Here is a list of various events that people have let us know about (they may not all be listed in date order):

National Climate March!!!!!!

Saturday December 6th at 12 noon (there will also be a bike ride starting at 10.30 am).

Exeter Climate Action, Maurice Spurway, tel: 07801 136937
exeter.foeeclipse.co.uk
A group will be coming by train - to join up with them and for more info contact Maurice (as above)
For more details see the Exeter FoE website www.exeterfoe.org.uk.
The link to this, other groups and advice on organisng your own transport is:
 http://www.campaigncc.org/local.html

TOTNES 

Anyone wanting to go on the march from Totnes - a group is being organised by Lydia , so do get on touch with her on 01803 849437.

SPARC - The Scrapstore at Dartington

Open Day 6th December. 10-3.

A great way to find out about the work we do and have some fun at the same time. There will be FREE drop in workshops happening all day where you can make amazing creations for Christmas from recycled materials and from natural materials. You can have a chance to look at all the eye catching materials in the store and become familiar with our wide range of resources available to hire. There will be yummy refreshments and a chance to buy beautiful handmade gifts from our Christmas Grotto. A great FREE day out.

SPARC desperately needs volunteers to help it survive and transform into an even more exciting community resource.......we need: help with our computerised accounts,                   tracking down waste suppliers and doing waste pick ups, people on our management team, help managing and organising our wide range of community resources,    Fundraising help, Publicity and raising our awareness.
If you have any spare time and could help in any of these areas we would be thrilledt o have you on board......contact Sheila on 01803 847943

SPARC will have a presence at the late night shopping events in Totnes on Tues 9th and Tuesday 16 th December....look for us

Need a venue?

SPARC also has a wonderful workshop space available to hire at £6 per hour. It is light, wooden floored and equipped with heating, cooking facilities, chairs, tables and we have photocopier, laminator and internet access available. It is perfect for birthday parties, meetings, courses, art groups band practices, therapy and much more. Contact 01803 847943

Opening times.....Mon/Tues.....10-3
                             Thurs.....      10- 6
                              Sat              10 -1
Close for Christmas   18th Dec

• Get a £5.00 discount on these courses.
• Next F.EI meeting will be a joint meeting with the other Devon cluster group(that some of us use to attend) held on Thursday 18th December at 7.00pm. Up for discussion will be funding for Webpage news/links and info for our groups.Please let me know if you are able to attend and have any items for the agenda.
• If you would like to know more about the F.E.I heres a link http://www.foresteducation.org/ 

 

a free screening of

The World According to Monsanto

"Devastating exposé . . . Will freeze the blood in your veins"—The Gazette

Friday 21st November

Doors 6.30pm (for 7pm start)

 

Jill Craigie Cinema
Roland Levinsky Arts Building
Plymouth University Drakes Circus

This enormously powerful film The World According to Monsanto chronicles Monsanto’s controversial past: A history that combines some of the most toxic products ever sold with misleading reports, pressure tactics, collusion, and attempted corruption. They now race to genetically engineer (and patent) the world’s food supply, a frightening strategy which profoundly threatens our health, environment, and economy. Exposing secret documents with first-hand accounts by victims, scientists, and politicians, this widely praised film exposes why Monsanto has become the world’s poster child for malignant corporate influence in government and technology

For more details go to: www.plymouthenvironmentcentre.org.uk

Running time: 109 minutes

ALL WELCOME

Free admission – suggested donation of £2 to help cover costs.

Beenleigh Meadows Farm - Volunteer Events

Regular volunteer events every Thursday morning from 9.30 - 1.30pm. Currently we have WWOOFERs on the farm so we undertake these tasks together but if you fancy a morning on the farm do come along too. The schedule is as follows:
 

Nov 20th:sorting uot the CSF tools, creating inventories
Nov 27th: brash clearing, woodcutting
 
Bring warm work clothes and lunch to share. Hot drinks/warm fire provided! After the holiday period we'll be focussing on hedgelaying and invite people with some experience to help us lay 2 lengths of quite neglected hedge. If you have some experience and just fancy mucking in your help would be really appreciated and makes a dramatic difference to the wildlife on the farm (we can show you how when you come!)
 
