A recent ruling by the European Court of Justice means that honey must be labelled to show that it contains pollen.

To say that honey contains pollen is like saying that peanuts contain nuts. Beekeepers will of course tell you that pollen is not an ‘ingredient’ as implied by the ruling and, in fact, is a natural part of the product put there incidentally by the bees as they forage for nectar getting the pollen stuck to their bodies. The recent EU ruling means beekeepers producing honey for sale will have to test it to make sure it doesn’t contain any genetically modified (GM) pollen and label their project accordingly. This is a concern for small producers as the equipment needed for testing and labelling can be expensive. This is worrying because many small producers could be forced to stop beekeeping as the local sale of their honey supports the cost of keeping their bees and there is little left over for testing equipment. This testing and labelling is seen to be ludicrous in the UK as there are a very small number of GM crops growing.

This is one more blow to our bees that have been in decline in recent years for various reasons. They have been the victims of a parasite called ‘varroa destructor,’ an external parasitic mite that attacks the honey bee. Bees are also subject to difficulties caused by modern intensive farming methods such as monoculture and the use of pesticides. For example bees are attracted to the acres of bright yellow oil seed rape which appears in our fields in the spring causing a two fold problem. The first relates to the honey that is produced from oil seed rape pollen which becomes rock hard in the hive and has to be removed by the bee keeper, the second is the lack of flowering substitute when the oil seed rape season ends leaving nothing for the bees to forage.

The decline in our bee population in recent years is of great concern. Virtually all of our crops and gardens are pollinated by this secret army and our food security will be under threat if we don’t halt their decline and start increasing their numbers again. Governments across the globe are investing huge sums to research the plight of the honey bee and bee keepers are doing their utmost to keep their bees fit for purpose. The EU directive will diminish conservation.

EU regulation is a Government concern so what can we do personally?

For a start we can find out as much about bees as we can so we have a better understanding of their nature and their needs. We can do this in several ways, read books, search the internet or sign up to a Greeniversity bee keeping class. This is what many Peterborough folk have done and some, including myself and,  as result they are now keeping bees. It’s worth remembering that in Europe it’s as common for people to keep bees in their gardens as it is the UK for people to grow spuds! There is no great mystery to beekeeping but if you don’t want to keep bees but want to help the humble honey bee get planting. Improve your garden by adding all round colour to your borders of sweet scented bee friendly flowers. 
 

Useful websites

Natural Beekeeping trust
British Beekeeping Association
Greeniversity
Beekeeping supplies

Tags: Karen Lawrence | Do your bit for the environment | Creating the UK Environment Capital | Peterborough Greeniversity

Peterborough’s green skills swap scheme is set to hold its 500th class on Saturday 3rd December.

Greeniversity was first launched  PECT in March 2010, the scheme now has over 600 local people signed up as members. These members have the opportunity to learn green skills for free, including how to fix a bike puncture, how to grow organic veg, and how to insulate a loft. Greeniversity teachers are local volunteers who are willing to share their green know-how.

On Saturday 3rd December a Sound Therapy workshop will be the 500th Greeniversity class to be held in the city. Run by volunteer teacher Jane Snart, the workshop is being held in Peterborough Cathedral where the acoustics are particularly good. Jane explains, “The class is open to everyone in the city and I hope as many local people as possible will come. Sound Therapy is a wonderful way to leave you feeling calm, energised and ready to take on the world. This is the second time the Sound Therapy class has been held in Peterborough, the first time last year was such a great success. We’ve already had twelve bookings for the class on Saturday.”

The Sound Therapy class runs between 10am-2pm on Saturday 3rd December and attendees will experience the sounds of different instruments from all over the world including gongs, Tibetan singing bowls, Native American drums and flutes. The class is free to attend and places can be booked online by visiting www.greeniversity.org.uk

Originally set up with the assistance of government funding, Greeniversity has recently received a grant from the National Learning and Skills Council (NLDC). This funding will help unemployed people in Peterborough to get back into work by building confidence and skills through informal adult learning. Greeniversity Project Officer Karen Lawrence says, “We originally launched Greeniversity with a grant from the government and now it is totally self-sustaining. This new funding from NLDC will help us reach a whole new audience supporting unemployed adults take the first steps towards getting back into work. Many of the people we’ll be working with have been out of employment for some time and don’t know where to start. Greeniversity will help them pick up invaluable transferable skills and build their self-belief at the same time.”

This second phase of the Greeniversity project will launch in January 2012.

Tags: Karen Lawrence | Peterborough Greeniversity | Greeniversity

At the Greeniversity we’re really excited about the first chicken keeping class that’s taking place on 15th October at the Green Back Yard.

