In this edition...

Free Green Cinema - Coming Soon!

Main Read - Become a GOTT - Guardian of the Tillingbourne! 

Netley Mill Rewilding - Update from Will and Alex 

Interesting Pod Casts - Select & Suggest 

Join the T.E Team - We welcome your energy and ideas!

T.E Green Cinema

Date - Sunday 26th March - 7pm to 9.30pm @ Albury Sports Club

Price - Free to reserve via Eventbrite

Theme - Precious Water 

From the impacts of climate change on freshwater supplies around the world to protecting the seas, and more locally protecting our Tillingbourne Stream, join us for an evening of short films and documentaries. Ranging from 5 to 30 minutes the films explore our impact on water as well as things we can do to make a difference.

The format of showing short, beautiful, inspiring films will provide a variety of content - you can come along and enjoy for a while over a drink at the bar or stay for longer. With short breaks between each film, there will be a chance for conversations with other local people sharing similar interests in protecting our local environment and taking action to address climate change.

Children are very welcome and we aim to show some earlier films with their interests in mind.

A further update on the event will come out via Newsletter in the weeks before the event!

Guardians of the Tillingbourne - GOTT!

Like all rivers, lakes and seas, our treasured Tillingbourne Stream is under pressure from farming run-off, invasive species of weed, tourism, the impact of a changing climate and more.

Inspired and led by Anna Pohorely from Shalford, T.E are helping to connect people living along the Tillingbourne who want to take a proactive role in protecting the stream and its smaller tributaries. 

We recognise that caring local people, groups and businesses have a combined strength in coordinating their efforts and sharing ideas -  so our plan over the months to come is to build this network.

"Our approach is two-fold - bringing people together, and water testing"

Bringing People Together

We are launching a new page on our website that provides links to groups, organisations and companies recognised to already be supporting the Tillingbourne catchment. This should be live in a week or so!

We hope that building a local network of people focussing on protecting the Tillingbourne will also help us individually to find ways to take action. 

Via our website or this link you will also find a new forum page. Under Community Initiatives is the beginning of a space where we can share ideas and broaden the conversation. 

Water Testing

Developed by water scientist Kat Kavanagh who is part of the River Wey Trust, and supported by Zero Carbon Guildford, Anna and others are establishing routine water testing along the length of the Tillingbourne. 

In 2014, Kat Kavanagh won an award in Canada for developing user-friendly water testing kits and data recording for the public to test the quality of local waters. She moved to England, and in March 2022 set up Water Testing Guildford, whose rangers started testing at many points along the river Wey on a monthly basis. You can find out more via this link.

The kits can test for many key indicators

Conductivity - phosphates - nitrates - chlorine - ph - alkalinity - hardness - temperature 

Regularly testing the water provides a baseline from which to detect hotspots and trends, and provides evidence that can be used to lead to improvements. The results are entered onto a spreadsheet and sent to Water testing Guildford (WTG), which now has nearly a year’s worth of data. The emphasis is on “Conservation Optimism" - to know that there are problems but to focus on finding solutions. 

The water testing kits cost about £400 and we are very fortunate to have two on loan with hopes to fundraise for three more! 

Anna and her husband John live at the wonderful National Trust Shalford Mill, where they are kindly hosting training sessions - as was so enjoyed in the picture below! If you are interested in becoming a Tillingbourne Water Ranger, you will be very welcome to join in and full training is provided!

Joint update from Anna, Roshan and Christian 

Netley Mill Rewilding Project - Update from Will & Alex

On Friday February 3, 25 local volunteers took part in a mass hedgerow planting exercise in partnership with Thames Water’s Biodiversity Officer’s team and their landscaping contractor Maydencroft.

In a few hours close to 2,000 whips (baby hedgerow saplings) were planted in the two fields owned by Thames Water between Gomshall and Shere. Through the following week, Thames Water’s team returned and over 5,000 have now been planted, soon to be followed by some wildlife friendly fruiting trees and future veteran trees.

This is phase 2 of the rewilding plans for the land, and forms part of continuing discussions being led by Willl Esplen and Alex MacKinnon with Thames Water over long term plans for the land - which much of our local drinking water passes through via a network of pipes and pumps. Phase 1 in 2021 involved a smaller hedgerow, trees and wildflower meadow.

Since much of that infrastructure was replaced in 2020/21 Thames Water explained that they have self-imposed new targets for biodiversity on their land, and this has been the ideal time to work with the local community to meet those targets.

 Will, Alex and the team at Thames Water wish to say a massive thank you to all those who got involved!

Joint update from Will, Alex and Thames Water

Interesting Podcasts - Select & Suggest 

We are planning a Podcast page on our website where everyone is welcome to make suggestions of informative and thought-provoking listening around the theme of the environment and climate change. The intention is not to promote any particular point of view but to simply share personal recommendations. 

To start this, we are adding a few of our own favourites and welcoming you to send us yours...

The Sustainable-ish Podcast

"Grab yourself a cuppa, and snuggle up on the sofa ready for a good old chinwag. Get inspired by fabulous people doing wonderful things to help us all to live a bit more sustainably, while you're walking the dog, doing the school run, or cooking the tea..!" 

Rethink Climate

Behaviour change in relation to green behaviour. This episode includes looking at public perceptions to certain green behaviours, the human nature of cognitive dissonance, and much much more. Worth a listen - available through BBC Sounds. 

The Meat Paradox 

"Book of the Week. Rob Percival, an expert in the politics of meat, looks at how empathy, ethics, the economy and ecology will shape our diets in the future." 

The Knepp Wildland podcast

Join Knepp ecologist, Penny Green, and experience some of the wildlife wonders encountered, the secrets uncovered and the remarkable people who are part of the Knepp Wildland project. 

Have a suggestion for an inspiring environmental themed podcast?

Please let us know to share with others!

Join T.E Team!

We are a small but active team behind Tillingbourne.Earth and are looking for people to join us. Whether you are keen to get out and about to help practically, or are able to support us in minutes here and there from home, please get in touch - we'd love to hear from you.

[email protected]

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