Sustainable Summer News

Welcome to our Summer Newsletter, which brings you the the latest sustainable news and green ideas from our local area.

We’ve all been enjoying the warm summer weather, but the heat and intermittent heavy rain does serve as a reminder that our climate is changing. Read on to find out how you can act to protect our planet - and have some fun at the same time!

Introducing The New Community Garden in Rickmansworth

We’re excited to announce the arrival of a brand new Community Garden in the heart of Rickmansworth.

The garden is located in the existing Community Orchard, which can be found behind the Rose Garden, close to Three Rivers House in central Rickmansworth. We have already started to plant a range of fruits, vegetables and herbs in raised beds.

A big thank you to everyone who has already volunteered to help with the garden. We are in the process of organising a list of activities and setting up rotas and we will be in touch separately about these.

In the meantime, read on to find out about two initial volunteering opportunities where everyone’s help would be much appreciated!

Volunteering Opportunity #1
Help Move Soil For The Garden

Friday 14th July

Next Friday, 14th July, we need to move several tonnes of soil from the entrance of the Community Orchard to finish off the new raised beds in the Community Garden.

Work starts at 8am and we’d appreciate as much help as possible with this heavy job! If you are able to come along for all or part of the time, we’d be delighted to see you. Please bring a wheelbarrow and spade if possible.

Make sure to wear thick gloves and strong shoes. We will provide hot drinks and flapjacks! Please click the link and drop us a line to let us know if you are able to come along, or simply turn up on the day. Meet at the Community Garden, next to Rickmansworth Bowling Green.

Volunteering Opportunity #2
Watering Trees

We are carefully controlling the watering of the Community Garden. One of our objectives in setting it up was to demonstrate how gardening can be climate resilient and you can find out more about this on our website.

This means that we don’t currently need people to water the garden unless they have been contacted to do so.

We DO however need people to water local trees!

This includes the two beautiful sweet gum trees at the entrance to Rickmansworth High Street, seen in the picture below, as well as the other trees in local streets planted by the council.

Urban trees bring wide benefits for communities and they are needed more than ever as we face climate change. They produce oxygen whilst soaking up carbon dioxide and pollution. They can also help protect against flooding as well as keeping us cool in the summer.

It’s vital that we all take responsibility for watering them if they are to live and thrive in the hot weather we are experiencing.

Make A Difference - Take Part In

The Big Butterfly Count

In our local area many of us are lucky enough to have gardens. With the right care, these can be valuable habitats for wildlife, including butterflies.

A new “citizen science” project aims to find out more about the health of butterfly populations across the UK. To take part all you need to do is count the butterflies you see in your garden for 15 minutes. The survey runs from 14th July until 6th August.

With studies showing that in some areas insect populations have decreased by 75% since the 1980s, it’s vital that we all do what we can to support these beautiful mini beasts.

Inspiration for Young People

The world can seem like a challenging and scary place at times these days, especially for young people.

Undeterred, Sustainable Three Rivers supporters Onkaar and Avneet have set about providing mindful advice and inspiration for youngsters in the form of best selling books and now a new website.

They have worked with numerous charities, both local and national, promoting mental health and environmental issues for young people. The inspirational pair have even appeared on Blue Peter!

Please share the link to their website with any young people who would benefit from their positive perspectives on life.

Sign The Three Rivers Climate Pledge

Three Rivers District Council has opened a consultation on the latest local Climate Emergency and Sustainability Strategy and they want your views.

As part of this they would love to start a conversation regarding climate change and sustainability and the steps we can all take locally to protect our planet.

They are inviting us to make a pledge for the changes we can make to work together for a net-zero carbon future.

With Best Wishes From

The Sustainable Three Rivers Team

We are Sustainable Three Rivers, a Community Interest Group founded by local residents, which aims to help people in Three Rivers make lifestyle changes to protect the planet.  We also work with local groups and projects linked to sustainability and campaign to influence government and local council decisions to protect the environment.

If you’ve got any ideas for sustainable solutions, or questions about any of the points we cover, we’d love to hear from you!

You can email us at hello@sustainablethreerivers.org