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Somerset Environmental and Ecological News
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Springtime is a season for all things new, and here at the new Somerset Council we are very excited to launch our new Climate newsletter SEEN.
On the last Friday of every month this newsletter will arrive in your inbox, and if you haven’t subscribed already, please visit our Climate Newsletter Sign-Up webpage.
It will be full of news, project updates, and inspirational ideas about the work going on across the County in response to the Climate and Ecological Emergency, along with information and tips to help us all live better, waste less and reduce our environmental impact. We are committed to a greener, more sustainable county and if we all do our bit and love where we live, we can keep Somerset clean, green, and attractive.
This is your newsletter, and we want to hear about the great environmental work happening where you live, or how you make a difference every day with your brilliant eco hacks and tips. We would also love to hear your suggestions about what you’d like to see more of in the future editions of SEEN as this is climate news for you, our readers.
With All Good Eco Wishes
Sarah
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Somerset’s green-minded residents have helped the county climb into the top 30 councils for recycling.
In Defra’s recently published league tables, Somerset’s 2021-2022 recycling rate of 56.2% ranks it 28 out of 228 local authorities – putting it in the top 15%.
In 2020-21 Somerset ranked 59 out of 228, with a recycling rate of 52.4%.
And, with the full impact of Recycle More’s expanded collections yet to be felt, Somerset Council is confident that the 2022-23 figures will see it climb even further.
The Council is committed to a greener, more sustainable county working hard to help homeowners recycle more and waste less.
In 2021-22, almost 150,000 tonnes of waste was recycled or reused, saving around 133,000 tonnes of carbon – the equivalent of taking more than 51,000 cars off the road for a year.
Of that, 97.2% was recycled into new products and package in the UK. Of the 5,771 tonnes of plastics collected, 99.4% were reprocessed in the UK.
For more information about what happens to the recycling they collect, check our Recycling Tracker Report webpage.
For more information and news about Somerset Council’s Waste Services visit somerset.gov.uk/waste and follow @somersetwaste on Facebook and Twitter.
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Volunteer citizen scientists from the West Country Rivers Trust braved the wind and rain to get trained in how to monitor water quality on the River Sheppey and Keward Brook.
Citizen Scientists contribute to the resilience of our region's river, their habitats and wildlife and our water resources.
To find out more about volunteering opportunities, please visit the West Country Rivers Trust website.
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 The Yeovil Crematorium team has raised an amazing £12000 from the Recycling Metal Scheme facilitated by The Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM) which has raised over £7 million for charities since it began.
John Ranger – Specialist for Bereavement Services at Yeovil Crematorium gave special thanks to the bereaved families that give their consent to recycle metal, and to the staff at scheme member crematoria and funeral directors, who combined make such a positive difference for those grieving the loss of a loved one.
The team chose to donate the money to local bereavement support charity The Rosie Crane Trust, based in Ilminster. Carol Crane (pictured receiving a cheque from John Ranger) founded the Rosie Crane Trust in 2006 after the death of her daughter Rosie to leukaemia. Inspired by Rosie’s strength and courage, Carol wanted to help ease some of the pain and stress parents feel at the devastating loss of a child and help them find a way through their grief. The trust provides a 24-hour listening ear helpline, monthly drop-in events, subsidised counselling, and a befriending service to support bereaved parents.
If you or someone you know could benefit from this support, you can find out more at rosiecranetrust.org or you can contact directly on 01460 55120.
 Don’t forget businesses across Somerset can access online advice to prepare for new recycling requirements.
New legislation is on the way that will require all businesses to separate out more recycling - glass bottles and jars, metal food and drink cans, plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays, paper and cardboard from their general waste. Any premises preparing or selling food, such as cafes, restaurants and pubs, will also have to separate and recycle food waste.
During March and April, Somerset trialled localised face-to-face support for businesses to discuss preparing for the change and Business Support Advisors contacted around 400 businesses in Langport, Chard and Ilminster.
Somerset also helped pilot WRAP's Business of Recycling.
The pilot has just finished, but the website remains in place, full of useful guidance and resources for business wanting to get ahead of the game and prepare. If you have a business, please take a look. If you know someone who runs a business, encourage them to make use of it.
The website includes:
- A waste calculator tool to help businesses calculate how much waste they generate and how recycling can help save money
- Guidance on why they should recycle, waste audits, Duty of Care, procurement, communicating in the workplace, managing and storing waste
- Free downable communications resources to help businesses engage with staff and encourage recycling in the workplace.
