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SEEN
Somerset Environmental
and Ecological News
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Bill Revans, Leader of Somerset Council, signing the UK100 pledge
We begin the month with good news, and have reaffirmed our commitment to tackling climate change and ambition to get to net zero carbon by 2030.
UK100 is a network of local leaders who have pledged to lead a rapid transition to Net Zero with clean air in their communities ahead of the government’s legal target.
Its primary purpose is to support a local-led rapid transition to Net Zero and clean air through collaboration to accelerate action. It brings together the most influential leaders across the country to learn together and agree on priorities for legislative and regulatory change, while empowering them to engage with national decision-makers. UK100 provides the network with the knowledge, tools, and connections to make this happen.
September is also a month to celebrate and enjoy the many benefits of organic produce. Led by the Soil Association, Organic September is a month-long campaign to raise awareness of the advantages gained in health and the environment through organic food and farming. Further details can be found in the Your Community section.
We’re also supporting Second-hand September, a campaign, run by Oxfam to inspire people to shop in a way that is kinder to society at large as well as our planet.
Wishing you all a wonderful green September.
The Climate Team
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A big welcome to James Chapman, recently appointed as the Somerset Tree Project Officer
James has been working in woods and forests for most of his adult life. Much of this has been overseas, recently in the Palestinian Westbank where he led the Great Green Ribbon, a tree planting initiative that stretched for 100 miles over land decimated by conflict. He returned to Somerset in 2022 and before taking up this new position, he was looking into the detrimental effects of tree pathogens in the county, most notably ash dieback.
We're delighted to have James as part of the team to increase woodland coverage throughout Somerset, and his experience will be invaluable towards achieving the aims within our Climate Emergency Strategy.
Next month we will introduce Craig Dater, our new Tree Strategy Community Empowerment Officer.
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As part of our Somerset Tree Strategy, we are appealing to local landowners to support our goal to increase the county's tree canopy by providing suitable safe places where young trees native to Somerset can thrive. We're also looking for suitable sites that could accommodate raising trees from seed. This starts with a small space the size of a table to host seed trays and in the second year, would need enough space to host the seedlings in pots.
If you have pockets of land that you want to convert into a copse or woodland, we can support you with free trees and advice on planting and care.
To register your interest, email climateemergency@somerset.gov.uk.
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Image courtesy of Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Thanks to a commission by Seed Sedgemoor Arts Council England’s Creative People and Places programme, the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Service is delivering a community-led photographic exhibition of the spectacular Mendip Hills landscape to capture 'Moments on Mendip'.
Share your photos of the area’s special qualities so they can be published in an online gallery. They can be old photographs showing Mendip in the past, or recent ones, and the more unique and captivating, the better!
Visit Mendip Hills AONB's Share your Moments on Mendip webpage to share your special moments.
 A temporary reptile fence has been installed near the roadside through Ham Hill Country Park, to protect the healthy population of slow worms. The fence will keep them from harm while a new footpath is constructed to link existing car parks to where the new visitor centre will be built as part of the Uncovering Ham Hill's Past for its Future project.
The Ham Hill team will regularly check the roadside to ensure none of the slow worms have found a way through any of the wildlife gaps in the fence, which are needed to allow small animals like hedgehogs to go about their business. The worms will have to turn once they reach the new fence!
You can follow Ham Hill Country Park via their Facebook page to get all the latest news and events.
Organic September
Image courtesy of the Soil Association
Join in this September to raise awareness of the benefits that organic farming can bring for our climate, nature, and our health. It’s easy to get involved, just look for the organic logo, or if you can, why not think about growing your own?
The Soil Association says that if you can switch just one item in your grocery shop to organic, it will help contribute to changing our food system. Buying more organic food means more organic farms and fewer pesticides. Organic produce is better for our wildlife and means more farm animals are raised under higher welfare standards.
In Somerset, we're lucky to have many wonderful organic food producers, just look out for the Organic symbol on produce.
