At this time of unprecedented concern for the future of our local, national and international environment, and world climate, a number of local groups have redoubled their efforts to raise awareness and to start initiatives to positively improve things locally.
Of course the naysayers will argue that with respect to climate change what we do locally is just a drop in the ocean and will have no effects world wide. This maybe true but, of course, if every local community took some action this would have large measurable effect.
I have added links below to several local groups who are trying to make a difference, with Sustainable Calne and the Friends of the Marden Valley being particularly locally focussed.
As you will hopefully know we have one of the rarest ecologies in the world right here in Calstone. The River Marden rises in the village, see photo to the right, and then flows onward into the Avon and out the sea near Bristol. So what is so special about the River Marden? It is one of only about 200 chalk streams in the world! Around 85% of these streams are in the UK which is maybe why we take them for granted.
Calne Without Parish Council has stepped up to support, and in some cases lead, local initiatives to improve our local environment. For example, it is funding work by Bristol Avon Rivers Trust to improve the water quality and biodiversity of the River Marden. A Climate Change and Environment Working Group has been set-up by the parish council – see it’s terms of reference here. The working group has recently published a response Wiltshire Council’s Climate Strategy public consultation – you can read it here.
On the 6th November 2021 at Calne Town Hall there will be an ECO-FEST – see poster below for details.
I would like to encourage you to follow the links below and get involved in making our local area a better, and more sustainable, place to live and in doing so protect the wider environment.
- Bristol Avon Rivers Trust
- Campaign for the Protection of Rural England – Wiltshire
- Friends of the Marden Valley
- Sustainable Calne
- Wiltshire Wildlife Trust
- World Wildlife Fund – UK Rivers and Chalk Streams
