In October, our weekly activities continued at the Green Hub at St James Community Garden. The beginning of the month saw us picking and sharing the last of the apples. We also put up a community greenhouse, sowed winter crops and took a delivery of straw for stuffing scarecrows!

The first Birkenhead North scarecrow trail and competition was a great success, with individuals and community groups joining in the fun during the week of 14th to 21st October. A huge thank you to everyone who took part by making and displaying their scarecrows. It was great to see the creativity and also to celebrate some local residents. Thanks to Councillor Liz Grey who helped us pick winning entries and has offered additional prizes.

For the session on 31st October we celebrated Halloween with a spooky trail, bat quiz, spider wordsearch and building bat boxes. We also made pepper and satsuma pumpkins – much easier to cut and draw on than real pumpkins and they can be eaten straight away!

Thanks to Bee Wirral CIC Elemental Project for the bat box examples. If you would like to make your own, you will find instructions here:

Pepper and satsuma pumpkins!

Bat boxes ready to be installed

On 14th October, Naomi spoke about the Mersey Green Network Map at the Transition Gathering in Liverpool. The event was organised by Transition Liverpool to build links between people and organisations across the city region so that we can collaborate more effectively on climate action. Other speakers included Richard Couldrey from Transition Together and Annie Merry from Faiths4Change.

Watch Naomi’s talk on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JekirKdxwDw

The following weekend, on 21st October, Naomi gave a presentation about carbon footprint calculations at the North Wales and North West England Rotary District Conference, also in Liverpool. Other speakers from Wirral were Heswall Primary School, Energy Projects Plus and the Rotary Club of Mid-Wirral.

If you want to see check your carbon footprint, you can use the WWF Footprint Calculator on the Cool Wirral Climate Action Hub, where your answers to questions about household energy use, food consumption and travel habits will tell you approximately how much carbon your lifestyle generates.

The results of carbon footprint calculations at the Rotary conference

On 28th October, Julie Marshall returned to WEN to teach the first of three ‘Mineral Journey Around the World’ workshops. This one focused on Ancient Egyptian history, beliefs, and use of minerals for spiritual and medicinal purposes. Julie explains:

See more photos of some of the minerals featured in the workshop on our Facebook page.

The remaining two ‘Mineral Journey Around the World’ workshops take place next year, on 20th January and 23rd March, covering North and South America and Australia. Each session costs £15 and includes a donation to WEN. Please contact Julie to book a place by phoning 07540 073731 or emailing Juliemarshall48@aol.com

Wirral Enviromental Network has signed the UK Repair and Reuse Declaration asking the government to:

• Make repair more affordable
• Remove barriers to repair
• Help people choose repairable products
• Support repair training and apprenticeships
• Prioritise reuse over recycling

Community groups and businesses are invited to sign the declaration to show support for its aims.

Please email your MP to encourage them to endorse the declaration and work towards setting the policies needed.

Read the declaration, see the list of signatories and find the contact details for your MP here

We’ve signed the UK Repair and Reuse Declaration. Please email your MP and ask them to do the same.

We’ve been taking stall bookings and making plans for our pre-Christmas Fair, on Saturday 18th November.

The WEN AGM takes place next month, on Wednesday 22nd November.

The AGM will consist of approving the minutes of the last meeting, receiving the annual report and accounts and election of Trustees. This will be brief.

The main body of the meeting will be five minute talks from member organisations – an opportunity for members to talk about what they or their organisation is doing to protect and enhance the environment. We will support as many 5 minute talks as time allows. Those members who have pre-registered their interest in speaking will take priority.

For catering purposes please let us know if you are coming either via Eventbrite or by contacting wen@la21.net
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/wirral-environmental-network-agm-tickets-747627954337

We’re more than half way through the Autumn term for gardening courses at WEN but there will be more opportunities to enrol for a class, starting in the Spring term in January. There are places available on the following courses:

• Practical Gardening
  Starts Wednesday 10th January 2024, 9 – 11.30 amDiscover the theory and practice the tasks you can do in your garden in the winter.Includes getting ready for spring, pruning, taking cuttings, what to sow, taking care of your soil, what to do in your garden week by week, looking at YOUR garden for the rest of the year and much more!

  Cost: £60.00 for each 10 week term.

• Discover the Past, Present and Future of Your Garden
  Starts Wednesday 10th January 2024, 12 – 2pmDiscover the history of gardens, with outings to local gardens and parks of interest.Find out what you should be doing week by week in your garden and have your horticultural puzzles solved in Question and Answer time.

  Cost: £60.00 for each 10 week term (20 hours)
  You can do one term or as many as you like as all are different!

For more information, to book on a course or find out about other courses, please phone 07932 355742 or email carol.seery1@btinternet.com

We are offering environmental workshops and courses for community groups in low income areas. We provide activities, games and discussions at WEN or your community group location. Find out about low cost, creative ways to fight climate change.