Little Green Space
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Little Green Space |
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| December 2008
December 19, 2008 Ready to Go
We are getting ready for our big annual event - the Save The North Pole campaign - tomorrow. Father Christmas has very kindly agreed to take some time from his busy schedule and visit the people of Matlock tomorrow at 11.45am, in a horse and carriage from the Red House Stables in Darley Dale. And he will be wearing his traditional green robes - last seen in the mid nineteenth century - to raise awareness of climate change issues. So, do make sure to visit us if you are in Matlock tomorrow - come and say hello to Father Christmas and if you're feeling generous, give a donation. All money raised will support climate change projects -- locally with Transition Matlock and in Ghana via Village Aid. It will also fund a grove of trees in Scotland's Caledonian Forest via award-winning charity Trees for Life. You can find out more about the event here. December 15, 2008 Heat! Our wood burning stove is finally finished. It has been quite a wait, as we went off on various tangents from the original plan - including having our loft thoroughly insulated. We had to go without any heating or hot water for several days last week, while the wood burner was being linked up with our hot water system. This coincided with a particularly cold spell, the surrounding Peak District hills covered in a hard frost every morning. So we were particularly glad to light the stove on Saturday and enjoy a bit of warmth. And last night I had my first stove-heated bath. As I languished in my piping hot bath - which cost us nothing and used no fossil fuels to produce - I felt that all the upheaval had certainly been worth it. And it is so cosy and Christmassy to have a real fire burning away in the living room! December 12, 2008 Tree Planting
Rowena, Richard and I went to Wessington Primary School today to plant some trees with the Reception children. We planted 12 trees - one for each child - a mixture of rowan, wild cherry, beech and ash. The idea is that the children look after their tree for the seven years they are at the school, and watch its progress as it grows. It was a cold, damp, foggy day but the kids really enjoyed digging holes, planting their trees and putting on a wood-chip mulch. We also gave a talk about the importance of trees, focusing on how they provide a fantastic habitat for a wide range of creatures. December 11, 2008 Walls
The BTCV has been working with us this week, to repair some dry stone walls at Hackney Leys. There has been a team of between 6 and 12 people working on the walls, and for some it was their first walling experience. It has been good to support the great work that the BTCV does, as well as get the walls restored. Dry stone walls are an invaluable wildlife habitat as well as being a part of the traditional landscape of the Peak District. It will also make the site safer for the school parties that we hope to invite to the site next year. December 6, 2008 Redwing We were thrilled to spot a redwing in the garden this morning - the first time we have seen one. It was quite easy to identify - smaller than a blackbird, bigger than a chaffinch, with a spotty tummy, like a thrush. It also has a rosy splash of colour below the wing (hence the name) and a distinctive white stripe above its eye.
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