All Saints' Church Hertford

Environment, Climate and Hope

Welcome!

Thank you for your interest.

Saturday, September 21st at All Saints Church in Hertford is a day dedicated to Environment, Climate and Hope.

The programme runs from 10:00 to 16:00 and visitors can stay for the day or drop in from time to time as best suits them.

What's it about?

Through illustrated talks, presentations, stalls and displays, the wonderful wildlife areas in easy reach of Hertford will be celebrated.

Alongside this, the day will promote an awareness of just how much our wildlife means to our wellbeing, and will also consider other aids to wellbeing.

There will also be suggestions of how to live more sustainably and to protect the environment, taking into account the ravages of climate change, but finding ways to point to hope for the future. Through a panel discussion of climate change, the wider issues will also be considered.

What's is happening

Talks and stalls and displays in the church

Refreshments will be served all day, including lunch, and there will be activities for children and families as well as cakes and plants for sale.

Directions/Parking

Full directions are on our location webpage. The Gascoyne Way multi-storey Car Park SG14 1YY has 340 spaces directly adjacent to the church.

Talks

These will take place in church.

10.00	Jenny Mant and Tim Hagyard
	Jenny Mant Our natural world; our hope for the future. Jenny Mant has over 25 years' experience of restoring rivers and landscapes and promoting their value for all living beings. She is also a trustee of the Wild Trout Trust who focus on habitat creation for all aquatic species. The talk will explore some of the things that have been happening world wide and on our door step aimed at making our world a more resilient place to live. Tim Hagyard Walking Hertfordshire’s Chalk Rivers. Tim is the author of Chalk Stream Reflections in which he describes his 2020 walks covering the entirety of Hertfordshire's chalk streams.
12.30	John Cherry of Weston Park Farms Whatever the question, The answer is right under your feet.
	Farmer John Cherry talks about the many benefits of looking after our soil: soil health leads to plant health onto animal health. human health and planetary health. John organises the annual Groundswell Conference looking at the theory and practical applications of Conservation Agriculture or regenerative systems, including no-till, cover crops and re-introducing livestock into the arable rotation, with a view to improving soil health.
13.30	Poetry delivery
	Nigel Braggins will deliver a selection of poems relating to Environment, Climate and Hope from his anthology ‘Rhyme of our Time’.
14.00	Donato Cinicolo REPAIRING & CONSERVATION: A journey of discovery. Making things, understanding how things work, is not merely practical. It teaches us that there is logic at work in say, how a mechanical clock functions. One gear affects another gear and via springs and balances mechanical drive is created. Such understanding can be applied to the solving of abstract problems too. By defining something difficult to solve as a problem, there must be, by definition one or more solutions. Calling something a challenge is open ended and can lead nowhere. Donato Cinicolo has been involved in making and repairing things for all of his life. From his early beginnings in Southern Italy, where he was born, he began making small toys from the offcuts of wood from the local carpenter held together with nails from the town cobbler. When he attended Colney Heath Primary School near St Albans he was making wooden swords for his schoolmates so that they could stage mock battles in the playground (not possible nowadays!). Following his marriage and his first home, a 17thC cottage, he had to learn new skills such as wattle and daub, plastering, old construction techniques etc. A love of old buildings has meant that he is very much involved in conservation and maintenance of ancient structures. A lifetime of such work needs to be passed on to new generations, and Donato has been doing just that; it is the duty of the old and experienced craftsmen to pass on knowledge, and he is proud to do so.
15:00	Panel Discussion chaired byTim Hill, MCIEEM Conservation Manager, Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust and Event Manager of the Herts Bird Club
	Tim Hill is the Conservation Manager with Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust, leading on the Trust’s work in the wider countryside for wildlife and people. He has been working as conservation professional for over 30 years, beginning his career as a ranger in the Peak District National Park. In a voluntary capacity he is a Trustee of the Hertfordshire Natural History Society. Tim has a particular fondness of wet and muddy places and the creatures that live there.

Stalls and Displays in Church

Stalls and displays will explore many aspects of environment, climate and hope.

Stalls

Creating an environment where butterflies, moths and other insects can thrive.

I am from Butterfly Conservation and my aim is to promote a wide diversity based on the place of butterflies and moths as vital links in food chain and early indicators of climate and environmental change.
 

Hertford Swift Group

The Hertford Swift Group aims to help the number of Swifts in Hertford recover after the sharp decline in recent years. Our main focus is on increasing numbers of breedine sites for the birds across the town, with nest boxes, and Swift bricks on new developments. We have put up over 300 nest boxes in 2024. This work will continue.
 

Walking and Cycling

Where you can go and how to get around without using a car, with particular emphasis on the public rights-of-way network and cycle routes.
 

RSPB South East Hertfordshire.

The group offers a great way to meet friendly, like-minded people while learning more about birds and wildlife. Their stall will provide an opportunity for the public to learn about the RSPB, the local group and the wildlife available to watch in the local area. 2025 Calendars and greetings cards will also be available.
 

Sele Road Community Garden - "Lovely Grub Garden" Hertford

On a small plot just south of the footbridge over the railway, we aim to produce as much food as possible through raised beds, one poly tunnel, soft fruit and fruit trees. We have neither mains water nor electricity, but aim to be self-sufficient in rainwater. We also have a small pond and a compost toilet. The garden provides an open-air forum for volunteers to discuss gardening and composting techniques and much more. We look forward to similar discussions with visitors to the stall, and new volunteers are welcome to the garden.
 

"Where the Wild Things Were".

Britain is one of the most nature depleted places on Earth. Rewilding has been proposed as a radical new approach to restoration and conservation. But would this controversial approach work here? Can we really bring the wild things back to Britain?
 

Spiders

Christopher’s stall will provide an introduction to different species of spider, showing how spiders have an essential role in our ecosystem. There may even be some live spiders to have a closer look at.
 

The Eco Hub - Think & Do Space for Climate and Eco action.

Eco Church: working together towards Net Zero.
Resources and inspiration on taking action on climate and nature.
 

Hertfordshire Natural History Society

Volunteers who enjoy, record and help to conserve our county’s wildlife. County Wildlife Atlases will be available.
 

Herts Amphibian Reptile Group

An opportunity to learn about and meet some of Hertfordshire's native amphibians and reptiles (temperatures allowing).
 

Active Hope Workshops for People and Planet

Alison is a coach, author, speaker and facilitator focused on leadership and environmental and social wellbeing. She's a member of the Climate Coaching Alliance.
 

RSPB Rye Meads nature reserve

A delightful wetland reserve beside the River lee and a firm favourite with walkers, birdwatchers and photographers thanks to its many trails and hides. A great place to spot the blue flash of a kingfisher as well as common terns that nest on specially-created rafts during the summer, During the winter months look out for snipe, green sandpipers, shovelers, gadwalls and tufted ducks.
 

Ecofurb – the Low Carbon Home Service

If you’re keen to make your home more energy efficient, warmer and cheaper to run, but don’t know where to start or who to turn to for straightforward, relevant advice, Ecofurb provides independent, quality assured retrofit advice tailored to your home and your budget. Come and talk to us and we’ll help you get started on your home energy efficiency project, creating a home that’s healthier for you and the planet.
 

Bengeo Neighbourhood Plan group

Bengeo Neighbourhood Plan and projects/issues resulting from it including Bengeo Community Garden, Bengeo Lower Railway, Bengeo Field. Alex and Veronica will be available to talk to people and provide updates on these projects/issues, particularly the approach taken in creating the Community Garden.

Refreshments

Refreshments Served All Day.

Delicious Lunches between 12.00 noon and 2.00 pm.

Cakes & Produce for Sale

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