Tired of feeling guilty about not doing more to protect our planet?
RHS Garden Rosemoor have just the antidote, a weekend of fun and learning about how we can all reduce our environmental footprint, to tie in with the Global Recycling Day on 18 March.
With a focus on sustainability and upcycling, this event offers lots of family friendly activities as well as the opportunity to meet people who are passionate about our planet, to get practical tips on how to be greener and learn about the impact different industries have on our earth.
Listen to environmental experts, learn how to upcycle items to save them from going to landfill and browse goods made by businesses whose core values are about creating environmentally friendly products. You will also be able to admire a quirky display of sculptures made from recycled items.
Highlights from the Talk Schedule
Hear from Recycle Devon about The BIG FIX May, where Repair Cafés from across the UK are hosting BIG FIX events to highlight their importance in reducing waste, connecting communities, preventing social isolation, sharing skills, and saving people money.
Meet Dr Compost aka Nicky Scott who will be delivering two talks on the Sunday, one on demystifying compost and the other about the benefit of wildflower meadows for biodiversity.
Learn about the ‘Lifecycle of Clothes’ at a talk by Peter Vallance from the Devon Air Ambulance Trust.
Listen to authors Derek Gow and Sophie Pavelle who will be discussing their books – ‘Rewilding on a Farm’ and ‘Finding the Forgotten Species’.
Discover how the Rosemoor Garden Team are aiming to switch from ‘Mains to Rains’ with their new leat project, supported by the Rolle Canal Society, and learn how you can reduce your reliance on mains water in your own home.
You can also meet the following Exhibitors in the Garden Room:
Devon Air Ambulance Trust – Browse and buy quality clothing that can’t be sold in charity shops due to missing care labels and rescue them from landfill.
Church Ford Crafts - Willow basketry made with sustainable willow locally grown in North Devon (Little Torrington and Langtree), and from the commercial growers in Somerset.
Coastal Shed Art – Discover unique items for the home made from upcycled objects, including speakers made from surf and skateboards.
Random Stuff Paper - Beautiful things created from old and recycled paper and card including historical almanacs, tide-timetables, maps and even junk mail!
Kate Eldridge, Fibre Artist – Ethical, wearable art - scarves, shrugs and handmade jewellery made from upcycled vintage sari silk and sustainable, locally sourced British wool.
Gentle on the Planet – Unique bags from recovered, unused, surplus yet fabulous fabric destined for landfill.
Exhibitors you can meet in the Stream Field include:
Robin Larkahm Mobile Windmill – See an enormous (14 meter high) windmill showcasing the raw power of the wind and learn more from its creator
Recycle Devon - Get practical advice about how to ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’ in your home and meet volunteers from a local Repair Café to learn more about the benefits of these gatherings.
Plastic Free North Devon – Learn about this local environmental charity helping people to recognise the relevance and value of nature in their lives.
EcoZoom – Meet a social enterprise that makes clean burning, portable wood and charcoal powered cook stoves and solar powered lighting - reliable and affordable energy solutions.
Roundswell Toyota – View some of the latest electric vehicles.
Families will be able to take part in free, drop in sculpture and upcycling workshops all weekend as well as follow our leaf rubbing trail set throughout the gardens.
Other activities and exhibitors include
· Devon Wildlife Trust, local farms and producers displaying the benefits of no dig gardening
· Woodland Biodiversity walks on the Sunday.
The RHS’s Sustainability Strategy launched in 2022 plans for the organisation to become net positive for nature and people within the decade. Rosemoor is the first RHS garden to trial using reusable keep cups instead of disposable cups for takeaway drinks.Most single-use “paper” cups contain a polyurethane coating, making recycling difficult and rare - less than 2% are recycled. This trial, using 3,000 cups made from a composite of natural fibre, corn starch and a plant-based resin supplied by Ecoffee Cups, will be launched at the start of the ‘Go Green’ Weekend.
Event Schedule
Saturday & Sunday 10:00am – 4:00pm Creative Workshops for Children
Saturday & Sunday 10:00am – 4:00pm Demos and exhibitors, Stream Field
Saturday 12.30 - 1.30 & 3.30 - 4.30pm Woodland Biodiversity Walks
Saturday 11:00 - 11.30am - Talk on The sustainability of Soap Nuts by Shenna Middle
Saturday 12:00 - 12.30pm - Talk on Life on a Devon farm and re-wilding by author of ‘Birds, Beasts and Bedlam’, Derek Gow
Saturday 1:00 - 1.30pm - Talk about Eco farming by Ben May
Saturday 2:00 - 2.30pm - ‘The Lifecycle of Clothes’ talk by Devon Air Ambulance
Saturday 3:00 - 3.30 pm - ‘Choose to reuse’ talk by Recycle Devon
Sunday 11:00 -11.30pm - Talk by Sophie Pavelle, author of the book ‘Forget me not - Finding the forgotten species of climate change Britain’
Sunday 12:00 -12.30pm - Talk about meadows and wild flowers by Nicky Gradey Scott, inspired by Mary Reynold’s approach
Sunday 1:00 - 1.30pm - ‘Creating sculptures using recycled materials’ talk by Sculptor Mark Stratton
Sunday 2:00 - 2.30pm - ‘De-mystifying compost’ talk by Dr Compost Nicky Gradey Scott
Sunday 3:00 - 3.30pm - ‘Water Sustainability in Gardening’ talk by Martin Ivall
Garden admission applies; free to RHS members and children under five,
https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/rosemoor/viewevent?EFID=334&ESRC=CMS
