Earth Day is a positive event celebrating what is already being done to help the environment and looking at what we can do next! Join us on the 23rd of April, 12noon – 4pm at The Great Field, Poundbury. The event will be during the school Easter holidays and is a perfect for families looking for free things to do over the break. It will also be a great opportunity for anyone looking to learn more about environmental issues or meet likeminded people and groups.
Earth Day Dorchester will take place as part of the huge international environmental Earth Day celebration.
The Mayor of Dorchester, Gareth Jones, told KeeP 106: “There are many local groups and businesses that are doing so much to combat climate change, increase biodiversity and help the environment. Earth Day is a way to celebrate those who are making a difference, join their causes and learn something new. Often environmental issues can be thought about in a negative way and people feel hopeless about what they can do to make a difference. Small changes add up, if everyone that attends learns one new thing or joins in on one new cause then our planet will be better for it.”
Dorchester Town Council have created the event with partners Bournemouth University, Litter Free Dorset, Dorset Climate Action Network, The Embroidery Barn and PiPs Café. They will be joining them on the day, along with other local organisations, businesses and community groups.
Colin Tracey, a member of Dorset CAN, said: “Dorset Climate Action Network is delighted to be partnering with Dorchester Town Council in this year’s Earth Day. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to engage with Dorchester residents about positive, innovative and helpful ideas about how we can all help reduce our negative and increase our positive impacts on the natural world and environment.”
Discover and join local projects who are making our planet a better place. Groups attending include Transition Town Dorchester, The Gap Project with Dorset MIND, Dorset Waste Services and many more who will be providing fun workshops, activities and walks. You’ll be able to learn more about local projects, how you can get involved and what you can do to help – such as improving biodiversity, reducing your carbon footprint and decreasing waste.
Emma Teasdale who works for Litter Free Dorset said “Litter Free Dorset – Land, Coast & Sea will be joining in the fun at Dorchester’s Earth Day event this year. We’re committed to tackling the problem of litter in our county so we’re excited to have the opportunity to engage with local people, promoting collaborative solutions to litter across Dorset’s towns, beaches and marine environments.”
They will also be joined by inspirational speakers who will be able to answer any questions you might have on their topic. One of the speakers, Pete West from Energy Local Bridport, will be talking about renewable energy, having worked in this sector for over 20 years. There will also be a chance to relax and listen to some great local musicians who will be performing.
At the heart of the event is sustainability. A huge contributor to climate change is the garments industry – which is responsible for an astonishing 8% of total greenhouse gas emissions. Fast fashion is causing huge amounts of waste and low-quality clothing that doesn’t last. There will be a clothing swap to encourage people to re-love their clothes rather than throwing them away. If you have any decent quality clothing that you would like to swap then bring along 2 or 3 items, and take something new (to you!) home for free!
Katy Jones, who helps to organise the Dorchester Repair Café, said: “We are delighted to be attending Dorchester’s Earth Day event this year. We can’t wait to come along with some of our amazing volunteer repairers to show you how you can save items from landfill, and save money! #RepairDon’tReplace”.
You can also find local sustainable sellers at the event providing things like pottery, reusable nappies and much more! There will be crafts, activities and nature walks to take part in – plus you can get to handle some exotic animals and learn more about their habitats and what is being done to protect them. You can also see the worlds only solar powered wheelbarrow disco created from waste, playing tunes! You can also buy scrumptious vegetarian and vegan food and the PiPs café will be open all day too. Businesses have a huge part to play in helping out planet, and these local businesses are paving the way by using sustainable packaging, sourcing locally, using renewable energies and more.
Organisers wish to thank sponsors, RiskSTOP, The Duchy of Cornwall, the Poundbury Community Trust, Waitrose and Dorchester Town Council.
