What is the Impact of Covid-19 on Nature? This was the burning question for all those who joined the Horsham Climate Café’s sixth (since lockdown) weekly Zoom meeting, which took place on Saturday 2nd May.
113 people booked from from all over the world including England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Uganda and South Africa (including 37 South East Climate Alliance members). They tuned in to hear special guest, Dr Tony Whitbread, President of Sussex Wildlife Trust, give an inspiring talk about how nature is blossoming with less human activity. He highlighted:
– the speed at which animals all round the world have expanded their ranges in to towns and cities
– the bluer skies and reduction in air pollution
– that people have slowed down and are noticing and valuing the beauty of the natural world
His insights prompted questions such as what can we do to engage our children in protecting the planet, should “ecocide” be unlawful, and perhaps the most pressing issue right now: how can we ensure the “nature recovery” continues post-lockdown?
To Travel or Not to Travel? That Is The Question
/in Climate change, Eco News, Events, Seasonal celebrations/by Carrie CortPress release
Holidays on hold? Or help at hand
On Saturday 6 June, Sussex Green Living’s virtual Horsham Climate Café meeting will be focusing on what post-pandemic travel might look like once the world opens up again.
Many questions about the future of travel and holidays remain to be answered. With movement restrictions still in place and many holidaymakers still not knowing if, how or when they can expect to get away, the biggest question may be:
How will people feel about holidays after the pandemic and have travellers’ priorities changed?
Some may be desperate to get away after the lockdown and others may be feel it is too risky for health reasons. The nature recovery may have inspired people to stay at home whilst others may be motivated by sustainable holidays or wanting to make a difference overseas.
This week’s Climate Café event will discuss Ethical Travel, StayCations and SlowCation (travel by bike and train) and suggest possible alternatives to our traditional get-aways. Read more
Wool & environmentally friendly gardening
/in Biodiversity & Nature, Eco News, Ecology, Green Suppliers/by Carrie CortRead more
Help us in global recycling contest
/in Eco News, Recycling, Single use plastic/by Carrie CortPress release – Help Sussex Green Living win prize through ‘liking’ recycling video
Sussex Green Living (SGL) volunteer Joy Carter has won Terracycle’s global #keepOnRecycling contest for her “how-to” film that inspires householders to recycle specific single-use plastics during the lockdown.
The film promotes the free recycling schemes run by SGL and Terracycle to avoid items ending up in landfill or being sent overseas by the Council to be incinerated.
Joy said: “Now that most of us are staying home we are generating a lot more waste than normal and it is an ideal time to learn what to do with items that can’t be put in our recycle bins”.
Help Sussex Green Living Go Global!
Joy is donating the £80 prize money to the Horsham Community Fridge but has set her sights on the global prize and needs your support. The funds would enable SGL to set up a storage facility for all the recycling they sort through ordinarily on a weekly basis at the Quaker Meeting House. To help SGL win, please watch, like and share Joy’s film on social media. https://www.facebook.com/SussexGreenLiving/
Carrie Cort, SGL founder, said: “We are delighted that the volume of recycling from the local community has increased so significantly – it shows how many people care about being zero-waste. However, we now need to expand our operation to avoid volunteers taking a bag loads of recycling home to sort through. Please support our film and help us win the Terracycle award”. Read more
Launch of two Horsham community forums
/in Eco News, Youth Eco Forum/by The WebmasterPress release – Horsham Future Forum and Youth Eco Forum launching 2nd June 2020
Sussex Green Living launches Horsham Youth Eco Forum Zoom virtual weekly meetings
Sussex Green Living (SGL) are excited to launch the Horsham Youth Eco Forum as part of the development of Horsham Climate Cafe.
Since its opening in December 2019, Horsham Climate Cafe – a collaborative project established by SGL, Horsham Quakers and many volunteers – has wanted to offer a space for local young environmentalists to meet and share ideas. As we adapt to socially-distant lives, the community formed by HCC feels more important than ever, and the Eco Youth Forum will offer an opportunity for young people aged 11+ to connect on a weekly basis.
Both the climate crisis and the current pandemic raise big questions for the future of younger generations and it is important to be able to discuss concerns and to problem-solve in a creative and collaborative way. Sussex Green Living hopes that the creation of this forum will enable young people to tackle eco-anxiety with eco-action and being an essential part of the local green community. Read more
Get Creative for Nature Over Half Term
/in Children & nature, Climate change, Eco News, Ecology, Education, Green art & games/by The WebmasterInspiring environmental art competition appeals for children and young people to get involved over holidays and the summer term. Thanks to a grant from The Boltini Trust, Sussex Green Living and the South Downs National Park Trust, which is the official charity of South Downs National Park, have developed this “Clean Up & Create” a Bright New Future competition for 5-16 year olds in Sussex and Hampshire.
