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Better Transport in our Towns and Villages - Thursday 4th March, 7-00
for 7-30 pm at Victoria School, Berkhamsted
A joint meeting on transport with Tring and Berkhamsted
Cycle Campaign (TBCC), the cycling campaign group, and Transition Town Berkhamsted.
Stephen Joseph OBE, Executive Director of the highly regarded and influential Campaign
for Better Transport, will be telling us about successful transport initiatives in
UK and elsewhere followed by discussion and questions.
This will be an excellent opportunity to hear about the possibilities for sustainable transport
and to start building consensus amongst people with diverse viewpoints about what we want in
our area as part of a better future and how it can be done.
Light refreshments will be served at 8-30 followed by TBCC’s annual general meeting
at 9-00pm in another room.
For more details see
www.tbcc.org.uk and
www.transitionberkhamsted.org.uk/events.php
HiT Green Tea - 21st January 7.30pm at Belmont Church, Bennetts End
Hemel in Transition's first in a series of monthly events
called "Green Teas". They will be showing the film "In Transition", a powerful and inspiring
film about the Transition movement filmed by those who are making it happen on the ground.
After the film, and time for tea and cakes, the four Action Groups that emerged at the launch -
on Food, Transport (cycling), Energy and Waste - will be set in motion. This is your chance to
come and be part of one of these groups, so do come along and offer your ideas or hear what
others have to say.
Green Teas will provide a regular opportunity for people to get together, to inspire and
be inspired, offer and exchange ideas, express concerns and share information, in order
to build a more resilient future for our town. From February, they will take place on
the 4th Thursday of the month. See
www.hemelintransition.org for more details.
Dacorum Cycling Strategy and Maps now online
BBC Breathing Spaces
As a link to Springwatch, the BBC would like a range
of events/activities that will run between end May (bank holiday week-end) - 6th June
with a ‘biodiversity theme’ which will be promoted during the first week of broadcast.
This could be an element within an already planned event or be a new dedicated activity.
An idea they are quite keen on is Bio Blitz - some sort of 'natural history survey'
of a site and very much along the lines some Wildlife Trusts have been running in this
region - notably Norfolk . This might involve a Dawn Chorus event, pond dipping, bug hunting,
a bat watch, a moth walk etc. So an opportunity to take part - and with a real outcome for
Biodiversity. Also important to note that the BBC is very likely to focus on Bees for
Springwatch and local BBC are already looking at this (Bee part of it - Save the Bees - all tbc).
So, if you have anything planned that could be linked to Springwatch during these dates, or
are interested in organising something please let the Hertfrordshire Biodiversity Officer,
Catherine Wyatt at catherine.wyatt@eastherts.gov.uk or 01992 531478. She has been asked
to get back to the BBC asap with an indication of interest or possibilities, so if you
do have any ideas please contact her as soon as you can.
Long Deans Meadow Restoration Appeal
A new appeal Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust (HMWT) has recently launched, the
‘Long Deans Meadow Restoration Appeal’. From which, HMWT hope to raise funds to improve
Long Deans Nature Reserve, in Hemel Hempstead, and other sites like it across Hertfordshire
and Middlesex.
A picturesque valley of pasture and old parkland trees near Nash Mills, Long Deans
Nature Reserve is particularly important for its birds, bats, wildflowers, butterflies
and other invertebrates. However, without habitat restoration and maintenance work this
reserve, and other sites likes it will not continue to be the species rich habitat they are now.
If you think you may be able to help with this appeal please contact Sarah Mee on 01727 858901 ext 228,
by email sarah.mee@hmwt.org, or visit us online at
www.hertswildlifetrust.org.uk/getinvolved. Gardening Green Aiders in Dacorum
Groundwork's Green Aiders project is a free gardening in the community scheme,
giving members of the local community and volunteers the opportunity to make a real
difference to the surrounding area and to people's lives. Running in Dacorum and
Watford, the Green Aiders programme is helping elderly and vulnerable people most
in need to care for their gardens, but running weekly tasks of up to 3 hours for local
volunteers. No experience is necessary as Groundwork will provide training and guidance
on the day. Becoming a Green Aider is a great way to meet new people, improve fitness
and make a genuine contribution to the local community. Everyone is welcome regardless
of age or level of ability, although children must be accompanied by an adult.
Each session will offer a range of tasks and volunteers can work at their own pace,
so there really is something for everybody. For more information about becoming a
volunteer or to put forward a local resident who might benefit from help, please contact
Ellie Turner at Groundwork on 01707 255184 or visit
www.groundwork-herts.org.uk/default.aspx?page=84Dacorum Horizons
Dacorum Horizons is an exciting new community project, funded, as part of
the national Learning Revolution, to encourage people into informal adult learning.
Situated at 160 Marlowes, (The Old Post Office), it will be open from Tuesday to
Saturday delivering a huge range of informal ‘taster’ learning sessions to any member
of the public who is over 19 and wishes to participate. Local residents will be encouraged
to try anything from music to jewellery making, IT for beginners to DIY. Comprehensive information
and advice on local learning opportunities will also be available.
The Learning Partnership has asked whether any individual or organisation linked
to DEF would be interested in running any environmental learning courses at the
centre. The shop will also serve as a meeting point for a number of local groups,
and as a focal point to deliver information about local organisations and clubs,
so there is also an opportunity to promote your organisation. For further information,
please contact the project co-ordinator Fiona Macaulay on
07880765857 or Hilary Fyson on 01442 867832
Let’s Tidy Dacorum Together
Dacorum Borough Council was recently named as Big Tidy Up Champions, one of only ten
Councils to be selected for the national Keep Britain Tidy Campaign. Dacorum’s campaign
will run from September 2009 to March 2010 and is called Let’s Tidy Dacorum Together.
Dacorum Borough Council can provide you with litter picking sticks, bags and hi-vis vests.
They can also arrange to collect the bags of litter from you following your event. If you
are interested in joining the ‘Tidy Up’ they ask that you register your event on the Big
Tidy Up website, www.thebigtidyup.org.uk as you will then receive an event pack with posters,
info on organising your event, bags etc. And following the event you can log how many bags
of litter you collected as they are keeping a record for the number of bags collected across
the country. They are also running an awards scheme for groups/individuals who get involved.
Take a look at their website for more details.
If you have any queries or would like more information please contact Ashling Cronin,
Assistant Environmental Awareness Officer at Ashling.cronin@dacorum.gov.uk or on 01442 228042
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