South Wiltshire Agenda 21 » Earth & Ecology

The Vanishing of the Bees – Thursday April 22nd

admin — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 15:43:49 +0000

“An essential documentary … if you like eating see this film”

Daniel Etherington – Channel 4

Studio Theatre, Ashley Road, Salisbury

Thursday 22nd April, 7:30 pm

Doors open 6:45, Bar available

Tickets £5, Students £3

To reserve a seat contact South Wiltshire Agenda 21 by email. Reserved tickets must be collected at the Theatre by 7:15 pm.

The honeybee is under threat, mass die-offs are occurring and no-one knows why. This film explores the collapse of the Earth’s pollinators through the eyes of those whose livelihoods depend on them.

Introduction in music and dance by Wiltshire College (Salisbury)

For more about the film and to sign an online petition to help secure funds for a systematic review of the impact of pesticides on bees visit the film website

Calling all allotmenters, gardeners, green folk

admin — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 14:11:37 +0000

Have you tried composting with a Green Cone or Green Johanna? You can put all kinds of cooked and uncooked food waste in them,including meat, fish, bones and dairy produce and make compost. We have a Green Johanna and although our other bins show signs of wildlife invasion,it seems to be very secure and resistant to any kind of burrowing! If you don’t have one already you can get leaflets from Wiltshire Council to get a Cone for £20 and/or a Johanna for £25 and a chance to win £250.

For more info visit www.greencone.com

Happy composting!

Coir blocks for compost

admin — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 15:13:20 +0000

Oxfam is now selling coir blocks for £2.49 (reduced in a number of their shops). They are very light to carry and all you need to do is put them into a bucket and fill it up with water. After 30 minutes you will have a very useable potting compost. The great thing is – no need to use peat. This is a really easy way to get compost to your garden – not heavy to carry, easy to use and eco friendly.

Janet Maxwell

National Insect Week in South Wiltshire

admin — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:16:31 +0000

Privet hawk moth / Photo: trippedamine

As it was National Insect Week, the Maxwells at Marlborough Road hosted a mothtrap on the nights of 26 and 27 June. On the first night they recorded 56 different species of moth, one of which could not be identified. On 27th they recorded 63 different species, one of which, a privet hawkmoth, about 3″ long with beautiful black and pink striped underwings. Over the two nights 71 species were recorded, one of which was a Rosy Marbled, which has only been seen in Wiltshire once before in 1984. So we feel very happy to have seen such exciting moths over only two nights. For more info on moth counting contact John Muggleton on 01722 741487.

The same household has seen several slow worms this year, two of which were brought in by the cat, and were returned to their natural habitat unharmed.

We have had excess plants from the greenhouse this year, which have been put outside the house for people to take. All have disappeared.

We saved seeds at the end of last summer and have swapped them with friends and neighbours – so doing away with costly seed buying and the F1Hybrid horror.

Janet Maxwell

Thinking about pesticides in 2009

admin — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:40:24 +0000

Our best route as consumers who care about the health of the countryside and ourselves is to keep organic farmers in business.

Organic spinach / Photo Ian-S

The European Union (EU) has done extensive research throughout Europe into the presence of traces of pesticides in our food. Findings show that 49% of fruit , vegetables and cereals have residues in or on them i.e. almost half of our food. Deep concern, particularly in mainland Europe, led to the proposed banning, in January, of a large range of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides which are in common use in ‘conventional’ agriculture and horticulture.

Farmers in the UK are outraged, saying that crop yields will fall dramatically without the use of these chemicals. But it is well known that many of these substances (especially used in combination) can be very injurious to human health, being carcinogenic, mutagenic and hormone-disrupting.

In organic farming the whole emphasis is on building and maintaining healthy soil, teeming with micro-bacteria. This grows sturdy plants which resist most disease. The overseeing body, the Soil Association, does allow the use of four mild pesticides (under licence only) in a crisis situation – compared with the dozens available to the crop-spraying ‘conventional farmers’.

About forty years ago the British Trust for Ornithology found that organic forms had twice as many breeding birds as did other farms. Numerous further studies have been ‘lost’. Farmland bird numbers have now seriously declined – surely partly due to the obliteration of insect life on crops?

In 2001 the UK launched a Voluntary Initiative on Pesticide Use, aiming for farmers to record and report and then hopefully reduce their usage. But this is not working (annual reports are mostly not being submitted). The imposition of a tax on pesticides is now likely. And the EU ban should become law this summer.

Our best route as consumers who care about the health of the countryside and ourselves is to keep organic farmers in business. If we choose to buy organic food we are doing this. It is usually more costly because more labour is involved in its production. Perhaps we can buy fewer items – all organic – and try to eat more simply. But for biodiversity’s health and our health – it is worth it.

Anne.

Salisbury Festival ‘Green Food’

admin — Fri, 23 May 2008 20:11:25 +0000

Come along to the Green Food event of Salisbury Festival. This is a discussion to explore the current issues about ethical, organic, whole and healthy food and how to address them. A The Chair of South Wiltshire Agenda 21 will be on the Panel.

Date: Wednesday 28 May 2008, 6.00pm
Venue: Salisbury Playhouse 6.00pm.
Cost: £8.00

SWA21 scoops Wessex Watermark Award

admin — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 04:18:12 +0000

South Wiltshire Agenda 21 has been awarded a Wessex Watermark Award for our newsletter ACTION 21.

The award will be presented on Tuesday 22 January 2008 at 10 am during the weekly Charter Market in Salisbury. The giant cheque will be handed over in the Farmers Market section indicating our support for local produce. This will be followed by coffee in town.

If you are in the market on that Tuesday morning please join us and swell the crowd.