Do your bit to help St Albans get Sustainable

St Albans

Sustainability Festival

St Albans Sustainability Festival is back and happening right now. Packed with Covid-safe events to encourage everyone to live more sustainably and connect with nature, fi nd dozens of activities to join in with this week by visiting the programme at www.sustfest.org.

Get out into the fresh air…

This year, there is a particular focus on everyone’s mental and physical health. Many of the SustFest21 activities will invite residents to get outside and discover the district’s outdoor spaces in a Covid-safe manner. Follow self-guided trails and discover the trees of St Albans, the green spaces of Sopwell or the science at Rothamsted in Harpenden. Explore your own local streets with the SustFest21 Neighbourhood Scavenger Hunt. Or visit one of the Wilderhood Watch stalls popping up around St Albans sharing seeds, seedlings and activities for all ages. If you like to walk and talk, book to join Friends of the Earth on a walk around Heartwood Forest and meet some like-minded people. Or perhaps you would like to try cycling – why not join a novice women’s cycle ride?

…or enjoy from home

Many of the events can be enjoyed from the comfort of your own home. Don’t miss veteran campaigner, Jonathon Porritt, speak on 4th June about

Climate Change: The Decisive Decade. With talks on wide-ranging topics including Sustainable Transport, The Remarkable Trees of St Albans, Local to Global: from St Albans to Pakistan and Bangladesh and What Happens to Our Food Waste there is sure to be something to interest you.

For foodies there is plenty to enjoy, including short fi lms such as Love Your Lunch and Kitchen Garden Cookery. There will be a great session on 3rd June with local chefs as they share recipes from the book Love Your Leftovers for The Cutting Edge of Food Waste talk.

If you have young people in your household, get them involved with the SustFest21 young people’s event on 2nd June. Local politicians including Daisy Cooper MP and Bim Afolami MP will be on Zoom to discuss the climate crisis. This is a unique opportunity for those age 14-27 to quiz them.

SustFest21 fun with a serious message

Sustainability starts with community and there are plenty of fun community events to enjoy during SustFest21. Join a family-friendly Greenpeace Fun Quiz on 1st June or watch 2040: an optimistic fi lm on 4th June. On Sunday 6th June, drop in on a concert at the Cathedral where young musicians will be “Singing the Birds and Bees”.

Have a Climate Conversation

Do you want to talk with others about climate change, but you’re not quite sure how? Climate Conversation is the answer. It’s all about taking time to discuss the climate crisis, your thoughts for the future and what actions you could take. During Sustainability Festival you can choose either to “do it yourself” with a group of friends or colleagues using our free downloadable materials or you can join a free Climate Conversation session on 1st or 2nd June led by a facilitator.

St Albans Sustainable Market

The Sustainability Festival will close with a fabulous Sustainable Market on Sunday 6th June. From 11am until 4pm, central St Albans will be fi lled with carefully spaced stalls from local eco businesses and vegan street food. Whether it’s buying local vegetables with no air miles or swapping your single-use wipes for reusable alternatives, the Sustainable Market will give you lots of inspiration for small changes you can do that will make a big difference.

All events and booking online

At www.sustfest.org or on social media using the tag #SustFest21:

Twitter @SustFest21 Instagram @sustainablesta Facebook @SustainableStAlbans