If something changes slowly and incrementally, you just don’t notice it’s happening at all. This is happening now, little by little we are making those small changes that at first may be unnoticed but will eventually add up to a much more positive picture for nature and the natural world. If 7.8 billion of the world’s population can cause nature’s delicate balance to tip in the wrong direction, then those same 7.8 billion people can change it back again. One of my favourite quotes really sums this up.

Wickham and Knowle Climate Action Group is a small group of friends and neighbours that decided to take practical action following the October 2018 IPCC special report on global warming of 1.5 c and the 2019 State of Nature report.

At our first meeting we realised there was a lot we were already doing on our own, but that together we could support each other and our community to do more. We felt that the little things we do to help really do matter. We are all determined to encourage and enable our community to continue to lower its carbon footprint and help nature’s recovery. We decided to start by holding stalls at local events and sharing our individual ideas and the progress of the parish.

In December, during the election campaign, we raised awareness of environmental issues by asking our local candidates pledge that if elected, they would make the climate crisis a top priority when voting in parliament.

In January four of our members attended a fantastic Team Wilder workshop day held by HIWWT. It was a great chance to meet up with wildlife enthusiasts from across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to swap ideas and plans. All four of us were delighted to be asked to be part of Team Wilder and we all hope to be able to start our work with the trust as soon as we can. 

In February as part of The Climate Coalition’s national Show the Love campaign, Wickham and Knowle Climate Action Group enjoyed a fun afternoon giving out free home made recycled hearts, wildflower plants and seeds. We swapped ideas in the form of pledges and talked about the challenges of climate change with the Wickham community. 

It was a great opportunity to be inspired by all of the fantastic plans our community had and in total we had 53 pledges. Many people agreed to contact their MP, showing their commitment by sharing their pledges and asking their MP to pledge to champion the solutions to climate change. The pledges varied from tree planting and bee keeping to switching to a renewable energy supplier and walking short distances instead of using the car. We had a beautiful picture pledge from a talented 2-year-old of flowers, a tree and a bee, as well as an enthusiastic 16 year old who said he would like his first car to be electric. 

Since the onset of corona virus some of our activities are on hold so we have been concentrating on our own gardens. The following is little snapshot to give you a bit more detail about the motivation and current actions of some of our members. We hope this inspires you and if you live in the area and would like to join, please get in touch via our Facebook page here.

''I organised a local UKSCN youth strike for climate in Fareham. We had members of the public stopping their shopping and joining as we went along. There were a lot of smiles and clapping from the general public, the cars tooted their horns and people put their thumbs up in support. The day of the march, Fareham Borough Council issued us a statement about their environmental commitment and later they passed a motion in firm support of carbon neutrality.''

Anna - Outdoor Activity Instructor

''Within our garden, we have put up bird boxes in our trees, we have made a bug hotel and we are feeding wild birds. Wild brambles and nettles are growing in our garden and we have created wood chip pile habitats. Next to these piles we have dug a welcoming pond. In another part of the garden we have grown 16 trees. Even if you are small you can make a difference!''

Isabella - Aged 9

''I am a beekeeper and I have just had the pleasure of seeing my bees leave the hive for their first orientation flight. So, I thought I might add something relating to honeybees. At this time of year bees run the highest risk of starvation because their winter stores of honey become depleted while the queen dramatically increases her rate of laying eggs.

To help honeybees and thereby the pollination of crops we all depend upon, plant bee friendly flowers for spring and make a pond with somewhere bees can perch on in the spring sunshine. In our garden we have made sure we have plenty of nectar rich flowers for that hungry gap. We also have quite a large pond. We have planted crocus, snow drops, Hellebores and we keep the odd dandelion! 

Here is a video of my honeybees. Thankfully I am able to keep looking after my bees during the corona virus as bees are regarded as livestock.''

Stephen - Lawyer

''As our gardens make up such a big proportion of our landscape, it’s become very important to join up wildlife corridors between them.

At work I love to plant trees and meadows for our precious pollinators, build wildlife habitat piles and hedgehog homes. I have been weed killer free now for six years and the bees are loving me for it. I would urge anyone considering going chemical free to go for it! If you don’t want the dandelions in the lawn then do it the old fashioned way and lift or dig them out. In this garden we have had to make sure we have another early nectar source for hungry bees in the form of Pulmonaria, Hellebores, cherry blossom and snowdrops.''

Clare - Professional Gardener