“We have been very busy since starting at SSDC a year ago, working on delivering the SSDC Environment Strategy helping to get to carbon neutrality by 2030 and supporting the recovery of biodiversity. From supporting the transition to electric transport and decarbonising council buildings to planting thousands of trees across South Somerset, connecting habitats and setting up the community Environment Champions network, we have enjoyed being involved in creating positive solutions to the climate and ecological emergency, and look forward to achieving more with your help and support ”

The council’s annual plan for 2021/22 has been agreed by our councillors and sets out where and how we will be taking action to improve the lives of everyone in our district.

Read the full story here

There is still time to have your say on a potential Electric Vehicle sharing scheme.

Please do take a couple of minutes to complete the survey here with Co-Cars before 30 April. Your input is really valuable to evaluate the viability of such a scheme based on interest. 

We've already had a great response, so thank you to everyone who has already completed the questionnaire. We've also had interest from local press and radio. Our Portfolio Holder for Environment Councillor Sarah Dyke gave an interview with BBC radio Somerset to talk more about it. You can listen here, just fast forward to 0710am.

Send them to us at ssdcenvironment@southsomersetgov.uk

Planting trees across South Somerset. Clockwise: Phil Paulton and Cllr Jason Baker, Cllr Martin Carnell, one of our Great Parish Tree Giveaway recipients at Henstridge and tree planting at Chard Reservoir.

If you've been down to Yeovil Country Park recently you may have spotted the progress made on the enhancement work, along Dodham Brook, between the footbridge and weir that's been carried out by volunteers from the Yeovil Community Rivers Trust.

A big thank you to Yeovil Rivers Community Trust and everyone who has been involved in this stage of the project. You can find out more about the great work YRCT do here

We thought our readers might like to read it too, so here it is for your perusal. There is so much we can do to help wildlife at this time of year.

CPRE, the countryside charity, formerly known as the Campaign to Protect Rural England, have launched a new Somerset #2minute Litterpick Project and invite you to become a part of it. Funded by a grant from national CPRE, they are recruiting a small army of 100 #2minute Litterpicking Volunteers who will carry out regular clean ups of their local patch. They can kit you out with your very own litterpicker, hi vis vest, CPRE bag and gloves – you just need to commit to doing a regular litterpick locally and to keep in touch with them.

They have a dedicated Facebook Group especially for volunteers and are encouraging all #2minute LItterpickers to sign the Somerset Waste Pledge Against Preventable Plastic. They also plan to run an event for our volunteers in 2021 to share ideas and experiences.

Ham Hill will have a litter pick station funded by The Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage and SSDC have applied for stations at Yeovil Country Park and Chard Reservoir, working in partnership with CPRE.

Find out more about joining the #2minutelitterpick volunteers or any of the other great initiatives lead by the CPRE here.

Take part and have your say here

If you are a business or community group know one who has fantastic eco credentials then we would love to hear from you. It's free to list, just fill out the questionnaire here.

Who can apply: community-led partnerships in the UK with a broad cross-section of partners, including registered charities, voluntary and community organisations, Community Interest Companies (CICs), Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIOs), Community Benefit Societies (CBS), Cooperative Societies, schools and not-for-profit companies limited by guarantee.

The National Lottery Community Fund’s Climate Action Fund is a predominantly revenue-based, £100 million grant scheme available across the UK, which is designed to enable local communities to take action to address climate change. Round 2 is now open to applications with a budget for between £8,000,000 and £10,000,000 for medium to large-scale community-led projects that will address waste and consumption. Up to 15 grants are expected to be awarded in this round. Don't miss out! Apply by 8th April. Find out more here

The scheme will help farmers access the money and the advice they need to be effective and ambitious – to encourage environmental land management – so we are building on our work in Tests and Trials.

The Sustainable Farming Incentive will allow farmers to take a fresh look at the land they farm, the natural assets that they have and decide what will work best for their own individual holding. Find out more here

Transition Langport is a group of passionate and like-minded people living in and around Langport who want to build a greener future.

They're launching the 2021 Win Eco-Challenge Awards to empower and engage the public of Somerset to create environmental change in their own lives and to ultimately help shape the environment across Somerset.

Find out more here

However, not to be disheartened, The Green Scythe Fair would like to show its appreciation of the hard work people are putting in during these very challenging times by launching a Community Awards Scheme.

There are 4 awards of £500 plus a FREE pitch at the next event!

Buglife is the only organisation in Europe devoted to the conservation of all invertebrates. They work hard to save Britain’s rarest little animals, everything from bees to beetles, worms to woodlice and jumping spiders to jellyfish.

Get involved, find out about buglife near you, create a wildlife garden for bugs, or get the youngsters involved - many children are fascinated by bugs so why not check out bug activities for the upcoming Easter holidays? Everything you need to know is here

Bruton Town Council is delighted to announce that it has been awarded £75,000 by Somerset County Council for its “Retrofit Bruton & Cary” Project, which has been developed jointly with Castle Cary Town Council, One Planet Bruton, Greener Cary and the Centre for Sustainable Energy.

The 18-month project will combine the professional expertise of the Centre for Sustainable Energy with detailed local knowledge to develop a functioning local market which delivers high-quality low-carbon improvements to the local housing stock. A professionally qualified retrofit co-ordinator will give independent advice to homeowners about the best and most carbon-efficient way of improving their homes, at the same time as working with local builders to develop their expertise in low-carbon retrofitting. Congratulations to the project partners we look forward to sharing the progress of this important pilot project!

No doubt you're planning on staying in. There's a list of 20+ things you can do for a memorable (and impactful) on-the-night experience all from comfort of your home! What will you do in your earth hour? Find out more here

If you're heading out on a walk in your local area as part of your daily exercise can you keep an eye out for harvest mouse habitats and nests? With two national lockdowns since October the Devon Mammal Group are really struggling for records this season, but there is still time to find them and every nest counts! They are interested in Somerset's harvest mouse activity too, so if you have any data to share please take part in their survey here

This book takes stock of the UK food system: where it comes from, what we eat, its impact, fragilities and strengths. It is a book on the politics of food. It argues that the Brexit vote will force us to review our food system. Setting a new course for UK food is no easy task but it is a process, this book urges, that needs to begin now. Available online and from all good bookshops.

If you're enjoying Get SuSSed and would like to share it, you will find the link on the SSDC website.

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And before you go don't forget the Council’s Consultation on the Future of Local Authorities in Somerset – this is a public consultation and a chance to get involved and have your say before it closes on the 19^th April

Just click here to take part

We want you to feel part of Get SuSSed and get involved. If you have any questions, an environment story to tell, news, views or ideas please get in touch at ssdcenvironment@southsomerset.gov.uk