These events and opportunities won't wait till September's newsletter...

Wednesday 30th August: 5-6.45pm. Sustainable Food Places is a national collaboration between areas working to make healthy and sustainable food a defining characteristic of where people live. Who is involved and should Dorset become a member? Online meeting hosted by Dorset-CAN (Climate Action Network). Link below.

Saturday 2nd September: Train to become a 'route checker' with the Cranborne Chase AONB. Link below.

Monday 4th September: Mmmm, Monday meal, movie & mingling in the Assembly Room, Grosvenor Arms, 7pm. The movie is Fantastic Fungi, which explores the beauty and intelligence of mushrooms and their connection to nature. £15 includes simple veggie meal. Booking required, Jenny, 07801240103.

Saturday 9th September: Late flowering plant walk on Fontmell Down, 2-4pm. also ...

Tuesday 12th September: Bat walk on Rushmore Estate. Further details for both walks via AONB link below.

Saturday 16th September: Writing the Land - Following a very successful workshop with poet Stephen Boyce last year, the Reading the Land team have invited Dorset author Jane Adams to give a morning workshop/walkshop about looking at and writing about the particularities of place. Find out more and book using the link below.

Thursday 21st September: 7.30pm. Planet Shaftesbury meeting at Shaftesbury Town Hall. Details on website. 

Make a Difference

A Consensus on Food, Farming, Nature has come from collaboration between farmers and environmental groups and is now being promoted as the way forward for producing food from profitable farm businesses at the same time as restoring nature and meeting the climate challenge. The campaign aims to get all political parties to embrace the consensus in their next manifesto for government. Check out their website. Hear more in the recorded meeting where it was discussed by Beccy Speight (CEO, RSPB), Helen Browning (CEO, Soil Association) and Martin Lines (UK Chair, Nature-Friendly Farming Network). Farmers, landowners and members of the public are invited to show support by adding their names - follow the links below.

The Climate Majority Project is a rallying place for citizen climate action. They help projects to grow, get funding, and connect with as many willing hands as possible. They have launched a Crowdfunder so that those who can afford to donate can help to identify, resource, and fund more high-impact initiatives. Link below.

Unite to Survive ... gathering in the South-West: The Big One, April 2023, was the under-reported family-friendly London protest where 200 organisations acted alongside Extinction Rebellion. There's a video link below, or revisit the blogpost on our website to read reflections from some local participants. XR South-West has now announced that there is to be a regional inclusive family-friendly protest in Bath on Saturday 28th October: Unite to Survive for Nature, Climate & Social Justice. The request to spread the word has been posted to the Forum on our website and includes links to a letter that can be used to invite others. Put it in your diary.

Stop Portland Waste Incinerator: Planning consent was refused but the applicant has launched an appeal on the grounds that the harms of the proposal are outweighed by the benefits. The campaign is fundraising so that they can take a leading role in the inquiry. Messages from the campaign have been posted to the Forum so that you can read the details - and the link to the campaign's latest Crowdfunder is given below.

Web-links

Dorset CAN events listings on their website

Cranborne Chase AONB multiple events including many local to Shaftesbury, see details in latest newsletter - subscribe or read it here

Writing the Land - for workshop/walkshop details and to book see Shaftesbury Book Festival website

Food, Farming & Nature: Find out about the consensus. Recorded webinar 'Finding Common Ground' is available on 8point9.com here. The consensus, those who contributed to it, and an opportunity to sign up in support are here: https://www.foodfarmingnature.org/

Climate Majority Project: Crowdfunder

The Big One, London April 2023 video link

Stop Portland Waste Incinerator: Crowdfunder

The next newsletter will be distributed after September's meeting.  Please send contributions to planetshaftesbury@gmail.com