We are pleased to share details of the February “Green in the City” Forum meeting:

Biomass – Unlocking the Supply Chain will bring together senior executives and experts from power producers, investors, technologists and R & D as well as other industry contributors. Our “cleantech question-time” discussion forum will provide extra time for audience participation and questioning.

Panelists Include:
Caroline Season   Senior Policy Adviser, Bioenergy, Office for Renewable Energy Deployment (ORED) at DECC
Alex Murray   Principal at Beetle Capital Partners
Steve McNab   Head of Environment & Climate Change at Simmons & Simmons
Dr Pat Howes   Bioenergy Knowledge Leader at AEA Group
Diane Booth  Head of Environmental Policy at Network Rail (invited)

Uniquely positioned in the industry, with top tier speakers and executive networking in an unparalleled atmosphere, Green in the City is a must-attend event for all participants in the cleantech sector and those interested in following its trends.

WHEN
Thursday, February 23, 2012
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM

WHERE
Simmons and Simmons LLP
1 Ropemaker Street, London EC2Y 9SS

Forum Fee
£25 + VAT

includes drinks and canapés

View Briefing Summary, Attendees and Speakers

View Agenda

Please mention the Wilderness Foundation UK when contacting Green in the City.

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Biomass: Unlocking the Supply Chain

“If we reach our target of 1000 ‘Likes’, we will double the donation,” says Cameron Duncan, African Safari Consultants’ social media expert. The team at African Safari Consultants is passionate about the preservation of Africa and its wildlife, and understands the link between a country’s natural heritage and its tourism potential. “The rhino is one of the Big 5 – one of the animals that tourists most want to see roaming in the wild,” says Duncan. “We cannot sit back and allow this majestic animal to become extinct.”

A petition to US congress

As an international organisation, the Wilderness Foundation is using its leverage to access some of the highest governmental authorities in order to raise awareness of poaching in South Africa. Wilderness Foundation Africa director, Andrew Muir, will be delivering a petition to US congress in January 2012 to bring the situation to the attention of international governments.

“We are also involved in a number of anti-poaching initiatives throughout the country, and are dedicated to supporting conservation agencies and private game reserves in their efforts to protect their rhino populations,” says Muir. To participate in the 1 Like 1 Dollar campaign, and help raise funds for the Wilderness Foundation’s Forever Wild programme, go to www.facebook.com/SafariConsultants and click “Like”

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Help save the rhino with a click on ‘Like’

In 2005 BBC TWO commissioned Sevenstones Media to produce Windfarm Wars, then a single observational documentary following the building of a windfarm, a story that was to become one of the UK ’s most divisive issues. Six years later, following the unravelling of this dramatic story, Windfarm Wars has finally become a remarkable four-part series with unprecedented access to all parties.

Filmed in Devon over this six-year period, Windfarm Wars reveals what happens to a community when a wind farm of nine 120-metre high turbines is planned to be built in an undesignated yet sensitive landscape just four and a half miles from the northern edge of Dartmoor National Park. From planning and protest, to propaganda and polemic, through two Public Inquiries and three High Court challenges, Windfarm Wars tells the story of those people most deeply affected by events.

Against a backdrop of the pressures of climate change and the complexities of charge and counter-charge, Windfarm Wars looks beyond the taunts of nimbyism and charts the democratic safeguards and processes by which such major projects are decided. In the end this series is about one man’s search for ‘truth’ in the controversial and confusing world of onshore windfarm development, and one woman’s crusade to build her company’s windfarm, the windfarm she believes the community, and the world, desperately need.

Windfarm Wars starts on BBC2 at 7p.m. on Friday 13th May 2011.

(Source: http://bit.ly/j6DSj0)

Read the Wilderness Foundation UK’s position on windrarms here

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Windfarm Wars

In her article, Emily reflects on her direct experiences day-by-day, how her time in the wilderness inspired her and her subsequent journey home.  It is here that Emily realises and understands the difference that wilderness makes.

Read Emily’s story here

Since graduating from our environmental leadership programme, Emily certainly hasn’t take it easy.  In December 2010 she was a recipient of the Green Hero Award from Greener Leith.
Emily has also excitedly written to tell us about a swim in the sea on New Year’s day, undertaken with the aim of inspriring family and friends to commit to Green Resolutions.

Many congratulations to Emily on all her recent achievements. We will continue to bring you news of Emily and our other programme graduates so check back regularly. You can also follow us on Twitter for regular and timely updates on all of the Foundation’s work, as well as issues concerning and threatening wilderness and wild places.

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Into the Wild: Does Wilderness Work?

