Forthcoming events from Sustainable St Albans and friends – across St Albans, Harpenden and the villages.
SustFest21 programme now online here .
100+ events from 23 May to 6 June.
Award-winning festival all about sustainable living. Something for everyone – all ages. Choose an event to suit you – join in!
Talks and walks, films and food, live music events, crafts, scavenger hunts, magical mayflies, and two sustainable markets in St Albans city centre.
Some events need booking. Most are FREE.
Explore Open Food Gardens across the district
Playing Out
Information sessions
Click here for info
Mon 21 June at 8pm
Wed 23 June at 10.30am
Find out how to close your own street up to 8 times a year for play and community building with the Playing Out St Albans District project.
Monday 12th July 2021, 7.30-9pm
Creative Repurposing
Join us for talks and discussion on recreative repurposing of clothing and other household items.
A free online zoom event (booking link to follow)
Explore Open Food Gardens across the district
Around thirty participants took part in an engaging discussion on 25th May about the film Kiss the Ground (available on Netflix here). This new film provides a fascinating and shocking insight into what has been happening to the soil beneath our feet. At the event, we discussed how attendees could promote the ideas in the film, how we as consumers could encourage regenerative agricultural practices, and how we could apply regenerative ideas to gardens and allotments.
Our discussion included invited guests from the farming community (Ian Piggot from TheFarmSchool in Harpenden), from a community growing group (Ian Langford from FoodSmiles) and permaculture guide, Nigel Crawley.
See this note for a summary of the discussion and the ideas that were developed; it also provides links to resources for you to find out more about Regenerative Agriculture, Permaculture, No Dig, Forest Gardening and more.
PAST EVENTS:
Tuesday 25th May 2021 – #SustFest21 event
Kiss the ground – film discussion
8pm-9pm
A free online zoom event – book here
One of the biggest problems is right under our feet: the soil. This film awakens us to the possibilities of regeneration. Watch the film (either on Netflix or via the link you will receive), then join us to discuss it on 25th May. The film is free for our members to watch sponsored by grant funds of Kiss the Ground.
Monday 10 May 2021 7.30pm – 9pm
Creating a green recovery – from what is to what if?
A free online zoom event – book here
Many of us know it is necessary, but how do we actually go about ensuring a Green recovery? Why not come and hear from our speakers who will tell us about pressure from citizens and industry action:
- Pressure from citizens: Paul Thistlethwaite from Thinking Box will talk to us about about local democracy, including Citizens Assemblies
- Industry activity:Adam Elman, Group Sustainability Director at Klöckner Pentaplast, will talk to us about how companies are addressing climate change.
Friday 23 April 4.00 – 5.30pm
Understanding Climate Change for Teachers
Understanding Climate Change for Teachers, a free CPD event aimed at teachers who want to increase their confidence to teach about climate change. Covering the basic science of climate change plus how to teach primary and secondary pupils about it in a sensitive and age-appropriate way.
Thursday 22 April 7:30pm
Grow Your Own Food – online Zoom event
- Kate Swindells – Grow Community Sopwell
- Sustainable St Albans’ Open Food Gardens volunteers, Charlotte Thorpe and June Whetherley
- Ian Langford from FoodSmiles
- Joe Gray, naturalist and author Thirteen paces by four
- Chris Thorne, Aylett Nurseries
As spring warms up the soil and buds turn to leaves and flowers, join us – on Earth Day 2021 – for a FREE online Zoom event on growing your own food.
Monday 19 April 10.30am
or
Wednesday 21 April 8.00pm
Playing Out
Information sessions
Click here for info
Find out how to close your own street up to 8 times a year for play and community building with the Playing Out St Albans District project.
Tuesday 23 March at 7:30pm
Let’s Talk about Eco-anxiety
Online Zoom event
- Facilitated by: Caroline Hickman
- lecturer at Bath University
- board member of the Climate Psychology Alliance.
See more and book here on Eventbrite
There will be an opportunity to learn more about Eco-anxiety from Caroline and her colleague Elouise. You will also be able to ask questions and hear about Caroline’s approach to responding to our natural anxieties about the climate and nature crisis.
Saturday 13 March 2.30pm Open Food Gardens 2021 – organising group zoom meeting
Join us on Saturday 13 March, 2.30-4.00pm, on Zoom; register here to attend, or email us at ofg AT sustainablestalbans.org for more information.
This meeting is for anyone who might be interested in helping us to organise this lovely event in 2021. All different kinds of skills needed – from admin, knowing people, maybe having a food garden yourself, being able to help at the entrance stalls to gardens….
Open Good Gardens’ annual free programme – run by residents who are passionate about growing food opening up their gardens to visitors – with advice, tea and cake – has been running since 2009. Hundreds of people come along to visit the gardens. Seedlings are sometimes on offer. Local allotments and community growing projects are included. The 2021 programme is likely to be a mix of virtual and traditional open food gardens. In the meantime, do check out the 2020 Open Food Garden videos and this blog on setting up a Low Maintenance Garden
Tuesday 11 January 7.30-8.30pm. Rising to the Challenge: A Life on our Planet.
