ERA - Eco Rother Action
We are an independent climate change response group based in the villages between Petersfield and Midhurst
We host excellent talks, carry out local environmental work and bring people together
Join us to push for positive change
In brief
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Next ERA Talk: Update from Energise South Downs
22 January, 7pm, Henry Warren Hall, Nyewood
We welcome Catriona Cockburn back to bring us up to date with all the very exciting developments at ESD. So much has happened since her first ERA talk back in September 2022, with projects now up and running and others under development. Come along to hear how this community energy organisation is showing us a new and exciting model for energy generation.
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Last ERA talk: Good food accessible to all
We were grateful to Regi for turning out on dark and wet November evening to tell us all about the work of the Arun and Chichester Food Partnership. We have been aware of her work as part of a group, including our steering group member Andrea, working towards one or more community gardens in Midhurst and she had also attended one of our cookery workshops with Lux Organics.
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Keeping tabs on Harting sewage and other blogs
On this website we have a growing collection of personal writing by ERA members, steering group and guests. You can find out in some detail what the ERA community have been doing and thinking.
Follow this link to have a look through the last three-plus years of local voluntary work in support of our river, landscape, wildlife and the climate. Find out here what happens to waste water, how a local rewilded farm works, facts (a lot) about micro- and nanoplastics, how to prepare incredible plant based food and much more…
See also Actions for accounts of the most hands-on of ERA activities!
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Most recent book club book: Clearing the Air by Hannah Ritchie
This is the second book that we have read by this author, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. To quote one of our group "if I had a Christmas card list I might just add her to it!"
Hannah Ritchie is using data to fight climate pessimism / denial / fatalism etc. She knows that we have to act, and fast, but that this is possible. We know what needs to be done, we have the tools already and we need to do it now
Our E. coli project
We are investigating E.coli levels in the River Rother and its tributaries as it flows from Petersfield to Midhurst. We use a Fluidion Alert One analyser to assess the E.coli levels in our water samples. These bacteria levels are an indicator of water quality, with high levels being a potential health risk and having the potential to be harmful to the environment.
Petition: protect hares
Here is a link of special interest to ERA Book Club members who recently read Chloe Dalton's masterpiece but really for everyone. There is a petition on the UK parliament website calling for protection for hares and their young during the breading season, from 1 February to 30 September. The deadline for the 100,000 signatures that guarantee a debate is 29 October. At the time of writing there are only 36,522 signatures.
The petition says: 'Hares are the only game species in England and Wales that can be shot all year round. It has been reported that the UK brown hare population could have fallen by more than 80% in the past 100 years. Shooting hares in the breeding season leaves dependent young to starve to death. Scotland introduced a closed season over a decade ago. Many European countries already protect hares this way. We believe the Government must act now: for animal welfare and for biodiversity.' Please consider signing.
A new initiative to help green your home
My Home Made Better is for homeowners across Hampshire, and - we have been told - just over the border in Sussex.
Led by experienced energy advisers at the Environment Centre (tEC), and partnering with PeCAN, WinACC and Energy Alton, My Home Made Better recognises that generic information on heat pumps, insulation and solar panels isn’t enough, and that householders need relatable guidance unique to their home and circumstances.
Follow this link to find out how you can gain access to this help.
Buy less, Use less, Waste less
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Buy less, Use less, Waste less *
Environmental and community networking
ERA is happy to work closely with other like-minded local groups, including PeCAN, Mi-CAN, HartingCAN, Growing Together(formerly the East Hampshire Self Sufficiency group), Women of This Town (WOTT), Energise South Downs, Alton Climate Action Network, Community Energy South, Hangers Environmental Network, green and climate groups at local u3as – the list keeps growing.
For information about recurring and one-off events that might interest you, please click here.
Why not kick off the new year with a fresh pop-up lunch - or three - at the bright and sunny(!) Henry Warren Hall, Nyewood?
Global issue, local response
ERA relies on membership fees - £5 a year per person – and donations to fund our activities. These include buying seeds and trees, setting up a testing system on the River Rother, running costs such as village hall hire, website costs, insurance etc. We are looking for a local business or individual to sponsor this website. If that interests you, please get in touch! Your name could appear here on the home page. Alternatively, if you would like to join others who have already made a donation towards ERA projects, please contact us for bank details. Your help makes a real difference.