Bike racks, shaped as Penny Farthing bicycles, have been installed across Somerset East area (formerly Mendip District Council) as a legacy gift to residents.
A consultation for local residents asked where they would like bike racks installed and over 180 residents responded with their views.
A total of 26 racks have been fitted and the unique Penny Farthing design can lock up to four bicycles – that’s more than 100 bikes safe and secure.
For more information, please visit our Penny Farthing bike racks news article.
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Another productive Repair Café was held in St Edmund’s Hall, Glastonbury in April with its fair share of mending, munching and mayhem!
The team got the flat pack compost heap together, but then had trouble fitting it into the car for its journey home!
The silver hare (pictured) is cleverly made of spoons. We also had sewing and a salt lamp, CD player, clock, kettle, hoover and a broken chair which we referred to Walton Men’s Shed.
The next Repair Cafe will be held at ST Benedict's Church on 20 May.
To find a Repair Café near you, visit our Somerset Repair Network webpage.
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Seven volunteers including scything expert Andi Rickard went to Linden Meadow in April to cut nettles, docks and grass from around the small trees so they stand the best chance in the first year.
This follows another successful session in April where volunteers planted 87 herb plants using a grant from the Somerset Community Foundation.
Read about other great work via ttw.org.uk.
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Electricity for one of Somerset Council’s works depot in Westpark, Wellington, is set to be supplied mostly from renewable energy.
The solar energy generated will be used by the building itself, reducing the requirement and reliance of drawing electricity from the grid. Any additional electricity created by the PV array will be stored in a battery storage unit and used during low generation hours when required.
Once installed at Westpark Depot, it will assist in achieving operational net-zero when fully occupied, based on recent annual usages.
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A ground-breaking project to help Somerset homes become more energy efficient has won crucial funding.
Somerset Climate Action Network (SomersetCAN) in collaboration with Somerset Council and Frome, Glastonbury, and Bruton Town Councils, have successfully bid for a £50,000 grant from MCS Charitable Foundation to set up a not-for-profit service promoting and supporting ‘retrofitting’.
The Somerset Retrofit Accelerator project will provide a one-stop-shop hub with advice for homeowners on how to make changes to their home to help reduce energy bills and greenhouse gas emissions, making the homes more comfortable to live in.
It's estimated 80% of the homes we will occupy in 2050 already exist. We can’t just rely on decarbonising the grid or building new energy efficient homes to meet our carbon reduction commitments. Read more here.
Terry from Frome has recently deep retrofitted his home in Frome. Watch his video on Frome Town Council's YouTube channel to see how he did it.
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 Earlier in April we invited members of the public to come on a tour of Tinkers Bubble and see how the off-grid community on the side of Ham Hill in South Somerset live a low impact, sustainable lifestyle.
The social media call out was greatly oversubscribed, but 20 lucky people got see how they live, grow food and run a timber sawmill all without fossil fuels or a grid connection, and how they live in harmony with nature and the wider community.
To generate income they grow vegetables, apples, cows and chickens and manage sustainable forestry with horses, along with running training courses and residencies.
After a fascinating and informative tour, the visitors enjoyed a lunch made from the Tinkers Bubble own grown veg.
After 25 years of temporary permission, and nearly 30 years since people first moved on to this site, Tinkers Bubble has now been granted permanent planning permission.
The permission has the same clauses and scope as the previous temporary ones and will make little difference to the appearance and functioning of the Bubble, but still, it represents a milestone for the community, and for off-grid development in the UK.
To find out more, visit tinkersbubble.org.
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Between Saturday 6 May and Monday 8 May communities across Somerset will come together to celebrate the Coronation of His Majesty the King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort.
We all love a party, but they can generate a lot of waste. If you’re involved in a celebration, be it large or small, it’s good to think about how you can reuse and recycle wherever possible and keep food waste to a minimum.
For loads of great tips to help you host a coronation party that wastes less and recycles more, visit our King’s coronation: love parties, hate waste webpage. Have a lovely time!
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The second session, “Energy Efficiency for Community Buildings”, is on Tuesday 30 May from 11:30am - 12:30pm and is aimed at community groups who have their own building(s).
The session will provide an overview of what to consider to make your community building more energy efficient – whether that’s through zero-cost behaviour changes or higher-cost measures like renewable technologies.
There will also be talks around how to carry out a DIY energy survey on your community building with an explanation of how to use the Centre for Sustainable Energy's DIY energy survey tool, and how to use the results to build an action plan for your building. Book your place via Eventbrite's Energy efficiency for your community building webpage!
