Climate Emergency

A survey of the biodiversity habitats within the parish of Timberscombe has been carried out, after £5100 from the Somerset Climate Emergency Community Fund was awarded to enable this piece of ecological research.

The Timberscombe Biodiversity Project has allowed a record of every plant and wildlife habitat in the parish to be created, from wetland and grassland, through to built-up areas and broad-leaved woodland.

Aerial photographs followed by on-the-ground fieldwork and relating the findings to the UK Habitat Classification system.

Now, the parish has a defined set of actions based on their specific habitat types, which will allow them to protect and improve biodiversity and improve carbon management within their part of Somerset. These actions include ways of protecting stored carbon so it does not make its way into the atmosphere:

• Increasing the amount of broad-leaved/mixed woodland in Timberscombe
• Reducing or stopping the re-seeding of grasslands
• Reducing sheep stocking density
• Maintaining hedgerows through the centuries-old practice of ‘hedge laying’, encouraging natural growth and creating a living fence

This innovative project has already begun supplying vegetables to a local farm shop and to local people, reaping the benefits of ‘low carbon miles’ local produce. Reducing our carbon footprint is not just about tackling the threat posed by climate change, it’s also about making the environment a better place – for people and for nature. With a real emphasis on ‘local food’, this model of small-scale, sustainable agriculture allows farmers and growers to make a reasonable living by growing quality, fresh, healthy food for and with their local community.

Read the full story here

News from Good Vibe Veg – March 2022

Pedal for the Planet aims to encourage the local community to get cycling more often and more safely – for healthier people and a healthier planet! This innovative, community and volunteer led project for Muchelney and Kingsbury Episcopi Parishes on the Somerset Levels has already put on a fantastic programme of cycling workshops and activities for all ages and abilities. And as well as repairing bikes, the scheme offers beginners’ bike safety and care workshops, providing local people with sustainable and eco-friendly transport.

Quote from a parent who attended the Road Skills Course
“My son absolutely loved it and we were so pleased that he could learn some new skills in a safe environment as the roads can be quite dangerous. It’s really important to us that the kids enjoy cycling, not just because it’s fun and keeps them healthy but it’s one way that we easily cut our carbon footprint.”

Read more here

In the village of Stoke St Gregory near Taunton, the community has clubbed together to purchase The Royal Oak pub and convert it into a hub complete with a village shop, café, pub, and other community facilities.

Stoke St Gregory Parish Council submitted a successful bid to the Somerset Climate Emergency Community Fund so that new solar panels could be placed on the roof of The Royal Oak to reduce the carbon footprint of the enterprise, and save money on energy bills. The money saved will be reinvested in community initiatives.

The Royal Oak is owned by Heart of the Village, a Community Benefit society that has turned the venue into a vibrant social and commercial centre for the village and surrounding community. The Heart of the Village has also taken other steps to make sure the Royal Oak keeps a low carbon footprint such as selling local produce to reduce food miles.

At the end of last month, a project fund certificate was presented to the Friends of Longrun Meadow Chair, Helen Lawy on behalf of Somerset County Council. This was confirming a grant in excess of £16K awarded to the Longrun Meadow group, who together with Comeytrowe Park, Longrun Meadow, Netherclay Community Woodland and Victoria Park have worked together on the bid. They have made management changes to the open spaces which will help to mitigate climate change. They have been enabled and supported by Somerset West and Taunton.

Helen said: “We have restored existing and ancient hedgerows, planted new lines of hedges and lowered the canopy to create ecotones (transition areas between two biological communities, where two communities meet and integrate) at the margins of wooded areas. We have begun to develop a mosaic of habitats through changes in grassland management and structural management of the edges and margins of hedgerows providing connectivity between habitats. We are creating new signage which will inform local park users and the wider communities about the importance of hedgerow and grassland management.”

People in the certificate presentation photo are from left to right: Steve, Philippa, Dave, Adrian, Cllr John Hunt and FoLM Chair Helen Lawy.

A new hydro-electric turbine will provide clean power to a Forest School near Taunton, replacing a noisy and polluting diesel generator at the site which is part of the Otterhead Estate. Work is now underway and once complete the new turbine will deliver significant savings and provide a useful teaching tool by restoring an important heritage feature – water was originally used at Otterhead to power a mill. The new sustainable power source will also allow the Coach House building to be used to host a much wider range of community events, such as meetings, performances and celebrations.

Find out more here

Built on the Beacon Field, opposite the Village Hall and Stogumber Primary School, the shelter is ideally situated to be used and enjoyed by the local community and visitors to the parish. The newly-erected shelter is available for the whole community to use in all weather for a wide range of environmentally-inspired and educational activities. Made from resilient, natural materials and sustainable timber, the shelter requires minimal upkeep and no additional energy input post construction. The shelter acts as a hub to be used by the whole community for small groups to learn about the ecology, biodiversity and carbon capture as well as offering an inspirational outdoor space to respond to nature through creative arts. It’s part of the village’s commitment to mitigating the effects of climate change through experience and education, with the aim of encouraging behavioural and lifestyle changes.

Stogumber Village Website

Around the village of Chedzoy in the Somerset Levels is a 3.2km nature walk with five distinctly different habitats, each area has been created with plants and trees carefully selected for the properties they bring to the environment. Along the route you will find more then 100 different species of plants and trees, easy access gates, resting areas, signage, walking guides and plant ID labels. The walk was created by a passionate group of volunteers know as the Chedzoy Fair Share Project Team and funded by the Somerset County Council’s – Climate Emergency Community Fund.

Information about the Chedzoy Nature Walk and Guides here

Chedzoy Nature Walk Open Day – 3 April 2022

Curry Rivel Parish Council is working on two projects which will help benefit the villagers and the environment, thanks to Somerset County Council’s Climate Emergency Fund.

The first project is to investigate initiatives to provide sustainable heating and power generation in Curry Rivel. The council has already invested in a thermal imaging camera which local residents can use to track heat loss from their homes in winter. Read more here

The second is looking at the feasibility of creating a new cycle/footpath between Curry Rivel and Huish Episcopi. The existing footpath between the two villages is quite narrow and overgrown, and as such residents are inclined to take the car when travelling from one village to the other rather than walk or cycle. Read more here

Traders in the Exmoor market town of Dulverton have unveiled new jute and paper bags for their customers in a bid to become more eco-friendly and move away from using plastic bags.

The bags feature Dulverton’s new branding including the logo with an artistic impression of an Exmoor stag forming the letter D.

This means the initiative will not only benefit the environment, but it will raise the profile of the town’s shops and businesses too.

County Council’s climate fund helps Dulverton traders go green

Find out more on the Visit Dulverton Facebook page

Watchet Town Council applied to the Somerset County Council Climate Emergency Fund as lead partner with Sampford Brett and Bicknoller Parish Councils and Watchet Drives and BickLifts Community Car Schemes for funding for a community electric car. A proposal was drafted for a wheelchair accessible electric community car that could be shared between parishes and would show how community transport could be operated at a lower cost per mile, produce far less carbon emission (even on full life cycle analysis), be Covid safe and provide transport for disabled and disadvantaged members of the Watchet community. The application was successful and included funding for a coordinator of the new and the existing community car run by Watchet Drives. The Town Council have now purchased and insured the vehicle which is shown here with the Village Agent about to board.