A huge thanks to all our event organisers who helped to make York Environment Week 2022 a success. You can take a look at the events that took part in more detail below.
A Passion for the Earth
St Luke’s Church & Green Christian
10 September 9:30am – 3:30am
A day of discussion, stalls and worship to encourage our communities, build common cause for creation and inspire ambitious change. The day will include a joyous interactive event led by Riding Lights Theatre Company, as well as two workshops with speakers from Green Christian and stalls with ideas for eco churches.
York Walking Festival
iTravel York
17-24 September
Walking is healthy and can be fun, interesting, sociable and great for your wellbeing. It is a simple way of getting more active. But how can you do more of it? There are group walks, ideas and resources for family activities, maps for themed trails in the city and much more.
Eco Fair
St Paul’s Church
24 September 10am – 3pm
Join us for a cuppa at our Fairtrade Cafe, cakes provided by the community, workshops for children and adults on a range of themes and browse the stalls to have conversations with local organisations that support the environment or are local traders.
Tang Hall Ready Steady Cook!
Edible York
24 September 12pm – 2pm
This Edible York event is focussing on how our local food is cooked into delicious meals. Young chefs will cook quick and yummy dishes using seasonal locally grown food. Recipes, sample tastings, games, competitions, prizes, lucky dip all with an environmental and local theme.
Climate Fresk: Get to Grips with Climate Science
Climate Fresk
24 September 3:30 – 6:30pm
Understanding climate science might seem intimidating, but it’s important we get to grips with it. The Climate Fresk turns climate science into a team game, where we work together to connect the causes, mechanisms and effects of the climate crisis, and what we can do about it.
St Nick’s Autumn Fayre
St Nicks
25 September 1pm – 5pm
Come to a celebration of nature’s harvest: Nature walks-Longest Apple Peel Competition-Refreshments from local breweries & distilleries-Meadow planting-Live music-Challenges and games-Apple press-Poetry and nature writing-Arts and craft-Cake stall-Tombola-Woodland adventures-Mindful walks-Bake sale and more!
Street-Recycle
Planet South Bank
25 September 11am – 3pm
Planet South Bank (PSB) will run one of its regular Street-Recycles, in which households put out stuff to give away, swap or sell. The event encourages less consumerism, and builds community through the conversations and connections which are created as people visit the houses on the trail.
Launching “Wholelife Community Garden” Project
Wholelife Community Garden
25 September 1:30pm – 4pm
This is our start-up event, in which we hope to display our plans to convert an unused space into a community garden for anyone interested, all ages and all abilities are welcome to join us.
Wild Bishophill
Bishophillbillies
25 September 2pm – 4pm
Join us on Sunday 25 September 2022, 2-4 pm in Bishophill Community Garden to find out about our Pollinator Project – helping nature thrive in Bishophill, and connecting up with Green Corridors across ‘Wild York’.
#KidicalMass York Cycle Ride
York Cycle Campaign
25 September 1pm – 3pm
#KidicalMass is a free social ride for cyclists of all ages, to show everyone that we want to cycle and need safe spaces for cycling! The route will be traffic-free cycle paths where possible from York Minster finishing at St Nick’s autumn fayre.
Investing and the Environment
Yorwealth
26 September 12pm, 3pm, 6pm
We would like to show how investing in a certain way can have a positive impact on the environment. Generally one of a person’s largest assets next to property will be their Pension, and investing this in Ethical/ Sustainable companies can force positive change in companies to hit environmental and net zero targets.
Film Screening of BURNED: Are Trees The New Coal?
Axe Drax
26 September 7:30pm
Drax Power Station, located 20 miles out of York, is the UK’s biggest carbon emitter. Its primary fuel is trees from forests across the globe; this is insanely classed as renewable and given £billions of subsidies by the UK government. The film will be followed by a Q&A.
Morsbags! – Shopping bags from recycled fabrics
York Learning
27 September 10am – 3pm
Save money and help the environment by making a reusable, original, washable, bag from re-cycled and unwanted fabrics. There will be lots of fabrics (inc men’s ties – which make great bags) available on the day, but please bring along any pieces from home that you would particularly like to use or can gift to others.
Save energy & money…
York Energy Advice
27 September 10:30am – 1pm
…And help the planet too! Come along to get free advice and support on saving energy and managing your energy bills. Meet the friendly team of advisors from York Energy Advice and our partners. There’ll be short talks on energy saving and help available with bills, free LED light bulbs for eligible residents, (a certain kind of) sheep, energy quiz and more.
Who are Extinction Rebellion?
