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Click HERE for ENVIROFAIR Home Page The first Stoke St Gregory Environment Fair was held on Saturday 16th October 2021 at the Williams Hall. It was a great success. Stoke Environment Group held their first ‘Envirofair’ at The Williams Hall in Stoke St Gregory on Saturday 16th October. The Group, established five months ago, aims to raise awareness of the importance of nature and the environment within the community. The Group has almost eighty members, some of which have already been making a difference by clearing footpaths and permissive ways with the cooperation of local landowners. This has proved highly popular within the community. In order to raise awareness of their work, and that of other environment and partner organisations, the Group held an Envirofair and invited the community along. It proved to be highly popular. Plans for the Second Annual Envirofair are already under way. The fantastic effort made by members of the Group was rewarded by the positive feedback from members of our community. We are building a firm base and a clear vision so that we can carry out more projects that will have a positive impact on peoples’ wellbeing, whilst contributing to the work needed to tackle the impact of climate change. We welcomed a wide range of groups and organisations including the Somerset Wildlife Trust, RSPB, Somerset Waste Partnership, Coates English Willow, the School, Somerset Beekeepers, Somerset Wildlands, Dykes Farm, the Parish and Baptist churches, and Willow Set and clubs. There was also a very interesting and informative presentation by Alasdair Cameron of Somerset Wildlands. His inspirational leadership has made people think again about the benefits of re-wilding parts of our countryside. Feedback was very positive, from the visitors and exhibitors: Rev Simon Bale – Athelney Benefice "I am so pleased the messages people left were 'of God'. The spiritual side to the climate emergency is so often overlooked or assumed to be understated, but I feel very strongly that making more of it can encourage broader action in general. I think the day was successful because it didn’t set out to do too much. The stalls were relevant and local, the talk from Alasdair was very helpful. The welcome was honest. Perhaps, one thing for future is to have some more child-focused activities? Also, perhaps, more chance to gather in a workshop setting to discuss detailed issues? But, that said, if we were to do the same as yesterday in the future, it would be very good again!" Dawn Baker – Head Teacher Stoke St Gregory Primary School "I'm so grateful for your help and for those brilliant willow backing boards. They were simply incredible. Thank you for the update and I appreciate the encouragement about our input for the day. The children were certainly proud of what they have done. In terms of feedback, in all honesty, I was really impressed with how everything worked. Your communication with us in school, all the way from the early planning stages to the actual event, was great. Not too 'in my face' with constant messages, a mutual trust of knowing what the plan is and then being able to work to it and knowing exactly what we were doing. I am more than open to us being involved in future events." Rachel Parish – Head, Willowset Pre School, Stoke St Gregory "It was a lovely first event, it was advertised well and supported by mainly the over 40s. I think for younger families there will need to be something else to attract them but I’m not sure what that is in keeping with the event. It was good to be there and to showcase some of our efforts, recycling and keeping our village area clean. Thank you for inviting the Willow Set." Marilyn Clarke – Stoke St Gregory Resident "Thanks to all concerned for yesterday‘s event. What a great success. It was really good to have the opportunity to see what everyone is doing and to feel encouraged that the small things we do individually really are part of a growing trend. Very motivating!" An interesting and engaging display from Somerset Wildlife Trust Stoke Footpath Group aroused a lot of interest with their prototype village footpath walk maps and directions. The hamper full of eco friendly household goods was won by Sara Sollis. Somerset Beekeepers were on hand to answer questions and encourage newcomers. They hope to have live bees at next year's event. Climate Action Athelney brought along their amazing piece of kit that minces apples then presses the juice out using mains water pressure. The juice is available in local shops and the equipment is available for private hire.