The Holford Rules state that new lines should avoid, if possible, our most special landscapes including: Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs), national parks, heritage coasts, world heritage sites and minimise effects on the setting of areas of architectural, historic and archaeological interest including: conservation areas, listed buildings, listed parks and gardens and ancient monuments.

The Holford Rules have worked well since they were introduced in the 1960s and they are an important means of holding the industry to account.

The CPRE is asking the Government to  strengthen the planning rules on new electricity pylons, to give better protection for our most precious landscapes. Click here to send an e-card to the Government consultation today.   It will only take a minute and must be submitted before the consultation deadline 24 January 2011.

“The decisions that they make will affect the way our country looks for future generations. Anyone who believes that uncluttered rural beauty is a precious asset should let National Grid know” – Terence Blacker, The Independent 21/12/10 (source)

Meanwhile, the National Grid is seeking your views on undergrounding of cables, which provides an alternative to overhead powerlines.  Click here to visit their consultation pages.

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Pylon Planning poses threat to wild places

A two day conference focusing on “restoring the natural heart of Europe” has opened in Brussels, Belgium today (16/11/2010).   Having received official accreditation from the EC Presidency and support from the European Commission,  the conference will review the success stories of restoration across Europe, learn of ambitious plans for new areas and develop a joint strategy for large scale restoration.

Speakers at the Conference include:

• Kurt Vandenberghe (Head of Cabinet for the Environment Commissioner)
• Ladislav Miko (Director of Natural Environment, EC)
• Jo Mulongoy (Head of Science, CBD head office Montreal)
• Pavan Sukhdev (Coordinator, TEEB initiative)
• Gyula Hegyi (Coordinator of EU Parliament resolution on wilderness & large natural habitat areas)

Over all the conference seeks to establish a strategy for restoration across Europe, and raise the policy and funding profile of this issue.

Wilderness Foundation UK CEO Jo Roberts will be contributing to the discussions during Day 2 of the conference, with her presentation looking at the social benefits that wild places, and in particular wilderness, have to offer society.  The attributes unique to wilderness and large wild areas can facilitate personal transformation.  It promotes self awareness, removal of ego & label, an ability to link with others on an individual basis and build cooperative bonds.  Our highly successful intervention programme for youth-at-risk “TurnAround” and our participation in the Peace and Reconciliation process in Northern Ireland are a testament to the transformative power of wilderness and this is just one reason why the protection and preservation of wild places is more important now than it has ever been.

The vision of the Wilderness Foundation UK is:

To preserve the world’s last remaining wild places and highlight their impact on the health of the individual, society and biodiversity

We believe in the irreplacable value of wilderness to the human spirit and the through our facilitated wilderness trails demonstrate the fundamental relationship between the natural world and humanity.   There is an urgent need for conversation of wild areas.  We must act now to preserve the last of the world’s wild place.

You can help us in our mission by making a donation or becoming a Friend of the Wilderness Foundation UK.  Whatever you decide to do, please do something.    Every penny we receive helps us to preserve wild places and change lives for the better.

Thank you.

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Restoring the Natural Heart of Europe

Weather patterns are changing and the forecast is for more extreme climatic events, warmer and wetter winters and hotter drier summers.  Essex is already the driest county, so it is almost inevitable that gardening styles will need to adapt and the plants we use will change.

The new “Choices” garden, created at Brook End Gardens, was designed and built by young people from across the borough thanks to GreenPrints funding from SITA Trust.    The successful bid was made by local environmental action youth group impACT, a project of experiential learning organisation the Wilderness Foundation UK.

impACT ran a series of workshops engaging the creativity and enthusiasm of the talented young people in our community, ranging from school classes to Scouts, Cubs and Guides, as well as older students from Writtle College, and it was their suggestions and ideas that influenced the overall design of the new garden.  Everyone involved then set to work, transforming a previously lawned area within Brook End Gardens into a beautiful new sustainable garden for the community to enjoy visiting.  The ultimate aim is that people will learn from visiting the garden and be able to takeaway a variety of ideas ranging from plants that can be kept quite happily with little watering, through to which materials to use when creating a new pathway.

The whole project was supported by Chelmsford Borough Council who provided the land and also supported the young people with choosing the most appropriate planting for the scheme.  CBC will be responsible for the care and maintenance of the garden going forward, but young people will continue to play apart of the scheme, with the

introduction of trees later in the year and also bulb planting activities.

