Altogether Greener Newsletter Spring 2015

To find out more about the County Durham
Environment Partnership or to get involved:
What’son...
Big Spring Clean
Campaign
28 February – 18 April
To sign up and take part
email
litterfreedurham@durham.gov.
uk or call 03000 261000
www.durham.gov.uk/
bigspringclean
Pots and Pollinators
1 April
1.30pm -3.30pm
Low Barns Nature Reserve,
Witton-le Wear, Bishop
Auckland, DL14 0AG
Please book a place by
phoning 0191 584 3112.
Children must be
accompanied by an adult.
Mammal Detectives
14 April
10.00am – 12.00pm
Rainton Meadows Nature
Reserve, Houghton-le-Spring,
DH4 6PU
Help us check the live
mammal traps to see what
little creatures are living
around the reserve.
12 April
12.30pm
Scar Top, Barnard Castle,
Part of a series of free
guided walks taking place
on the second Sunday of
every month.
email: environmentpartnership@durham.gov.uk
call: 03000 266 099
Buzz about
Wildflowers
26 May
1.00pm -3.00pm
Rainton Meadows Nature
Reserve
Come and explore our busy
wildflower meadows and
see what bugs are living
amongst these plants.
Treats in the Trees
25 April
1.00pm- 3.30pm
Rainton Meadows Nature
Reserve
Celebrate the Wildlife
Trust’s Woodland
Weekend with an
afternoon in the woods at
Rainton Meadows.
Please book a place by
phoning 0191 584 3112.
Eggleston Abbey
and Boldron Circular
Walk
Barnard Castle and
Lartington Circular
Walk
visit: www.countydurhampartnership.co.uk
10 May
12.30pm
Eggleston Abbey
Part of a series of free guided
walks taking place the second
Sunday of every month.
Low Tide Day 2015
17 May
10.30am - 3.00pm
Seaham Hall Beach car park
Come along and join in the
rockpool ramble, we will be
hunting out starfish, crabs
and anemones, bring a
bucket and your wellies!
28 May
1.00pm - 3.00pm (drop in
session)
Low Barns Nature Reserve
Come and join us at the
pond dipping platforms
to discover the wildlife
beneath the water’s
surface. All pond dipping
equipment provided. Free
event. No booking
required. Suitable for
children over 5 years,
children must be
accompanied by an adult.
Altogethergreener
Volunteering
opportunities
Big Spring Clean campaign
Durham Voluntary
Countryside Ranger
Service
Countryside Rangers carry
out practical tasks every
Tuesday and Wednesday
throughout the County.
If you'd like further
information about
volunteering with and
how to get involved,
please contact the
Countryside Team on
03000 264 584 or email
countryside@durham.gov.uk.
Durham Wildlife
Trust
Low Barns Pond
Safari
County Durham’s Environment Partnership Newsletter: Spring 2015
Durham Wildlife Trust
provides opportunities for
enjoyment, education and
inspiration – conserving
wildlife and serving
communities from the Tees
to the Tyne. Call 0191 584
3112 for more information
about volunteering with
Durham Wildlife Trust.
Civic pride
Help to make your
neighbourhood a cleaner
greener place. We can
organise activities or
provide advice and
equipment for you to
organise your own
environmental project.
Email
civicpride@durham.gov.uk
Terry Collins,
Chair of
County
Durham
Environment
Partnership
Welcome
Welcome to the Spring edition
of the Altogether Greener
newsletter.
In this edition we take a look at
the 2015 Big Spring Clean
campaign which the
Environment Partnership board
members are pleased to
support. Litter picking and
rubbish removal makes a huge
difference to the environment
and helps us achieve our aim of
making County Durham a safer,
cleaner and greener place for all.
This is the fifth year of the
campaign and we rely on the
support of groups, schools,
partners and local residents to
achieve success. Thank you to
everyone for their continued
support.
If you have any news for a future
edition of this newsletter please
get in touch. Our contact details
are on the back page.
Volunteers at the Big Spring Clean launch in Stanley
The County Durham Big Spring Clean
campaign was officially launched on
Monday 2 March in Stanley where 44
volunteers helped to collect 70 bags of
rubbish from a stretch of the C2C cycle
track.
Last year saw 1,700 volunteers spend
3,000 hours collecting 1,200 bags of
rubbish and the initiative is back to urge
more volunteers to sign up to clear areas
of strewn rubbish.
The 2015 campaign will run from 28
February to 18 April with the aim of
involving as many community groups
and individuals as possible to clean up
their local community. A series of litter
picks will take place and litter pickers will
be encouraged to recycle the litter they
collect where possible.
