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SEEN
Somerset Environmental
and Ecological News
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Spring is springing! Let's embrace the vibrant renewal of life as spring blossoms around us and celebrate nature's breathtaking rebirth.
Read on to find out how we can all do our bit to help nature this spring.
Other highlights this month are:
- Uncovering Ham Hill's past for its future
- Thermly heat pump winner
- Spot and plot vital signs of spring
- Train for a career in retrofit
Best eco wishes
The Climate Team
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  Exciting times are on the horizon for our team and visitors at Ham Hill Country Park as new plans to improve, conserve and protect this magical place come to fruition.
A new visitor centre and other improvements are on the way for this iconic Somerset landmark as a major project starts soon.
The ‘Uncovering Ham Hill’s past for its future’ project has been made possible thanks to a £2.153M grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and further financial support totalling £111,200 from the Wolfson Foundation, Leonardo, the Friends of Ham Hill, Garfield Weston, Bernard Sunley Foundation and the Bannister Trust.
The first phase of works are expected to start next month, connecting water and power to the site of a brand-new purpose-built visitor centre next to the Lime Kiln Car Park.
Or click on the video screen shot above to hear more about the project.
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If you were affected by flooding in January come and access support and share information.
A series of drop in events are being held to support those who were affected by flooding at the end of last month. Somerset Council alongside partners from the Environment Agency, Wessex Water and the Somerset Rivers Authority will be available at
Chard: Wednesday 26 February, The Guildhall, TA20 1PP
Ilminster: Wednesday 5 March, The Shrubbery, TA19 9AR
South Petherton: Tuesday 11 March, The David Hall, TA13 5AA
All events will run from 4.00pm until 7.00pm, and there’s no need to book ahead.
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 A new community orchard has been planted in Wilstock & Stockmoor Country Park, transforming an underused area into a vibrant community resource. The orchard, located off Wills Road, now boasts 30 fruit trees, including apple, pear, plum, cherry, and cobnut.
Students from Somerset Bridge Primary’s eco club and over 25 community volunteers came together for the planting. They enjoyed traditional wassailing ceremonies, banging pots and pans to scare away evil spirits, singing songs, and leaving offerings of apple juice and toast to encourage a good harvest. The younger volunteers had fun toasting marshmallows and building a bug hotel.
As the trees mature, they’ll provide beautiful blossoms in the spring and a bountiful supply of fruit in the autumn, which park users are welcome to harvest.
This project is a collaboration between Somerset Council’s Green Estates Team and the Friends of Wilstock & Stockmoor Country Park.
More tree planting is planned for 16th March. We would love your help! Willing volunteers will be made welcome from 10am to 2pm at the park entrance on Limousin Way. For more information contact countryside@somerset.gov.uk.
Thermly our partners with Somerset Retrofit are delighted to announce the winner of the Win a Heat Pump competition we told you about in SEEN in Ocotber last year! Huge congratulations go to Jo from Sedgemoor, who will be replacing a wood-burning back boiler with a shiny new heat pump.
Jo has really struggled to heat her bungalow in the colder months. In a village without gas, too! So it's great to see this installation going to such a worthy winner. Read more about Jo and her property.
Data by Thermly has found that 85% of all homes in the Somerset region are suitable for the installation of a heat pump. Visit their website to find out if your home is suitable for a heat pump, what grants might be available and get a quote from approved trusted installers.
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 The Woodland Trust is calling out to all nature lovers to get outdoors this spring and help check the health of the planet.
The climate crisis is having a profound impact on nature, so it's vital to understand how wildlife is coping with shifting seasons, warmer temperatures and unpredictable weather patterns.
How to help. Keep your eyes and ears tuned in to any of these three vital signs of spring:
- Singing song thrushes
- Frothy frogspawn
- Blooming blackthorn
Simply make a note of what you spot and record it on the Woodland Trust website.
Get Pedal Powered at the Frome Independent Market with Frome Community Bike Project.
