(Link June 2008)

Page  1   2   3   4   5  

South Northants WI EcoTeam

Last year two members from Bugbrooke WI (Muriel Smith and Carol Hammons) joined forces with other WI members in the area to form the South Northants WI EcoTeam. Our purpose was to learn how to help both the planet and our purses by cutting our energy use and recycling more. We have had a lot of fun doing this and earlier this year we were invited to a national conference with other like-minded women where we discovered that we were not alone in wanting to cut our use of the Earth’s precious resources.

Seven of our EcoTeam members attended the 90 @ 90 Closing Conference on March 5 at Mary Sumner House, Westminster – Hilary, Rachel, Clare, Alison, Chris, Muriel and Carol.

Ruth Bond, chairman of NFWI Public Affairs Committee, opened the meeting promptly at 11am. She was very efficient and obviously enjoyed the whole day. Our sponsors were duly acknowledged and the meeting began.

The first speaker was Rosie Boycott, former editor of the Independent and the Daily Express. She told us that we in the UK eat 40 per cent of the ready meals consumed in the EU – she accepted some of the responsibility as a committed feminist, a breed who usually prefer being out campaigning to cooking at home.

Rosie has seen her own town taken over by an unwanted Tesco store, which has resulted in the closure of local shops. Rosie is passionate about local sustainability and sells vegetables from her own small farm to promote the message of “local produce is good for you and the environment”, and to encourage everyone to abandon ready-made meals in favour of home-cooked food. Rosie’s enthusiasm was infectious and we were all carried along by her obvious energy and passion.

We were then updated on the various projects included in 90 @ 90 portfolio – Sustainable Transport, Home Compost, Living Local and the highly successful EcoTeams.

Joan Ruddock, Under-Secretary of State at DEFRA was our next speaker. She told us of the Government’s investment in new low-carbon technology and how they are removing barriers to change. They plan to install a smart-energy meter in every household, encouraging us to make our own electricity and feed it back to the National Grid.

This Government representative’s words were not all well received by the meeting – there were many questions, the answers to which seemed to raise even further issues, including one from a woman who is building an eco-house and who asked why the electricity she would produce could only be sold back to the National Grid at half the purchase price. The minister talked about plans to reduce aviation and shipping emission targets, and phosphates in washing powders. She eventually left hurriedly to be in the House of Commons (five minutes away) for a vote on the EU referendum.

Nick Hurd MP then addressed us on the recently-passed Sustainable Communities Bill. 80 national organisations including the WI helped in its promotion. The Bill places emphasis on local people knowing what is best for their community and forces local authorities to consult their populace and to place credence on that consultation. Another passionate campaigner, Nick exhorted us to get involved locally and support Citizens Panels in our area.

Sustained and fortified after lunch, we sat down to listen to Fay Mansell, our National Chairman, who encouraged those of us who hadn’t already done so to register to reduce our carbon footprint by 20 per cent and to pass this message on to family and friends.

George Marshall, author and environmental activist, then took over the microphone. His energy and enthusiasm filled the whole room as he showed us how to win different people over to the need to avert climate chaos. He presented us with a tool to identify the different types we might meet – survivors who can’t cope with anything more in their life; traditionalists who are wary of change; winners who are strongly driven by status and strivers who are pessimistic about the future.

We broke up into groups at this point and we were glad to go upstairs to a bright airy sunlit room to meet the rest of our group. Muriel insisted we did not need the lights on and the three beautiful chandeliers were duly switched off. Tim led our group in a lively discussion on how to win our argument.

All too soon, it was 3.35pm and we hurried downstairs to watch a new WI CD on how our life could be in 20 years time, ‘A World Without Jam’. This highlighted a WI member who had been flooded out of her Norfolk home and evacuated to Derbyshire. She had kept her now-unusable electric kettle to remind her of all those lovely cups of tea she used to enjoy.