Environment partnership board members supporting
this year’s Big Spring Clean
Equipment and support will be provided
to anyone wishing to take part and all
bagged rubbish will be collected
afterwards.
Any enquiries please contact the Civic
Pride team civicpride@durham.gov.uk
School Energy Saving
Programme
Schools across County
Durham are taking part in a
unique programme to help
them reduce their energy
use.
The School Carbon
Reduction Programme
(SCRP) enables schools to
investigate their energy use
and learn how to improve
energy efficiency. Since the
start of the programme
schools have saved £2.6 million and over 13000 tonnes
of carbon.
OASES (Outdoor and Sustainability Education
Specialists) work with pupils and staff to raise awareness
of energy and Climate Change and help them take
simple steps to reduce energy use. More information is
available from Rich Hurst; Education Development
Advisor – Sustainability Education
richard.hurst@durham.gov.uk
Climate change
Tara Duncan has recently been appointed as chair of
the Climate Change group and plans to form a
strategic group with sub groups for specific climate
change projects including flood resilience and energy
efficiency.
Flood alleviation works
Local nature partnerships
Coastal, heritage and landscape
A natural environment which is healthy and accessible
is essential for healthy and happy communities.
3Rivers Local Nature Partnership (LNP) has recently
reviewed the County Durham Joint Health and
Wellbeing Strategy (JHWS) to identify where our
natural environment can directly contribute to the
strategy’s aims.
Heathland Heartlands
Bright Water – a Skerne Landscape
Partnership
The Heathland Heartlands project is well underway
around the Stanley and Consett areas. Works have
been carried out over the winter to remove scrub from
important lowland heath habitats with further work to
be carried out over the next 18 months. If you’d like to
get involved contact DWT Project officer, Laura
Tedstone ltedstone@durhamwt.co.uk
Heart of Durham
The Heart of Durham project is continuing its work on
adders. If you’ve seen an adder in County Durham this
year the project officer, Anne Porter would love to
hear from you.
Environment in your community
This Spring, Food Durham is launching a two year
project, ‘Growing Durham’ with the aim of improving
access to fresh produce and providing the
opportunity for everyone to produce some of their
own food.
Paths for All People - Donate a
Gate!
Heart of Teesdale are working on an exciting new
project with the Friends of the North Pennines to roll
out a ‘Donate a Gate’ scheme across Teesdale and the
North Pennines area.
They have recently appointed two part-time workers
who will work closely with community gardens/
allotments/orchards to offer support and advice.
Please send any details of adder sightings to
aporter@durhamwt.co.uk
Contact: liz.charles@durhamrcc.org.uk/ 01388 742044
Work to reduce the risk of flooding in Witton Gilbert
commenced in January. The village was badly affected
in June 2012 following heavy storms which resulted in
flooding and damage to properties.
The work, which
involves altering the
profile of the Dene
Burn in the village, is
funded by the
Environment Agency’s
Flood Defence Grant in
Aid and Durham
County Council.
The Tees River Trust will be working this year to create
access and install platforms for disabled anglers along
the River Tees at Barnard Castle as part of the
Riverbanks Restoration Programme.
Food Durham: Community Growing
Project
Development of a stage 1 bid for Bright Water is
progressing well. Staff
from Durham Wildlife
Trust, Three Rivers LNP,
Durham County Council
and the Environment
Agency would welcome
your views.
Please support the project by completing the survey
and promoting it via your social media outlets and
forward to any contacts you have in the partnership
area. Further details and the online survey which ends
on 30 April can be found on the DWT website
www.durhamwt.com/bright-water-river-skerne/
Riverbanks Restoration
It’s Your Neighbourhood update
Costal project completed
Photo David Raymond
Otter Survey
The Durham Wildlife Trust annual otter survey will take
place in April. To take part contact Vivien Kent at DWT
vkent@durhamwt.co.uk
New easy access paths and signs have been installed
on Durham's Heritage Coast around Blackhall Rocks
along with fencing, car parks and grassland
restoration. The work is all part of the Coastland
Grasslands Project to conserve and restore the natural
features of the limestone plateau.
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) It’s Your
Neighbourhood campaign supports local community
groups in cleaning up and greening up their local
environment. Additional funding has been secured
and the Civic Pride team will now support 28
successful groups to deliver community based projects.
Examples of the successful projects include a ‘hearth
of the village’ community garden, conservation of a
closed burial ground, and a fruit tree planting
project.
