If you were in the West Bridgford area of Nottingham on Saturday you will have seen just how successful the Summer Gathering was, despite the drizzle.
Hundreds of local people turned out to wander round the huge variety of community, sustainable, eco and green stalls. So why are we mentioning it here? Well, apart from being able to get a taste of ‘green’ and eco projects it is worth shouting about because it was organised by a single individual.
So many events are corporate or commercial, organised by masses of people. It makes it difficult to imagine that you could ever do-it-yourself. But you can.
The West Bridgford Summer Gathering was organised by one local individual (the EcoList’s Karina Wells) because she wanted to find a way of celebrating ‘the local community’ and offering visitors a chance to see that there are groups and individuals in the area doing some brilliant (and sustainable) things. Obviously, a lot of people helped out on the day, but this is a clear demonstration that you don’t have to wait for your local council to organise something like this - you can celebrate, inform and do-it-yourself.
Have a look at the website for a list of all the people who took part on Saturday and, if you are thinking of organising something like this yourself, get in touch with Karina (via the EcoList) for some tips and advice.
Summer Gathering a Hit
Pooh Pots
At a time when people are growing seedlings ready for transplanting, here is a helping hand in the form of Cow Pots (TM), transplanter pots made from cow manure. Apparently they don’t smell and are completely biodegradable being made from 100% composted USA cow pooh.
They provide an easy way to transplant delicate plants, stimulate root growth and enrich the soil they are planted in at the same time. No word of them being available in the UK yet but a great idea invented by two dairy farming brothers in Connecticut, USA.
More information from: www.cowpots.com
Get Them Growing Green Early
This is a really nice activity pack for children and a way of helping them to become involved in ‘growing’.
The Indoor Gardening Kit contains all children need to plant and grow. Available from Green Toys, the pack is made from environmentally friendly materials and comes with seeds, instructions and even soil.
If you want your children (from 5 upwards) to go green and grow their own plants, but can’t get their name on the allotment waiting list – this might just be the thing. Sadly Green Toys Inc is located in San Francisco but it seems the will ship to places outside the USA.
