We Care
While we enjoy the first snowdrops and daffodils, there are also a few environmental events happening too this month, including:
Animal Day organised by the MSPCA to raise funds for Ard Jerkyll.
Love Your Beach Week hosted by Manx Wildlife Trust from the 13th-19th February with paintig sessions, clean-ups and bonfires.
The Manx Nature Show begins on the 18th February, with workshops and exhibitions at St. German’s Cathedral.
An All Age Eco Workshop on Friday 24th February at the Cathedral encourages eco conversations and craft activities linked to the Island’s “We Care” eco campaign.
Innocent Creatures on March 17th is a play at the Kensington Arts Centre with an environmental theme.
“We Care” is aimed at supporting the Governments Climate Plan, endorsing their recommendations and then, asking those important questions: “when, and how soon?”
Dr. Tony Thick, the Diocesan Environment Officer and Chair of the Environment Action Group, said “This initiative is aimed at positive lobbying and empowering those who will make the decisions for all our futures. We recognise the demands on the Government to implement their Climate Change Plan 2022-2027; we recognise the work they’ve put into policy creation and we want them to know that they have the backing from people across the Island. …. Because people really do care.”
The campaign comes with lesson and workshop plans; posters, discussion group ideas and easily accessible fun craft activities. “This is aimed at engaging as many people as possible, of all ages, right across our community “ says Cheryl Cousins, a member of the Energy Action group. “The whole of the climate debate can seem so big and so scary, something that’s too large for us to cope with individually. But in reality, it affects us all.”
The programme starts with encouraging participants to identify what they most care about in the world around them, from their own children to garden birds or butterflies. To recognise that with the current climate change predictions the security of these things is under threat, and to see the pain of loss we experience in that realisation ….
Cheryl says “this campaign aims us to help us recognise how deeply we love, and how very much we care, and what positive steps we can put in place within our own lives”
Dr. Tony Thick continues “The campaign invites as many people as possible to fill in a campaign postcard, and if you’re feeling creative to even colour it in. To let your MHK’s know what steps you personally are taking, and that collectively we are encouraging our elected representatives to take more action, more quickly.”
Details of the “We Care” campaign and postcards to print out and fill in are available on the Environment Action Group website: See www.eag.im .
Cheryl Cousins
Local Minister for Dalby Village
& St James Church Dalby
Tel : 01624 843471