Bottle Greenhouse built by More South and RES at the HFG

Volunteers have been hard at work over the winter months to transform the former Dacorum Nursery site into a thriving community project, that will soon be opening to the public with a local food shop if planning permission is granted.   From clearing rubble to planting an orchard, creating hedges to digging vegetable beds,  volunteers from HHCV, HiT, RES and other local companies have helped Sunnyside Rural Trust, who run the project, to turn the site’s huge potential into reality.  Read about what the Hemel Conservation Volunteers have been up to in this Gazette article.

And the project recently received a special visit from the High Sheriff of Hertfordshire.

The Food Garden now has a web page on the Sunnyside Rural Trust website, where you can find out how to contact them about volunteering or visiting once the project  opens to the public this month.

MORE NEWS COMING SOON – WATCH THIS SPACE!!

On June 23rd, HiT will be running a Bicycle Corner at St John’s Environmental Fair in Boxmoor, and we need your help!  Do you have a bicycle trailer, tag-along, recumbent, penny-farthing, electric bicycle or fixie you could bring for people to try out on the day? Or would you be able to help us run this activity? Or help people learn to fix their bikes? We look forward to hearing from you if you can, so please get in touch!

Please put the event in your diaries too! 23 June, 10am-4pm.

Saturday 5th May is the date of our local vineyard’s spring Open Day. Running from 12-5pm, this is a chance to taste, purchase the new wines, enjoy a burger or two at the bbq, take a stroll round the vineyard, cream teas and cakes as well as a lovely glass of Frithsden wine.

Saturday 19th May is Frithsden Vineyard ‘Spanish Evening’. This is an evening event of informal al fresco dining including a selection of tapas, paella and pudding, wine/beer and soft drinks are also available to purchase on the night. Sorry no flamenco dancers!! This event is restricted to 30 guests, so booking is essential. Pls. email us or give us a call to book your tickets

Please note that there is no parking at the vineyard for this event. Please park in the village if possible.

Weds 14 March, 7:30 for 8:00pmThe Centenary Theatre Hall, Berkhamsted School, Kings Road, Berkhamsted, HP4 3BG. (9 minutes walk from the station). Click here to book.

Our high profile panel is confirmed as:

The financier: Nick Robins, Head of Climate Change Centre of Excellence, HSBC
The industrialist: Martin Haigh, Senior Energy Advisor, Shell
The scientist: Dr Andrew Jarvis, expert in Climate Control, Lancaster University
The lobbyist: Harry Huyton, Head of Climate Change Policy and Campaigns, RSPB
The governor: Chris Nichols, Director of Quality and Innovation at Ashridge Consulting
The chair: John Allan, Mayor of Tring, Co-founder of Tring in Transition
The realist: Neil Copeland, Climate Reality Project

Climate Change in a time of economic downturn. Petrol prices are going through the roof, your energy bill is a lot bigger than it used to be. Climate change is happening more quickly than the most pessimistic scientists predicted, and the effects have been more severe than they expected. Yet the public seem to be losing interest in climate change, half of us still don’t believe it is real and caused by humans, and consequently the government and the media are focussed elsewhere. There was an agreement late last year involving the worlds biggest emitting countries, but it was not legally binding and does not take effect for another 8 years – where scientists advise that it will be too late in 5 years.

What is (not) being done
There was an agreement late last year involving the worlds biggest emitting countries, but it was not legally binding and does not take effect for another 8 years – where scientists advise that it will be too late in 5 years.

So…If you feel that the issues have been overstated, think too much money is being wasted on wind turbines, or instead have a nagging guilt about being complicit in an impending disaster, then come along and have a chance to ask world experts about the issues!

Woody’s cafe has been a keen supporter of Hemel in Transition since our inception, and this year we have worked together to create a community event in which we can all eat together by candlelight, in a restaurant that is going Beyond Earth Hour to turn off its electricity all evening on 31st March. 

Last year, more than 5,200 cities and towns in 135 countries worldwide switched off their lights for Earth Hour , sending a powerful message for action on climate change. It also ushered in a new era with members going Beyond the Hour to commit to lasting action for the planet.

This year, thousands of people are daring the world to save the planet by making  ”I Will if You Will“  pledges. Earth Hour founder Andrew Ridley  has pledged to get in the water with a great white shark if more than 10,000 people submit their own challenge.

If you’d like to join us for Earth Hour (which is officially between 8.30 and 9.30pm),  please book your place directly with Woody’s and say that you’re with HiT.   If you’ve not been before, Woody’s offers a range of authentic, wholesome, tasty vegetarian dishes, and is situated on the waterfront at Apsley Lock.  It’s most easily reached by coming along the towpath from Kings Langley or Hemel Hempstead, or you can reach it from the London Road (by Apsley train station) and cross over the canal, or come from Belswains Lane, via Dickonson’s Quay.

There’ll be hot/cold drinks & some biscuits etc but you’ll need to bring your own lunch! Please arrive  in good time as there will be a safety talk at the beginning of the activity regarding tools.

Read more about what they have done here.

If you have an idea for an event in Hemel for Climate Week, please come along to our Green Drinks or email annie at hemelintransition.org