Friends of Lichfield City Station
There will be lots of local choirs performing at the station in the lead up to Christmas. See diary dates below for further details.
 
Foraged Art
We had a lovely message from a member via Facebook who took her daughter to our Three Tree Triangle wilding site for a spot of ‘foraged art’ and this is one of their creations!  Some inspiration to us all – maybe we could have a ‘gallery’ of images of people’s nature art on our website!  Send us pics if you do create something please!

Woodhouse Farm
A busy time of year for gathering produce and making preserves, chutneys, jams and cakes!  Quite a haul, with the help of volunteers from Liberty Jamboree – quinces, medlars, huge range of pumpkins and crab apples.  Pop over to the shop to try out some of the creations!
       
Learning opportunities, inspiration and handy hints

Read
 Carbon offsetting is quite a difficult subject to get your head around. This article on the Ecologi website about
carbon offsetting (compensation) v carbon contribution is a useful one to read.  And whilst you are there, you could create an Ecologi account and buy into projects all around the world, to help with your own carbon compensating!  Great for birthday and Christmas gifts for people too!
The Money Saving Expert website has a whole host of useful resources, as many of you will be aware. These three recent posts are handy reads – Gardening on a budget; the latest on how to get funding for home insulation projects, and how to make best use of your heating.
There are many innovations going on in housebuilding and construction generally.  You may be interested to read about the Salford based ‘Energy House’ and also a new technique for roadbuilding that will cut the carbon emissions significantly.
  
Watch
Have you ever thought about the impact that advertisements have on climate change/environment?  This short documentary features people who work in the industry discussing the impact they have and ways of changing their approach, to use the platform for good rather than being all about consumption.
 
Visit
If you are in London then take a walk around the newly created gardens at the Natural History Museum which are linked to their urban nature project. And there’s the golden dinosaur skeleton of course too!
 
Do
Did you know that we have a thermal imaging camera available to borrow?  You do need to have an idea of how to use it (there is a basic User Guide) and what the images are showing you but feel free to get in touch if you would like to give it a go.  Shenstone Environment Group also have one and have a proper loan system and user instructions in place for theirs.
 
 
Get involved
Climate Ambassadors Needed
Just covering this again in case anyone missed it.  Su Farrah and Pam Beale have signed up and have started their training and DBS checks.
Early years, schools, colleges and other education settings across the UK are eager for help in delivering better climate education, mitigating their climate impact, improving their biodiversity, and adapting to the extremes of weather associated with the changing climate. By helping make climate and sustainability education more widely available to all learners, you can help develop the citizens and workforce needed for the green transition.
Climate Ambassadors is a two-year project, funded by the Department for Education as part of its Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy, which states that by 2025 all education settings in England are expected to have a designated sustainability lead and a climate action plan. The role of a Climate Ambassador is to provide free support to educational settings in England (early years, primary, secondary, Further Education (FE) and Special educational needs and disability (SEND) provision) to develop and deliver impactful Climate Action Plans which cover four themes, as set out by the Department for Education: Decarbonisation Adaptation & Resilience; Nature & Biodiversity; Climate Education; & Green Skills. You don’t need to be an expert in all or any of these areas - you can focus your time working on things that align with your passion and experience - and we will provide you with the training and development to help you make the most of your skills. Contact Emma on [email protected] for further details.

EV Charging in Staffordshire
Have Your Say on EV Charging in Staffordshire!
Staffordshire County Council needs your input! They are conducting an Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Survey to help shape the future of EV infrastructure in our county. The results so far (as at 28th Oct) show that 96% of EV users in Staffordshire that have completed the survey are satisfied or extremely satisfied with their vehicles. Around 80% said that saving money on fuel costs were there top motivation for choosing an electric vehicle. Resident feedback has highlighted 375 locations for potential Electric Vehicle Charging sites that will guide Staffordshire County Councils future expansion efforts. Participate in the survey and help us build a greener future for Staffordshire.
Take the survey today! - https://letstalk.staffordshire.gov.uk/let-s-talk-transport/surveys/ev-survey
       
Dates for your diary
November
2nd - Burntwood Repair & Share Café, 10-1pm, St Joseph’s RC Church, Cannock Road, WS7 0BB
2nd - NCT Cloth Nappy Library. 10.00-12.00am, Lichfield District Children's Centre WS13 7PH. [email protected]
3rd – March for Clean Water (London) – 1-5pm. More info here.
5th – Lichfield Wildlife Group. Talk - Flowers of the Mediterranean’ by Peter Coxhead. Wade St Church. 7.45pm £3.50.
5th – Lichfield Science & Engineering Society lecture, Garrick Theatre, ‘Recent Advances in AI – what they are and what do they mean?’ 7.30pm
13th – Ecoprinting morning at Forest Harvest, Yoxall, 10.00am Email [email protected]
15th – Pamper Night, Spark and Springhill Primary Academy, 6:30pm-9:30pm. Tickets £6 per person
16th  - Lichfield Repair & Share Café, Curborough Community Centre, 2-5pm (this is final Lichfield one before Christmas)
16th – Whittington Produce Market, 10-12pm, Bell Car Park, Whittington
17th – Dovehouse Gardens Working Party, 11-1pm
18th – Wheel hub art session, 7-9pm at Shenstone Library. Glass of fizz whilst you work!  Get free ticket from the Library
30th – Shenstone Library Repair Café, 10-12pm (last one of 2024)
30th – Christmas Choirs at Lichfield City Station, 10-12
December
3rd - Lichfield Wildlife Group. Talk – Bees, by Ron Rock. Wade St Church. 7.45pm £3.50
7th - Burntwood Repair & Share Café, 10-1pm, St Joseph’s RC Church, Cannock Road, WS7 0BB (this is final repair session before Christmas)
7th - NCT Cloth Nappy Library. 10.00-12.00am, Lichfield District Children's Centre WS13 7PH. [email protected]
7th - Christmas Choirs at Lichfield City Station, 10-3pm (tbc)
11th December – Festive wreath making, Forest Harvest, 10am Email [email protected]
14th - Christmas Choirs at Lichfield City Station, 10-3pm (tbc)
14th – Whittington Christmas Market, Village Hall
21st - Christmas Choirs at Lichfield City Station, 10-3pm (tbc)
 
 
Burton Conservation Volunteers have a range of activities – if you are interested in helping with projects around the Burton area then contact Lawrence Oates – [email protected]