At the AGM last year we put up an Ideas Board for any suggestions for activities that Teign Estuary Transition could get involved in – these are listed below. We’d like to explore these this year but need some help in fleshing out the ideas.
So, if you recognise an idea as yours, could you please see if there are any further details you could add to make clearer what you had in mind?
Anyone else, please tell us what you think about any of the ideas, or add any further ideas you can think of!
You can respond in a number of ways:
- add a comment to this page
- email us at info@teigntransition.org.uk and we can add your comments to the page for you
- speak to any of us in person!
Suggestions for Teign Estuary Transition
- Have a stall at Shaldon water carnival/regatta to get TET wider known in Shaldon
- Eco bike workshop
- Tool share
- LETS (local exchange trading scheme)
- Have a TET float in the Teignmouth Carnival
- Discuss CAT’s (Centre for Alternative Technology) zero carbon 2030 document
- Backpacker hostel
- Set up party to deal with foraged produce (esp. CEPS)
- Solar panel on library
- More cycle lanes
- Encourage more people to cycle – some electric bicycles for Devon Hills
- Invite Totnes Transition to speak on their success in winning the Ashdon Award this year
- Invite Andy Langford from Gaia University to talk on systems
- Set up exchange base for people to swop excess garden produce, e.g. glut of plums, apples, tomatoes, eggs etc. – ‘Food crop swap’
- More ‘do’s’ like this – casual like – local foods from walled garden and shared journals, magazines – talks every 3 months
- Transport – cycle path (tree lined) – trail sculptures
- Call the discussion groups ‘tete-a-tetes’
- Picnic and guided nature walk
Teign Estuary Transition 
I’m not sure if I suggested dealing with foraged ‘ceps’, although I have taken a small party out. There could be problems if the foragers are not expert and pass on fungi which are not in fact fit to eat.
If I had not learnt to identify botulis edulis in Italy while living there for over 15 years I would not be confident about picking them in Devon. When I first tried to contact a website here nobody would help or take responsibility.
Anne Gwynn
Hi Anne, it seems ages since our foraging expedition before Christmas. How are you? Looking back at your comments I agree we must have someone who knows what they are doing to help us with our mushroom foraging – or indeed foraging in general. It would be fun to do more of this however – roll on some better weather!
I saw your item about “Eco-Homes in Totnes” and was wondering if you have done any research into how many homes in Teignmouth have already embarked down that route – it would be a useful resource for sharing experiences and helping others who are interested in moving in that direction. We’ve already invested in solar technologies and also use wood-burning for hot water, heating and cooking (occasionally!). I’m now looking at water use/re-use. Preliminary calculations suggest that with Teignmouth average rainfall levels and our roof area, collected rainwater could more or less match annual usage – but how do you exploit that? Are there domestic scale technologies for collecting and purifying rainwater? If so, we could reduce the burden on water companies and reducing the associated energy/carbon load that those companies produce in their collection and distribution activities.
Re the above see latest warnings on water shortage – lowest groundwater levels in UK since 1976.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/parts-england-suffering-crippling-drought-044001899.html
Hi Neil, I think it would be great to follow this up and arrange some events through which information and experience could be shared and perhaps some outside expertise brought in. You thought a survey might be a good idea and I wonder if this could be done through the local papers. Anyway it would be great if you were willing to come to a meeting and discuss further!
Hi Mary. Looks like your next meeting is 29th (??) which I can’t make – in general can’t do Wednesday evenings. Perhaps we can have a quick catch-up when I come along to garden on Sunday. Cheers, Neil