The RSPB have launched their new youth fundraising campaign ‘I’m on the sea’s side’ to raise awareness of how sea creatures desperately need our protection to survive.

There are currently very few nature reserves at sea even though there are hundreds on dry land. This means that many marine creatures aren’t getting the level of protection they need. The main threat to their survival is from human activity.

Children of all ages are being asked to take part in fundraising activities to raise money for the campaign. Ideas include sponsored walks and runs, cake sales and sponsored silences.

The money will be going to help creatures such as pelicans, seahorses, dolphins, crabs, starfish and seabirds amongst many others.

Why the campaign was launched

New laws have come into practice which states the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments need to create more marine reserves.

The main aim of the campaign is to push for the governments to actually create these nature reserves in order to give the wildlife the best chance of recovery and survival possible.

Half of the UKs wildlife is situated in the sea but only 0.0008% of it is protected. There are sections of the sea which have been dedicated ‘No Take Zones’ which means that any commercial activity that may damage the animals and environment is completely banned.

The RSPB will be working alongside experts to identify the most endangered areas of the ocean that need to be protected. These areas will hopefully then get the protection needed to let the sea creatures live and breed in a safe environment, much like nature reserves on land currently do.

What’s happening in the Midlands

A selection of the Midlands based RSPB branches are working with local schools and groups to connect them to the campaign.

Leslie Nundy from the Youth & Education department of the RSPB said the main aim of working with schools was about ‘raising awareness of the issues facing sea creatures through a network of Wildlife Explorer School Clubs, Community Groups and RSPB Bird Friendly schools.’

Although there isn’t an age limit on who can take part in the campaign, the emphasis is predominantly on getting children involved.

Leslie said:

‘It can be hard to connect children directly to major conservation concerns.

Raising money is one way of doing that and helps reinforce to children that nature conservation is a costly business as well as engaging and educating them through information and activities.’

The money raised will go towards the research and the cost of setting up the protected areas. ‘Every participant receives a thank you letter; certificate and exclusive stickers’ in return for their hard work on the ‘I’m on the sea’s side’ project.

For more information and downloadable fundraising packs visit  RSPB.

People of all ages and abilities are being asked to take part in knitting a set of 100 pandas as part of the Unitypanda project.

The main aim of the project is to bring people together to socialise and participate in learning new skills.

Each panda is made up of 22 parts, each requiring a different level of skill from the knitter. The varied levels means there is always a part that everyone can get involved in, no matter what their ability.

Currently only 18 pandas have been fully completed, however 75 pandas have been started and are undergoing completion.

When the 100 pandas are complete they will be ‘going on tour’ from September until January 2011 as part of the ‘Material Actions’ exhibition organised by Textile Forum South West.

Each panda will be numbered from 1-100 with tags around their necks saying the names of all the contributors who took the time to make it.

Ultimately the pandas will be sent to China in a 1940s biplane after receiving a going away ceremony. It will recreate the ceremony that welcomed the real Unity Pandas which China donated to London Zoo in 1946.

The whole event captured the hearts of the nation and various forms of memorabilia were created including the panda pattern that the Unitypanda project is using today. Local school children will be joining in the celebrations and dancing along to 1940s Glenn Miller music.

How Unitypanda began

Jonnet said:

 ’My fascination with pandas started when I was about six months old when I was given a cuddly panda.’

Last year Jonnet joined the knitting group Stitches and Hos in Birmingham, as she wanted to not only learn how to knit but wanted to meet new people and socialise. She decided she wanted to knit the 1940s panda pattern which she had previously bought off of eBay.

 ’I had such fun; it was just a really beautiful moment when I started knitting and thought wow, today I managed to knit half of his head. That’s really where the birth of the Unitypanda project started, when I realised perhaps other people would like to do it do.’

Jonnet and the project

In many of Jonnets’ art projects she likes to focus quite strongly on the environmental aspect of things. She likes to work with new technologies whilst thinking about environmental issues and how sustainable something is.

The process of the Unitypanda project is more important to Jonnet than the actual outcome.

This project is about giving people the skills and the confidence to be able to go and create new things and the knock-on effect the process has on people.

Jonnet said:

 ’It’s the consequences and the legacy that make the project successful and worthwhile’

Jonnet wants people to think about the sustainability of the products and objects around them. She wants people to change from, ‘passively consuming products to actively producing them.’ She believes it’s a key environmental concern.

