NL17-03-14

Hi everyone,

Ever tried to break a twig? Easy. Ever tried to break a bunch of twigs held tightly together? Not so easy, in fact very difficult. The same principle applies to doing stuff: if we band together, we can be so much stronger and achieve so much more. That's why GrowZones is such an exciting idea: this Wednesday evening, people are getting together to organise work on people's gardens that would take hours alone, and might not get done at all. We also have various group meetings coming up, to nurture the awareness that we are working together as a community. Please join us and feel the strength in numbers. Loads more enticing events below so please read on...

CONTENTS

Transition News and Events

  • Wednesday 19 March: Growzones 2014 Introductory Meeting
  • Thursday 20 March: Media group meeting
  • Tuesday 25 March: Food Group meeting
  • Thursday 27 March: Permies in Pubs
  • Saturday 29 March: CropShare - Be an organic farmer for a day
  • Saturday 29 March: Wildlife Wanderings: Bramblefields
  • Events for your calendar

Other News and Events

  • Wednesday 19 March: Talk - 'Sustainable cities in an uncertain future'
  • Sat 22 March or Sun 23 March, 10am-1pm: Big Dig Cambridge - fun in the orchards
  • Saturday 22 March: Fulbourn Community Market
  • Monday 24 March: Richard Hales on Sustainability at Addenbrookes
  • Tuesday 25 March: Green Philosophy in Action: Meet Rupert Read
  • Sunday 06 April: The Liberated Feast
  • 5-day courses running from 28 April to 6 June: Tomorrow, Today: Learn & Practise Self-Build Cob
  • Thursday 15 May: Talk - '2050: Sustainable UK?' Do chemists have the answer?
  • Sunday 18 May: Plant Swap
  • Orchard Windfalls 2014 Now Open

Transition News and Events

Wednesday 19 March: Growzones 2014 Introductory Meeting

19:30, Friends Meeting House in Jesus Lane

Grow Zones is a fun and practical way to help households grow food in their garden or allotment. It involves coming together for form work parties that go round each person's garden/allotment in turn, spending a few hours doing a project that would take much longer to do alone. After a successful season's work in spring 2013, the next sessions are planned for spring 2014. At the introductory meeting we'll explain how it works, show a short dvd and there will be time to ask questions. Come along to find out more - all welcome! More info here.

Thursday 20 March: Media group meeting

19:00-21:00, Toni's house

The monthly Transition Media Group meeting is at Toni's house this month. Email Oscar location if you are thinking of coming to the meeting.

Tuesday 25 March: Food Group meeting

18:30-20:00, CB2 restaurant (upstairs room), Norfolk Street, CB1 2LD

The Food Group's fortnightly meeting to discuss and update on current projects and future events. All welcome!

Thursday 27 March: Permies in Pubs

19:30, The Six Bells Pub, Covent Garden, off Mill Road, Cambridge.

Come along to chat about permaculture on the last Thursday of each month. Get support, chat and generally deepen your knowledge of the subject. Everyone welcome from experts to those with no knowledge at all.

Saturday 29 March: CropShare - Be an organic farmer for a day

09:30-16:30, Waterland Organics, Willow Farm, Lode CB25 9HF

Join Transition's community farming project, CropShare, to experience life as a real organic farmer for a day. We will be having fun helping out on the farm from 9.30am to 12.30pm, and 2pm to 4.30pm, sharing a lunch and a chat in between. You can join us for the morning or afternoon session, or both. See our blog to get a flavour of what workdays are like. It will be good healthy fun,a great chance to see our local countryside, and how food is grown on a large scale. Fill in this form if you would like to take part, and we'll also help you arrange travel to the farm. Everyone is very welcome! Family friendly.

Saturday 29 March: Wildlife Wanderings: Bramblefields

11:00-12:30,

With signs of spring join us for an exploration of Bramblefields LNR in Chesterton. http://lnr.cambridge.gov.uk/reserves/bramblefields/ We'll be in search of frogs and newts breeding in the pond and hawthorn and blackthorn blossoms. Please bring waterproof clothes, stout shoes and some water to drink. All welcome. We will meet at the entrace on Laxton Way as shown on this map

Events for your calendar

Other News and Events

Wednesday 19 March: Talk - 'Sustainable cities in an uncertain future'

20:00-21:00, Room 3, 8 Mill Lane Cambridge CB2 1RW

Today, more people live in cities than in rural areas and, by 2050, this ratio is predicted to rise to 7 out of every 10 people. Can we rethink how we design and live in cities? What will the impact of increasing numbers of people living in cities be on society, or biodiversity, or on food, water and energy security? A panel of distinguished speakers will focus on some of these most pressing challenges faced by our cities. Free; booking via the Science Festival website. More details here.

Sat 22 March or Sun 23 March, 10am-1pm: Big Dig Cambridge - fun in the orchards

10:00-13:00, Various

The Big Dig would like your help getting four of Cambridge's community gardens and orchards ready for a bumper harvest. We are really excited about the difference that Big Dig volunteers will make to our many growing spaces. On Sat 22nd March there'll also be a surprise wild soup and accompaniment from local Ukulele group the Misspent Ukes at Midsummer Common and Trumpington Community Orchards. There will be cake too (although please do bring along your favourite to share if you'd like to)! The four sites taking part are: Trumpington Community Orchard, Midsummer Common Community Orchard, Rock Road Library Community Garden on Saturday and Empty Common Community Garden on Sunday. There will be a real variety of activities to choose from: planting wildflower meadows, erecting polytunnels, planting organic seeds etc. All welcome, suitable for children. Please bring along tools and gloves if you have them, otherwise some will be available. The weather forecast is good so it should be great fun. Full info here.

