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Priston Action Group for the Environment

Finger post sign project
Finger-post project 2019

What is PAGE?

Our aspirations

We all appreciate our lovely surroundings but are aware of our negative impact on the environment. We are keen to do what we can to reduce our impact and believe that we can make a difference by working together as a community to:

  • reduce waste
  • save energy and other resources

Strength through numbers

We do NOT want to be just a debating group; we want to make things happen.

If you want to save money and join our bulk oil-buying group then contact Bruce Clarke at bruce.clarke@care4free.net.

We organise regular litter-picking/ditch-clearing sessions around the village - if you want to help, contact us or just consult the Calendar for dates and turn up.

We have worked with the Parish Council to set up recycling bins for crisp packets and biscuit/cake/cracker wrappers.

Contact us

via Penny Rogers on tel: 01761 470589 or pennyjrogers@outlook.com

Have a look at our practical ideas for action!

Check our lists of Priston birds and plants - email us if you have any to add!

Read our Privacy Policy.

Updates

March 2024 - Successful teamwork leads to more trees in Priston paris

The Priston 2121 group has been working on adding more trees to our local environment over the past couple of years, and as a result villagers were involved in planting almost 2000 trees during 2022 and 2023. In 2024 we offered to help the Duchy of Cornwall with one of their tree planting projects – part of their Net Zero Carbon Programme.

To this end, a group of volunteers from both Priston and The Duchy of Cornwall gathered at Wilmington Farm on Saturday 23rd March.

Matt and Joe Keeling, who farm the land at Wilmington, had already planted new hedging along the edges of a stream and Saturday’s task was to help them add 50 saplings to the same area. Despite the odd rain shower, the team had the job finished within a couple of hours. Wilmington Farm lies within Priston parish and is a mixed arable farm with a herd of beef cattle. Rape (the fields of yellow flowers) is also grown on the farm and Matt’s wife Debbie turns it into Bath Harvest Rapeseed Oil, which is available to buy in local farm shops and delis.

There is a footpath from Priston to Newton-St-Loe which passes through the newly planted area, so next time you venture that way, take a look at the line of young trees. Along with the hedges, the trees will soon form an abundant wildlife corridor in the bottom of the valley.

Thanks go to Penny Rogers who liaised with the Duchy to organise the morning, to the volunteers who gave up their time to help Matt and Joe with the planting and to the Duchy who supplied the trees.

See photos of the planting at Wilmington.

February 2024

Litterpicking

This year, we shall be litter picking on the following dates: Saturday 17 February, Saturday 13 April, Saturday 24 August, Saturday 30 November.

We meet at 10.00am at the Village Green and work just for an hour. We have litter grabbers, gloves and bags supplied by B&NES. It’s very sad that this is needed but the community is grateful for eve-ryone’s efforts. Don’t forget. Anyone can report cases of fly tipping around the village at https://beta.bathnes.gov.uk/report-it. We are lucky that the Council is usually very quick to respond to our reports.

Identification tools for wildlife

You might be interested in very reliable apps that are free to download on your phone, including Mer-lin (for birds) and PlantNet. They can sort out all those niggling queries you have when you’re on a walk.

Somer Valley Rediscovered Green Spaces

This is a WECA-funded project aimed at nature recovery in green spaces around Radstock, Westfield and Midsomer Norton. There are volunteering and training opportunities (e.g. hedge-laying and flora and fauna ID). See https://somervalleyrediscovered.co.uk/somer-valley/about/.

Dark skies

The CPRE is not running a Star Count in 2024 because of the general election (!), but you can find out about its work on dark skies and current campaigns at https://www.cpre.org.uk/what-we-care-about/current-campaigns/.

Soft plastic recycling

At last, many supermarkets are now accepting soft plastic packaging for recycling, including biscuit and sweet wrappers, cling film used to wrap meat and fish, fruit and veg bags, cereal liners and toilet roll wrapping. The following local supermarkets have collection points: Tesco at Midsomer Norton and Keynsham, Waitrose in Bath and Keynsham, Sainsbury’s at Odd Down, Green Park Station and Mid-somer Norton, and Morrisons on the London Road.

July 2023 - Big Butterfly Count

A reminder that the Big Butterfly Count started on Friday 14th July 2023 and will run until Sunday 6th August, so there's still time to get counting.

Go to https://bigbutterflycount.butterfly-conservation.org/ where you can download an ID chart. You need spend only 15 minutes watching out for and recording the butterflies in your garden (or anywhere), then you enter your count on the website. You can make as many counts as you like throughout the fortnight. (It’s good to choose a warm sunny day when butterflies like to fly.)