It will be a day of bicycle-powered fun at the Frome Independent Market outside Frome Library on Sunday 2 March from 10am to 3pm.
Here are some of the fun ways you can get involved!
● Smoothie Bike - Pedal your way to a delicious drink with the pedal-powered smoothie bike
● Spin Paint Bike - Unleash your inner artist as you create one-of-a-kind paintings using the pedal-powered spin paint bike
● Tabletop Sale - Grab a bargain at our table-top sale featuring bike parts and accessories
● Bike Maintenance Demos - Learn how to keep your bike in top shape with live demonstrations
● Cycling Advice & Information - Get expert advice on all things cycling plus grab maps of local cycling and walking routes
● Frome’s Missing Links - Find out about this great local charity and how you can help improve cycling infrastructure in Frome.
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Are you planting trees before the tree planting season ends in March? Make sure your efforts count by registering them on the Somerset Tree Planting Register.
We know we mention this often in SEEN, and we appreciate you reading it again, but it's crucial to register your tree planting. This helps us track progress and work towards increasing the county's tree canopy from 8% to at least the national average of 13%.
Thank you! Sending a big tree hug to every one of you who is out there planting!
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The popular Taunton Reuse Shop at Priorswood Recycling site in Taunton is back in business!
Before you throw it away stop and think if it can be reused and useful to someone else.
Open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm from 1 October to 31 March, 9am to 6pm from 1 April to 30 September and every weekend from 9am to 4pm.
Parking is available opposite the shop, visitors need to follow the one-way system around the site to reach it.
If you have something that is too good to throw away, let the Taunton site team know when you bring it so it can be put to one side, and pop in and see if you can find a bargain!
The Reuse Shop can take and offer good quality items, from books, bikes, toys, games, furniture, CDs, DVDs and sports equipment to crockery and cutlery but not electrical or gas appliances, or safety related items such as those needed for working at height or head protection.
If you're not local to Taunton, you can still give reusable items a new home through charity shops, furniture reuse groups, or online at Freecycle or Freegle.
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Earlier this month we hosted an event to drive forward the ‘greening’ of road transport in the county.
The successful session brought together more than 70 highways and transport experts from a range of organisations to explore how non-fossil fuels could be used to reduce the carbon emissions of their fleets of vehicles.
These included the NHS, National Grid, local emergency services, highways contractors such as Kiely Bros, and neighboring councils.
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Earlier this month we launched the 'MetalMatters' campaign to boost kerbside recycling of metal packaging and ask the 270,000 households in Somerset to recycle every little bit of metal packaging they have. Since 2012, over 128 local authorities have adopted MetalMatters, and seen it improve their recycling rates.
Every recycled aluminium can saves enough energy to run a TV for three hours, so it makes sense to recycle as much metal as possible and recycle every food and drink can, foil tray, kitchen foil, empty aerosols, metal bottle tops and jar lids we can, and recycle for all it's worth!
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Students in Somerset are gaining new 'green' skills through a 12-week course run by Team Repair, funded by Somerset Council and SUEZ recycling. The course, held at five schools, teaches students to repair gadgets like microscopes and game consoles, reducing electronic waste and promoting STEM careers. The initiative, starting at Sexey’s School in Bruton, is supported by the SW:EEP fund, which uses income from recyclable materials to benefit the community. Electronic waste is a major climate change contributor, with 103,000 tonnes discarded annually in the UK.
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More than 60,000 primary school children have now benefitted from lessons in waste reduction thanks to our popular Schools Against Waste (SAW) waste-reduction workshops delivered on our behalf by Carymoor Environmental Trust.
The SAW programme began in 2018 and last year the team reached the milestone of 60,000 primary schoolchildren in Somerset having learnt about recycling, waste reduction and how to properly sort materials.
