Forthcoming events from Sustainable St Albans and friends – across St Albans, Harpenden and the villages.
Tuesday 8 December 7.30-8.30pm. Sustainable St Albans Annual General Meeting
Come to our first virtual AGM
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.
Wednesday 25 November 7.30-9.00pm. SADC Sustainability and Climate Crisis Strategy Event: how can we be involved?
Register here for this online panel event with Cllr Chris White – leader St Albans District Council and other Climate Crisis Response Working Group members.
Be informed: read the strategy here.
Join the discussion
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 will include:
- 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
Thermal imaging camera information sessions start in October
The thermal imaging camera will be available this winter!
See the camera webpage to find out more about the project and how it will be operating this year. The information sessions have moved online and there are different arrangements for collecting and returning the camera as a result of social distancing regulations.
Playing Out
Playing Out sessions cannot take place at this time. If you are interested in starting Playing Out on your street when it starts up again, please do get in touch with us. You can find all the information that you need to start Playing Out is on our webpage here.
In the meantime here is a video by Playing Out about Playing In!
2020 Open Food Gardens is virtual!
We can’t run our programme of garden visits in 2020, so this year we are “going virtual” by creating videos of food growing in local gardens. We now have four virtual open food gardens on our Open Food Gardens page.
Sustainability Festival 2020 has been postponed until 2021
For more information see the festival website at www.sustfest.org
Carbon literacy/Climate awareness courses in 2020
If you are interested in attending a session or finding out more please email us here
PAST EVENTS:
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
Eco Homes zoom event – Thurs 29 Oct 7pm
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