Upcoming events, 8^th May, 12^th June, July 10^th, 10-4, at the Pandashop, 22 City Arcade, Coventry.

For more information call the Pandaline on 07974 694 584 or follow @unitypanda on twitter.

Jonnet and the Pandas from chris and keir on Vimeo.

Elaine Mason says that her current work is not on her website yet, but includes a small table with a glass top and legs made from reclaimed oak and a variety of wall lights.

Elaine said of these products:

‘I guess I get most excited about doing the bigger things and the one off pieces.

What I love is the fact that when I sell something to someone, not only is it made from recycled glass but they are going to have something that they will never ever see anybody else with because it’s a one off.’

Using reclaimed resources

Elaine uses the leftover glass that local window company Hereford Windows no longer needs providing her with free glass to use in her pieces and reducing the amount of waste that will get sent to landfill.

Elaine said of the recycled materials:

‘It’s something I feel really passionate about. Why would I need something new to be created, when there’s so much already that just needs to be recreated.

Glass is infinitely recyclable. It’s just about giving a new lease of life to something that otherwise would go on the scrapheap.

What I feel I’m doing is creating something beautiful from something that otherwise would be chucked in the bin and that feels very worthwhile to me.’

Local picture framer Mi-Frame also allows Elaine to have their unwanted cut-off pieces of glass.

Picture glass is lot thinner than normal float glass that is used in everyday windows and this two mm glass enables her to easily create different effects out of it.

Currently only 34% of waste glass gets recycled in the UK, even though a staggering 90% could be recycled and reused.

How Glass on Glass began

Glass on Glass was set up back in 2008, after owner of the company Elaine Mason returned from a life-changing holiday in Crete.

She was so inspired by the warm glass making she saw whilst away, she decided to enrol on a course back in England.

Shortly after Elaine started working with glass, she realised she wanted to work with reusable resources, rather than to buy new products.

She started to trade officially in November 2008 and now runs a successful business. She said on the matter:

‘This last year has far exceeded my expectations.’

To find out more about Glass on Glass products visit www.glassonglass.co.uk. The next market event where Glass on Glass will have a stand is on April 10^th at the Cotswold Craft Market, Cirencester.

These events allow people to get together to discuss the best ways to be green and limit their impact on the environment and they believe that the best way to spread the message of being good to nature is to live by example.

The next eco-congregation in Birmingham will be on Friday 16^th April from 7pm-9.30pm at Journey Metropolitan Community Church.

Churches

Eco-congregation is a project that was set up by A Rocha in 2000 and has steadily grown into a worldwide campaign help make their church ‘green’.

The project provides incentives to encourage each church group to work hard at being green and to reach their targets.

These targets are made up of 12 modules in which the church must complete before they receive the Award based on these categories ‘Greening the Church Building’, ‘Community Matters’ and ‘Lifestyle Issues’.

The scheme isn’t just strictly for Christians; any member of the public can attend one of the events.

David Hughes, the Eco-congregation Coordinator for England and Wales said:

‘Although we are specifically Christian we have been approached by a couple of Islamic groups and a Jewish group who are interested in adapting the idea to work with their own places of worship and we are keen to help them set up their own schemes.

The Journey Metropolitan Community Church is running a biannual networking event in Birmingham to encourage churches to become Eco-congregations and to support those who are already working on the programme.’

In 2008 it was discovered that Starbucks were wasting roughly 23million litres of water every day. The company rule was to have a tap constantly running in the dipper well where spoons and other utensils are washed.

They claimed they did this in every store around the world to stop germs from forming in the pipes and to stick to Health and Safety Rules.

Green activists and environmental groups were outraged at these claims and called for an end to the extreme water wastage by Starbucks. Health and Safety officers were also appalled and said there was no need to keep a tap constantly running as it doesn’t affect the safety of humans in any way.

Starbucks formed the Shared Planet scheme to combat environmental issues like water use, reusable packaging and fair-trade sources. The amount of water wasted was to be addressed within this scheme.

Now with over 16, 500 stores in 49 countries, Starbucks has changed the old dipper well system to a new push button metered faucet way of washing utensils in the majority of it’s stores.

A member of Starbucks press office told Birmingham Recycled:

‘Our UK stores currently use a “single spoon, single pitcher” method, which involves using a spoon and pitcher once and then rinsing it.  It is then sanitised, every two hours, when it’s put through the dishwasher.