FOOTPATHS & FOOTWAYS To see the current activities of the Footpath Group Click HERE BACK to Projects BACK to Mobility & Transport For Footpath History Click HERE For Footpath Legal Stuff Click HERE Stoke Environment Group is committed to working with all landowners in the parish to maintain and improve the footpath network in the village. Any subsequent increase in use will be monitored to ensure that this does not interfere with farming practice, or householders’ privacy. Any successful footpath strategy must be a partnership between landowners and walkers, both having their own rights and responsibilities. Not since the invention of the bicycle have footpaths been the principal way of getting round the village (see HISTORY page). The vast majority of footpath journeys are now for leisure, exercise and dog walking. This creates different pressures on the network, which is used by people who have no connection with the land and agriculture. Farming methods have also changed. Seventy years ago in Stoke there were more than 50 farms and smallholdings whose milk was collected daily on behalf of the Milk Marketing Board. Forty years ago there were fewer, larger herds, and some people moving in to the village complained about the cow dung on the roads. Many of the herds were ‘hunted’ from the fields to the dairy twice a day for milking, and they would make a few ‘deposits’ on the way there and back. Today we have three large dairy farms in the village, a direct result of the nation’s obsession with cheap food (Do you buy your milk from a supermarket?). As with the change of use of footpaths, the methods employed in large scale milk production can also raise issues for those walking the paths. Landowners - if you have issues with walkers on your land, please get in touch envirostoke@yahoo.com to discuss what practical steps might be taken. Walkers - if you have issues with footpaths please contact us or the landowner to see how they might be tackled. You are welcome, or course, to go through official channels, but if you are a member or supporter, please make it clear that you are not complaining on behalf of Stoke Environment Group. ​ ​ To see the current activities of the Footpath Group Click HERE

If you're not there you won't be able to buy a Raffle Ticket These are some of the prizes on offer - and some links to the people and firms who donated them. Check them out! Local Honey, donated by Stathe Beekeeper, Eric McLaughlin Slow Cooker ECOVER "This is about more than fresh socks and squeaky-clean pots. This is about respecting the planet and looking out for nature. This is about fixing our waste culture and making an impact on our impact. Every basket of laundry and stack of dishes is a chance to shake the status quo. Because we need system change, not climate change. And together we can roll up our freshly laundered sleeves and get this revolution on the road." Check out their web site HERE Athelney Soaps . . . "are handmade in small batches on the Somerset Levels using plant ingredients. Our aim is to make soaps with ingredients that are as natural as possible and will always be either Vegetarian friendly or Vegan friendly. Athelney Soaps are made using the traditional ‘Cold Process’ method and are poured and cut by hand. We take great care to make every bar special." Check out their web site HERE Marcel’s Green Soap "I was inspired by my three daughters. They said, "Dad, the things you do aren't actually that good for the planet and what the world will look like in 10, 20 years." I had previously had a career at Unilever and large corporations like that. I stopped working there so I could make a more personal impact on the world for good . Everyone has to clean their house every day, and I think that this can be done a lot more sustainably and positively. I founded Marcel’s Green Soap, to use only biodegradable ingredients and packed in 100% recycled plastic. We started in The Netherlands, but we are now located throughout Western Europe." Check out their web site HERE Gruum " . . . we’re pretty concerned about the impact that big business operations and plastic packaging have on the world around us. We wanted to give our customers the reassurance that not only do we understand our responsibility to reduce our impact on planet Earth and its inhabitants, but that our commitment to the environment is at the forefront of every single decision we make; from where we manufacture our products, right down to the design of our packaging. When it comes to our products, the majority are manufactured for us right here in the UK. And when we do need to source our products internationally, we transport using shipping freight, to help keep our carbon emissions as low as possible." Check out their web site HERE Faith In Nature "What we find is that, as in Nature, there is an ever shifting balance to maintain — and that requires ecological thinking. A constant reassessment of what ‘sustainability’ means today. There is no such thing as ‘best’. Only ‘best for now’. Below is our best-for-now — but behind the scenes, we’re always working on our best-for-tomorrow." Check out their web site HER E Serious Soaps and Serious Tissues "Serious Tissues are made from 100% recycled paper - no trees are harmed in the making of this product. We use recycled paper - from newspapers, cereal boxes, etc. - instead of bamboo because the carbon footprint is smaller and we don’t have to ship the bamboo from China. We’re produced in the UK." Check out their web site HERE