Watch David’s Attenborough’s film, hear his impressive and thought provoking witness statement (on your Netflix at home) and then join us for an evening of discussion on how we can rise to the Climate Emergency challenge set out in this film. How do we put nature at the heart of our decisions? We’ll explore Energy, Food, Restoring Nature and Finance. See Action ideas and resources from the event here
Tuesday 8 December 7.30-8.30pm. Sustainable St Albans Annual General Meeting
Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, we are holding our AGM much later in the year than usual and over Zoom. All are welcome to attend, to hear about our past year’s activities and a brief update on the current year. We will end with contributions from local young people about what the climate crisis means for them. See our AGM page for more details and an agenda.
2020 Open Food Gardens is virtual!
We didn’t run our programme of garden visits in 2020, we went “going virtual” by creating videos of food growing in local gardens. These can be found on our open food gardens on our Open Food Gardens page.
Carbon literacy/Climate awareness courses in 2020
If you are interested in attending a session or finding out more please email us here
Wednesday 25 November
SADC Sustainability and Climate Crisis Strategy Event: how can we be involved?
Be informed: read the strategy here.
Our panelists have all been involved in drafting this Strategy following the District Council’s Declaration of a Climate Emergency in 2019. The discussion will centre on how we, as a community, can get involved to make the strategy work and create a more sustainable district. There will be plenty of opportunity to take questions from the floor so this is a great opportunity for you to ask anything you want to be answered about the strategy.
Our panel included:
- Cllr Chris White, Leader of St Albans District Council, and portfolio holder for the Climate, Environment and Transport,
- Cllr Will Tucker, Chair of the SADC Climate Crisis Response Working Group
- Tim Hill, Conservation Manager, Herts and Middx Wildlife Society and member of the Climate Crisis Response Working Group.
- Amanda Yorwerth, St.Albans Friends of the Earth and member of the Climate Crisis Response Working Group
- Jess Simmons, UK Student Climate Network and lay member of the Climate Crisis Response Working Group
- Catherine Ross, Sustainable St Albans trustee and lay member of the Climate Crisis Response Working Group
Thursday 12 November
Solar Streets Open Q&A
“This is an open Q&A session held via Zoom for residents of St Albans City & District to learn more about the Solar Streets Scheme, which provides discounted Solar PV installations and adds a donation to a Community Fund with every order. Savings are usually over 20% versus a standalone quotation and start from £4,000 including VAT for a 12 panel 4kWp system which normally costs over £5,000. Each residential installation earns £50 towards a Community Fund that will be spent on sustainable projects in the area. Each typical 4kWp installation saves 1 tonne of CO2 per annum.
The session is your chance to ask anything you like about the scheme and you need to register by emailing us at info@solarstreets.co.uk”
Monday 9 November 2020
Sustainable holidays, 7.30-9.00pm, via zoom
Our Planet Our Future – Sustainable Holidays – who knew?
Talks and discussion about taking your sustainable lifestyle on holiday with you
Many aspects of taking a holiday seem to challenge the very principles of sustainable lifestyles but some holiday providers are offering ‘sustainable’ and ‘regenerative’ tourism opportunities. This event hosts presentations from the CEO of the Youth Hostel Association UK and the founder of Earth-Changers, both of whom promote tourism that consciously places the destination countryside and environment up front and centre. They will explain how your tourist dollar can generate positive impacts for people and places in the UK and around the world.
Our guest speakers are James Blake, CEO of the Youth Hostel Association and Vicky Smith founder of Earth Changers. Join us to hear from our inspiring speakers and to discuss actions that you can take and pledging on how you can take these actions forward. Free event, please book via Meetup here
Thursday 29 October
Eco Homes zoom event
Expert panel with Q&A. See more and register here Local companies offer practical advice on solar panels, solar thermal, heat pumps, Passivhaus Plus, government Green Homes’ grants and more! Panellists are: Giles Hanforth from the Small Solar Company; Tomas Larsson, director of Better Planet; Andy Tunstall from St Albans Solar Streets, Linda Shall, local resident and proud owner of a Passivhaus Plus; Peter Block local resident and solar tech enthusiast.
7.30pm Thurs 30 July 2020- Share chat/tips on Plastic Free July: SSA Open Meeting – #PlasticFreeJuly feedback . Time: Jul 30, 2020 19:30 London. See info and book here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sustainable-st-albans-july-open-meeting-tickets-113005283846
The Story of Plastic -Brand new film special #lockdown online screening – Tickets Limited for 1st July 2020.
FREE Online screening ‘The Story of Plastic – Wed 1st July 7pm. Details and tickets here. With post-film panel discussion at 8.30pm with Jen Gale, author of the popular Sustainable-ish blog and book; Amanda Yorwerth, St.Albans Friends of the Earth, and Catherine Ross from Sustainable St Albans.
Thursday 18th June 2020 8pm Food Garden Question Time online Book here
Grow Community Sopwell host the ZOOM online Food Garden Question Time with local food gardeners, Amanda Yorwerth, Ian Langford – chair of FoodSmiles St Albans and Sopwell gardener and allotment holder Michelle Mackenzie. See more and book your ticket on Eventbrite here
Getting Involved in Sustainable St Albans -Zoom Meetings 
An informal online Zoom session aimed at anyone who wants to hear a little more about the work of Sustainable St Albans and find out how they could take part –
- Getting Involved – Wednesday 10 June 2020, 10-11am, https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88135835615
- Getting Involved – Wednesday 10 June 2020, 8-9pm, https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84607975377
