Dorset Art Weeks & global challenges; Equipment & help wanted; Get involved in trees celebration; Nurture hedgehogs, bees & wild flower verges; Dorset CAN campaigns & more; XR action in Cornwall; Polytunnel for Homegrown; Planning - trust the system?; Land wanted; Environment Bill; Invitations to our meetings; Resources (including a game!)

Creativity inspired by climate and nature crises

Dorset Art Weeks running from 20th May to 6th June provide opportunities for local artists to showcase their creativity, much of it inspired by local nature & landscape and some addressing the challenges we now face.        

• Phyllis Wolff is the creative force behind Planet Shaftesbury's banners. Her exhibition of vibrant  paintings for this year balances the blues of the deep sea with striking red hot images such as  'Our house is on fire'. See more work and book a visit to her Compton Abbas studio through the website https://phylliswolff.co.uk/
• Jenny Morisetti is a champion for Sustainable Dorset based at Hawkers Farm, Stour Provost, where craft demonstrations and activities for adults and children will be offered daily during DAW. There are films and discussion on food & farming and electronic waste, a one-day nettle fibre workshop, and more. Open 10.30am-5pm. Details on website https://www.hawkersfarm.org/

Equipment and help wanted

Planet Shaftesbury and Greener Gillingham will be a joint presence at this year's 2-day Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show (18/19th August) - a fun opportunity to be part of this popular event. We need a marquee or gazebo (up to 6m x 3m)  as well as fold-up table & chairs for our shared stand. We're collating diverse information for display and there's scope for creative activities to engage visitors of all ages. Offers of equipment to borrow, help with preparation, or to join in on one or both days email planetshaftesbury@gmail.com or greenergillingham@gmail.com

Celebration of Shaftesbury's trees

Through walks and talks and more, Shaftesbury Tree Group has nurtured an appreciation of the town's trees amongst residents and visitors. The group also inspired the ambitious 5-year planting programme now underway to ensure that additional trees and hedgerows will contribute to the town's future sustainability. Shaftesbury's trees are something to celebrate. We're arranging tree walks and a choir performance. People are coming together to encourage a wide range of arts and social groups to contribute their own celebrations in late September, particularly over the weekend of 25/26th. Might we also see groups of people drawing trees in Shaftesbury, poetry readings in a friendly cafe, or an online exhibition of tree paintings and photographs? Stories, music, children's activities and more could energise autumnal collection of tree seeds, prepare for Apple Day on October 21st or Tree Dressing Day on first weekend of December, and lead into the 2021/22 planting programme. To add an activity to our publicity or get involved in promotion, email planetshaftesbury@gmail.com

Nurture nature

Three separate perspectives here, all giving a boost to the recovery of nature local to Shaftesbury. To get involved in any way, or to offer suggestions or comment, please email Mariko at mariko.h.whyte@gmail.com

• Hedgehogs: the species is at risk but recent surveys have shown we have them around Shaftesbury. Mariko is planning to host a presentation from Susy Varndell, the hedgehog specialist with the Dorset Mammal Group. This will be an in-person meeting that could launch 'Hedgehog-friendly Shaftesbury'. Tentative date July 22nd, pencil it in your diary and keep fingers crossed that such a meeting could be held safely on that day.
• Bees: Brigit Strawbridge Howard has now given three of the four planned online talks about bees, the most recent session covering Solitary Bees. For those who missed it, the recording is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkMNW_Qu64s . The final talk is on June 17th, and addresses the problems all bees face and what we can do in our gardens and open spaces to help them. You can see more details including how to access the talk and book a place at Planet Shaftesbury's page on Eventbrite. Afterwards we aim to establish activities through which we can put our new enthusiasm to use. We'll continue the work Brigit (now moved out of the area) was doing with the town council, ensuring that Shaftesbury sustains and enhances its 'bee-friendly' status. Which leads on to -
• Wildflower verges: some of us have been working with Shaftesbury Town Council as they develop their management of road verge and green spaces to benefit biodiversity and support their response to climate change. There are lots of options to explore to reach maximum benefits for pollinators and other insects. Would you like to get involved - perhaps as a wildflower verge champion taking ownership of a verge near home? Or could you offer practical volunteer support to help the grounds team with more sensitive management methods? Contact Mariko, as above.

Dorset CAN - campaigns, latest newsletter & inspiration

Dorset's Climate Action Network has brought together diverse energetic people, some of whom are now joining forces in campaigns and project teams. Campaigns include pushing for a re-think on the proposals (in the draft Local Plan) for housing development on Green Belt land; seeking to get Dorset Council to move pension funds out of fossil fuels, in line with their declaration of a climate emergency (details are here https://dtaction.co.uk/pension-divestment/ ); and promotion of the Climate & Ecological Emergency Bill, previously publicised in our newsletter and details here https://www.ceebill.uk/  The latest (May) Dorset CAN newsletter gives more information on these campaigns plus useful resources, relevant events, and inspiring case studies.  Access the newsletter here: https://www.dorsetcan.news/nl04.html  The case studies include Marnhull Green TEAMS (Taking the Environment Around Marnhull Seriously) which shows how much this local village group has achieved in a relatively short time. They are currently promoting an Eco-Trails event where villagers will tell visitors about their experiences of everything from solar panels and electric cars to wildlife-friendly gardening and ground source heat pumps. It's on June 12th, a map will be available on their Facebook page or email marnhullgreen@outlook.com.  

