Have fun in Oxford for Great Big Green Week with BBOWT

A CLIMATE cook-in, a stand-up comedy night, a treasure hunt, a giant grid game and a voyage to the trash vortex:

These are just some of the hundreds of events that have been happening across Oxfordshire this week as part of Great Big Green Week.

The national organisers of this now-annual event describe it as ‘the biggest event for climate and nature ever in the UK’.

But none of these events involve dismantling coal power stations, stopping production of plastic bags or saving bees from pesticides - so how can they tackle climate change or help the environment?

Well, in a way, all of these events are achieving exactly those huge aims: take some of the events that the Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) have been involved with this week.

On Saturday, our Wild Banbury team started construction on a bug hotel - with its own ‘penthouse suite’ for bees - at Bridge Street Community Garden.

Providing homes for bees - especially in urban environments - is an invaluable way to protect their populations, the decline of which has been linked to use of pesticides such as neonicotinoids.

Dangerous pesticide use is something that does need to be stopped, and we have repeatedly campaigned for this.

However, if we can also create urban environments that are more friendly to all kinds of wildlife including bees, that will also help protect populations.

After working on the bug hotel, some of the Wild Banbury crew headed to Oxford to join the Walk for Life on Earth.

This march didn’t blockade any petrol stations: what it did was provide a show of strength in the environmental movement, to demonstrate to everyone watching that all those involved want change; it provided a place for people to talk about the environment, share their knowledge and swap ideas on personal actions that we can take; it was a way for everyone involved to give encouragement to everyone else who needs it that we are all in this fight together.

On Monday night, our conservation strategy project manager Giles Strother gave a talk on the future of farming and wildlife.

The talk was aimed both at those who work in the industry and also those just interested in the subject, to provide ideas on the possible ways forward.

This Sunday, we have a class at out Sutton Courtenay Environmental Education Centre near Didcot teaching how make a basket out of foraged bramble stems. We also give some top foraging tips.

It’s a small action, but the more we forage for food, the less we buy from shops that will almost inevitably have a carbon footprint.

In fact, it’s the kind of small action that all of us can take at any time of year.

We have a huge list of these actions on our website at bbowt.org.uk/actions ranging from how to build a bee hotel to advice on how to avoid palm oil, cutting your carbon footprint and being an eco-friendly pet owner!

Great Big Green Week is great not because of what it stops, but because of what it starts - ideas; movements; conversations.

Oxfordshire county councillor Liz Leffman at the Walk for Life on Earth. Picture: Feng Ho

As our Chief Executive Estelle Bailey puts it: “Wildlife is in freefall, our climate is in crisis, and restoring nature is a big part of the solution. We want to see more nature everywhere and we can achieve that if we work together.

“Great Big Green Week is a fantastic opportunity for us all to make big and small changes that will add up to a real difference for our natural world and we’re proud to be involved.

“It’s good for nature, people and climate.”

• To find out more about the Great Big Green Week in Oxfordshire and the events going on, go to greenweekoxon.co.uk.
• To find out more about BBOWT’s conservation work, our environmental campaigns and how you can get involved, go to bbowt.org.uk