This is the perfect course for people thinking about keeping chickens on a small scale, or for people who have recently started. Led by Hugh Burton, who has kept chickens since the age of seven with up to 200 birds in his care at some stages. He won best in show at the National Poultry Awards in 2002 with a black silkie bantam and has been a regular contributor to other poultry keeping courses.

Hugh has been advising the Green Backyard on their chickens for over a year and has helped them keep their flock of silkies, ex bats and many others healthy.
The course will cover all of the basics to keeping chickens as well as a practical demonstration and there will be plenty of time for questions.

Sign up for this new and innovative class at www.greeniversity.org.uk

Tags: Greeniversity | Peterborough Greeniversity | Karen Lawrence

PECT are working with the Santander Foundation to deliver some special free Greeniversity courses. The courses are specifically tailored to teach ‘green skills’ to adults with learning difficulties, disabilities and/or mental health problems.

Find out what’s coming up

 

A weekly fitness zumba style class takes place on Wednesday mornings throughout August, from 12.30pm-1.30pm at 49 Lincoln Road. The venue is a drop-in centre for adults with learning disabilities and to attend the session you must be a member of the centre.

Every Tuesday morning in August from 11.00am-12.00pm is a gardening and outdoor crafts course at Peterborough’s community garden ‘The Green Backyard.’ It is limited to 10 places per session so get in touch to reserve your place.

Starting on the 23^rd August from 10.30am to 11.30am is a Sound Therapy course, held at the Eco Innovation Centre. There will be four sessions in total. The following courses are on the 6^th, 20^th and 27^th September. Book ahead to secure your place - only seven spaces!

For more information and to sign up for a course...

Visit the Greeniversity website
Call 01733 553716

Become a Greeniversity teacher - find out more here!

Tags: Peterborough Greeniversity | free training | Environmental Education | Nadia Grys

This year the 20th anniversary Green Festival promises to be bigger and better than ever before.

The launch day, Saturday 28th May, is going to be packed full with so much activity that the festival is taking over three city centre locations the Cathedral square, Cathedral green and St.Johns square.


The communities team has gone from strength to strength over the last year so much so that we are having a marquee of our own which we have called the ‘fun & food tent’. There will be many activates through out the day including a ready, steady cook competition, cookery demonstrations and food tasters. In addition you will be able to download the free iphone  app ‘Walk Peterborough’, get an energy health check up and plant seeds for the ‘Forest of Peterborough.

Greeniversity will be holding a series of workshops throughout the day including sound therapy, city centre foraging walks, willow weaving and much more.

So put the date in your diary, Saturday 28th May, and come along and meet the team and join in with all the great free activities that will be on offer all day. 

Tags: Walk Peterborough | Sustainable Communities | Peterborough Greeniversity | Green Festival | Karen Lawrence

Chinese New Year that is! The year of the rabbit in case you were wondering. 

Thousands of people across the globe will be celebrating with different events and activities. Here at PECT we have a number of special Greeniversity classes this weekend in honour of this occasion. One of these great classes is Chinese lantern making. 

Lanterns are a tradition for Chinese New Year and are used to celebrate many other occasions too. In recent years they have grown in popularity and are now featured at weddings, birthdays, funerals, and pretty much any other event imaginable!

This isn't a surprise as they are undeniably beautiful and create a very striking image. They are also popular with all ages and relatively inexpensive to buy. However, these lanterns come with hidden environmental consequences. Three main areas of risk have been identified:

• Firstly, the hazard of fire. Once released there is no control over the lantern which means it can come down anywhere (within reason!). They have been indicated as the cause behind a number of building and crop fires. This is especially problematic in summer after it's been consistently dry and crops, grass and thatch are ideal fuel for fire.
  

• Next is animal well-being. The majority of lanterns are made using wire frames which can cause harm to livestock and wild animals if they ingest them, or even from cutting themselves.

• Thirdly, is the litter issue. Apart form being unsightly, litter can be dangerous. The wire frames can easily get caught up in farm machinery and cause serious damage, or be picked up by children who risk injuring themselves. 

There are a number of simple things that can be done to reduce the risks though. To start, bamboo frames can be used instead of metal. These biodegradable options are widely available and vary little in cost from there wire counterparts. For extra safety lanterns can be tethered. A simple piece of string attaching the lantern to a fixed location will vastly reduce the fire risk. This also means that the lanterns can be gathered in at the end and disposed of suitably.

A number of groups are calling for an outright ban, which to me seems a shame. I totally understand why, as these lanterns present a serious risk. However, I hope that by more people becoming aware of the risks and doing something to reduce the damage then sufficient changes will be seen for landowners and lantern releasers to live in harmony.