Saturday 22 March: Fulbourn Community Market

14:30-17:00, The Fulbourn Centre, Home End, CB21 5BS

Two exciting firsts at our spring market: English and Irish cheeses (inc. sheep and goats’ milk) bought direct from the makers by Artisan Cheese of Ashwell; and This Little Piggy of Rushden with a wide range of pork products – pies, pasties quiches, sausage rolls and scotch eggs – from their own free-range pigs. Hugely popular regulars: CamBake’s delicious breads; Fulbourn’s Moonshine Brewery ales; Riverdale Organic’s fruit & veg; plus cakes, chocolates and fudge, jams and chutneys, eggs and honey, samosa and bhajis; and WI café. Also 10 tables of handmade crafts, gifts, cards, bags, affordable jewellery, pottery, toys; crafted home, table and nursery fabric items; fine art prints and lino cuts. Our seed swap, plant sale and Heritage Seed display will encourage gardening with wildlife in mind, offering fun, practical learning activities for both children and adults. For further details please call 01223 880616 or email More details here.

Monday 24 March: Richard Hales on Sustainability at Addenbrookes

19:30-21:30, Friends Meeting House, 12 Jesus Lane, Cambridge, CB5 8BA

In this, the final Green Enterprise session, Richard Hales, Head of Energy and Sustainability at Addenbrookes Hospital will discuss the NHS’s approach to sustainability and share what they’re doing in Addenbrookes to improve environmental sustainability: He will discuss some current projects, the challenges and future opportunities, and share of bit of his own personal story. As NHS sustainability day is 27th March, we’re particularly pleased to have Richard come and talk with the group today. This session will be a fitting finale to the 4 year series of regular Green Enterprise sessions. Members should note that we will no longer be running regular sessions after March 2014, but will arrange them on an ad-hoc basis when opportunities arise. As usual in Green-enterprise events, the evening will be participative and will include plenty of time for discussion with the speaker and other participants. Cost £5 More details here.

Tuesday 25 March: Green Philosophy in Action: Meet Rupert Read

19:30-21:00, Stable Rooms, St Andrews Church, HIston

Rupert Read is a philosopher, a teacher at the University of East Anglia, and lead candidate for the Green Party in the European Parliament elections in May. Free refreshments. To reserve a seat, please email Steve Waters

Sunday 06 April: The Liberated Feast

19:30-22:30, The Centre at St Paul's, Hills Road, Cambridge

The third Liberated Feast creates another beautiful vegan banquet for over 100 lovely people from surplus produce that would otherwise be wasted. Produce is sourced from local farms, markets, veg box schemes, local producers, allotment holders, foraging, retailers and fairtrade outlets. Local musicians and entertainment too! This event is to raise awareness of food waste, all profits are donated to a school kitchen project in Kenya. Tickets are £10 and you can book via Eventbrite. Contact Jennie if you'd like to join in the preparation team via email. More details here.

5-day courses running from 28 April to 6 June: Tomorrow, Today: Learn & Practise Self-Build Cob

19:30, Cambridge

We are seeking keen participants to spend a week learning the ancient & sustainable technique of cob building from the UK's leading experts, and be part of an amazing public art project by artists Karen Guthrie & Nina Pope, creating a 'model village of the future' - a walk-through scale model of the paths, houses & shops planned for the future North West Cambridge Development. Full info here:http://www.nwcambridgeart.com. Cost: £50 per person / £25 concessions for 5 days including all tools, tuition, splendid lunches & teas. Free camping available on site. Individuals and groups welcome to apply (max. 12), min. age 18. DEADLINE March 31st. For more information, call coordinator Kirsten on 07545 218 251 or email her here. Managed by the Contemporary Art Society with InSite Arts; commissioned by Cambridge University North West Cambridge Development; thanks to Cambridge Archaeological Unit.

Thursday 15 May: Talk - '2050: Sustainable UK?' Do chemists have the answer?

19:00-20:00, Pfizer lecture theatre, Chemistry Department, Lensfield Road

Continued reliance on fossil fuels can only lead to planetary disaster. The alternative - organic farming and natural materials - cannot feed, clothe and house 9 billion humans by 2050, resulting in famine and scarcity. A possible third way based on Chemistry could provide everything needed for a modern lifestyle: secure food supply, clean water, transport fuel, healing drugs, polymers, and a comfortable home. Creating such a world will require dedicated young chemists to make it possible. But there is an elephant in the room… Leading science author, writer and broadcaster, Dr John Emsley, formerly of University of Cambridge and Imperial College London, will explore the possible solutions that science can offer, and explain how the UK might even set an example to the world and make it happen here. More info here. This talk is organised by the Cambridge & Great Eastern Section of the Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).

Sunday 18 May: Plant Swap

10:30-12:00, Foster Road allotments trading hut CB2 9JR

Swap spare seedlings, plants and surplus seeds. Expand the range of plants you grow and meet other local gardeners. Come along even if you don’t have anything to swap, just make a small donation if you take stuff. No admission charge. Everyone welcome! Details directions here.

Orchard Windfalls 2014 Now Open

The Tree Council has funds available to assist schools and community groups proposing to undertake well-planned orchard planting projects during National Tree Week, 29 November to 7 December 2014. The fund is open to projects where the total tree planting costs are between £100 and £700. The deadline for applications is 31 March 2014. For more information and to apply, please visit the Tree Council website.

Have a wonderful week and enjoy the nice weather while it lasts!

Hannah

Our Mission

Transition Cambridge aims to help Cambridge make the transition to ways of life that are more resilient in the face of rising energy prices and a changing climate.

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