September 2024
About 100 people came out for the summer pollinator party, for talks, coffees, teas, DIY bug boxes and bird feeders, plants, seeds, learning, laughter and companionship.
It was a good day for the planet too, with 190 kilos of digital waste collected by the FIXY van team: they were delighted, not just by such a big haul, but by the welcome and friendliness they found in the village. More good news: they want to come back next year, so start saving your digital waste now!
POLLINATOR PARTY JULY 2024: what happened?
All the polli parties were supported by a Bee Friendly fund run by WECA. We have now spent those funds and are in the process of applying for further grants, wherever they may be found. If you know of any sources, please let us know!
But the great news is that, between donations and money raised from the cream teas at the Manor, we raised a whopping £400. THANK YOU!!
This which will go to future events to keep Farrington Green.
FUNDRAISING
BUNTING
Visually, the star of the show was the amazing bunting project. Over 150 residents took part in this, which means approximately half the households in the village. Who knew we had so many brilliantly creative artists in the village? The pennants are now being strung together to create a beautiful long strip that can be used for any celebration in the village. There are also plans to enlist village organizations (allotment gardens, choirs, twirlers, the school, the churches etc) in making large pennants too. Look out for the bunting when the Community Larder has its opening!
TALKS
GEORGE CHAN gave a great talk about the connection between climate change and biodiversity. For all of us, biodiversity provides huge benefits: pollination of fruit and vegetables, oxygen production, food security. But lack of biodiversity can quickly put this at risk because 75% of the world’s food comes from only 12 plants and 5 animal species. One memorable example: in Britain, we rely on one variety of banana: the Cavendish. But Panama disease is decimating it; lack of diversity could mean no more bananas. In Indonesia and West Papua, there are other varieties which might replace the Cavendish. More diversity means more resilience.
Lewis ‘BATMAN’ Hillier gave an informed enthusiastic talk about all things bat. How they’re good for the environment – 500 plant species depend on them for pollination. Contrary to legend, bats don’t suck your blood, but they do suck the blood of mosquitoes. And they keep a lot of pests away from crops, thus reducing the need for insecticides. But for all the help they give us, we need to give some back: increased use of pesticides takes their food away.
HIGGY (aka Colin Higgins) was a huge success, illuminating all the ways that bugs and plants interact. This was especially useful for gardeners. Some plants attract specific moths and butterflies and feed their caterpillars; for example the Hawk Moth Butterfly likes our fuscias and eat the leaves—but its natural food is willowherb. So you can plant willowherb to attract these caterpillars away from the fuscia: protect your plant and allow pollinators to thrive!
The more pollinators in Farrington Gurney, the better. A continuous green/pollinator belt across an area of village would allow them to find food and flourish. Higgy showed drone photos of how linked planting areas have changed in his village with new building, a good reminder that as new buildings arrive, maintaining those green corridors for bugs and bees really matters.
CHILLI RECIPE
Lunch was a delicious vegetarian chili, easy to make, even easier to enjoy. For those who enjoyed it and those who missed it, here is the recipe again, courtesy of chef Gary Johnstone.
BUG BOXES, BIRD FEEDERS & SEED CAKES
These DIY projects might have been invented with kids in mind—but everyone piled in this time!
NATURE WALK
Helena Crouch led a fantastic guided walk around Hollow Marsh which was hugely enjoyed by the many people who followed her. As usual with Helena, everyone learned a lot about the beauty and biodiversity all around us. Thanks Helena!
TEAS AT THE MANOR
A wonderful day concluded with cream teas and a wander around the garden at the Manor House. A lovely lazy and delicious end to a gorgeous day.
As usual a big effort was made by a small team, so big thanks to
Margaret Heffernan
Joanne Nineham
Sara and Mark Price
Lindsay Nicholson
Ross Perkins
Kevin Stephens
Sarah Mowat
Denise Lynn-Nicholson
Clint Dando
In other news…
Here in Farrington Gurney, the SouthWest in Bloom project is designed to boost biodiversity in the village. The first phase of this has already identified spaces in the village where more planting (including but not limited to wildflowers) will enhance the beauty and biodiversity of our village. As these projects progress and flourish, we will be looking out for other areas, ideas and more volunteers! In the next 2 months, there will be a LOT of bulb planting. If you would like to pitch in (PLEASE!!) email
Of course adapting to, and mitigating, climate change is a stop/start process: we stop harmful activities and start beneficial ones. So here are two thoughts:
STOP. The carbon cost of email. Without really thinking about it, we all create a lot of digital data. Whether it’s an image, an Instagram or Facebook post, an email, it’s saved in data centres which consume a LOT of energy. The so-called cloud isn’t a nice fluffy place in the sky but a hot place requiring masses of air conditioning. (Yes, AI will make this much, much worse.)
SO: Every standard email equates to about 4g of carbon. Those quick ‘thanks’ and ‘LOL’ emails add up. Ovo Energy estimates that 'Thank you' emails alone account for 23,000 tonnes of UK CO2 emissions each year. Sending just one fewer each day can help save 16,400 tonnes of CO2 per year—the same as 81,152 flights to Madrid! Answer? Don’t write if you don’t have to. Put the whole message into one email, not several. Don’t hit ‘reply all’ unless it really really matters.
START. We cherish our privacy and, to preserve it, we put up fences. Fair enough. But instead of solid wood boards, why not enjoy your privacy AND support wildlife. A wire fence won’t rot when it rains, won’t need painting or preservative—and you can grow all kinds of plants next to it and up it. If they’re evergreen, you get year-round privacy and the pollinators get a richer diet. And your neightbours? They get a beautiful wall of flowers and plants instead of a blank wall.
GOOD NEWS
… from Somerset Wildlife Trust who have recorded the return of species to the Avalon Marshes near Catcott, including the short eared owl, more snipe, grey herons, pied wagtails, bitterns and even the night heron, last seen on the Levels in 2017! Most of this is attributed to wilding projects across the county. Which just goes to show that taking action on climate and biodiversity yields results!
GREEN PRODUCTS
Yes Christmas will be coming around and you might be wrapping presents. So ditch the plastic tape and use paper tape. It’s easier to cut or tear, you can draw and write on it and it’s compostable. A gift to the planet.
BEFORE THE DAYS DRAW IN
Take a trip to Chew Valley Lake. It is an important staging post for migratory birds and will be very busy, with lots to see. The lake’s reedbeds and willow scrub are critical to autumn feeding of reed, sedge and Cetti’s warblers and the lake is one of the most important inland waters in Britain for wintering wildfowl. You’ll see shovelers, gadwall, teal, tufted ducks and coots and in some year up to 400 great crested grebe gather on the lake’ there’s also a natural population of eel.
Things to do:
· Walk the grebe or bittern trails from the Bristol Water car parks
· Check out the bird hide on the Bittern nature trail that starts from picnic area 2.
· Walk up North Hill at the nearby Folly Farm nature reserve for an amazing view.
Or if autumn woodlands are more your thing, check out these sites managed by Avon Wildlife Trust:
· Lower Woods: the largest ancient woodland in the South West
· Goblin Combe: the highest proportion of beach trees, with amazing autumn colour and views to the sea