At 3.50pm, Ruth Bond summed up the day, highlighted our conclusions and asked us all to keep on leading the way in overcoming climate change. We were asked to complete an evaluation form which included a pledge for each of us to commit to and so ensure that the torch we had helped to light remains burning strongly and brightly for everyone to see and follow.

We found the day exhilarating and motivating. It was good to meet other people who have similar ideals and so many interesting ways of making a difference. Above all, the day made me very proud to belong to an organisation that attracts high-powered speakers to its conferences, stimulates and supports its members and reaches into every nook and cranny of the country to promote such important issues.

Nature Notes

We often comment on the impact that farmers have on the countryside. We are right in that the way they cultivate their fields and the animals they keep has a significant impact on wildlife. The loss of hedges over the past 40 years has meant a loss of habitation for many birds and animals.

Nevertheless, like ourselves, birds and animals are adaptable and will take advantage of the current practices and ways of the world. They are driven by the same basic instincts of survival and, in particular, the production of young to ensure future generations.

We can help in this matter by providing them with some of the food and shelter that is missing from previous habitats. The use of bird tables and birdbaths, erection of bird boxes and nesting boxes, the growth of shrubs, hedges and trees to provide nesting sites are all ways in which we can help to compensate. However, some species we are unable to help. Swallows, martins and swifts, for instance, need flies and I do not foresee many people creating an insect environment for them. They still rely on farmers keeping animals and it is becoming clear that such birds gravitate towards stables and barns to be close to a food source. You do not see them in the village like you did a couple of generations ago.

It is also possible to ensure wild plants do not disappear from our culture. Although farming practices of using herbicides has eliminated many wild flowers it is still possible to help them survive in sheltered environments. There are bluebells, cowslips and wood anemones in the Millennium Green that have been cultivated by local people and planted down there. If you would like to make your contribution to the expansion of wild flowers in this village garden, your efforts would be appreciated. Their presence would add to the wide variety of tree species already there. Charity Meadow also contributes to the preservation of plants with over 100 grasses and flowers having been identified in there and being looked after by the Woodland Trust.

We can play a part in helping these important aspects of our lives to persist into the future. Ever thought what it might be like to never hear a bird sing?

The results of the Big Garden Birdwatch 2008 has resolved that the 10 most frequently spotted birds in British gardens, in order, were house sparrows, starlings, blackbirds, blue tits, chaffinches, wood pigeons, collared doves, robins, great tits and goldfinches. It was recorded that house sparrows were down 64 per cent since 1979 and starlings down 77 per cent whilst wood pigeons were up 665 per cent. The decline of the first two might be accounted for by the fact we leave less holes in our houses and roofs for them to nest in, whilst the wood pigeon has clearly learnt how to adapt to changing farming practices. This nationwide survey includes city and town gardens so might not be representative of what we see in Bugbrooke.

Bugbrooke Scout Group needs you! We are continuing to welcome new leaders to run our Scout section (10 to 14 year olds). Please ring Alan Kent 830518 for an informal chat about what is involved. It’s interesting and rewarding working with the Scouts, and the more adults that join our leadership team, the easier it is for everyone. Full training and support are provided by Daventry District Scout Association. We look forward to hearing from you! 

Bugbrooke Church Village Fete

Don’t miss this year’s fete on SATURDAY 12TH JULY starting at 2pm.  It will take place as usual on the church field next to the brook, and will be started by the arrival of the Rose Queen, followed by her crowning in the arena.

As well as all of the side stalls to spend your money at, there will be regular and varied performances in the arena and time to relax at the refreshment stalls.  There will be a bouncy castle and slide this year, sponsored by Bugbrooke Parish Council and new this year is Sumo Wrestling for both adults and children, so get training to win the coveted prizes.

We are also introducing Teddy Bear parachuting, where your teddy, if he is brave enough, can be sponsored to parachute from the church tower earning himself a certificate of honour.  So do bring your teddy along to give him an experience of a lifetime.

Bugbrooke History Group

Bugbrooke Church Dinner and Dance

Bugbrooke Strollers

Page 1   2  3 4 5