We also have our last Fungal Foray of the season coming up at Beenleigh on November 22nd with Planet Fungus, you can email me back to book or even book online using Paypal. Next year will see a bunch of new day and weekend courses aimed at the more academic end of biodiversity conservation and surveying - but they will also be accessible to all levels of knowledge and will be fully experiential. We are even developing  A Level Biology in a Day and GCSE Science in a Day experiences which will offer revision opportunities in a unique pedagogical way, ensuring that knowledge is retained and remembered .
 

Trees For Health Events

Sun 30 Nov - tree lifting and transplanting at Sharpham tree nursery. Help us lift trees ready for planting this season & then to transplant small saplings into the nursery for next year. 11-4.
Sun 14 Dec - tree planting on the Sharpham Estate with Moor Trees. Help plant a grove of walnut trees raised from seed from the Sharpham Estate plus an area of new native woodland. 11-4.
 
Then we have monthly tree events at Combe Royal, Kingsbridge from 10.30-3.30. Activities can include tree planting, green woodworking, nursery work, coppicing/layering, woodland management. Dates:
17 Dec, 21 Jan, 18 Feb, 18 March.Tree planting and tree courses: phone Liz on 01803 867018 liz@treesforhealth.org

This Autumn WildWise is running a programme of outstanding training events to develop skills and resources, and to inspire professionals working in the field of outdoor and environmental education. These courses are designed particularly for teachers, rangers, forest school leaders, outdoor instructors, educators and students. We still have places available on the following events -

(Please note pricing structure for organisations/individuals)

Tel: 01803 868269
Mobile: 0781 349 2825

Email: enquiries@wildwise.co.uk
Website: www.wildwise.co.uk

November 25 Education for Sustainable Development - Jon Cree
‘How organisations can work with schools to support delivering ESD’.
This day will look at phases from foundation to GCSE to examine how organisations involved in sustainable development can link into school initiatives. Cost: £95/£60
http://www.wildwise.co.uk/esd.html

November 26 Emotional Literacy - Jon Cree
This day contains strategies and techniques for working with emotional literacy in the outdoors to support learner development. This workshop is a must for both environmental educators and teachers.Cost: £95/£60
http://www.wildwise.co.uk/emotional-literacy.html

Tree planting and tree courses: phone Liz on 01803 867018 liz@treesforhealth.org

Thinking of doing your Permaculture Diploma?

Have you done a Permaculture Design Course, toyed with the idea of taking it a
stage further but not got it together? Now is your opportunity to join a
Diploma Learning Guild of 3 others based at Landmatters Permaculture Project,
motivated and raring to go this autumn, for mutual support and a place to
design? If so, let us know before October, on 01803-712718 or see
www.landmatters.org.uk

For more information about the diploma go to www.permaculture.org.uk

The Royal Society is organising a Discussion Meeting on energy and climate in November, ‘Towards a low carbon energy future’.

Towards a low carbon energy future
Monday 17 to Tuesday 18 November 2008
Address:
 The Royal Society
 6-9 Carlton House Terrace
 London
 SW1Y 5AG
tel: +44(0)20 7451 2500
email: discussion.meetings@royalsociety.org<mailto:discussion.meetings@royalsociety.org>
web: royalsociety.org<http://royalsociety.org>
Nearest tube: Piccadilly Circus or Charring Cross

Organised by Professor John Shepherd FRS, Professor Brian Launder FRS FREng, Lord May of Oxford OM AC Kt FRS and Professor Jim Skea OBE

Synopsis
Meeting future energy needs while tackling climate change is of the utmost importance but debate has so far been characterised by the analysis of single technologies in isolation. This meeting aims to review the current and potential technological options and how they can contribute to an integrated energy strategy for the future.