Julie Fawcett, Chair of the South Downs National Park Trust, said “A key focus for the South Downs National Park Trust is to engage young people with this amazing natural asset on their doorstep with all its beautiful landscapes and wildlife.
“This competition offers a great way for children to get creative and think about ways we can conserve and enhance our environment in the years ahead. Young people are the future custodians of national gems such as the South Downs and this is a fantastic way to inspire them”
The aim is to encourage young people to design some artwork with a powerful message to raise awareness of the environment and represent the theme of a bright new future they want for the world.
There are two categories to choose from in each age group: Read more
Horsham Climate Cafe – the value of nature
/in Children & nature, Climate change, Eco News, Ecology, Events/by Carrie CortHorsham Climate Cafe – the value of nature All of us are experiencing the uncertainty the current pandemic has brought with it, alongside the forced physical disconnect from one another […]
News from the Horsham Repair Cafe
/in Climate change, Eco News, Events, Repair Cafe/by Carrie CortSorry to say that the Horsham Repair Café will not be physically opening for our once a month repairs, refills and energy advice for a while. However we have reviewed the situation and are now going to trial a weekly repair service which will run alongside the household and personal hygiene bottle refill service. We can offer repairs to small electrical household and IT items only at the moment. This drop off and collection service will be offered each Saturday between 10-12 noon (with suitable covid social distancing and product handling restrictions).
Please book in your item by completing our online booking form here, we will then email to confirm the procedure and location for drop off. Please note that we are not able to repair any textiles for the foreseeable future.
Costs:
Electrical repairs – our volunteer repairer will assess the item and inform you if there is a need to purchase any parts. If you agree to the costs on collection you will be asked to pay for the costs, a voluntary donation to the Horsham Repair Café is optional. Read more
Message from Ecuadorian cloud forest
/in Biodiversity & Nature, Children & nature, Climate change, Ecology, Events/by Carrie CortOne of the last hidden treasure/locations
Saturday 9th May the weekly virtual Horsham Climate Cafe focused on The Value of Nature, bringing attendees a special message from Nicola Peel who is locked down in a cloud forest in Los Cedros Biological Reserve in the Choco region of Ecuador full of yet to be discovered plant and animals. Plants which will provide cures to diseases, trees which give us oxygen to breath, things we take for granted. The debate is gold and copper mining for new phones or medicine and oxygen?
During this Climate Cafe session Victoria Wyllie de Echeverria also gave an informal talk about the deep connection indigenous people have to nature, their stewardship of the land and water and how they are adapting to climate change.
You can see Nicola’s video message at the bottom of this page. Learn here about Nicola’s lockdown location, one of the most biologically diverse and endemic habitats on Earth in her latest email:
Dear friends,
After finishing my work in the Ecuadorian Amazon I was about to have a week to myself on the coast. This was not to be. Like so many of us due to the unforeseen events our lives have changed.
I had returned to Quito and was staying with a friend when I heard that due to Corona Virus all borders were closed, flights to be cancelled and no more buses. I got out of the city on the last bus to Chontal and headed up to the Los Cedros Reserve. http://reservaloscedros.org/ about/ Read more
Pressing the pause button
/in Children & nature, Climate change, Eco News, Ecology, Events/by Carrie CortOn Saturday 2nd May Dr Tony Whitbread spoke at the Horsham Climate Cafe to around 100 people using Zoom video conferencing. He spoke about positive impacts of covid on human attitute to nature and signs of the natural world recovering. This event was chaired and facilitated by Helen Whittington, Carrie Cort, Chloe Harrison and Vivaine Doussy. You can hear a podcast of his talk, see the global reach of this event and the Q&A here.
Tony shares his thought provoking insight with us here…..Nature seems to be blossoming while us humans are locked up indoors. We’ve heard about goats taking over gardens in Llandudno in Wales and fallow dear wandering round parts of London. There are elephants on the streets of Thailand, elephant seals in Argentinian suburbs and the penguins are taking back the streets in South Africa! There seem to be more butterflies and the birds seem to be singing louder. Is nature really recovering while we are locked up, is it the good weather, or is it just that we are taking the time to pay attention and notice what has been there all along?
Tony Whitbread climate cafe session
/in Children & nature, Climate change, Eco News, Ecology, Events/by Carrie CortWhat is the Impact of Covid-19 on Nature? This was the burning question for all those who joined the Horsham Climate Café’s sixth (since lockdown) weekly Zoom meeting, which took place on Saturday 2nd May.