Our specific water conservation measures will help Starbucks in the UK save enough water to fill 900 Olympic swimming pools a year.’

The new stores are being designed with a ‘rigorous approach to energy and water efficency’. Starbucks claim that these new design stores will cut consumption by up to 20 %. They will be fitted with energy efficient light bulbs and hand dryers, low-flow taps, dual-flush toilets, and spray arms will be fitted into the sinks.

Georgia Stokes, Manager of Northfield Ecocentre added:

‘Only 1% of the world’s water is drinkable so we all need to save water wherever possible. It is our most precious resource. It’s great Starbucks have recognised their responsibility to conserve water, hopefully the new measures will soon cover all their stores worldwide.

There are lots of ways we can all save water at home and at work that cost us no money and minimal effort. Turn the tap off when you wash your hands and clean your teeth, and have a shower not a bath. Make sure you fix leaky taps. For all the gardeners, get a water butt to collect rainwater and use this for your plants, this could be an old water tight container and needn’t be bought specially.’

By the end of 2010 they aim to have drived 50% of the energy used in company-operated stores from renewable sources and to have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by making the stores 25% more energy efficient.

The college offers a wide range of courses about Horticultural, Floristry and Conservation.

Many of the courses are a one or two day a week programme, which allows for students to gradually build up their skills basis whilst still being able to earn money which is a more practical and appealing alternative to the traditional nine to five educational options for many people.

Visitors will have the opportunity to talk to teachers and other students about both the courses they offer and the college itself and there will be demonstrations, subject talks and activities are all available on the day for visitors to experience.

Conservation Courses

The conservation courses include a NVQ level 2 in Environmental Conservation, which gives students the chance to gain skills in both the practical and theoretical sides of conservation. They will learn how to maintain health and safety, environmental good practice at work, establish habitats, care for the public amongst a variety of other things.

The other course, City and Guilds Level 1 Land- Base Studies in Environmental Conservation is a good stepping stone for people who want to enter the profession. The seven unit course allows students to develop personal performance and effective working relationships, repair surfaces and ancillary structures, and assist with the establishment of plants and sites.

Horticulture Courses

Over the last 22 years the horticulture subjects have been developed and expanded to create the four courses the college offers today: City and Guilds National Certificate in Horticulture, NVQ level 2 in Amenity Horticulture, City and Guilds 0062 in Gardening and, City and Guilds Level 1 Land- Based Studies in Horticulture. These courses cover a range of topics such as garden design, horticultural science, interior landscaping and propagation techniques.

A range of methods are used to teach students including demonstrations, lectures and practical sessions. Getting as much hands on experience as possible is important which is why practical sessions are delivered in the college’s workshops, glasshouses, and landscaped grounds. Both courses offer students the chance to go on a mixture of trips to parks, forests, botanical gardens and florist events.

The Ecocentre is looking for photographs that portray ‘whats beautiful’ in the local area. This could be anything from a blossoming flower to a stunning piece of architecture with entrants encouraged to choose a subject that means something to them.

The competition was launched on Saturday (27th Feb) with the closing date for submissions at 12 noon on Saturday 29th May. Photographs can fall under three categories: Nature, Cityscape and Community.

A team of local photographers will be judging the competition and choosing the winning photographs. These will be displayed in the Ecocentre as well as around Birmingham city centre, for all members of the public to enjoy. Selected photographs will feature on the Ecocentre website, and also will be transformed into a calendar for 2011.

Professional photographer Jane Baker, of Greensnapper Photography, offered a photographic tour of Northfield to competition participates who turned up on the opening day. She said:

“This is an opportunity for local people to use photography to celebrate what Northfield means to them.

Images have the power to intrigue, catch our attention, stir emotion and excite.

As a competition judge I look forward to discovering Birmingham’s hidden creative talent and meeting those who could become the inspiring new photographers of tomorrow.”

The competition is partly funded by Be Birmingham’s Working Neighbourhoods Fund. Director, Jackie Mould said:

“The Working Neighbourhoods Fund is being used to benefit those people living in Birmingham’s most deprived neighbourhoods.

This competition is an excellent example of how local people can feel proud and get involved in their local area.”

To enter the Beautiful Northfield Photography Competition you need to submit a digital photograph to enquiries@northfieldecocentre.org.