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Members of Extinction Rebellion Wimborne staged a colourful protest in Wimborne to raise awareness of Dorset Council spraying glyphosate on roads, pavements and SANGs. They held banners reading, ‘Stop Spraying, Save Our Bees’ and ‘Glyphosate Harms Honey Bees, Bumblebees, Humans’. They also unfurled a banner stating ‘Nature is Dying, Act Now’. Resident professor James Bullock said: “We live in one of the most nature-depleted countries on the planet.
“Glyphosate destroys nature. “It kills plants indiscriminately, harms bees and it gets into our waterways. Nature in the UK is under great stress, experiencing huge declines in insects, birds and wildlife in general. Nature needs a home and our towns and gardens must serve as a haven for wildlife. “And contrary to what you may have been led to believe, glyphosate does not break down into a harmless byproduct but into AMPA, which is toxic to aquatic life like plants and fish.” Local resident Joanna Bury said, “Glyphosate - also known as Roundup - is considered by the World Health Organisation to be a probable cause of cancer in humans. “Recent studies have found that 80 per cent of adults and children have glyphosate in their urine.” Protestyors say that the Pesticide Action Network is promoting ‘Pesticide Free Towns’. They say the first was Glastonbury which has been followed by dozens more. Dorset examples include Shaftesbury and Lyme Regis. Many councils across Europe have moved away from using pesticides, demonstrating that it is possible. On its website the Pesticide Action Network mentions many alternatives to the use of pesticides including heat treatment, mechanised hoes, strimming, hand weeding, acetic acid solutions, steel brushing, high pressure hot water.
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Sustainable transport experts, Beryl and scheme partners BCP Council are celebrating the impact of their e-bike share scheme, after it replaced almost 4,500 private road transport journeys in its first year.
Since being introduced alongside the region’s shared bikes and e-scooters on 26 July 2022, the vehicles have clocked up more than 20,000 journeys across nearly 76,000km. According to industry calculations, this has seen them save well over three tonnes of harmful Carbon Dioxide emissions, the equivalent of almost 1,500 litres of petrol. Research has also shown that, since the e-bikes arrived, riders in BCP are embracing the extra variety. The latest Beryl Annual Rider Report showed that the number of people riding bikes and e-scooters has almost doubled from 29% the previous year to 47% and the number of riders just using bikes has more than halved from 47% the previous year to just 20%. The anniversary coincides with the share scheme surpassing 200,000 unique users since it was first introduced. Wildlife expert and environmental campaigner Chris Packham is backing an event in Dorset aiming to speed up moves to tackle climate change.
BBC Springwatch host Mr Packham, who lives in neighbouring Hampshire, has given his support to Dorset COP 23, which will take place at Dorchester Corn Exchange on September 9. Dorset COP (Conference of the Parties) 23 has been put together by three climate action groups from the county with the aim of ‘spurring the local community into urgent action to combat the threats posed by climate change and ecological collapse’. Zero Carbon Dorset, the Dorset Climate Action Network (Dorset CAN) and Sustainable Dorset have joined forces for the event and hope to produce a ‘Dorchester Declaration’ outlining a commitment to tackling the problem. A LARGE portion of planned active and sustainable travel in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole has been cut.
Several major routes along the conurbation will no longer see additional cycle lanes and bus lanes as well as pedestrian improvements under revised and signed off plans. Boundary Road to Redhill Avenue and parts of Ringwood Road running up to Ferndown are amongst the roads no longer included in the plans going forward. Blandford Road from Hamworthy to Upton and Broadway Lane linking up to Parley Lane by Bournemouth Airport have also been axed. The cut is being blamed on the government's recent announcement to no longer allocate additional money to the Transforming Cities Fund (TCF) which would cover the rising costs of construction. Rising construction, labour and fuel costs, growing inflation and changes to national design standards for cycling infrastructure mean south east Dorset’s original £102 million cannot cover all the work. Marc Griffin, TCF programme manager for south east Dorset’s Transforming Cities Fund programme, said he is “proud” of what has been achieved so far despite “unforeseen” inflated costs. He added: “With work well underway on all six sustainable travel routes we are pleased to have our revised plans approved by the Department for Transport. There are still a number of active travel schemes in the pipework that will be happening across the conurbation, starting later this year or in 2024. Silverlake, located in West Dorset, was formerly the site of RAF Warmwell. Rich in history and nature, the Silverlake Estate is a stunning space with unspoiled grounds, beautiful wildlife and everything the great outdoors has to offer.
Knighton Reserve is the new Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG), open all year round to homeowners, guests and the local community, that promises to enchant nature lovers and adventurers alike. Covering 15.5 Hectares, the reserve offers a variety of walking trails, ranging from short routes such as Pooch’s Place to longer distance trails such as the combined Knighton Reserve route. So, get ready to embark on a journey of discovery through this enchanting wildlife haven. This former quarry has been thoughtfully transformed into a blooming oasis that is teeming with rare bird species and abundant local wildlife. Why not head over to Peregrine Point, or Larus Lookout, where you can discover birds such as Waders, Skylarks and Sand Martins, amongst many others. |
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