We want to start with small achievable projects, such as planting trees and getting access to better local recycling facilities. Cornwall Council has a low national recycling rate of 34.9% and St Cleer Parish stands at 39th in league table of Cornish parishes out of 114 with a rate of 28.52% (we were 20th last year with a rate of 29.2%). We want people to look at these figures and think, we can do better, wouldn't it be great if other people were looking at St Cleer at the top of the rankings and thinking this is something their Parish should aspire to?

To do this we need more active members. We want to make membership fun, so we will be looking to host events once lockdown legislation allows, such as visits to some of the local rewilded gardens/parks, bat walks, giving talks on how to set up a community energy schemes, bringing in local experts in their field Founded during the lockdown.

he St Cleer Environmental Group gathers a group of enthusiastic volunteers who aim to help the parish become “greener” by the planting of trees, to set up community green energy scheme (and perhaps even secure/create an energy source) , increase biodiversity in back gardens and communal spaces, recycle those difficult items, contribute feedback on new builds and their environmental impact, encourage people to walk and cycle more in the Parish, and promote understanding of the climate change issues, that the parish, the county and the world faces today.

Primarily united by a love of the environment, the group hope by bringing together diverse individuals with complementary skills, that we can co-ordinate efforts and tackle more ambitious projects. We have a steering committee of seven and 25 members on our mailing list. We hope to emulate neighbouring parishes, such as St Neot, who have a group of 60-80 members, and have helped create a community orchard, or South Hill who have a community energy group, and promote creative schemes such as taking fallen trees and helping farmers sell on the wood.

Environmental damage and destruction are very much at the forefront of the news, David Attenborough's "Extinction, the facts" highlighted the biodiversity crisis and the alarming loss of animal and plant series across the planet. The summer heatwave in Siberia saw temperatures rise to 30C in areas previously covered by permafrost, and with the icecaps melting at ever faster rates, there is a new urgency to take action and it means everybody has a part to play.