You can also find out more about the Rural Communities Energy Support Network and become a member using this simple form.
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Exmoor National Park Authority is asking people to get involved in their latest Partnership Plan survey to help guide decisions to shape the future of Exmoor’s landscape, heritage and wildlife.
The Authority is working with its partners to create a healthy, resilient, biodiverse and beautiful environment; with thriving communities, successful businesses and more people enjoying and being inspired by Exmoor.
You can have your say on what you would like to be achieved over the next five years by visiting Exmoor National Park's Partnership Plan Review 2023 webpage, and if you complete the survey, you’ll be offered a 5% discount code for the National Park Authority's online shop as a little thank you.
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 Plantlife’s #NoMowMay is back, blooming better than ever! Join the No Mow May movement, starting on the 1 May, and free the wildflowers in your lawn so they can grow wild and provide a feast for pollinators, tackle pollution, and lock away atmospheric carbon below ground. Anyone with a patch of land, however small, can do this. Mark out your area and leave it to thrive through the summer and beyond.
We’re working to make more and more council owned and managed land and verges wildflower areas and we’re collaborating with many Somerset communities, parish and town councils to help them do the same. Join us on this journey to help re-wild and return some of our verges and lesser used pieces of land back to nature. You can find everything you need to know about on Plantlife’s No Mow May webpage, and how to mow your lawn for wildlife.
Join Bridgwater Area Cycling Campaign for the Big Family Bike Ride on Monday 8 May.
Kidical Mass is a worldwide movement where a large group of people of all ages take to the streets to cycle, wheel and scoot safely.
Meet at St Saviour's Avenue next the Blake Gardens at 11am for a circular cycling route of approximately 45 minutes and stay on for the Coronation Fete. For more info, visit Bridgwater Town Council's Kidical Mass Bicycle Ride webpage.
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 Come along to an informal workshop on the 13 May at 10am, to learn how to use the iNaturalist App to record and map local wildlife in conjunction with the Highbridge - Brue: Green Pathways Project. The event will take you through how to register and set up the app on your phones or devices and how to start using it to record nature near you. It will start with a short practical session indoors then head outside to put what we have learnt into practice. Find more information, visit Somerset Wildlife Trust's Using iNaturalist for Community Wildlife Mapping webpage.
 Come and join a session all about wildflowers on Sunday 14 May from 2pm - 4pm at Apex Park Leisure and Wildlife park, Marine Dr, Burnham-on-Sea TA8 3YY.
Booking is essential so please email apexwildlifewatch@gmail.com to secure your place. Parents and carers must stay with their children at all times. A small charge of £2 per child and £1 per sibling is made per session to help with the costs of materials and refreshments.
 Voluntary and community events are an important and effective way to engage your community with your project. Whether you’re planning a bioblitz, community consultation, butterfly walk, open churchyard or volunteering day there’s lots of simple steps you can take to ensure your event is a big success!
Check out this free online event on Tuesday May 23 at 7pm where you can learn everything from how to engage people and promote your event, to pitfalls and legalities to be aware of.
Take part in Wincanton's first Climate Fair on 27 May from 10am - 2pm at The Balsam Centre.
Elements will offer practical information, advice, workshops, art and films for adults and children, to encourage everyone to engage and think about how they can make a difference through their own actions. They hope that the fair will also provide a hub for ideas sharing and networking opportunities to allow people to come together to bring about positive change. For more info, visit elementsclimate.co.uk.
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Thanks to a small grant from The Green Scythe Fair, Transition Town Wellington are holding their own mini scything fair on Saturday 3 June, the week before the iconic event near Langport! Come and watch pro scythers tackle the grass around the new trees in Linden meadow, with a chance to have a go too. There will be music and cake for sale, as well as children’s activities and a talk about the field and plans to make it a wildlife haven. Please bring a picnic and a rug and just enjoy the space!
Wilder Wedmore is a three day festival of nature held from Friday 9 June to Sunday 11 June.
It will be packed with interesting talks and walks and a few special guest speakers including, Benedict Macdonald - a British conservationist, writer and former television producer now working in ecosystem recovery across the UK.
Join the Wilder Wedmore Nature Festival 9-11th June 2023 Facebook group.
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For a fun family day out, come along to Taunton’s Great Big Green Week at Castle Green from 10am until 4pm, for:
- Green shopping market
- Plant-based street food
- Local environmental organisations
- Entertainment and activities for people of all ages and music
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The Green Scythe Fair is a fabulous family friendly event with stalls, talks, workshops on all things sustainable living and the Westcountry Scything Championship is a must see for anyone interested in land based and fossil fuel free skills.