School Energy Saving
Programme
Schools across County
Durham are taking part in a
unique programme to help
them reduce their energy
use.
The School Carbon
Reduction Programme
(SCRP) enables schools to
investigate their energy use
and learn how to improve
energy efficiency. Since the
start of the programme
schools have saved £2.6 million and over 13000 tonnes
of carbon.
OASES (Outdoor and Sustainability Education
Specialists) work with pupils and staff to raise awareness
of energy and Climate Change and help them take
simple steps to reduce energy use. More information is
available from Rich Hurst; Education Development
Advisor – Sustainability Education
richard.hurst@durham.gov.uk
Climate change
Tara Duncan has recently been appointed as chair of
the Climate Change group and plans to form a
strategic group with sub groups for specific climate
change projects including flood resilience and energy
efficiency.
Flood alleviation works
Local nature partnerships
Coastal, heritage and landscape
A natural environment which is healthy and accessible
is essential for healthy and happy communities.
3Rivers Local Nature Partnership (LNP) has recently
reviewed the County Durham Joint Health and
Wellbeing Strategy (JHWS) to identify where our
natural environment can directly contribute to the
strategy’s aims.
Heathland Heartlands
Bright Water – a Skerne Landscape
Partnership
The Heathland Heartlands project is well underway
around the Stanley and Consett areas. Works have
been carried out over the winter to remove scrub from
important lowland heath habitats with further work to
be carried out over the next 18 months. If you’d like to
get involved contact DWT Project officer, Laura
Tedstone ltedstone@durhamwt.co.uk
Heart of Durham
The Heart of Durham project is continuing its work on
adders. If you’ve seen an adder in County Durham this
year the project officer, Anne Porter would love to
hear from you.
Environment in your community
This Spring, Food Durham is launching a two year
project, ‘Growing Durham’ with the aim of improving
access to fresh produce and providing the
opportunity for everyone to produce some of their
own food.
Paths for All People - Donate a
Gate!
Heart of Teesdale are working on an exciting new
project with the Friends of the North Pennines to roll
out a ‘Donate a Gate’ scheme across Teesdale and the
North Pennines area.
They have recently appointed two part-time workers
who will work closely with community gardens/
allotments/orchards to offer support and advice.
Please send any details of adder sightings to
aporter@durhamwt.co.uk
Contact: liz.charles@durhamrcc.org.uk/ 01388 742044
Work to reduce the risk of flooding in Witton Gilbert
commenced in January. The village was badly affected
in June 2012 following heavy storms which resulted in
flooding and damage to properties.
The work, which
involves altering the
profile of the Dene
Burn in the village, is
funded by the
Environment Agency’s
Flood Defence Grant in
Aid and Durham
County Council.
The Tees River Trust will be working this year to create
access and install platforms for disabled anglers along
the River Tees at Barnard Castle as part of the
Riverbanks Restoration Programme.
Food Durham: Community Growing
Project
Development of a stage 1 bid for Bright Water is
progressing well. Staff
from Durham Wildlife
Trust, Three Rivers LNP,
Durham County Council
and the Environment
Agency would welcome
your views.
Please support the project by completing the survey
and promoting it via your social media outlets and
forward to any contacts you have in the partnership
area. Further details and the online survey which ends
on 30 April can be found on the DWT website
www.durhamwt.com/bright-water-river-skerne/
Riverbanks Restoration
It’s Your Neighbourhood update
Costal project completed
Photo David Raymond
Otter Survey
The Durham Wildlife Trust annual otter survey will take
place in April. To take part contact Vivien Kent at DWT
vkent@durhamwt.co.uk
New easy access paths and signs have been installed
on Durham's Heritage Coast around Blackhall Rocks
along with fencing, car parks and grassland
restoration. The work is all part of the Coastland
Grasslands Project to conserve and restore the natural
features of the limestone plateau.
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) It’s Your
Neighbourhood campaign supports local community
groups in cleaning up and greening up their local
environment. Additional funding has been secured
and the Civic Pride team will now support 28
successful groups to deliver community based projects.
Examples of the successful projects include a ‘hearth
of the village’ community garden, conservation of a
closed burial ground, and a fruit tree planting
project.
To find out more about the County Durham
Environment Partnership or to get involved:
What’son...
Big Spring Clean
Campaign
28 February – 18 April
To sign up and take part
email
litterfreedurham@durham.gov.
uk or call 03000 261000
www.durham.gov.uk/
bigspringclean
Pots and Pollinators
1 April
1.30pm -3.30pm
Low Barns Nature Reserve,
Witton-le Wear, Bishop
Auckland, DL14 0AG
Please book a place by
phoning 0191 584 3112.
