Feature

Petersfield Climate Action Network

Petersfield Christmas Present Exchange

Petersfield Climate Action Network and Winton House Centre are running the popular Christmas Present Exchange again this year. Unwanted gifts are a reality in life - but one man or woman's trash is another's treasure... Don't let those unwanted goodies go to waste!

Drop unwanted gifts (not charity shop goods) at Winton House any weekday from Tuesday 3rd January to Friday 13th January 9.30am - 3.30pm, collect your token, and then on Saturday 14th January between 9.30am - midday, return to Winton House to select an exchange gift. Alternatively, you can donate your token so that someone else in the community can choose a present. Anything left over will be used to benefit HomeStart Butser or Age Concern.

The aim is to reduce waste and provide a route for nice but unneeded gifts to find a new home where they will be more appreciated. This is a project for the community by the community.

Every time you reuse, regift, repair or recycle something, you are helping to reduce the volume of CO2 consumed every year in Petersfield from the production and transportation of goods. Winton House is located at 18 High Street, Petersfield. The Winton House Centre is a registered charity. Organisers might reject unsuitable items.

A Fruit Tree in Every Garden

Over the last two winters PeCAN has distributed 380 fruit trees for gardens around Petersfield. This season, so far, and working in partnership with ACAN, LipCAN, and residents in Rowlands Castle, we have sold 415 trees for gardens across East Hampshire! These trees would usually cost over £30 plus delivery but subsidised through a grant from EHDC, PeCAN is offering them for ONLY £15, with a stake and instructions on how to plant.

Due to the success of the project this year we plan to extend it, reopening orders again in the new year. Please keep an eye on our social media accounts and our website, or sign up to our newsletter, for further details.

Types of trees available include apple, pear, plum, cherry and ornamental cherry and they are sourced from local nursery Blackmoor Fruit Farm. The treesare two years old and approximately 1.5 metres tall, growing to 2-2.5 metres when mature. You will be offered information and directed to a website to help you plant and care for your tree.

In England alone, the total area of gardens is 459% larger than the total area of the National Nature Reserves, so the potential significance of gardens as a resource for wildlife is clear.

Fruit trees offer blossom in spring, a fantastic resource for wildlife and pollinators all year round, carbon dioxide sequestration, and even fruit to eat. What’s more, a fruit tree makes a wonderful gift! Trees, shrubs and hedges also provide nesting places and materials, food sources and cover for a great variety of creatures.

Amelia Gabriel, programme manager, said: “Trees are a beneficial addition to most gardens, but in residential areas they are very important, helping with climate regulation and air filtration and providing valuable habitats for wildlife.

“With almost half of Britain’s ancient woodland having been destroyed in the last 50 years, the need for these habitats is greater than ever, and you can help by planting a tree in your garden.”

For more information about PeCAN and to sign up to our newsletter, please visit our website at w: www.petersfieldcan.org, email e: hello@petersfieldcan.org Facebook (@PetersfieldClimateActionNetwork and Instagram (@petersfield_can), or call 01730 719792. We look forward to hearing from you.