TRESOC and ISREC

TRESOC is not a typo for the second largest island on Scilly, it stands for the Totnes Renewable Energy Society and is an offshoot of Transition Town Totnes. Their aim is to engage with individuals and businesses to increase the amount of renewable energy generated in the South Hams area of Devon.

This blog is a really interesting and honest take on the vision, practice, highs, lows and direction of such a project:

http://transitionculture.org/2011/07/06/hard-work-vision-kilowatts-a-story-about-the-totnes-renewable-energy-society-tresoc/

The reason why this is so appropriate to us at Transition Scilly is that we are setting up ISREC, Isles of Scilly Renewable Energy Co-operative. The aim of this will also be to increase the amount of solar PV installed on homes and businesses across the Islands.

We are doing more and more preparation for a public launch this autumn and hope to be offering exciting projects that people can invest in that will be generating both energy and wider benefits to the community. More on this before long...

Energyshare

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is best known for cooking all sorts of weird and wonderful food from sustainable and seasonal ingredients and generally being passionate about food. But his team from River Cottage, on the back of several very successful media campaigns such as the Big Fish Fight, have got involved in renewable energy...in quite a big way.

Essentially, Energyshare is about sharing information and bringing people together to get more using and producing renewable energy. There are some really useful resources on making and saving energy.

Perhaps the most exciting part is the Energyshare Fund, where £500,000 of funding is available to successful applicants of community energy projects. It's really worth reading and considering applying for if you're interested.

They have an open day at River Cottage HQ in Dorset on May 18th - details here.

Broadleaf trees now in Community orchard

On Tuesday 12th April about a dozen island children planted around 40 broadleaf trees at the Community Orchard at Trenoweth, including field maple, hazel and rowan. This was organised as part of a Spring in to Scilly activity week for children on Easter holidays.

The soil was still damp and hopefully the trees will take well, providing shade, timber, food, nesting sites and much more in years to come.

Many thanks to Rebecca Steggles and Clare Lewis who organised the children, the Duchy for providing trees, stakes and tree guards and of course the children themselves for doing the work! Here's a photo of one of the planting teams.

Some of the blossom at the orchard is looking lovely - even though the trees are still young it's looking good. Do go and have a look soon if you can.

Note that the tree planting was part of a wider project in collaboration with the Isles of Scilly Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), the RSPB and the Council of the Isles of Scilly Children’s Services

Food, Inc

On Thursday 24th March the Green Team film club is showing Food, Inc, a film about industrial agriculture and its flaws. It's being shown at 7pm at Carn Thomas school, St Mary's. There will be some refreshments at just 50p each made with organic and fair trade ingredients!

This is the trailer:

The Impossible Hamster

Here's something funny with a very serious meaning behind it - just watch the video!

Local food workshop report

Last November Transition Scilly and the Isles of Scilly AONB co-organised a workshop on local food production, supply and consumption issues. It was a very interesting day and the report from the workshop is available to read here.

Scilly Local Food Workshop Final Report - FINAL VERSION - 260111

Progress made at the orchard

Last Sunday a group of people came up to the Community Orchard at Trenoweth to help manage the orchard. We got some hedges cut, cleared brambles, weeded around the trees and pruned every tree. A good fire was a welcome source of heat and social focus on a quite cold day.

Most people hadn't got much experience of pruning, but under the guidance of two "pruning gurus" (not a self-proclaimed title!) everyone learned how to do some formative pruning - a good example of Transition facilitating some skills learning. Pruning is made out to be a quite complicated process when in fact it's not really.

When fruit trees are young they need minimal but important pruning. The shape and direction that trees grow when they're at this stage affects their structure when mature. So formative pruning is really important to try and get right as it aims to create the structure of a good strong and healthy tree.

Atmospheric carbon levels visual

This video, produced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows how atmospheric carbon levels have changed over time, visualised in a startling and not previously seen manner.

Firstly it starts by looking at the rapid rise in carbon levels over the past 100 years. This is shocking enough, but when it's put in the context of the past 800,000 years (with it's multiple associated ice ages), this puts beyond any doubt that carbon levels now are at unprecedented levels, and that the rise has been so rapid that it cannot have been caused by anything other than human intervention.

These are first rate graphics that provide a startling wake up call.

Rescheduled work day

Due to poor weather forecast and lack of availability of organisers, the planned work day at the Community Orchard is being cancelled for Sunday 16th and rescheduled for Sunday 30th Jan. Again it will be from 11am to 3pm. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Work day at community orchard

On Sunday 16th January there will be a work day at Trenoweth Community Orchard on St Mary's (weather permitting). This will run from 11am to 3pm, but you can come and go as you please.

One key job will be pruning the fruit trees, so come and learn how to prune properly from experts. There will be other jobs to do also, such as hedge cutting, tidying up and wood cutting.

Bring some food and drink to share at lunchtime, bring suitable outdoor clothing and hope for some good weather!

The orchard field is the one bordered by red below: It's just north of the pine belt, on the path that runs down to Innisidgen: