At St. Oswald’s many of our Parishioners are supporters of a Greener Environment and we have signed up to the Eco Church project which is a learning community of Churches taking a practical action in the caring for Gods Earth.

Our Green Team meet on a Monthly basis in the Church Yard and are currently enrolling in the Silver Award Scheme.

5 ECO TOP PICKS FOR JANUARY IN THE HOME AND KITCHEN

  • 1. Never put warm or hot food into the fridge or freezer as this will make the fridge
    work extra hard to try and keep it cold; always allow food to cool down first.
    2. Use a bowl to wash up rather than a running tap and save £25 a year in energy bills.
    www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/home-energy-efficiency/energy-saving-quick-wins
    3. When making a cup of tea, only boil the amount of water that you need. You waste
    electricity (and money) heating water you won’t use.
    4. Stop using aluminium foil for cooking wherever possible; use a container with a lid
    that can be reused. Aluminium in a rare metal and its extraction and purification
    uses a lot of energy.
    5. Eat less meat, particularly red meat; producing 1kg of beef produces the equivalent
    CO2 to you driving a 300mile round trip while leaving all your lights on at home.

  • THE RSPB BIG GARDEN BIRD WATCH.

Its easy to be part of the Big Garden Birdwatch. Simply choose an hour between 24 – 26th January, 2025 and count the birds you see in your garden, from your balcony, or in your local park (or in our case…Churchyard) Only count birds that land on the feeder or on the ground . Wrap up well if you are going to be outside. if you have no means of reporting back to the RSPB – tell one of the Green Team who are signed up for the Birdwatch and Im sure they will be able to pass on the information to the researchers.

NO MOW MAY

As we move on with our journey of discovery for plants growing in our Churchyard, we have this year asked for an area to be cordoned off so that the small area can be given free reign for us to discover what might grow if the earth were left to its own devices

We’ve lost approximately 97% of flower-rich meadows since the 1930’s and with them gone are vital food needed by pollinators like bees and butterflies. A healthy lawn with some long grass and wildflowers benefits wildlife, tackles pollution and can even lock away carbon below ground. Even the smallest grassy patch can add up to a significant proportion of our land, which , if managed properly, can deliver enormous gains for nature, communities and the climate.

Many months ago, and without any financial backing, the Green Team dreamt of being able to replace the plastic tubs at the front of the church by the Lychgate with something a little more sustainable and environmentally friendly. With some strategic planning and the permission of the PCC we managed to raise £140 on a raffle held between the Heritage Day and our Christmas Fayre and Yesterday our dream became a reality. With the hard work of Elaine, Kathrin and Myself, we managed to place and plant out these wonderful troughs, made from re-used/recycled wood by Yorkshire Urban Driftwood of Wilsden. This was our vision, we hope you like it! PS – Elaine and Kathrin were only held captive for the morning. Anyone who knows me will know that I have little chance of squeezing through those railings!

SAVE THE LOGS AND LEAVES IN YOUR GARDEN

This activity can be completed as part of Schools Wild Challenge or Nature on your Doorstep and counts as the Helping Nature activity Habitat heaps.

The Green Team have a pile of logs at the bottom of the Garden of Remembrance, nicely tucked away, which we hope will encourage hedgehogs and various bugs and other wildlife to join us in the area

Using old, dead logs to create an inviting home and feeding ground for insects, toads, newts and bees. Birds feed on insects that make their home in old wood. In large gardens, a decaying tree with a snagged bough or a small cavity might provide a nest site for a bird or bat. Rotting wood, flaking bark and maze of little gaps between the logs is heaven for a wide range of wildlife.

You can build a log pile whenever the mood takes you. But you’re likely to have logs and sticks to hand in autumn and winter when you’re managing your trees.

Not sure which insects are using your garden? for more information please copy and paste the below link into your web browser.

https://www.rspb.org.uk/helping-nature/what-you-can-do/activities/create-a-log-pile-for-wildlife

Green Team Christmas Tree 2024

for our theme this year, the Green Team have decided to brave the elements and enjoy inviting Nature into the Church Yard. We were loaned 2 trees which we are allowed to dress with Bird Seed, Coconuts, Seeds and all manner of tasty morsels for the Birds and Squirrels to enjoy. Its their Christmas too.

Our Original sustainable tree has been given a new lease of life and thanks to Jacqui and Sarah for their hard work, the tree can hold up its head amongst the shiny lit glitter of those around it. New Baubles, robins, pine cones and much much more adorn our sanded and refreshed wooden pallet. Thank you all those who have assisted with our Green Christmas 2024