Major local event celebrates international World Earthday
The world’s largest environmental movement has a major event in Thirsk this weekend.
A fantastic range of local and regional groups are taking over Thirsk Town Hall on the morning of Saturday 22 April to showcase their work.
Over 70 entries to the event’s Art Competition mean the judges have a tough task during the morning to select winners of the cash prizes generously donated by Zillah Bell gallery. The results will be announced at noon.
The event is a great opportunity to meet the people working to preserve and enhance our environment.
Charities and trusts will be there showing how they are: protecting rural England, working to keep our rivers clean, conserving vital woodlands, creating a world were birdlife can thrive, nurturing bees, rescuing injured owls.
People might be surprised to learn how the mighty Women’s Institute has been campaigning on the environment for over a century or how co-operatives are combating climate change.
So much of our quality of life is enhanced by volunteers like the Hambleton Strollers with guided health walks or the Thirsk Wombles who collected 28 bags of litter last weekend alone.
The international dimension of the link between what we buy and climate change will be explained by representatives of the Fair Trade movement. Thirsk Friends of the Earth will take up the climate change theme in a special presentation.
Deer Shed Festival will show how ‘getting the little things right’ and focussing on quality has helped build a renowned family festival that helps boost the rural economy.
Country Markets are all about sustainability and self-sufficiency and will have plants for sale.
Thirsk Community Library might be the longest standing example of ‘Reduce, Reuse and Recycle’. It will be promoting not only books but its amazing range of services as well as running craft sessions.
The Repair Cafe has joined forces with Earthday and the highly skilled volunteers will be in the annex fixing all sorts of household goods and sharpening tools, for free or donations.
Plus exhibitions, talks, arts and crafts for youngsters, guided birdwatching walks, quizzes.
Everyone involved in the event is enthusiastic about the opportunity to promote their work.
The Campaign for the Protection of Rural England says:
‘CPRE North and East Yorkshire are delighted to join with partner organisations in celebrating World Earth Day. There are so many pressures on our fragile ecosystem without the challenge of climate change. It is down to everyone to protect our world for future generations. This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our glorious countryside with like minded partner organisations and get to discover some very local initiatives.’
Corinne Williams of the Northallerton, Thirsk and District Beekeeping Association has been a beekeeper since 2015 and recently set up a small but expanding bee project. The ‘North Yorkshire Contented Bee Project’ (NYCBP) aims to educate people (especially farmers) about bees (all types) and other pollinators, their habitats, and importance to the environment and UK economy.
Money raised from sales of ‘NYCBP honey’ helps towards funding the project.
Corinne says:
‘Local bee colonies provide FREE pollination services to farmers and in 2021 bees and other pollinators contributed the equivalent of more than £500 million a year to UK agriculture and food production, by improving crop quality and quantity, and are vital to our wider, natural ecosystems. I’m delighted to have this fantastic opportunity to show people how important bees are to life on earth.’
Lindsay Gee from the Women’s Institute comments:
‘North Yorkshire East Federation of WIs is delighted to be taking part in this event, to help showcase the great range of environmental activities being carried out in our area. We expect the day to be both inspiring and enjoyable. The WI have been involved for a century in working for our countryside, and against environmental degradation and climate change – including End Plastic Soup, SOS for Honeybees, and Great Big Green Weeks among current campaigns; and with a national resolution being voted on by members next month calling for clean rivers for people and wildlife. The World Earthday can only help this along.’
The event runs from 10.00 am to 1.00pm in Thirsk Town Hall
Confirmed exhibitors:
Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE)
Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust (YDRT)
Woodlands Trust
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)
Northallerton, Thirsk and District Beekeeping Association
Owl & Birds of Prey Rescue Society (Rose Dawson)
Women’s Institute
Hambleton Strollers
Thirsk Wombles
Fair Trade
The Co-op
Thirsk Friends of the Earth
Deer Shed Festival
Country Markets
Thirsk Community Library
The Repair Cafe
Hambleton Cloth Nappy Library
North Yorkshire Rotters
Yorewaste
The event includes a number of human interest stories, particularly:
Rose Dawson whose family almost single-handedly runs the Owl Rescue Charity
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8234959/amp/What-hoot-Meet-bird-loving-grandmother-69-shares-home-54-OWLS.html
For more information contact Anne Seex 07789 987445