113 people booked from from all over the world including England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Uganda and South Africa (including 37 South East Climate Alliance members). They tuned in to hear special guest, Dr Tony Whitbread, President of Sussex Wildlife Trust, give an inspiring talk about how nature is blossoming with less human activity. He highlighted:
– the speed at which animals all round the world have expanded their ranges in to towns and cities
– the bluer skies and reduction in air pollution
– that people have slowed down and are noticing and valuing the beauty of the natural world
His insights prompted questions such as what can we do to engage our children in protecting the planet, should “ecocide” be unlawful, and perhaps the most pressing issue right now: how can we ensure the “nature recovery” continues post-lockdown?
Visual Story of Pots of Love
/in Children & nature, Eco News, Seasonal celebrations/by The WebmasterThe Mutual Aid Movement
/in Climate change, Eco News, Events, Green Suppliers/by Carrie CortSince we entered lockdown, community has become important to many of us in a way it was not before. The way we relate to one another has changed and, although physical contact outside the home is impossible, many of us are enjoying a greater sense of connectedness within our neighbourhoods than ever. In Horsham District, and all over the country, people are getting to know and support those who live around them. Whether this is as part of volunteer schemes providing vulnerable people with essential shopping, phone calls offering emotional support, or simply the weekly clap for carers, the networks forged between local residents during this time are vital and valuable.
As we adapt to the current situation, it is important that we also look forward to how we rebuild our lives in the post-covid era and we are conscious that this will not, and should not, mean returning to ‘normal’. The social connectedness that has risen ironically from a time of ‘social distancing’ is something worth maintaining, particularly as many will need support as they continue to isolate long after general restrictions are relaxed. Read more
Saving money through growing and swapping food
/in Eco News, Food Waste, Green Suppliers/by Carrie CortOn Saturday 18th April, Horsham Climate Cafe met for its fourth virtual meeting since lockdown began. One of the benefits of moving online during the COVID19 pandemic is the number of people able to join from further afield as we had environmentalists calling in from as far away as Ireland. With self-isolation set to continue and the weather still in our favour, the discussion focused around ‘grow your own’ as a money-and-planet-saving way to stay connected to nature during this time.
Help fight against the “biggest ever” road building plan
/in Climate change, Eco News/by Catherine SleemanThe COVID19 crisis has had tragic consequences for many, but one positive change that has been noted all around the world is the drop in air pollution due to huge reductions in transport use.
While Milan is making plans to take advantage of this situation to create a future that is less car-oriented, the Department for Transport here is preparing to unfurl 30 years’ worth of road building, likely to double UK car traffic by 2050. On 1 May 2019 UK MPs approved a motion to declare an environment and climate emergency and are aiming for zero emissions by 2050, how is this going to be achieved if we double the amount of cars on our roads?
On 11th March they published Road Investment Strategy 2 despite requests to rethink this scheme in accordance with the Paris Agreement. Read more
Virtual climate cafe connecting people and planet
/in Children & nature, Climate change, Eco News, Events, Green art & games, Single use plastic/by Carrie CortWeek 3 of virtual climate cafe
Local people removed from isolation for one hour a week through the virtual Horsham Climate Cafe. Saturday 11th April saw the numbers grow from 7 the first planning week, to 15, with 24 turning-in last week to learn about frugal and free wild cooking from Fiona founder of Earthkind and an eco art competition which Sussex Green Living are running with the South Downs National Park. With lots of other exciting local and countywide ideas materialising.
The Horsham Climate Cafe normally pops up once a month at the Quaker Meeting House in Horsham, but quickly adapted with lockdown to go online using Zoom free video conferencing. Last week saw people from Horsham, Billingshurst, Lindfield, Worthing, Chichester, Peacehaven, Petworth and Leeds tuning-in! The aim is to remove people for social isolation for an hour a week to discuss ideas for supporting community and planet in this uncertain time. The organisers are very heartened to be receiving such a positive response and great engagement! Read more
Inspiring natural world free events on 2nd & 3rd May
/in Children & nature, Climate change, Events, Seasonal celebrations/by Carrie CortPress Release
Inspiring double act event Tony Whitbread and dawn chorus!
We may be social-distancing but this doesn’t mean we have to distance ourselves from the natural world too. The first weekend of May offers two exciting opportunities to connect with it.
