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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ERA talk: Ubuntu, the art of being human
24 April, Henry Warren Hall, 7pm
Talk by Melanie Carstens
Ubuntu is a southern African philosophy and way of life that pursues harmonious relationships.
Melanie will share some of its basic tenets and ideas of how we can use ubuntu in our daily lives to play an active role in shaping a better future for humans and our natural environment.
All welcome. Please car share.
Comic by @the.aliciasouza @RewritingExtinction
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ERA sponsored walk
6 April
It was a beautiful sunny day and idyllic walk along the Rother westwards to Stedham and back. The walkers raised over £600 so we can now buy and use a Fluidion Alert One test kit. This will be brought into action when more routine river testing detects elevated levels of phosphates associated with sewage release into the river.
We hope to make the sponsored walk an annual event.
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PAST ERA TALK: Soil Smart - improving soil literacy in the Rother Valley
27 March
Soils are fundamental to life on earth, they provide 98% of all calories consumed by humans and yet they are often forgotten. Kirsten Mills, Soil and Water Officer at the Western Sussex Rivers Trust, outlined the importance of soils and described how the Soil Smart project is working with farmers and the wider public to improve knowledge about soil health through citizen science monitoring.
Read our summary of this talk here under Past Events.
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Next book club book: Less: Stop Buying So Much Rubbish
Discussion on Zoom, 7.30pm Monday 28 April
This is a passionate book about the fashion industry, its wastefulness but also the pleasure and beauty of well made things. Read it and join our discussion - new members are warmly invited to this group! Email EcoRotherAction@outlook.com for your Zoom link.
Check out our book reviews here. You’ll find some great reading suggestions.
ERA's big fund raising challenge
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ERA's big fund raising challenge *
Worried about E. coli in the Rother?
So are we. ERA is aiming to buy a piece of kit called a Fluidion Alert One. This will allow any of our river surveys that reveal poor results to be followed up by a check of E. coli levels. High bacterial load is bad for the river environment but also very much of interest to wild swimmers, paddle boarders and dog owners whose dogs swim in the river. As ever, significant results will be reported to the Environment Agency, allowing them to target their efforts where the need is greatest.
To help us fund this equipment we met for a sponsored walk on Sunday 6 April and it’s not too late to chip in. If you can, please make a contribution by following this gofundme link.
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.