Children must be
accompanied by an adult.
Mammal Detectives
14 April
10.00am – 12.00pm
Rainton Meadows Nature
Reserve, Houghton-le-Spring,
DH4 6PU
Help us check the live
mammal traps to see what
little creatures are living
around the reserve.
12 April
12.30pm
Scar Top, Barnard Castle,
Part of a series of free
guided walks taking place
on the second Sunday of
every month.
email: environmentpartnership@durham.gov.uk
call: 03000 266 099
Buzz about
Wildflowers
26 May
1.00pm -3.00pm
Rainton Meadows Nature
Reserve
Come and explore our busy
wildflower meadows and
see what bugs are living
amongst these plants.
Treats in the Trees
25 April
1.00pm- 3.30pm
Rainton Meadows Nature
Reserve
Celebrate the Wildlife
Trust’s Woodland
Weekend with an
afternoon in the woods at
Rainton Meadows.
Please book a place by
phoning 0191 584 3112.
Eggleston Abbey
and Boldron Circular
Walk
Barnard Castle and
Lartington Circular
Walk
visit: www.countydurhampartnership.co.uk
10 May
12.30pm
Eggleston Abbey
Part of a series of free guided
walks taking place the second
Sunday of every month.
Low Tide Day 2015
17 May
10.30am - 3.00pm
Seaham Hall Beach car park
Come along and join in the
rockpool ramble, we will be
hunting out starfish, crabs
and anemones, bring a
bucket and your wellies!
28 May
1.00pm - 3.00pm (drop in
session)
Low Barns Nature Reserve
Come and join us at the
pond dipping platforms
to discover the wildlife
beneath the water’s
surface. All pond dipping
equipment provided. Free
event. No booking
required. Suitable for
children over 5 years,
children must be
accompanied by an adult.
Altogethergreener
Volunteering
opportunities
Big Spring Clean campaign
Durham Voluntary
Countryside Ranger
Service
Countryside Rangers carry
out practical tasks every
Tuesday and Wednesday
throughout the County.
If you'd like further
information about
volunteering with and
how to get involved,
please contact the
Countryside Team on
03000 264 584 or email
countryside@durham.gov.uk.
Durham Wildlife
Trust
Low Barns Pond
Safari
County Durham’s Environment Partnership Newsletter: Spring 2015
Durham Wildlife Trust
provides opportunities for
enjoyment, education and
inspiration – conserving
wildlife and serving
communities from the Tees
to the Tyne. Call 0191 584
3112 for more information
about volunteering with
Durham Wildlife Trust.
Civic pride
Help to make your
neighbourhood a cleaner
greener place. We can
organise activities or
provide advice and
equipment for you to
organise your own
environmental project.
Email
civicpride@durham.gov.uk
Terry Collins,
Chair of
County
Durham
Environment
Partnership
Welcome
Welcome to the Spring edition
of the Altogether Greener
newsletter.
In this edition we take a look at
the 2015 Big Spring Clean
campaign which the
Environment Partnership board
members are pleased to
support. Litter picking and
rubbish removal makes a huge
difference to the environment
and helps us achieve our aim of
making County Durham a safer,
cleaner and greener place for all.
This is the fifth year of the
campaign and we rely on the
support of groups, schools,
partners and local residents to
achieve success. Thank you to
everyone for their continued
support.
If you have any news for a future
edition of this newsletter please
get in touch. Our contact details
are on the back page.
Volunteers at the Big Spring Clean launch in Stanley
The County Durham Big Spring Clean
campaign was officially launched on
Monday 2 March in Stanley where 44
volunteers helped to collect 70 bags of
rubbish from a stretch of the C2C cycle
track.
Last year saw 1,700 volunteers spend
3,000 hours collecting 1,200 bags of
rubbish and the initiative is back to urge
more volunteers to sign up to clear areas
of strewn rubbish.
The 2015 campaign will run from 28
February to 18 April with the aim of
involving as many community groups
and individuals as possible to clean up
their local community. A series of litter
picks will take place and litter pickers will
be encouraged to recycle the litter they
collect where possible.
Environment partnership board members supporting
this year’s Big Spring Clean
Equipment and support will be provided
to anyone wishing to take part and all
bagged rubbish will be collected
afterwards.
Any enquiries please contact the Civic
Pride team civicpride@durham.gov.uk