By choosing organic, it's:
- Better for soil
- Better for wildlife
- Better for animals reared with the highest standards of animal welfare
- Better for us
- Enables quality sustainable food to be enjoyed as it should be
Organic September is climate action. Drawing on 50 years of organic certification, the Soil Association is showcasing organic businesses which produce the highest quality organic products in a way that works with nature, not against it.
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Thank you to everyone so far who has completed our short survey on our SEEN newsletter and the Environment Champions networks.
Now that we have become one unitary council, we’ll be combining the Environment Champions networks and bringing together this newsletter with all your climate and ecological news in one place.
We would value your feedback on your involvement with the pre-existing schemes. Please help us shape this newsletter and the network by completing this short survey.
The survey will close on, Friday 8 September and takes just a few minutes to complete:
The loss of trees is one of the most concerning changes to the Somerset landscape and comes at a time when their importance is greater than ever.
We asked our new Tree Project Officer James how we can all help support Somerset’s indigenous trees.
James said:
“Many of us don’t have space in our gardens to grow trees, but we can still do our bit by gathering local seeds and bringing on seedlings that can be grown in more suitable places. In September, orange rowan berries, wild cherry and silver birch catkins are ready to gather, and you can also look out for the rarer Whitebeam and Wild Service tree, which have species native to Somerset (Exmoor).
“You only need a small table sized space in a cool dry place to germinate seeds and bring them on in pots next spring. Please remember that seeds should only be collected with the landowner's permission and from healthy trees. The Tree Council guides below show you how to prepare the seeds for germination and how to store them:”
Next month James will tell us what seeds to collect in October, so leave some space for those!
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When you shop and donate second hand, you reduce waste, take a stance against climate change, and help create a fairer world – and you do it all while looking fabulous.
Second Hand September is an Oxfam campaign to encourage all of us to shop second hand and donate, during September – and beyond!
What you wear has never been more important.
The fashion industry is one of the worst offenders for greenhouse gas emissions. When a new pair of jeans is made, an estimated 16.2kg of CO2 is emitted – the equivalent of driving over 58 miles in a car.
So, by recirculating our clothes – buying, wearing, and donating second hand – we can help to reduce the demand for new clothes. And this could in turn help to reduce the damage to our planet.
Visit the Oxfam website for tips on how to reuse, re-wear and re-style. You'll also find a host of ideas on how to shop better by visiting our Textiles and fashion webpage.
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To celebrate the 91% participation rate reported by our latest recycling tracker info, we'll be promoting a week full of tips for residents between 18 and 24 September 2023.
Each year we share our recycling tracker, which shows you exactly where your waste goes.
We share this result so that you can be assured that the recycling you put in your boxes is reprocessed responsibly.
For a week of recycling tips and information, follow @SomersetWaste via our Facebook page.
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 As operational costs continue to rise, improving your business's energy efficiency could be just one way to reduce costs, whilst at the same time working towards achieving net zero.
The Heart of the Southwest (HotSW) Growth Hub is made up of a number of partners, including Somerset Council, who offer schemes to help businesses improve energy efficiency, reduce costs, and cut carbon emissions. To see how you could improve your business’s energy efficiency, visit HotSW Growth Hub's Cost of Living Resources & Tools webpage.
The Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) has launched a new project, funded by the TDS Charitable Foundation, to help landlords meet their energy efficiency standards.
The project aims to provide support and advice to landlords in complying with the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) regulations.
The CSE project aims to help landlords understand the new regulations and know how to take action to improve their properties, or apply for an exemption.
The pilot is now live and being tested out in Somerset, Bristol and Birmingham until March 2024. If successful, the project will be rolled out nationally.
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 The Government has announced a ban on a wide range of plastic items from 1 October 2023. It means that from that date, businesses across England will not be able to buy or sell certain single-use plastic items.
Businesses, such as takeaways, sandwich bars, care homes and retailers who supply certain single use plastic items, should start thinking now about alternatives and where to source them from. You can read more about this on our Businesses – a ban on single-use plastics webpage, which includes exemptions and guidance published by The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
If you have any questions about what the new rules mean for your business, please contact DEFRA.