On Saturday 2nd May at 2pm Tony Whitbread, President (retired CEO) of Sussex Wildlife Trust, will be speaking at the virtual Horsham Climate Cafe. As humans have been forced to make radical lifestyle changes we have begun to see incredible signs of recovery in the natural world. Tony will be sharing insights how the coronavirus has impacted on our attitudes towards nature – a discussion not to be missed. Simply book a free place via our Eventbrite page (https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/sussex-green-livinghorsham-climate-cafe-30023845980) to receive a link to the Zoom video conference.
Our virtual Horsham Climate Café takes place weekly and is an opportunity for local residents to learn, share and discuss ideas for saving money and building a more sustainable future. In the coming weeks we will be focusing on community support, an art competition to inspire children and young people to visualise a bright new future, low-cost sustainable living and growing you own. Read more
Environmental education for lockdown victims!
/in Children & nature, Climate change, Eco News, Education/by Carrie Cort‘CLEAN-UP AND CREATE’ a Bright New Future’
Educational competition for schools and children working from home!
Sussex Green Living in partnership with the South Downs National Park have just launched an educational competition called ‘CLEAN-UP AND CREATE’ a Bright New Future’. It has been designed to provide a platform for raising awareness about the environment, littering and changes we could make to build a bright new future. The challenge is for 5 to 16 year olds to design a poster and or a piece of eco art and associated message, enable them to learn, have fun and get creative around the world they want. There are 16 x £150 prizes to be won!
Covid-19 crisis sees positive environmental impacts
/in Climate change, Eco News/by Carrie CortAs previously discussed in our Covid19 crisis article, the world has seen a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions as a result of imposed self-isolation and lockdown guidelines, so we thought that it would be of interest to our readers for us to look into this change a bit deeper. We will also shed light on the importance of remembering sustainable living principles during this crisis. This is something all of us in the Sussex Green Living community, the Horsham Climate Cafe and Horsham Climate Cafe should remember.
Covid-19’s impact on greenhouse gas emissions
As worldwide air pollution is down, the European Environment Agency (EEA) has, in the last day, reported large decreases in air pollutant concentrations across Europe. As this is such an unusual and worrying time for us all, seeing a positive amongst all the negatives is inspiring.
With Wuhan’s smog depreciating significantly and reports of fish being seen in the waters of Venice for the first time in years, as well as a reduction of nitrogen dioxide across the world, these factors should prove to us all that small differences can create such huge environmental changes. Read more
Exciting Bright New Futures Programme for schools
/in Children & nature, Climate change, Education/by Carrie CortImagination, dream and reimagine a Bright New Future
We are in the process of adapting our existing environmental education programme, The Future We Want, in light of the current health, economic and environmental crisis. Through our Bright New Futures programme, schools will be able to book free assemblies, lessons and eco council action planning sessions. In this updated programme, the schools will have the option to choose from the following themes
· NEW – Bright New Future Through The Arts
· NEW – Bright New Future Tell Us A Story
· NEW – Grow Your Own Revolution
· Love Clothes and Planet
· Energy Forever
· Plastic-Free Sea
Bright New Future Through The Arts and Tell Us A Story
(While we are preparing to launch these workshops, children and young people are invited to get creative from home and take part in our Clean up and create a Bright New Future competition, learn more here) Read more
Money Saving ideas at Horsham Climate Cafe
/in Climate change, Eco News, Events, Green Suppliers/by Carrie CortSaturday 4th April the Horsham Climate Cafe will pop up as a virtual one hour event for the second week in a row. It will be running using a free Zoom video call every Saturday at 2pm during the Covid19 crisis and until further notice.
This Saturday there will be an opportunity for people to connect and chat informally around concerns, insights with ideas for using materials around you, saving money and helping the planet. Fiona Hamilton who runs Earthkind a plastic free food refills service which pops up at the Horsham Repair Cafe, will be providing lots of money saving ideas around frugal and zero waste living, see below. She is happy to receive questions ahead of Saturday or on the day. Forward questions to ahead of Saturday.
Helen Whittington will talk about the new Horsham Repair Cafe cleaning and personal product bottle refill service she is offering during lockdown, as seen here https://www.horsham-refill.com. Carrie Cort, founder of Sussex Green Living will talk about a saving money through switching energy providers. Since running the Horsham Repair Cafe she has helped lots of people switch using https://bigcleanswitch.org/sussexgreen/, everyone has saved between £90 and £366 a year.
Enjoy Fiona’s ideas for saving money and living a more sustainable life here: Read more
Virtual meeting every Saturday 2pm offering community support
/in Climate change, Eco News, Events/by Catherine SleemanSaturday 28th March saw the Horsham Climate Cafe pop up for the first time as a virtual gathering to discuss how people can continue to connect, support our community and share ways to save money through the anxieties and challenges of the COVID-19 lockdown.