Invited speakers include Professor Paul Ekins, Professor Julia King, Professor Kevin Anderson, Professor Andrew Gouldson, Professor Stuart Haszeldine, Professor Robin Wallace, Professor Goran Strbac, Professor Robin Grimes, Professor Philip Eames, Dr Ausilio Bauen, Professor Peter Bruce FRS, Professor John Kilner, Dr Tadj Oreszczyn and Emma Howard Boyd.

The discussion meeting runs from 9am to 5pm on Monday 17 November and from 9am to 3:30pm on Tuesday 18 November. The registration desk will open at 8.30am on each day.

This meeting is FREE to attend, but pre-registration online is essential.
For more details and to register online, please go to http://royalsociety.org/event.asp?id=7991

Green Drinks

Come and meet with friends and other green-minded people for and evening of inspiraion and networking.

At the Barrel House, Totnes on the last Wednesday of each month. 7:30pm onwards

Hosted by the Green Party.

Community Supported Farming - CSF - Sustainability Courses

First of all from Sustainable South Brent -http://www.sustainablesouthbrent.org.uk/
 
On Saturday 29th November at 10am there's a Coppicing day (adults only) followed by at pm Shelter Building (for all the family). Contact SSB for further information!

 
And, Landmatters (www.landmatters.org.uk) have regular volunteer days on Wednesdays and Thursdays and also on the second Saturday of every month. You'll need to call 01803 712718 for transport information as parking/private cars are restricted.
Landmatters Permaculture Project is a 42-acre, low-impact residential site between Totnes and Dartmouth, operating with principles of permaculture, and how they can be applied, and to make a valuable contribution to the vast and complex task of leading a simple and more sustainable life! A member of the community will work with you on each activity and answer any questions. Let us know your own skills and interests - there may be other things you could help with not mentioned below. Bring wet/cold weather gear, lunch and snacks, wellies/boots, and work gloves if you have them.
As well as the activities below, you are always welcome to explore the woods and fields, picnic, play frisbee and just chill out. We have a warm, dry space where you can rest and make hot drinks. We look forward to seeing you.
Saturday 22nd November
A day of gardening, when you may be able to finish what you started last month or do something completely different.

Increasing soil fertility is a major component of what we do, for which we need as much compost as we can make. We will be building more compost bins from palettes, wood and wire, for those who enjoy banging and sawing.

The communal kitchen bender will have a roof made of hazel poles covered in tarpaulin. This will be a good time to walk through the woods, cut the hazel poles and carry them back. An opportunity to learn about bender building and hazel coppicing.

Saturday 13th December
Come and admire the progress you have helped us make! By now the new communal should be taking shape and work on it will continue. You will be able to see how permaculture principles have been applied to its design.

Coppicing was widely used as a sustainable way of providing wood for building, charcoal-making and cooking, as well as a thousand specialist farming gismos with strange names. Small areas of long-neglected hazel coppice can still be seen in our woods. We will plant more hazel whips, to coppice in future, in clearings in the woods.

There will be gardening, mulching and tree care jobs as well.

Last call for Planet Fungus!
 
November 22nd: Planet Fungus: 10 - 4pm: at Beenleigh (near Totnes): Learn about the kingdom of fungi.. fungal foray, identification, tasting.  Call 01803 865631 or go to www.raise-education.co.uk to book.

CSF website click here.

7th December Bowden House community's 4th Christmas Craft Fair

Interesting stalls from local makers, puppet shows, music, carols, fires, and a workshop in wreath making at the woodshed, a new community artspace and sculpture studio.