Just remember, if you're buying lanterns this Chinese New Year (or at any other time) to look for wire free, eco-friendly lanterns. Then try to make sure they can't drift too far!

 

Tags: Do your bit for the environment | Peterborough Greeniversity | Laura Bayliss

If you visited Peterborough Cathedral last Saturday (30/10/10) and made your way to the new build   (that’s the bit right at the far end that was built in the time of Henry VIII) you would have been greeted by sounds that were most unusual and distinctly different from the usual Choral music heard in this beautiful space The reason for the change of tone was Jane Snart, a Sound Therapy practitioner, who was holding a Greeniversity class explaining and demonstrating the remarkable benefits of this practice.


Jane and two friends had seven enormous gongs on display and countless other instruments including Tibetan singing bowls, rattles and drums to name but a few. The idea of Sound Therapy is to improve a person’s life by enhancing the ability to cope in this busy world of demands and challenges. Sound elicits deep subconscious responses within us on a soul level. By using therapeutic techniques involving sound, we can learn to get in touch with the deepest, most profound parts of ourselves in order to bring about positive change and transformation in all aspects of our lives.    
 
The sound that was produced and projected was magnificent to say the least. The acoustics of the Cathedral enhanced the music and gave the whole session a magical quality that was quite a privilege to be part of and left everyone who attended in a state of joyful peace and tranquillity.


Thirty people attended making this one of the most popular Greeniversity classes yet! If you missed the session and would like to find out more you can contact Jane via email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or go to www.greeniversity.org.uk where you will find details of the next class that is going to be held at the Eco Innovation Centre in January 2011 and information about all the other fabulous free Greeniversity classes that are taking place around the city.

Lastly and most importantly Greeniversity would like to thank Peterborough Cathedral for supporting the Greeniversity and allowing this class to take place and for all the support that has been received.

More photo's from this event can be viewed at PECT's facebook 

Tags: Karen Lawrence | Peterborough Greeniversity

Greeniversity is proud to announce that it has received funding from the Santander Foundation to progress its valuable work with people in Peterborough who have learning difficulties and/or physical disabilities.

The Santander Foundation funds local, regional and national charities for their work within the UK and the money Greeniversity has been awarded will provide green skill classes, workshops and events which are specifically tailored to people with special needs.

One of the positive outcomes of the Greeniversity is the way in which it has helped people with physical and mental difficulties grow in confidence and self esteem. Because of the informal style of learning, which is useful, practical and fun, people of all ages and of all ranges of ability have been able to come together forming positive and proactive relationships.

Thanks to the grant from the Santander foundation we are now able to focus on activities which bring green to skills to more sectors of society. If you are associated with an organisation, care home or have a disability and you have an idea of the type of class you would like to see please contact:

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it    or 01733 866441

Tags: Karen Lawrence | Peterborough Greeniversity

Last year we were really successful at the Greeniversity and had a winner in adult learner’s week.

John Garton has been a fantastic ambassador for Greeniversity and now we are looking for someone to nominate for this year’s award to continue our success.

Whose story do you think we should share??? Is there someone special you have come across at a Greeniversity class who you would like us to nominate?

If there is leave a post in this forum or contact me by email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or tel. 01733 866441

Tags: Karen Lawrence | Peterborough Greeniversity

The Greeniversity team were very honoured to be invited to speak at NIACE’s Adult and Community Learning conference which took place at Ickworth House near Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk on the 21st September 2010.

Greeniversity developed a really good relationship with NIACE, the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education, during the Transformation funded part of the project and this is something that the team have been really keen to develop.

At the conference we were given a really good opportunity to shout about the Greeniversity’s success to other’s from around the Eastern Region who are also engaged in informal adult learning.

We were able to tell them about all the great courses we have on offer and about our wonderful teachers and how the Greeniversity is really helping to grow a community of informed people with sustainable skills in our city, the home of the UK’s Environment Capital. They were really impressed by the Varity of classes we have on offer and were keen to hear about our foraging courses which have been particularly popular.

It was also a really great time for us to reflect on our successes, to be proud of our Adult learner John Garton who won a regional award earlier this year, to tell a large audience about the Highly commended award we won at the National Charity Awards and the Green Apple award we are going to be collecting in Westminster this November.

Of course none of this would be possible without the great support we have from all out partners and most of all our members so a big thank you to everyone who has helped Greeniversity become such a great success we couldn’t do it without you!

Tags: Janine Starling | Peterborough Greeniversity | Karen Lawrence