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SEEN
Somerset Environmental
and Ecological News
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Welcome to October’s edition of SEEN.
As the season changes, bringing longer nights and colder weather, we look at how to keep warmth inside our homes. Simple ways to reduce the cold include draught-proofing around doors and windows, making homemade draught excluders, and using thermally lined curtains.
Reducing energy waste is important to help lower our energy bills. Service your boiler, wear woolly jumpers, keep thermostats below 21°C, and switch off appliances when not in use. You’ll find links to top energy saving tips in this month’s edition.
As Halloween nears, please remember not to leave pumpkins in the countryside afterwards as they can be harmful to wildlife, contrary to some suggestions. However, they’re great for composting providing they don’t contain plastics, paint, or candle wax. There’s more about this and what happens to our collected garden waste later.
We also feature our community scythers and wildlife lovers, recognising their work supporting wildflower meadows and fossil fuel-free land management.
As the season changes, we’re mindful of our birds. Many arrive for the winter, creating spectacular murmurations on the Somerset Levels, but our small garden birds need care too. Feed them a selection of wild bird seed or homemade fat balls and avoid using any in plastic netting.
Finally, if you’re having a garden bonfire, before you ignite it, please check for hibernating hedgehogs and other beloved wildlife seeking shelter for the winter.
This month we share:
And do send in any of your eco stories to include from the wider community of Somerset – contact details at the end of this newsletter.
Best eco wishes,
The Climate Team Somerset Council
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Credit: Forestry England
As Halloween approaches, millions of pumpkins will be carved into spooky lanterns across the UK, adding festive flair to doorsteps and windows. But once the celebrations are over, Forestry England is urging people to think twice before tossing their pumpkins into the woods.
Despite popular online advice suggesting pumpkins are a treat for wildlife, experts say this well-meaning gesture can actually do more harm than good.
 Pine martens are back in Exmoor National Park for the first time in over 100 years.
A total of 19 pine martens – 9 female and 10 male – have been released into secret woodland spots to help bring back more nature to life in the area.
 A herd of 6 female water buffalo has been released onto Exmoor’s moorlands in the UK as part of an ambitious National Trust rewilding project to boost biodiversity and restore farmland to its natural wetland state.
The National Trust said the buffalo were known as ‘wetland architects’ because they use their hooves to churn soil, dig out the earth to create spaces to wallow in and keep ponds open – slowing water flow and helping it naturally settle on the moors as well as helping the soil to hold water during floods and droughts, thereby improving the resilience of the landscape.
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Bringing back wild meadows: The power of community scything
Scythers at Chiselborough Common by Jem Langworthy
Hello, SEEN readers – I’m Jem Langworthy, a passionate advocate for scything and its many benefits for our local environment and community. Here’s an update on our recent work in the Yeovil and Barwick area, and why scything matters for Somerset’s meadows and wildlife.
A small, enthusiastic group of scythers in Yeovil and nearby Barwick have been busy at several local sites where we let grass and wildflowers grow through the summer before cutting.
Volunteers in a wildflower meadow at South Petherton by TWiG
In autumn 2022, the Tree and Wildlife Group (TWiG) established a 0.9-acre native wildflower meadow next to the allotments in South Petherton, on a corner of parish-owned land previously intensively farmed with maize, wheat and potatoes.
3 years on, after some initial challenges with meadow cutting, we organised a community scything morning at the end of August.
Simple steps to save energy at home
Credit: Uswitch
Uswitch, a leading UK energy comparison and advice provider, has published a comprehensive guide featuring over 100 practical energy-saving tips for households. The guide is designed to help residents reduce their energy consumption and lower bills – especially relevant as many continue to work from home.
Tips are grouped by room and cover everything from reducing TV standby power to improving insulation and using smart technology. Whether you’re looking for quick wins or long-term investments, the guide offers accessible advice for anyone aiming to live more sustainably.
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Did you know that Halloween celebrations lead to a frightening 146 tonnes of extra food waste in the 2 weeks that followed Halloween last year? That’s equivalent to a 19% increase in food waste recycled after the festivities.