In these precarious and uncertain times, we are all having to rethink our lifestyles and our priorities and are finding new and resourceful ways to adapt and form communities. These initiatives all feel very relevant to how we hope to approach the other global catastrophe of our times – the climate crisis. For this reason we feel that it is important that our plans for tackling the two are connected and that we continue to support one another to live environmentally conscious lives in the light of the current situation.
Although the Horsham Repair Cafe is no longer able to meet as a community, the refill service for cleaning products is still running with new social distancing measures in place learn more here https://www.horsham-refill.com.
The Horsham Climate Cafe will take place via Zoom every Saturday at 2pm for about one hour anyone is warmly welcomed to join the virtual space, it is free and requires no software download. Read more
Appeal for homes to help our recycling volunteers
/in Climate change, Eco News, Single use plastic/by Carrie CortPack crisp packets flat condensed in a shoe box
Press release
Sussex Green Living appeals for homes to help keep single use plastic recycling going in Horsham District
Sussex Green Living is appealing for help in the homes with single use plastic recycling during the covid19 crisis. Since 2012 Sussex Green Living with the help of lots of volunteers have been recycling specific single-use plastics. The materials are sent to and recycled by a company called TerraCycle.
Carrie the founder of Sussex Green Living is appealing for help “Over the last year the volume of donations has grown 10 fold, we have a wonderful team of volunteers we call the SGL Wombles who were helping sort every Wednesday afternoon at the Quaker Meeting House”, she continues “We had to make the decision to stop those team sorting sessions last week”.
Two volunteers are going to try to keep the lesser volume now being received, sorted and dispatched to TerraCyle. Helen Whittington, the onsite warden of the Quaker Meeting House will daily clean the handles on the bins in the meeting house garden, this being the main drop off location in the district (although there are six other parish locations and schools who also collect). Joy Carter, endearingly called chief Womble is going to remove the recycling to a remote location (using personal protective gear) and then trying to sort after 72 hours. Read more
Los Cedros Reserve – An update and photos from our friend Nicola Peel
/in Biodiversity & Nature, Climate change, Eco News, Ecology, Take Action/by The WebmasterLos Cedros Reserve – Andean cloud forest of Ecuador – UNDER THREAT
Our friend Nicola Peel has sent us an update and some incredible photos from her visit to the Los Cedros Reserve in the cloud forest of Ecuador which is now threatened by gold, copper and molybdenum mining.
Hope must come out of Covid19 crisis
/in Climate change, Eco News, Events/by Carrie CortNext Horsham Climate Cafe 4th April will be online
Press release
Horsham Climate Cafe gives inspiration: people take stock and change habits
The speed at which Governments, organisations and institutes around the World are reacting to the Covid19 pandemic gives the organisers of the Horsham Climate Cafe hope. It shows that when faced with an emergency the world can mobilise resources and political will in the midst of the crises.
An unexpected but positive spin-off is that the world has seen a huge dip in global greenhouse gas emissions since the devastating Covid19 virus and fast mobilisation of community collaboration and support.
Carrie Cort, the founder of Sussex Green Living and co-founder of the Horsham Climate Cafe said “The UK often blame China for its huge carbon footprint but a lot of our clothes and goods are made cheaply and imported to the UK. We spent £44.7 billion on imported Chinese goods in 2018 alone”. She continues, ‘All this manufacturing of cheap goods and shipping around is a hidden carbon footprint which the UK should take responsibility for. It also means we’ve become dependent on China for manufactured goods, which leaves us vulnerable in times like this.”
Horsham Climate Cafe is normally at the Quaker Meeting House on the first Saturday of each month, on Saturday 4th April at 2pm it will use Zoom or Skype free video conferencing, enabling people to attend from their homes. Read more
Horsham Climate Cafe
/in Climate change, Eco News, Events/by Carrie CortOur Corona Virus Action Plan-
Horsham Climate Cafe goes online
We hope you will all be delighted to hear – The Horsham Climate Cafe will continue throughout the current social distancing and quarantine measures! We’re now switching to online meetings using Zoom (see joining instructions below!), a FREE and easy to use video chat and video conferencing service. Please feel free to join any of our sessions to continue to be involved, or use this as a great chance to see what we’re about for the first time (all from the comfort of your own home!). Until we can resume our physical meetings, please do pop in on us – we are running EVERY Saturday at 2pm for an hour – we’d love to see you there! In our sessions, we like to talk about pocket and planet-saving ideas for the community (all quarantine friendly ideas, of course!). See below for the exciting schedule for our planned sessions so far…