Community groups in Aberlady, Dunbar, East Linton, Haddington, Tranent and Friends of the Earth East Lothian and the Scottish Seabird Centre have suggested a range of events they hope will appeal to others in ELCAN. Please take advantage of their hospitality!
Climate Friendly Aberlady
Now that summer weather is arriving, you’re invited to Aberlady to visit our Community Garden – and to stay for a picnic! Our garden hosts a number of planting boxes used by enthusiastic community volunteers for growing vegetables and other crops.
The garden is one (one of many) of our most closely guarded secrets – an absolute oasis of peace and tranquillity. With the historic Glebe (site of the lost early medieval monastic settlement of Pefferham) and the wide sandbanks and dunes of Aberlady Bay just beyond the secret door how can you resist?
We’d be looking at early afternoon, say 2-5pm, on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon in the latter half of June or early July. Please let me know of your interest and I’ll select a date that suits your diaries. Contact me at ian@sccan.scot
Dunbar
Why not visit John Muir’s Birthplace in Dunbar when* there’s the exhibit on plans to redevelop the legacy exhibition space to provide a focus on the climate challenges and local measures to address them. For more information on dates and times, please contact Duncan Smeed by email at duncan.smeed@gmail.com
* Note, Duncan advises that the tentative launch date for the plans is the 20th anniversary of the opening of the John Muir Birthplace – that is 23 August – but a dedicated ELCAN event is likely to be held in late September or early October
For the past fifteen years, North Light Arts has been bringing artists and the Dunbar community together to explore and reconnect with the natural world and our environment. This year they are holding free In Our Hands exhibition and workshops in the Town House, Dunbar to re-imagine and stimulate thought about books and sustainability
More details of this event and a number of workshops being hosted at the Town House are bookable on the website, or contact Jo McNamara at josie.mac@btinternet.com
Climate Action East Linton
Money Matters: 7-8.30pm, 12 June 2023. How can you use your savings, income, pensions to influence the climate crisis? What’s the best way to influence fossil fuel companies? Put £ in…. or take £ out….? Come along to find out from speakers and discussions. Sign up here
Retrofitting & Energy: Would you be interested in an event to discuss ideas on how retrofitting to improve energy efficiency in homes might be made more affordable from limited household budgets? On how we might develop community-wide projects, community renewable opportunities and potential funding sources?
Join A Book Club: The club is for people to drop in on as and when they are interested. From August, books to be discussed and when will be advertised, enabling you to come along and join the discussion about any book that particularly book you. The club meets in the local pub on the third Monday of every month. If you’re interested, we’ll send details to you and, to give an idea of the kind of things we’ve already read and discussed, here are some titles-
“Doughnut Economics” by Kate Raworth (Apr 23)
“This is not a drill” – collection of essays collated by Extinction Rebellion (Mar 23)“Deer Man” by Geoffroy Delorme (Feb 23)
“Regenesis” by George Monbiot (Jan 23)
“The Last Migration” by Charlotte McConaghy (Nov 22)
“Islands of Abandonment” by Cal Flinn (Oct 22)
“The Ministry for the Future” by Kim Stanley Robinson (Sept 22)
“Don’t Even Think About It. Why our brains are wired to ignore climate change” by George Marshall (Jun 22)
“Under the Sky We Make. How to Be Human in a Warming World” by Kimberly Nicholas (May 22)
“Bewilderment” by Richard Powers (Apr 22) and
“The Book of Hope – A Survival Guide for an Endangered Planet” by Jane Goodall (Mar 22)
Interested in Lobbying or Climate Activism?
Speed limits: Network with other relevant East Lothian-wide bodies (e.g. Association of East Lothian Area Partnerships, FOE East Lothian, Transform Scotland, Spokes, etc.) to organise lobbying to reduce speed limits across the county. 20 mph zones could at least be as standard here as in the Borders, and speeds could be reduced on quiet country roads, improving safety, encouraging cycling and walking, and potentially discouraging car use in favour of more sustainable travel modes.
Chemical Weedkillers: Are you concerned about the over-use of chemical weedkillers? This event would discuss potential actions on chemical weedkiller use in inappropriate sites and in light of the increasing concern regarding diminishing levels of pollinating insects.
Local Activism: Is there any interest out there on organised local activism?
Practical Sharing: Or interest in sharing events, including visiting the tool library, Repair Cafe and our community gardens?
For more information and to register your interest in any of the above East Linton suggestions, please contact Jo Gibb at jo.gibb@cael.community or Tim Hetherington at tim.hetherington@cael.community
Haddington
Would you be interested in “Rewilding” meet ups in gardens, green spaces and/or allotments? Would you like to share your knowledge and the challenges you’ve faced? Or learn from the skills and experience of others followed by a picnic or pub lunch?
If so, please contact Sarah via email at sarah.dolilthings@gmail.com
North Berwick
Why not dive into the Marine Fest at the Scottish Seabird Centre from 8-12 June and celebrate Scotland’s seas. All the details here.
Tranent
What about joining us in a Pizza Making Day @ the Heugh Community Garden, Tranent. If you’re interested in attending please contact organiser and community gardener Lorraine Johnston at lorraine@naturalconnections.org.uk
Not to be outdone, Tranent Wombles would like to offer you a volunteer litter picking outing, followed by a pub lunch in the Tranent area. Sound great? For more information please contact Louise Kirk at louisekirk0509@gmail.com
Friends of the Earth East Lothian
Film Screenings: Would you like to view and discuss environmentally focused and climate justice films in like-minded company? Possible future screenings are ‘Demain’ (‘Tomorrow’) and ‘Once you Know’ with post-film discussion of ways we can engage more hopefully and purposefully in climate action and solutions
Work that Reconnects (WTR): Climate activists can easily experience feelings of depletion and burn out. To help address this, FoEEL would like to facilitate an event fostering emotional self-care and restoration to support, renew and re-invigorate our vision for future climate action
WTR is a form of transformative group work developed by Joanna Macy in the book ‘Active Hope’ she co-wrote with Chris Johnstone. Our event group will tap into awe, wonder and connection, give space to our emotional responses to the collective mess we’re in, and practice changing our perspective on what’s unfolding. We will also explore what new steps the ELCAN community might take towards greater resilience and justice in our world
For further information on the above please contact Lorna Telford, Friends by email at foeeastlothian@gmail.com.
Would your community group like to suggest an event which might be of interest to fellow members? Don’t be shy! It’s good to share! Contact me at Ian@sccan.scot