STOKE FOOD PARTNERSHIP Stoke St Gregory, Somerset, England stokefood@yahoo.com Back HERE to Stoke Food Partnership Home Page FOOD MILES ( Carbon Footprint) ‘Food Miles’ is a way of measuring the distance any food travels from the land to your plate. ‘Food Miles’ have increased dramatically over the last twenty years, for three main reasons: we buy (what should be) seasonal food all year round; we buy more processed food; and we like to pay as little for it as possible. We also add to the mileage ourselves. We now travel further for our shopping, even if it’s to an organic farm shop, and use the car more often to do it. Then there’s all the food coming in to the country. Nearly all the fruit, and half of the vegetables, eaten in Britain are imported. The amount of food being flown into Britain rises each year. To take one example, strawberries are flown in from warmer climates to satisfy our desire for permanent dietary summertime, and air freight has a far bigger impact on the environment than sea or road travel has. Even the humble pizza, because of the way the food processing industry works, causes problems. Its various ingredients travel around the country from factory to factory, before they make their way to the shops. Even simple items like prepared salad travel far longer distances than they used to. ‘Food Miles’ is not everything, though. The way in which food is produced also has a significant impact. Reports shows that it is less environmentally friendly to grow tomatoes in Britain under glass than it is to import tomatoes from Spain. The energy needed to heat the glass houses for growing tomatoes in Britain is significantly more than the energy used in transporting tomatoes from Spain where no heating is used because of the warmer climate. But, of course, this debate about tomatoes would be irrelevant if we eat fruit and vegetables when they are in season. A final point about Food Miles is how do we know how far any food travelled? A food’s country of origin may be on the label but, beyond this, it’s generally impossible to tell how far the food has travelled and by what means. A long journey by boat, has less environmental impact than a shorter one by road. Even in a Taunton supermarket, milk labelled ‘West Country’ may have been produced in Cornwall, travelled hundreds of miles to be processed, before returning to the local in store shelf. It can be all very confusing, and work is needed to find out about the food we buy here in Stoke and in the surrounding towns.

STOKE FOOD PARTNERSHIP Stoke St Gregory, Somerset, England stokefood@yahoo.com Easy Cooking (For Everyone ) Click HERE Food Waste (Using All We Can ) Click HERE Food Miles (Carbon Footprint ) Click HERE

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HEDGEHOGS BACK to Projects This little hog was snapped having a picnic in a garden near you. Amazing night-time footage of our local hedgehog population was revealed at the Envirofair , Saturday 16th October. Considered a gardener’s best friend, hedgehogs will happily hoover up slugs roaming in vegetable beds. Covered in spines, hedgehogs like to eat all sorts of bugs, but especially slugs and crunchy beetles. They are most active at night and hibernate through winter. From recent social media posts, you may have realised that Trevor Williams has been collating sightings of hedgehogs around the village. He already has some photos and video clips, but it's not too late to send him some more (or just a word about where you have seen a hog). Email: envirostoke@yahoo.com or contact Trevor direct. Even if you haven't seen a hedghog, there might be other clues! In the meantime, why not check out some of these links: ​ The British Hedgehog Preservation Society's interesting site can be found HERE ​ Another hedgehog site is HERE ​ See HERE for Somerset Wildlife Trust's tips on helping hedgehogs by making small adjustments in your garden ​ Finally, the link to an article in the Western Daily Press, by Ian Liddell-Grainger, Bridgwater MP, can be found HERE ​