Puppets: Jill Taplin will be performing Mother Holle for the under 7's, and James Richardson (from angel heart theatre) offers a 'Meet the Puppets Improvisation' with puppets from his plays Nightingale (currently on tour), and his new production 'Oshima and the Big Sea'. (www.angelhearttheatre.com)

Also there will be music and carols organised by Nick Prater, known for leading community choirs around the world, and hosting dances fo universal peace and taize singing evenings at Bowden House. Plus the Bowden House Cafe serving delicious food, a raffle, and roaring log fires burning throughout this beautiful building of national historical importance.

The Craft fair will showcase work by over 20 local artists and makers. Sculpture from Doug King-Smith, Tati Dennehy, and Sean Hellman; Art from Val Jones, Shimako Sharpe, Craft by Angella Holland, Geraldine Finnon, Peter Neumann, and so much more... soap, felt, willow, cards, and gifts galore.

There will also be the chance to take part in a 'Wreath Weaving Workshop' at The Woodshed, an exciting new community artspace set up by the Victorian walled garden of Bowden House. Led by Lizzie Jamal the workshop only costs a few pounds and you will leave with a beautiful christmas wreath to hang on your door. Open to all ages and abilities (www.woodshedcollective.co.uk)

Landmatters Permaculture Project, South Devon -

Weekend and Day Courses and volunteering - (WOOFing )For information visit www.landmatters.org.uk or click here.

Christmas Craft Fair at Bowden House, Totnes. Sunday 7th December.

A delightful day out to this Grade I listed estate just outside Totnes,
hosting a wide variety of local crafts people, artists and makers. Enjoy
open log fires, carol singing, music, a puppet show for the little ones and
some of the best Christmas stalls from local artists / makers, as well as
an all organic cafe run by the Bowden House Community. This is more than
just a craft-fair, it's a community event with a lot of spirit.

Contact: dougkingsmith@yahoo.co.uk
www.bowdenhouse.co.uk for directions.

MOTIVATING COMMUNITIES TO TAKE ACTION

BE A GREAT GROUP!
Wednesday 19 November 2008 - BTCV, Sedum House, Doncaster
This event will explore what makes an environmental voluntary group really effective. The course is designed for members of community voluntary groups, ‘Friends of…..’ groups, members of local branches of environmental organisations, members of gardening and site based conservation groups or individual volunteers who wish to set up a new local group.  The day should provide ideas to revitalise existing groups or to start new groups off in the right direction. The event will cover getting and keeping new members, building partnerships, publicity and promotion, group organisation, running productive meetings, action planning, and the essentials of a constitution. We will also explore how to generate new ideas for community events and activities.

For further details or to book a place on the event, call the telephone number below or click here

GREENING YOUR WORKFORCE
Wednesday 19 November 2008 - YHA, Manchester
Do you want to encourage and motivate your employees to save energy and reduce waste at work? Are you interested in establishing a network of effective Environmental Champions in the workplace? Then this workshop is for you! The TUC states that UK workplaces generate over 66 million tonnes of carbon emissions each year from the energy and resources they consume but waste on average 30% of the energy they buy! Here’s your chance to do something about it. This event will look at identifying the barriers to attitude and behavioural change at work, identify the hooks that will motivate employees to take action in the workplace and demonstrate a range of work based motivational strategies that can achieve energy and waste savings. The event is aimed at those responsible for encouraging environmental good practice in the workplace. You may be within a local authority, community business or voluntary organisation. You also may be working for an organisation keen to encourage employees of local businesses to take action and become more environmentally aware.
 
For further details or to book a place on the event, call the telephone number below or click here

PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Thursday 20 November 2008 - Islington Ecology Centre, London
This event aims to provide an introduction to project management for people working in small to medium sized organisations. It is designed to help both people who are completely new to project management, and also people who are already busy managing projects and looking to acquire some tools and techniques to help them manage more effectively. The main aim of the day is to help you plan, deliver, monitor and evaluate your projects systematically, in order to measure your success, and to maximise learning.  The style of the day will be relaxed, focused, participative and fun.