This year, we’re urging everyone to make the most of their pumpkins and help reduce waste.
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Along with our Waste Management partner SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK, we’re thrilled to announce the winners of our first-ever Food Waste Story Writing Competition, held in collaboration with local author Ben Pulletz and his eco-conscious character, ‘Luna the Globetrotter’.
Somerset children have shown creativity and imagination in a story competition, aimed to get young people thinking about the benefits of food waste recycling and to use their creativity to inspire others to recycle.
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Dig in and make a difference for National Tree Week at Ham Hill
To celebrate National Tree Week (22 to 30 November), we’re hosting a week of tree planting at Pitt Wood, Ham Hill, culminating with a special Community Tree Planting Day on Saturday, 29 November.
Thanks to generous funding and support from Carbon Aware Productions and Ham and Doulting Stone, we’re able to plant 3,000 native trees to boost biodiversity and help make Ham Hill more resilient to climate change.
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We’re developing the Somerset Local Plan 2045 – a blueprint for housing, infrastructure and environmental priorities over the next 15 years. Climate-conscious residents and organisations can play a vital role by contributing during the upcoming Regulation 18 consultation, where feedback will help embed sustainability and green development into the county’s future.
Subscribe to receive our Plan-It Somerset Newsletter to stay informed about consultation dates and engagement events, and make sure your voice is heard in shaping a low-carbon, resilient Somerset.
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Visit our events calendar for a fantastic array of upcoming climate-related activities designed to engage and inspire you – our SEEN community!
Whether you’re interested in environmental conservation, local wildlife or simply looking for a fun day out with the family, these events provide the perfect opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and learn something new.
Similarly, if you’re holding an eco-event of your own, email us at climateemergency@somerset.gov.uk so we can tell our readers.
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Spark Somerset and Somerset Chamber of Commerce have joined forces to deliver SkillShare, a partnership designed to create a vital link between the business and charity sectors. This initiative enables firms to achieve their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) goals while helping charities continue and expand the great work they do across the county.
Through SkillShare, businesses can offer time, skills, space, or resources to Voluntary, Community, Faith, and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) groups – supporting activities such as tree planting, nature-based projects, and local environmental initiatives that benefit Somerset’s communities. By matching professional expertise in areas like marketing, HR, IT, and finance with grassroots needs, SkillShare fosters lasting relationships that strengthen social value and sustainability.
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Visit our Grants and funding page to see what opportunities are available for your community environmental project, from tree planting and flood resilience to energy efficiency upgrades.
Whether you’re looking to green your home, business, or neighbourhood, you’ll find practical advice, funding options, and inspiring local initiatives to help you make a difference.
Together, we can build a climate-resilient Somerset.
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Is your toilet paper as green as you think?
Many “eco-friendly” options, especially those made from imported virgin trees or bamboo, are not as sustainable as they seem. Even Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified toilet papers can be mixed with non-FSC wood (look for ‘mixed FSC’ on the label, meaning they’re not fully sustainable).
The best choice is 100% recycled toilet paper, as it reuses tree-based products already in the system. However, if it’s white, it’s probably been bleached, which causes chemical pollution. Unbleached recycled options, like Naked Paper made in the UK, are greener. Some toilet paper is tree-free, often made from bamboo or recycled fibres, but these products are usually grown and processed overseas, increasing their carbon footprint, while other options still mix in non-sustainable paper.
Choosing carefully can reduce your carbon footprint and help protect forests. Every small change counts.
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Ever wondered what happens to your garden waste after it’s collected in Somerset? It’s not just thrown away – it’s transformed into high-quality compost, helping local gardens and farms thrive while cutting down on recyclable materials ending up in Energy-from-Waste (EfW) facilities.
At Biffa’s Bridgwater and Castle Cary sites, garden waste collected from households and recycling centres is processed into compost. Only pure green waste makes it in – think grass cuttings and plant trimmings, not food scraps or plastics. The process starts with shredding and piling the waste into big heaps, or ‘batches’, each weighing between 400 to 500 tonnes.
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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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