All eyes on Cornwall in June - setting high ambitions for COP26 in November

The leaders of the world's richest democratic nations (the G7) meet annually for close-knit discussions. This year the UK plays host to the talks which will involve some invited guest nations and take place in Carbis Bay, Cornwall from 11-13th June. The policy priorities are said to be: leading the global recovery from the coronavirus & boosting resilience to pandemics; promoting future prosperity through free & fair trade; tackling climate change & preserving the planet's biodiversity; and championing shared values. This is happening just 5 months before the UN climate change conference, COP26, in Glasgow. Within sight of the world's media, Extinction Rebellion will be taking action: peaceful & non-confrontational but also colourful and impactful, to ensure that participants in the G7 discussions set high ambitions for the climate conference later this year. The XR message will be - 'We're drowning in promises, act now'. For more details click  G7 Cornwall Rebellion – XR South West (xrsw.uk).  Some local activists will go to Cornwall to join in, you can contact our local group through the XR project page on Planet Shaftesbury's website.

And here are just two other perspectives on COP26:

• The week leading up to the G7 talks is Fair Tax Week, during which planned webinars include one on Climate & Tax Justice (lunchtime June 10th), find the full programme and registration links here https://fairtaxmark.net/supporters/fair-tax-week/ 
• The New Scientist is publishing periodic newsletters dealing with the commitments being made, and the shortfall in ambition, during the run up to COP26. These will be monthly, then weekly, then daily as we reach the conference in November. See their May Countdown to COP26 here.

NEWS in BRIEF

Crowdfunder success 

Shaftesbury Homegrown, the community farm off Breach Lane, attracted a lot of local support for its purchase of a polytunnel. The all-volunteer members will apply for funds raised to be matched from other sources, putting their target within reach, and they're already thinking ahead to the user-friendly compost toilet they'd like to acquire after the polytunnel. To arrange a visit or join a work session call Helen at 07789845498. To contribute to the Crowdfunder appeal before it closes at the end of the month, go to https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/shaftesbury-homegrown-community-farm

CPRE planning talk & zero waste

"Rebuilding trust in Dorset's planning system" is the topic for a talk by Jo Witherden (respected local planning consultant who supported Shaftesbury's Neighbourhood Plan team) that will take place at North Dorset CPRE's online AGM. 5.30pm Tuesday 1st June. For the joining link email rupert@hardyfinancial.co.uk.

Nationally, as part of a wider zero waste campaign, CPRE is providing support to those who want to participate in the government consultation (closes on 4th June) on the shape of a deposit return scheme. Find their guides and links to the consultation here.

Land wanted

The Ecological Land Cooperative develops affordable, low impact smallholdings for ecological agriculture in order to support new entrants to farming to establish a farm business. They are looking for land for 6 new farms this year. See more, including who to contact, at https://ecologicalland.coop/landsearch 

Environment Bill this week 

The long-delayed Environment Bill was included in the Queen's Speech and gets to the next stage of its parliamentary time for debate on May 26th. Please encourage local MPs to be there, it indicates the political will across the House. There's work still to do, you could provide a link to this briefing from WWF. 

Join a Planet Shaftesbury meeting

Planet Shaftesbury's online informal meetings by Zoom are continuing to take place weekly on Thursdays, usually starting at 7.30pm. All welcome. The joining link is accessible from the website homepage. The earliest date for an in-person meeting at the town hall is July 15th. This would restart regular meetings on the 3rd Thursday of the month. The website will be updated with details as soon as available.

An Invitation: Would you like to join a group (fewer than 30) gathering in a private garden on the afternoon of May 30th? We'll discuss and make plans to meet Planet Shaftesbury's support needs - online &/or in-person meetings, newsletter, social media and more. Email rachel.bodle@gmail.com

Selected other locally relevant meetings and events are also included on the website with joining or booking details.

Resources

Groundswell 2021 is a weekend of free online talks and workshops hosted by Friends of the Earth and designed to build a movement that represents everyone and plan local action for global climate justice. It provides a way of preparing for the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow in November. https://friendsoftheearth.uk/climate/groundswell-2021-grassroots-campaigning-event

Survive the Century is an online branching narrative game about the political, environmental and social choices humans will face between 2021 and 2100 as we adapt to the ravages of climate change. It's a work of fiction, but it is informed by real science. It demonstrates that our choices matter. There are still a lot of decisions we can make that will lead to dramatically different futures. https://survivethecentury.net/

Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) offers free help CAT offers a free information service, you can telephone for independent and impartial advice on a wide array of topics relating to sustainability and sustainable living. Past webinars covering energy; building; water & sanitation; nature & ecology; food & growing; behaviour change and zero carbon solutions are also accessible without charge. And if you want to visit, they're now accepting bookings for 22nd May onwards. See more at https://cat.org.uk/

The next monthly newsletter will be distributed in the 3rd week of June. If you have news to share please send it to planetshaftesbury@gmail.com