 We want to hear from the younger members of our community to get their opinions on sustainable transport.
With help from Somerset Youth Parliament, our Transport Team has devised a survey for young people aged 13 to 25. The results of the survey will help to inform the new Local Transport Plan, ensuring that young people's voices are strongly represented.
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Somerset & Exmoor Coast Festival YouTube video
The first ever Somerset and Exmoor Coast Festival takes place between Saturday 23 September and Sunday 1 October, providing a great opportunity to celebrate its National Trail status by walking the entire coast of Somerset from Brean to Porlock Weir.
Take part in guided walks that explore the coastal countryside from hubs along the route, and watch the video above to get a real feel for all it has to offer.
Check out all the other brilliant eco events happening across Somerset from bats and dark skies to music and wellbeing walks.
There really is something for everyone, so visit our events calendar below to find out what's on.
Similarly, let us know about your eco events at climateemergency@somerset.gov.uk so we can tell our readers.
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Food waste is a big problem, and we can be a solution. Here in the climate team, some of us are using the Too Good To Go app which lets us rescue unsold food from an untimely fate at nearby food outlets for a fraction of its usual price. You don't know what you'll get, so it's a surprise!
So far, it’s been super easy and we’ve got some great surprise food bags from local shops and restaurants nearby for as little as £2.
- Download the app to your smart phone
- Search map to find a restaurant or shop near you that has unsold food
- Buy the food through the app from as little as £2
- Collect your food at the pre-set time and enjoy it knowing you’ve done something good for the planet
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A Good Thing is a simple app that makes it easy for businesses to donate unwanted items to local charities. The aim is to make it easy for charities of all sizes to get hold of the right sorts of things to help them.
Whether it’s laptops for staff, gifts for people you’re helping, furniture for the office or even a place to meet, A Good Thing will connect local businesses to charities, enabling items to be reused and helping to support charities in their work.
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You'll now find all grants and funding opportunities on a new webpage.
Click the button below to see what’s available for your environmental community project.
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Our civilisation faces a choice. We could be enjoying a sustainable lifestyle but we have chosen not to. In three generations we have consumed half the oil produced by photosynthesis over eight million generations. In two generations we have used half our uranium resources. With threats from global warming, oil depletion and nuclear disaster, we are running out of options.
Solar power, as The Burning Answer explains, is the solution. This provocative, inspiring, passionately argued book, outlines actions that anyone and all of us can take to make an impact now and on future generations. The Burning Answer is a solar manifesto for the new climate-aware generation, and a must-read for climate-change sceptics.
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 MCS data reveals more homes than ever are turning to low-carbon technology. In the first six months of 2023 records have been broken for solar panel and heat pump installations.
The UK is on track for nearly a quarter of a million homes installing certified renewables this year. Experts say:
“The future lies in renewables, not oil and gas”.
More households are installing heat pumps and solar panels in the UK than ever before. There has been a 62% increase year on year, as confirmed by new data issued by the official standards body for renewable technologies.
MCS data shows that in the first six months of 2023, more than 120,000 certified solar panels, heat pumps and other renewable technologies were installed in UK homes, the highest number ever by this point in the year.
BBC iPlayer: The Secret Genius of Modern Life
Hannah Fry discovers innovations in the electric car revolution and how a breakthrough in camcorder batteries led to Tesla's EV Empire, as well as demonstrating a prototype car of the future which is solar powered!
Click the video above to watch on BBC iPlayer.
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It's the season of harvest, and many growers find themselves with a glut of produce that would be sacrilege to put on the compost heap. If you grow your own and have more than you need, you can share it with others through Hubbub Community Fridge Network and The Local Pantry Network in Somerset, or give it to neighbours, friends, and family or use the Olio App for food sharing.
Or, why not have a go at making chutneys? Great with Somerset cheddar!
If you fancy having a go at pickling, watch Mary Berry make a simple tomato chutney recipe, and become a pickling pro! Add your own twist and make the recipe unique to you.
For more tips to cut food waste, visit our Tackling Food Waste webpage.
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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 at climateemergency@somerset.gov.uk.
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