Eco Activity

The Church of England General Synod aims to meet the Carbon Zero 2030 Challenge. In Kidlington and Hampton Poyle we recognise that we are stewards of God’s amazing and wonderful creation. We are keen to do our bit  towards being Carbon Zero and lessening our impact on the environment generally.  We consider it our duty as individuals and congregation to meet the challenge. Not just for ourselves but also for the benefit of future generations and the whole of Creation. 

Doing so also fulfils the 4th and 5th Marks of Mission

  1. To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom
  2. To teach, baptise and nurture new believers
  3. To respond to human need by loving service
  4. To transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and pursue peace and reconciliation
  5. To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation, and sustain and renew the life of the earth

We now have an established Eco Team with the Mission Statement: To provide leadership on achieving the Carbon Zero 2030 Challenge and other environmental matters – in our Church and in our lives.

ECO-CAFE

Following the eco team’s service in July, one of the suggestions was that we should have an Eco Cafe in church on Saturdays to discuss environmental topics and whatever else came along. At rather short notice we decided to inaugurate this on the 24th August , and so a poster was produced, the church booked and we met. Of course Saturday the 24th August was in fact a bank holiday weekend, the weather was very wet, and the publicity had not been all that it might be! So it was not surprising to find that there were just 5 people there.

The discussion was wide ranging, and included for instance repurposing the Eagle Lectern as a display stand for an eco themed display, topics such as climate change, what we would change in order to reduce our carbon footprints. The suggestions included things like not using dishwashers, reducing use of hot water, electric lights, and our cars, improving or reducing domestic heating and insulating our homes better, turning off street lights, stop using electric doors at shops (so heat stays in the shop rather than wasted into the outside), improving shop freezer displays so they use less energy, improving building regulations so new buildings were required to have solar panels.

We discussed water usage and this led to discussion about companies producing profits for their shareholders, rather than actually providing public services as a main raison d’ etre. This had led to them borrowing huge sums and as a consequence unable to invest in the infrastructure needed. But blame lies elsewhere, too, as defective drainage, such as misconnections, can result in sewage treatment works being overloaded and this was blamed partly on poor construction by bodgers.

We also discussed food distribution and incentives such as bogofs*, which incentivise purchase of excessive quantities of food much of which was wasted. This led to the suggestion of food sharing networks, so if you’ve got a bogof that you could not use, you shared it with a friend or neighbour so taking advantage of the supermarkets largesse, but not wasting food.

Finally we discussed nectar cards and that one of the incentives they offered was additional points when purchasing petrol. This we realized was for quite large purchases of petrol, exceeding the capacity of smaller vehicles, and so virtually impossible for the recipient to capitalize on the offer. Not only did this disadvantage the recipient, but is also encourages gas guzzling vehicles with tanks of adequate capacity, and increasing mileage and so carbon footprint.

The intention is that the cafes will be monthly, the fourth Saturday of each month, between 10:30 and noon at St Mary’s, Church Street ,Kidlington OX5 2AZ, all welcome regardless of your point of view. Tea, coffee, biscuits and possibly homemade cake all provided.

The next will be on Saturday the 26th of October 2024.

Andy Pedley

*Buy one, get one free

ECO CHURCH AWARDS

All three churches have received the A Rocha Bronze Eco Church Award and are well on the way to Silver. We arrange activities and displays to highlight eco challenges and also participate in activities organised by the Kidlington Eco Group.

ECO GROUP WILDLIFE SURVEY – ST MARY’S KIDLINGTON

The Wildlife survey on Sunday 9th June 2024 went well, we brought all sorts of equipment – a sweep net, scopes and binocs, and a white bowl for “bush bashing”. It was part of a national programme of “Caring for God’s Acre” – Churchyards are important wildlife habitats, rich islands for nature, surviving despite all manner of developments that often occur around them. It was not the most beautiful day – it started out with bright sunshine, but then became overcast, and chilly, and quite a breeze.

The choristers were well engaged! They toured the churchyard with aplomb, and came back with a list of 20 flowering plant species they had found in the churchyard – including:

White nettles
Stinging nettles
Lords and Ladies
Goosegrass
Daisy
Garlic Mustard
Dog Rose
Brambles
Dock leaf
Ox-eye daisy
Elder
Sow Thistle
Hawkweed
Spear Thistle
Greater Plantain
Cow Parsley
Yarrow
Buttercup
Cornflower
Daisy
Buttercup
Herb Robert
Brambles
Herb Bennet
Cowslip
Ivy
Hawkweed
Dock Leaf
Sow Thistle
Dandelion
Speedwell
Herb Robert
Nettles
Elder
Garlic Mustard
Dandelion
Hawkweed
Dock Leaf
Brambles
Red Valerian (on wall)
Goosegrass
Buttercup
Wild Rhubarb
Spear ThistleIvy
Elder
Shining Cranesbill
Cow Parsley
Speedwell
Daisy
Hawkweed
Sow Thistle
Bindweed
Herb Robert
Elder
Bloody Cranesbill
Dock Leaf
Spear Thistle
Lords and Ladies
Borage
Goosegrass
Stinging nettles
White nettles
Stone Crop (on wall)

Yew
Arum Lilly
Oak
Iris
Plane tree
Elderflower
Lime
Plantain
And we found the following Fauna –
Snail – shell,
Slug,
Jackdaw,
5 geese – flying over,
Crab Spider – nymph,
Orb Spider – nymph,
Grasshopper – nymph,
Ant, Mole,
Ladybird lava,
Aphid

The bush bashing – simply shaking some branches on one of the Brambles to dislodge the critters, so they fell into the white bowl below, was particularly revealing.

There were just 4 on the bat walk – and we found 5 species of bat – Soprano, Nathusius and common Pipestrelles, and Common and Leisler’s Noctules – with good views of some flying amongst the trees to the North of the Church.

We’ve left some guides and our clipboards in the Church Porch, so if you have a few minutes, then pop down and survey something – the stone walls are both beautiful and rich in plant life, and the grave markers rich in mosses and lichens – see what you can see and log them on the map, then let the ecoteam know. Google Lens and apps are a great help in identifying things you do not recognise.

We plan to do it again next year, probably the 8th June – put it in your diary now!

Andy Pedley. Chair, Ecoteam

Some photos here https://photos.app.goo.gl/VMWUbtYyxgtuaZka9

BOTTLE CROSS

In Lent 2024 we built this “bottle cross” outside St Mary’s Kidlington. Notices read

“These single use plastic bottles have been brought by members of the church and as Lent progresses we will use them to build a Cross to show the harm that is being done to God’s Creation. It will be completed on Good Friday.”

Father God, Creator of all. We pray for all the communities and living things affected by plastic pollution. Help us to restore and care for this fragile and beautiful earth. Amen

If you would like more information, please email Andy via the Parish Office.