Education and engagement are vital in tackling climate change. By providing knowledge and awareness about the environment, we empower individuals to make informed decisions and take meaningful action. Engaging people in the climate challenge fosters a sense of responsibility and collective effort, driving positive change for a sustainable future.
Happy New Year from the Sustainable South Hams team! To celebrate, we've put together a collection of some of our activities over the last year. Thank you so much to all of you who have supported SusSH, joined in our events and brought your own passion, drive and enthusiasm to sustainability in the South Hams.
Community Sustainability Groups recently met with engineers from National Grid Electricity Distribution to improve understanding about what is and isn’t feasible for community energy projects in the South Hams
The first ever Planet Local brought together amazing sustainable local businesses from across the South Hams, and provided a wonderful template for future similar events.
Transition Streets - a community-focussed initiative supporting social cohesion, carbon reduction, and energy saving; Incredible Edible Totnes - supporting local and accessible food growing in public spaces; Totnes Climate Hub - a public space for creating community support and local responses to our global challenges; REconomy Project - a project inspiring economic regeneration locally; Time to Breathe - a meditative space for personal wellbeing support
Bigbury Net Zero is a community group promoting cooperation between neighbouring parishes in Aveton Gifford, Thurlestone, Ringmore, Kingston & Modbury in order to reduce our joint carbon footprint and rebuild nature between the River Avon and the River Erme.
We now have a number of well-established projects, including the Marsh Composting Centre, a school garden, a hedges and woodland group and the 4B's. We have more than 200 members. SSB works closely with South Brent Parish Council who declared a Climate and Ecological Emergency in 2019. The Trustee group is presently reviewing strategic priorities and is currently focussing new effort around transport and energy projects.
Providing tools to help people understand their own carbon footprint
ReUsing the Big Red Telephone Box as lending library for climate & nature books
Ugborough's citizen science project uses the iNaturalist app to record wildlife