For further details or to book a place on the event, call the telephone number below or click here
 

Fees: voluntary organisations £110 + VAT, local authorities, statutory & other non-voluntary organisations £165 + VAT

For further details and to book a place please contact Helen or Jacki at ETN - 0121 359 2113, Email ETN@btcv.org.uk
You can also now book online or request further details from the BTCV online shop - see http://shop.btcv.org.uk/etn, or visit www.btcv.org/shop select 'Training' and then 'ETN Programme'.

---

Writing Newsletters That Work!

Tuesday 20 January 2009 Plymouth
Fees: £110/165 + VAT
Would you like to write a newsletter that people actually READ, not put aside to “look at later”? If you are responsible for writing or editing a newsletter, there are writing techniques you need to know about! Your trainer is a writer and journalist who will share with you how to write a lively and readable newsletter. You’ll get hands-on practice at writing and editing, with feedback from a professional. Please note this is not a DTP course - it’s about improving your written communication skills and getting your message across – effectively.
For further details or to book a place on the event, call the telephone number below. ETN c/o BTCV, Radio House, Aston Road North, Birmingham B6 4DA
(Tel: 0121 359 2113 Fax: 0121 359 2114) www.btcv.org/etn Email: ETN@btcv.org.uk

For events at Sharpham, Totnes see: www.sharphamtrust.org

Schumacher College

Design in context: Systems, Business and Society

This month we are pleased to be featuring two courses geared towards professionals seriously looking for innovative, creative solutions within the multi-faceted disciplines of industrial/product design, business strategy and organisational change: Biomimicry and Systems Thinking in Practice.
Biomimicry is tailored for all design-related professionals looking for innovative sustainable design solutions – from industrial architecture to packaging design – as well as social entrepreneurs looking to learn about social organisation from systems in the natural world.
Systems Thinking in Practice is for cutting-edge thinkers who want to incorporate holistic thinking into the way their organisations and businesses function in order to bring about greater economic, environmental and social cohesion. If your work involves any form of entrepreneurship, strategy development, supply-chain management, CSR or innovation, this course will give you the tools to create workable solutions to your business or organisation’s future challenges.
We are offering a discount of 15% for advanced bookings made by 20th July 2008.
Go directly to website for all short course information.

Also now available on our site, full details for the following courses

Real Food, Slow Food: Championing sustainable food
November 17 – 21, 2008 | Andrew Whitley, Carlo Petrini
Ethical Pioneers: an interactive masterclass for the new entrepreneur
November 24 – December 5, 2008 | Including Chris Nichols, Karen Blincoe, Galahad JD Clark
Walking with the Earth Pilgrim
June 15 – 19, 2009 | Satish Kumar
Schumacher Certificate in Education
MSc in Holistic Science
For the full Schumacher College short course programme please click here.
Summer deal: 15% off many of our Short Course fees. Applies for bookings made until 20 July 2008 only.

Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) - to see events and courses click here.

Need a lovely space to run your course?

The TTT Gardenshare Project is currently running a Basic Gardening Course and had the first session up at The Woodshed, sculpture studio and community artspace., up at Bowden House nr. Totnes. It is a great studio / class space in beatiful surroundings, and many of you planning courses out there my not yet be aware of it...here is some more info...

The Woodshed, sculpture studio and community artspace offers a supportive creative environment for developing environmental awareness, practical sustainability, personal growth, and skill sharing. It is available for hire - a beautiful situated woodland studio room close to Totnes. Suitable for all sorts of workshops, courses, activities, and meetings. 27m2 (space for up to 20 people seated in a circle). Light and natural studio heated by wood-burner. Outdoor seating area with cob-oven and fire-pit. Green-woodwork area and internet connection in process. Tea facilities and toilet. Current Rates 2008: Day Hire £30, Hourly £10. Discounts for ongoing hire. Contact:ww.woodshedcollective.co.uk or email: dougkingsmith@yahoo.co.uk