The information collected will help in assessment of the health of the UK environment. If you are disappointed by a lack of butterflies in your garden, you could try planting more butterfly-friendly plants. Gardeners’ World magazine gives useful lists of plants liked by butterflies and their caterpillars. Go to https://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/10-plants-for-butterflies/

Anecdotally several people have reported seeing some unusual butterflies this year out and about amongst the thistles and the ragwort. Unloved by humans but loved by butterflies.

June 2023 - Festival of Nature

Two dates for your diary - part of the Festival of Nature:

  • a webinar on the West of England Local Nature Recovery Strategy on the evening of 13 Jun - visit the Eventbrite page for more information and free tickets;
  • a discussion exploring how renewable energy developments can be managed to benefit the environment, nature and people - 15 June 6-7.30pm in Keynsham Community Space. Visit the Eventbrite page for more info and free tickets.

June 2023 - Get help with Renewable Energy

Households can receive funding and support to install a range of energy saving and low carbon technologies including solar panels, loft, underfloor and wall insulation, air source heat pump central heating systems and LED lighting.

To be eligible for the scheme applicants must live in the B&NES area and:

  • be the owner, landlord or private rented tenant of the property
  • have electric or non-gas fossil fuel heating source such as oil or coal.
  • have a combined annual household income of £31,000 or less per year
  • have a combined annual household income of £31,000 or less per year
  • have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of D, E, F or G (or be willing to apply for one).

Interested residents will need to complete the short registration form which can be accessed on the council’s Energy at Home website.

Bath and West Community Energy (BWCE) is also promoting Bright Green Homes through a drop-in information session at the Hive Community Centre in Peasedown St John on Thursday 20 Jun. Visitors will be able to find out more about Bright Green Homes funding and other schemes to promote energy efficiency.

You can find wider information about other types of help and support on the B&NES Community Wellbeing Hub website or by calling 0300 247 0050.

April 2023 - Future of Farming talk, Dark Skies, Hedgelife Help Out, Ground-nesting birds & animals

  • Don’t forget the talk to be given by the Duchy of Cornwall’s Future Farming Adviser on Wednesday 26 April in the Village Hall. Joe Haseley will be describing his work on Duchy farms in the area. Find out about ‘natural capital’ and potential future farming methods. Tea and coffee at 7.15. Talk starts at 7.30. No charge.
  • This week (from 15 to 22 April) is the annual International Dark Sky Week. The CPRE is encouraging people to appreciate the dark, starry skies of our countryside. But as light pollution has increased, many of us are no longer enjoying truly dark skies – and it’s having a negative impact on the wildlife that rely on darkness, too. The CPRE is asking us to show our MPs that acting to reduce light pollution and increasing dark skies will be better for people, nature and the climate. It suggests emailing our MPs. I’m not sure this will be of much use, but we could turn off all outside lights for a week and give our nocturnal animals and birds a treat. If we’re lucky and it’s not cloudy we’ll see even more stars!
  • Between 1 and 31 May, the countryside charity CPRE is running a Hedgelife Help Out campaign. It is asking people to filling out a short questionnaire on a stretch of hedgerow in the local area. The CPRE will use the information sent in to build up a picture of hedgerows across the country and how they can be improved. It will be fun to do this, but if anyone is interested in coordinating a survey and getting a group of villagers to take part, please let me know (or advertise it through your usual channels). Please see https://www.cpre.org.uk/hedgelife-help-out.
  • A final plea for ground-nesting birds, mammals and reptiles. This is the time of year when they are breeding and need peace and quiet. Therefore, between 1 March and 31 July it is sensible to keep dogs on short leads and not let them roam through undergrowth. We appear not to have curlew, lapwing or golden plover around Priston (tell me if I’m wrong!) but there are skylark and snipe.

Tree-Planting - Volunteers wanted - 4 Feb 2023!

We're planting more trees in Priston and would love your help! 750 whips (tiny trees the size of a stick) have been ordered from BANES for delivery at the end of January. We're using them to restore a number of hedges in the fields between Priston and Timsbury. Come along, plant some trees and be proactive in the fight against climate change.

The first planting session will take place on Saturday 4th February from 9 am (weather permitting). Free coffee and cake in the village hall afterwards. Meet at the standing stone and please bring a spade and gloves.

There will be a second planting session on Saturday 11th February, again starting at 9 am (weather permitting) to add more whips to the land at Village Farm and also to finish the planting in the fields between Priston and Timsbury. Meet at the triangle of grass at the bottom of Watery (Priston) Lane at 9 am on Saturday 11th and we will divide the group between the sites. Free coffee and cake for all volunteers!

Your help is very much appreciated – a couple of hours of your time will have a positive effect on our environment for decades to come.

All age groups welcome from 2 to 92! Please email louise@callan.org or pennyjrogers@outlook.com to let us know which session you are able to attend and with any questions.