Richard Corby of the Wilderness Foundation UK said:

“We are delighted to have played a part in the creation of this stunning new garden for the people of Chelmsford. impACT is a youth-led group and I think that they, together with a wide range of young people from our borough, have demonstrated not only that they care about their local environment but that they are also are prepared to put in the hard work needed to highlight the issues that concern them, particularly around our changing climate. The end result that they have produced is something that we can all be proud of.”

The garden was formally opened on Monday 19th July 2010 by the Deputy Mayor of Chelmsford.  Members of the public are be able to visit the new garden within the opening hours of Brook End Gardens.

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impACT youth group gives Chelmsford “Choices” with new community garden

Course Instructor Myles Farnbank says:

“As increasing numbers of people seek the beauty and exhilaration of outdoor recreation, our collective mark on the environment and its natural processes increases. Litter, disturbance to vegetation, water pollution, wildlife, livestock and other people are all indicators of the need to develop a national ethic that protects both natural and cultural heritage.”

Accredited One Day Awareness Course: 16th April 2010

Participants will learn about the seven principles of the Leave No Trace ethic and the course will involve some practical sessions. It is suitable for any experience level.

Price: £50 per participant

The Two Day Trainer Training: 17th & 18th April 2010

This two day programme is recognised by the Leave No Trace Centre for Outdoor Ethics. The practical course gives recognised LNTT status to successful participants. The course equips participants to understand demonstrate and teach state of the art minimum impact techniques for a variety of groups, lead a discussion on outdoor ethics and help others to explore their own personal outdoor ethic. The programme looks at a variety of teaching topics, styles and session ideas which can be aimed at all countryside users from children to proficient mountaineers and paddlers.  It will also contain an overview of Master Educator Courses.

Price: £100 per participant.

Both courses will be held in Little Baddow, Essex. Course fees are payable.

For further information please contact:

Sue Macfarlane

Wilderness Foundation UK Ltd

47-49 Main Road

Broomfield

CHELMSFORD

Essex

CM1 7BU

Tel: 01245 443073 or email info@wildernessfoundation.org.uk

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WFUK launches “Leave No Trace” Training

Representatives from Mexico, Canada, and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) creating a framework for future cooperation and coordination between the three nations for wilderness conservation.

“This is a historic moment for the National Park Service and one that is long overdue” said Jon Jarvis, Director of the National Park Service. “Wilderness provides outstanding opportunities for increasing our understanding of global climate change, ecosystem adaptation and resiliency. As some of the least manipulated environments left, wilderness provides connectivity and wildlife migration corridors amongst other values. This MOU reaffirms the National Park Services’ commitment to conservation and we look forward to moving forward with our two closest neighbors and other federal partners on implementing this framework.”

The MOU provides for the development of an intergovernmental committee that is comprised of agency heads or their designated representative to facilitate collaboration. Topics of mutual interest include examining wilderness conservation and management with a special concern for understanding climate change, fire, and invasive species as well as exploring broader trans-boundary conservation initiatives.

For additional information, contact Karen Taylor-Goodrich, Associate Director of Visitor and Resource Protection, at Karen_Taylor-Goodrich@nps.gov or (202) 565-1020.

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NPS signs Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation for Wilderness Conservation

Sundarbans in West Bengal is the estuarine phase of the Ganges as well as the Brahmaputra river systems. This littoral forest is the only ecological habitat of the tiger of its kind in India.  The typical littoral forests of Sundarbans comprise a host of tree species adapted to the particular estuarine condition of high salinity, lack of soil erosion and daily inundation by high tides. The tidal forms and the mangrove vegetation in Sundarban are responsible for a dynamic eco-system cycling both terrestrial and aquatic nutrients.  The whole eco-system is sensitive to changes in salinity and the continuous cycle of erosion and deposition is affecting the plant communities giving rise to dynamic floristic changes. The plant communities are continuously adjusting to the new conditions.

Sundarbans mangrove is the home of a number of endangered and globally threatened species. The Bengal Tiger and the fishing cat are getting effective protection here. The creeks of Sundarbans form the home of Estuarine Crocodile, Salvator Lizard (Water Monitor), River Terrapin and Horse Shoe or King Crab. This area serves as the nesting ground for endangered marine turtles like Olive Ridley, Green Turtle and Hawk’s Bill Turtles. The aquatic endangered mammals like Genetic Dolphins thrive within mangrove creeks close to sea. Number of heronries form here during monsoon as well as during winter. It is home for Trans-Himalayan migratory birds.

One of the highlights of the festival was the display of dance provided by the Odissi dancers.  We present a number of images of their dancing below:

For further information on Project Tiger and the Sundarbans visit their website:

http://projecttiger.nic.in/sundarbans.htm

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Walk for the Tigers