Run by volunteers and powered only by the sun and wind, this event has something for everyone from local food, cider and ales to music and entertainment, kids area and workshops.
This year Saturday will be a workshop day where you can book workshops to try your hands at new skills such as rope making to making your own wooden spatula. Sunday will be the Green Scythe Fair Parley at 2pm in the main tent titled Up in Smoke - Is Burning Wood Sustainable? Three experts will be discussing reasons for and against wood for fuel.
Find out more and book your tickets or workshop place at greenfair.org.uk.
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New to Nature is an exciting programme of paid work placements in nature-focused roles. This opportunity is perfect for an enthusiastic young person looking for a 12 month placement as a Trainee Rewilding Ranger at the Heal Rewilding site near Bruton. Applications close Wednesday 17 May at 5pm. For more information about the role and how to apply visit Heal Rewilding's New to Nature webpage.
Climate change is already affecting everyone in Somerset, with flooding and severe heatwaves impacting communities across the county. Unfortunately, extreme weather such as this is only likely to increase as the climate crisis continues. This makes climate adaptation essential. To help, Adapting the Levels have created a guide to help communities take action into their own hands. The new toolkit includes:
- Information about the need for climate adaptation.
- Actions individuals and communities can take to adapt.
- Advice on funding, consents, and permits.
- Resources to help create a locally tailored climate adaptation plan.
You can download the toolkit for FREE via Somerset Wildlife Trust's Climate Adaptation Toolkit webpage.
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Aviva, in partnership with WWF and the RSPB, is giving £1 million to support community groups across the UK to protect and restore nature in their local area.
Local groups can use the funding for creating community gardens, replanting wildflower meadows, protecting local wildlife etc.
Projects that are accepted will receive 2:1 match funding. Find more information about the fund via Save Our Wild Isles' Community Fund webpage.
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The local school nature grants is open to schools and early years settings in England, Scotland and Wales. The grant fund has two elements – £500 of outdoor equipment chosen from a catalogue of over 100 items, and an outdoor learning training course for your staff. Find out more on Learning through Landscapes' Local School Nature Grants webpage.
 Magic Little Grants 2023 is now open for applicants. The grant is available for community groups for a variety of reasons including for improving biodiversity and responding to the climate emergency.
Find out more on Localgiving's Magic Little Grants webpage. Closing date Saturday 31 October 2023
This funding aims to inspire and support communities across the UK to address the energy and climate crisis.
They're looking for projects that show how communities can address climate change while tackling energy challenges through community-led climate action. Visit The National Lottery Community Fund's Climate Action Fund Programme webpage to learn more.
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Wessex Water Environment Fund supports charitable and community activities that aim to have a positive impact on the local environment.
To receive funding, projects must demonstrate one or more of the following: Involves communities in environmental activities, has a positive impact on the local environment, and educates local people about supporting the environment.
The fund is open to voluntary and community groups with charitable aims, registered charities and community interest companies with an annual income of less than £500,000.
Schools and parish councils may also apply if they can demonstrate a community benefit. Groups and organisations must be based and operate within the Wessex Water region.
This fund is targeted at organisations where a small amount of money can make a significant difference, so we will consider your access to other sources of funding when deciding which groups will receive support. Visit Wessex Water's Environment Fund webpage to find out more.
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The Future We Choose
The Future We Choose is an inspiring manifesto from Global Optimism Co-Founders, Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac. It explains what’s to come, how to face it and what we can do.
Practical, optimistic and empowering, this is a book for every generation, showing us the exciting world we can all be part of creating. If we all play our part in the most important decade that we have ever faced, The Future We Choose shows how we can move beyond the climate crisis into a thriving future.
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 With 1 million species at threat, David Attenborough explores the science of extinction and how this crisis has consequences for us all.
Watch on BBC iplayer for free.
A Matter of Degrees
Join Dr. Leah Stokes and Dr. Katharine Wilkinson for their podcast, as they tell stories about the powerful forces behind climate change — and the tools we have to fix it.
You can listen on Apple, Spotify, Google and Stitcher
Visit degreespod.com to find out more.
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This is your newsletter, and we want to hear about the great environmental work happening where you live, or what you do to make a difference every day with your brilliant eco hacks and tips.
You can make suggestions about what you would like to see more of in future editions of SEEN and have your say on previous stories and topics.
We would love to hear from you. Get in touch with the team at climateemergency@somerset.gov.uk.
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