January/February 2023 activities

Big Garden Birdwatch 2023

This is happening on 27-29 January. All information you need to identify the birds is on the RSPB website, though there are lots of apps to help you! Meanwhile, don’t forget to make sure feeders are topped up and cleaned regularly and there is fresh water in your bird baths. https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch/

Darkness and lighting

‘The Darkness Manifesto: How light pollution threatens the ancient rhythms of life’ seems an interesting book. It is about the importance of darkness for many creatures. It is yet another sobering reminder of the terrible impacts modern life is having on nature, this time through light pollution. Priston seems to do quite well in being dark at night, but there are a few very bright outdoor/security lights around, and some very err, ‘illuminated’ houses. Care is needed in this respect.

The book was discussed on BBC Radio 4, https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001g2xg

CPRE Star Count 2023

Following on from the previous notice, the Campaign to Protect Rural England is running its citizen science project again, Star Count 2023. We can take part during 17 to 24 February. All the information is here:
https://takeaction.cpre.org.uk/page/118799/data/1?ea.tracking.id=campaigns-update-enews

Parish Tree Giveaway

Watch out for calls for volunteers to plant 1000 whips in Priston. They will be available from the week beginning 30 January. Once we have a firm date we’ll send out details by email, whatsapp, facebook… As we know from last year, the more people who volunteer, the quicker we’ll get this important job done!

Litter picks

This year, we shall be litter picking on the following dates: Saturday 25 February, Saturday 29 April, Saturday 2 September, Saturday 2 December ­ - 10am at village green

Jul 2022 - Butterfly Count/Glow worms

Butterfly Count

A reminder about this year's Big Butterfly Count. Some time on a warm, sunny day up until Sunday 7 August just take 15 minutes to count the butterflies in your garden (or anywhere else you choose). You can do as many counts as you like. All the information you need, including how to identify butterflies, is at the Big Butterfly Count website.

Glow worms

This is the time of year when we are most likely to see glow worms. If you would like to record your sightings, you can do so at the UK Glow worm Survey.

Jan 2022 - Lose it/Like it

As a small gesture towards greater sustainability and all that PAGE is doing in Priston, the Village Loop will from now on run a spin-off to help recycle “stuff”. The guidelines are simple – and flexible!

  • Let me (Aylet) know what you want to advertise on ayletanderson@gmail.com or text to 07801 440182.
  • The item can be anything, and as little or large as you want.
  • Please keep ad very short – dimensions, colour, type of wood for example.
  • If it is not a freebie, how much you want for it.
  • Please include your all contact details.
  • Indicate if it is a ‘Customer Collects’ item.
  • I will put out the list on the Village Loop roughly once a fortnight (this will depend on how popular or not the idea turns out to be. Your item will be dated, and after about 4 weeks will be taken off the list if there has been no interest.
  • If you want something, you can also ask for items. Again be fairly specific.
  • Please direct any queries on items to the disposer / acquiror – not me. I‘m just the communicator.

Sep 2021 - Apple picking and pressing

I hope everyone enjoyed the village party on Saturday. So good to see people together again!

It's that time of year when the apples are ripening. A reminder that John Wybrow is very happy for villagers to pick fruit in the orchard at the front of his house. I suggest you knock on John's front door to let him know you are picking fruit, but if he is not around fell free to pick his fruit.

And Peter and I have the apple scratter and press. If you would like to use it, just ask (01761 470589 or pennyjrogers@outlook.com).

May 2021 - No Mow May

Calling all wildlife lovers! Lay down your mowers!

Here’s a great way to help our insect population and keep the food chain for birds and small wild animals thriving – and we don’t have to do anything! The charity Plantlife is promoting the fact that, when it comes to providing vital nectar and pollen for bees, butterflies and other insects, every flower counts. And our lawns can help provide that feast. The more wild flowers we have in our lawns the more nectar will be produced to support the insects that are vital to our very existence.

So leave the mower in the shed during May – whether you normally mow your garden lawn, the church yard or a roadside verge. You will reap the benefits when you see more bees on the resulting clover and butterflies skimming over bright flowers such as speedwell and self-heal. At the end of the month you can take part in the Every Flower Counts survey from 22 to 31 May and record what is flowering in amongst the grass.

To celebrate No Mow May we’d love for every family in Priston, especially those on half term from 31 May, to spot what bugs and beasts, flora and fungi may be lurking in their garden.

  • How many different types of bees, butterflies, other insects, small mammals and wild flowers (not forgetting fungi) can we collectively spot in and around Priston, enjoying their life in the no-mow-land?
  • More details later via the Loop and Priston Chat (plus some handy ways to identify what you see), but get ready to spot, and if possible photograph, what you find. We’ll report our findings in July’s Link and put up photos on the Priston Web.