As well as reaching the milestone, in 2024 the team:
- visited 38 schools
- reached 4600 children in assemblies, workshops and learning days
- delivered 90 workshops engaging 2,325 children
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 March is close, and spring will soon be springing with longer days and (slightly!) warmer temperatures! Look out for returning birds, budding trees, and early flowers. To help wildlife thrive in your gardens and green spaces, consider creating a wildlife-friendly environment with native plants, bird feeders, and habitats for small creatures.
And as nature springs into action, we're also making good headway to progress the Local Nature Recovery Strategy for Somerset. We've been collaborating with farmers and partners to identifying key areas for nature recovery or enhancement. In this final stage, the project team is mapping areas crucial for biodiversity or where nature-based solutions can address environmental issues. We will focus on these areas to restore habitats and maximise biodiversity benefits. These efforts will be included in the draft consultation, ready in April for your input.
View the full progress update
In the meantime, let's explore what wildlife to watch out for this March and how we can support nature together.
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Somerset Council is partnering with Bridgwater and Taunton College to launch a brand-new range of retrofit training courses to help open this new and fast-growing sector to prospective students.
Drop in and meet our retrofit team, sustainable energy experts, local installers and coordinators, and representatives from Bridgwater and Taunton College.
Time: 20 March from 5.00pm
Place: Conference Centre, Taunton Campus, Bridgwater and Taunton College, Bath Road, Bridgwater TA6 4PZ on 20 March at 5.00pm
Interested? No need to book just put the date in your diary and pop along.
If you have any questions relating to this event, please email retrofit@somerset.gov.uk
We look forward to seeing you there.
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Check out all the other brilliant eco events happening across Somerset from bats and dark skies to music and wellbeing walks. There's something for everyone. Click on the Event Calendar button below to find out what's on and let us know about your eco events at climateemergency@somerset.gov.uk so we can tell our readers.
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Volunteers Needed! We are looking for Engagement Volunteers to help inspire a new generation of wildlife enthusiasts at Chard Reservoir Local Nature Reserve, Ham Hill Country Park, and Yeovil Country Park. If you’d like to help deliver public events or school and community group sessions in the great outdoors, we want to hear from you!
You would be working alongside the rangers to assist with a range of fun activities, including fire lighting, den building, craft sessions, nature walks, minibeast hunting and heritage activities; for toddlers groups through to adults.
Contact Edd, our Community Ranger to find out more!
edward.chilcott@somerset.gov.uk or 07458074843
We hope to see you soon!
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Raise funds for your charity, school, or non-profit with your empty ink cartridges!
By reusing ink cartridges, you prevent them from ending up in landfills or being incinerated. Recycle4Charity pay up to £1.75 per cartridge to your chosen charity. This free and accessible program helps thousands of members raise funds for charitable and non-profit organizations.
Here's how you can get involved:
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Send your used ink cartridges and choose where the money goes.
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Become an ink cartridge collection point to gather more donations.
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Set up your own charity so people can choose to donate to it.
Watch this video to find out how it works
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 Visit our Grants and funding page to see what see what opportunities are available for your community environmental project.
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It's World Wildlife Day on 3 March. This year's theme is "Wildlife Conservation Finance: Investing in People and Planet". The day highlights the importance of financing wildlife conservation to build a sustainable future for both people and the planet.
Ways to get involved in wildlife conservation:
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Volunteer: Join local conservation projects or wildlife organizations. Volunteering can range from habitat restoration to wildlife monitoring.
Donate: Financial contributions to conservation organizations help fund critical projects and research.
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Raise Awareness: Use social media or community events to spread the word about wildlife conservation issues and solutions.
Adopt Sustainable Practices: Reduce your carbon footprint by recycling, using less plastic, and supporting eco-friendly products.
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Participate in Citizen Science: Engage in projects that allow you to collect data and contribute to scientific research.
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Attend Events: Join wildlife conservation expos, workshops, and educational programs to learn more and connect with like-minded people.
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Support Legislation: Advocate for policies that protect wildlife and habitats.
Every action, big or small, can make a difference!
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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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