Stoke St Gregory Community Plan 2023 New 24th June 2023 - 20 mph? See HERE Over the last months a group of villagers has been very busy conducting a survey and producing a report on the answers given. This has resulted in a new village, or community plan which will inform decisions by local groups and hopefully show outside funding agencies the perceived needs of our village. See all the documents HERE on the Parish Council website. Carbon Footprint This is just one of many topics covered in the survey and plan, but maybe a useful starting point for Stoke Environment Group . One of the survey topics was stated as “What do you think would help you to reduce your own carbon footprint and help restore the area’s natural biodiversity?” An ama zing 348 , out of the 385 people who took part in the survey, responded to this question, showing the level of interest and concern in our village. But, how can we translate these feelings into action? ​ The first step is to let us know who you are. Th e survey was obviously confidential, so whether you have views on how we should proceed, or just want to be kept informed can you please contact us? 120 people ticked the box - Support and guidance on making my home more energy efficient. We held an event on this subject, which was poorly attended, so were we not looking at the right topics for those 120 people, did we not advertise properly, or would you 120 people like information in a different form? Please let us know. envirostoke@yahoo.com ​ Other responses were: 76 - Support and guidance for reducing my use of energy and water 29 -Support and guidance for reducing food waste 190 - Increased opportunities for recycling, reusing and repurposing 115 - Community composting scheme 81 - Provision of more allotments to support local food production 147 - More safe cycle lanes/pedestrian walkways across the village 39 - More electric vehicle charging points 47 - A community car-share scheme 90 - Opportunity to use green community transport Again, if you ticked any of these boxes, please let us know who you are, and why you did so. envirostoke@yahoo.com ​ Stoke Environment Group has been looking at and tackling some of these issues already and will be following up on more of them. But please don’t be shy. All those ticks in boxes mean that you care. We just need to get together to see what we can do. If we don’t, then the good work of the Village Survey Group might be wasted. We have had the following response from one of the members of the Stoke Environment steering group: I can and have been tackling most of these in the Round Robin. The telephone box project will tick the recycling nicely. We can put communal compost heaps in the orchard as discussed. Footpaths already in place with Sarah's wonderful team. The community transport could be trickier for us to undertake. I'm sure there are many other ways we can fulfil these briefs in the future - and are doing so now. The challenge is to make these changes attractive and simple and reach as many people as possible. A lot of people are anxious about changing habits. It's our role, as I see it, to make the transitions look as normal as possible. The Enviro Fair is our biggest advertisement - these categories in the plan can be used as a guide as to who and what we employ next year to put the messages and information across. I also suggest we have an advisory team that people could access on all subjects. Perhaps this could be done on the website? Readers invited to pose questions which are passed onto the relevant expert or practitioner to reply? Sort of enviro agony aunt/uncle!! ​ There were no other responses. Do we just continue doing what we are doing or is there something specific we can contribute to the Village Plan? 20mph 20 mph - Is it a Good Idea for Stoke? - New 24th June 2 023 We've now got used to travelling through Curry at 20 miles per hour. Are we ready for the same thing in Stoke? England is way behind the rest of the UK in terms of slowing down traffic in residential areas, but we don't have to wait for the Westminster government to get its finger out. But, we always have the same issue. Lots of people ticked the box, but who are you? Who will come forward and make a contribution to a safer Stoke? Would you be willing to pledge to travelling at less than 20 mph through the village? If 50 people committed to that it would slow everybody else down. Please get in touch envirostoke@yahoo.com ​ Start by having a look at the 20's Plenty site HERE ​ Surely there is someone around who wants this to happen?

Although this is not a secure page, it does not appear on the menu, so it is unlikely that anyone will 'stumble' on it. I don't think there is anything confidential here, but probably best if the page address was not made public. Project Outlines, Plans & Proposals Composting Workshop - OUTLINE Composting Workshop - PLAN Envirofair22 - PLAN Great Big Green Week - PROPOSAL Photo Competition 2022 - OUTLINE Photo Competition 2022 - PLAN Stoke Food Partnership - PLAN Village Hall Hedge Planting Day - OUTLINE Village Hall Hedge Planting Day - PLAN Village Hall Spinney Management - PLAN

An Amazing Day BACK to EnvirofairHome Page The links to the various things that happened at this year's ENVIROFAIR are still available below. See below for the photo gallery recording some of what was going on, but here is the 'Editor's Favourite' . A medley of uses for old plastic bottles - courtesy of the Arthurs Family of the Wagon House, Meare Green . . . Talks in the Meeting Room - Click HERE Contributors - Click HERE Plant, Seed & Vegetable Swap - Click HERE Family Fun - Click HERE Raffle - Click HERE Last Year's Envirofair - Click HERE With almost 30 exhibitors, there was a distinct emphasis on engaging with the younger members of our community. One of the most popular exhibits was a talk and demonstration of owls by Sharandys Owl Rescue Centre. It was amazing to see these beautiful creatures close up and hear about how they survive in the wild. We also had colourful and informative displays by the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Butterfly Trust, Dykes Farm, Chedzoy Fair Share project, to name just a few. If you were not able to join us this year, we will be running another fair in 2023 . ​ In the meantime, click HERE for a few photos of the day.

Click HERE for ENVIROFAIR Home Page Plant, Seed and Vegetable Swap! A swap means just that! Bring along plants, seeds or veg that you don’t want and swap for something that you do! A great fun, free way to reuse, reduce and recycle! Start collecting plants and seeds now – ready for the big day! Plants etc can be taken to the village hall early on the day or to Birch House, Woodhill or Stoke House, The Square , Stoke St Gregory in the weeks before. The more plants, seeds and veg, the more swapping fun can be had by everyone!