Radio Verulam Environment Matters

Salisbury Road residents Ann, Siobhan and Steve have created a community recycling scheme that they hope will catch on around the District. They tell us how it works, why it's so good and how you can set up your own. To check out the Community Recycling event for the St Albans Sustainability Festival, and the many other events go to the SustFest website

Invisible air pollution affects all of us, and with Clean Air Day coming up we're being asked to step up to deal with one source of polluted air. And we hear from the Rothamsted Research scientist using her loaf to make our bread healthier. You can find out about the air quality near you at www.addresspollution.org To register your interest or find out more about air pollution busting action on Clean Air Day email Helen Burridge on helen.burridge@eastherts.gov.uk

Self styled ‘little old lady’, Ro Jackson, talks about how the St Albans Sustainability Festival gave her the inspiration and the information she needed to take some big steps to make her home fossil fuel free, and what she has learned on her journey. If you're inspired to look into a step away from fossil fuels for your home, Sustainable St Albans have got some helpful advice on solar panels here For the Our Planet Our Future event entitled A Day in a Carbon Neutral World get your ticket...

It's not long now to the start of the St Albans Sustainability Festival - one of the biggest and most successful festivals of its kind and happening in and around St Albans. With the Festival online programme now released, SustFest Working Group Chair Jill Watson explains her hopes for this year's festival, how you can get involved, and asks for our help.

Gail Jackson of Sopwell Grow Community explains how this project, which started from tiny seeds in lockdown, has flourished into a productive community. To book your place on their Gardeners Question Time event go to https://springfoodgarden.eventbrite.co.uk And for the St Albans District Election Environment Hustings (a hustings is like an election question time) go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/st-albans-district-election-environment-hustings-tickets-309730240487

Dan Fletcher of St Albans RSPB talks about the wildlife dramas that are taking place in Verulamium Park and how Heronwatch will help us see and appreciate them. If you can spare an hour to help man the Heronwatch telescope you can volunteer by contacting Dan via https://ww2.rspb.org.uk/groups/stalbans/contact/

Hear from Heidi Carruthers of the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust about the latest Wilder goings on in St Albans including the launch of the Wildlife Gardening Champions. To book a visit from a Wildlife Gardening Champion head to the Gardening Champions page of the Wilderhood Watch website Check out Easter Holiday events with the Herts and Middx Wildlife Trust on their website You'll find the planning application that listener Corinne is concerned about here

With 3,477 people contributing data to it, the Hertfordshire & Middlesex Butterfly Conservation Butterfly Report is an awesome bit of citizen science. The man behind the data, Andrew Wood of Hertfordshire and Middlesex Butterfly Conservation, explains the importance of the report, what the latest report shows us, and how easy it is for you to join in with helping and spotting butterflies.

42 allotment holders at Greenwood Park in Chiswell Green have been told by St Stephen’s Parish council that their 40 year old allotments are to be moved to make way for a new car park. We hear from one of them. If you'd like to sign the petition opposing this, you'll find it at https://www.change.org/p/david-parry-parish-councillor-do-you-want-to-save-the-greenwood-park-allotments

Earth Hour is back for another year, and Jo Pritchard explains why she loves this mass participation event so much and how you can join in, and Rev Dr Kevin Walton tells us what the cathedral will be doing and why. Plus we hear about the latest campaign to protect a greenbelt area, this time between St Albans and Park Street To find out more about this planning application, go to: www.stalbans.gov.uk At the top, click “Planning Portal” and input number: 5/2022/0267. From there, you can...

Hear about the many benefits of hiring rather than buying an electric car and 2 contrasting hiring options that might work for you.

CEO of Luton Rising, Graham Olver, answers questions about the sustainability measures within the plans for expansion of Luton Airport and John Hale, chair of St Albans Quieter Skies explains his concerns. Plus details on where to find out more and how to have your say. Links mentioned in the podcast: You’ll find lots more information about Luton Rising’s proposals on their website and at their consultation event at the Jubilee Centre on Catherine Street on 21st March between 3 and 8pm. To...

Spring is in the air, and Nadia Bishara of St Albans Wilderhood Watch explains how you can help amphibious creatures in your garden. Plus there's advice on using storm damage as an opportunity to make your garden more wildlife friendly and plenty to be getting on with outside to help wildlife right now.

Gee Smedley of campaign group CLASH explains why they’ve started legal proceedings against St Albans District Council.

Manish Panchal, new proprietor at Eat Wholefoods explains what is changing, and what definitely isn't changing, at this longstanding Fleetville business, and how he's working to make the business even more sustainable

Danielle Durant and Philip de Riche talk about the pleasure of repairing things, the new Facebook group that’s proving very popular and the upcoming Repair Fair that they are organising. Book your place at the All Saints Repair Fair here For useful resources about fixing broken items try here.

Local foodie and author, Becky Alexander, talks about her new book The Green Lunch Box and explains why she thinks lunchtime is the time to help ourselves and the planet to a better 2022. Plus Cllr Eric Buckmaster wants your help with cutting the enormous amount of food we waste in Hertfordshire. Give your ideas on food waste and gain the chance to win £250 in vouchers by completing the HCC Food Waste Survey

Join 1 million others and take part in this year’s RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch. Dan Fletcher of St.Albans RSPB explains how easy it is, has invaluable tips on ensuring you see as many birds as possible and helps with how to identify what you see. He also asks that you share what you see in your garden/park with the local RSPB group at st-albans-rspb@hotmail.co.uk

Looking for a new challenge in 2022? How about becoming a Climate Champion? Sarah Kersey of Sustainable St.Albans explains what's required, as well as updating us on this year's St.Albans Sustainability Festival

It’s much easier for us to love, appreciate and defend the natural world if we know more about it – and goodness knows, in 2022 especially, it needs all the advocates it can get. So we’re kicking off the New Year with a programme where we discuss the best ways to learn about the nature all around us with 4 local experts.