[The Priston Web adds: if you have a smartphone you may find these free apps useful for identifying what you find:

  • Google Lens - for visual identification of just about anything;
  • PlantNet - for identifying plants - take a photo and submit for instant identification;
  • BirdNET - record birdsong and submit for instant identification.]

When you start mowing again, you might want to raise the cutting blade so that you keep the grass slightly longer throughout the year. This will help support the lawn during dry periods. If you use a lawn company to maintain your lawn, you might want to ask them how their system is affecting the growth of wild flowers and life cycles of insects.

February 2021 - South West flower count survey - National Trust

Hi All

I hope you are well. I think things are looking up. January is over and people are being vaccinated. And, to help us appreciate our surroundings, we can do a flower count as part of the National Trust's research about spring flowers and how they are affected by a changing climate.

If you go to the National Trust SW Flower Count web-page, you will find a very simple survey form. Enjoy looking at your garden!

January 2021 - Big Garden Birdwatch

Here's an annual event that we can still take part in!

Just spend an hour on Friday, Saturday or Sunday 29-31 Jan recording the birds in your garden and log your results on the RSPB website. It's all quite simple. You don't need to be an expert on birds, the website gives loads of information about how to identify them. And there are other projects for children as well.

So, charge up your bird feeders and enjoy an hour of just looking. (Don't forget to make sure the birds have water too, especially on very cold days and during the dry summer months.)

See https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch/everything-you-need-to-know-about-big-garden-birdwatch/ for details.

September 2020 - Apples

That time of year, and a bumper crop of apples. If anyone wants to use the apple crusher and press, kindly left to the village by John, please get in touch with Peter (07843 274264). There's potential for many gallons of cider and juice.

June 2020 - Crisp packet recycling update

Thanks to everyone who has been taking their empty crisp packets to the box in the village hall car park over the last year or so. We had got into a good routine - it felt as though we were doing SOMETHING about waste plastic.

Unfortunately, the company that runs the scheme on behalf of Walkers Crisps, terracycle, has decided that the amount we collect does not merit a collection point.

I’ve tried all I can to get them to reinstate the collection point, but have been unsuccessful.

All I can suggest is that you now take your empty packets to the nearest collection points (if you are going there anyway). They seem to change so it’s best to check on their interactive map of collection points.

Failing that, writing to Walkers to get them to change to paper packaging is an option – or, more difficult, not eating crisps!!!

April 2020 - Post-Lockdown Project - 220 Trees for Priston in 2020

Before the pandemic reached the UK, .......
PAGE (Priston Action Group for the Environment) had an initiative to plant trees in and around Priston, starting with a target of 220, roughly one for each villager .... or was it 2020???

We can’t do anything during lockdown, and anyway it is a bit late in the year for planting trees, but we can plan ahead for the 2020/21 planting season.

You don’t need acres of land to participate (but if you do have an area that might be suitable for a small or even large copse, we’d love to hear from you). Our initial goal is to get more native trees, including fruit trees, and native hedging planted in gardens. If you don’t have any available space, you could still participate by helping to plant trees at organised plantings, or contribute some money towards buying small trees.

So, if

  • you have land to plant trees on
  • and / or you are willing to buy trees
  • and / or you are up for some tree planting

please get in touch with one of us and we’ll put together a plan for next winter

In the mean time, if you have planted any native trees, fruit trees or native hedging this year already, take a photo and send it to one of us along with a description. We are hoping to keep a record of all the trees planted this year as a celebration of our community working to improve our environment.

Name Tel No. Email
Penny 07719 474277 pennyjrogers@outlook.com
Peter 07843 274264 peterybrookes@gmail.com
Louise 07793 847185 louise@callan.org
Jocelyn 07734 069751 parishclerk@priston.org.uk
Owain 07871 572969 owain.oj.jones@googlemail.com

Thanks for getting involved!

The PAGE Team

Planting a tree is one of the greatest acts of kindness.
The sapling that goes in the ground today
can only start the work of repairing the world
and is a gift of love and care for the generations of tomorrow.

Read our 220 Trees for 2020 update.
See our 220 Trees photos.

Jan 2020 - Litter picking in Priston

Four dates for your 2020 calendar

  • Saturday 7 March
  • Saturday 13 June
  • Saturday 5 September
  • Saturday 5 December

We meet at 10.00am on the Village Green, when we’ll decide where to work – just for an hour – and then retreat to the Village cafe. If you can’t make the planned day but do some litter picking the week before, thank you! And let me know and we’ll make sure not to go over the same ground. Many thanks to everyone who has done any litter picking around the village – whether as part of one of these groups or just out on a walk.

By the way, anyone can report cases of fly tipping around the village by contacting BANES, just email councilconnect@bathnes.gov.uk or phone 01225 39 40 41.