Extinction Rebellion
27 September 7pm
Extinction Rebellion (XR) is an environmental pressure group with 3 key demands for governments: tell the truth about the climate crisis, act now, and look beyond politics. If you’d like to find out more about the York branch of XR, come along to our talk and Q&A.
Peasholme Green Edible Open Garden
Edible York
28 September 12pm – 1:30pm
What has Edible York’s growing got to offer in early autumn? We will have herbs and fruit to sample and take away. Why not stop and talk to some of the people who are active at the garden. And find out more about Edible York’s work in other parts of the city.
Climate Café
York Environment Week
28 September 7pm – 8.30pm
A small gathering of people meeting with facilitators to share their feelings about the climate crisis. It is a confidential, warm, friendly, hospitable occasion – involving cake, hot drinks, maybe a glass of wine or beer. We listen and are interested in each other’s views, and we don’t try to impose our own. There are no guest speakers, no lectures, no advice, no commitment, an action-free space.
Eco Homes Café 2: Heat Pumps
St Nicks & York Community Energy
29 September 6:30pm – 8:45pm
Wondering what exactly a heat pump is, how it works and how much insulation you need for it to work well? Come along for 6:30pm light refreshments and 7pm start of short presentations and table discussions. Meet local heat pump owners and hear their experiences or share your own.
Let’s Make Climate Jobs Happen in York
York & District Trades Union Council
29 September 7pm – 9pm
We’ll discuss how we can build the York workforce to tackle the climate emergency, meeting people’s needs while respecting planetary boundaries, expanding worthwhile, well-paid jobs across sectors from transport, construction and energy to food, homes, education and more. Speakers from regional TUC, Just Transition Wakefield and the Women’s Budget Group Feminist Green New Deal project, followed by wider discussion.
Climate Fresk: Get to Grips with Climate Science
Climate Fresk
30 September 3:30 – 6:30pm
Understanding climate science might seem intimidating, but it’s important we get to grips with it. The Climate Fresk turns climate science into a team game, where we work together to connect the causes, mechanisms and effects of the climate crisis, and what we can do about it.
Wild Friday
The Conservation Volunteers
30 September 10am – 12pm
Join us for eco crafting, and creating habitat homes for wildlife in our gardens and public spaces. Learn about how wildlife is impacted by climate change here in the UK, and how we can support nature in our gardens and communities.
Climate Crisis and Rising Prices: YCE AGM
York Community Energy
30 September 6:15pm – 8:45pm
Can eco home upgrades and solar-powered schools help combat the energy price crisis as well as the climate crisis? Join us as we explore this question and more with special guest speaker, renowned energy expert Jan Rosenow. Plus, your chance to elect the new Board of Directors, or even join them!
Medieval Garden opens
Edible York
1 October 10:30am – 11:30am
What were gardens like in medieval times? Edible York’s city centre garden near the Barbican replicates what the monks from St Andrew’s monastery are thought to have grown. Drop in to the launch event and find out more from the team. The garden includes vegetables and medicinal herbs. The nearby Novotel is built on the site of the monastery.
York Open Eco Homes
St Nicks & York Community Energy
1 October 10am – 4pm
Visit local homes that don’t cost the Earth to run, and are more comfy too. A third of York’s carbon emissions come from heating and powering our homes because very few are well insulated. Upgrading them for energy saving is a triple win: lower bills and carbon footprint as well as better health. Book a visit to get inspired and meet friendly people happy to share their experiences.
Making the most of Leeman Road’s green spaces
YoCo – York Co-owned
1 October 2pm – 4pm
YoCo is leading a walk around the green spaces of Leeman Raod. Some are hidden away, and there is greenery in the most unlikely spots. There are well-established resoures too such as the orchard. This will be followed by a community picnic – bring your own snacks. Join us for either or both actvities. The walk will be a mile or so.
Other events
Below is a list of other local events running during York Environment Week/Great Big Green Week, which you may also be interested in.
| Title | Description | When | Where | Organised by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Repair + Share | Bring articles that need fixing, find out how to mend things yourself, have a cuppa, and meet local people passionate about avoiding waste. | 24 September 10am-12noon | St Thomas’s Church hall Lowther Street, York YO31 7ND | Groves Repair + Share |
| How to find energy savings in your community or commercial building | Energy Saving Tips webinar to help you save money in your community or commercial building. | 26 September 9-10am | Online | Zero Carbon Yorkshire |
| Divest the council | Meet members of Fossil Free North Yorkshire to find out why divesting the council of fossil fuel investments is so important | 27 September 10.30am-3.30pm | Ouside on Parliament Street, York | Fossil Free North Yorkshire |
| Energy tips and tricks for your home heading into winter | Join Luke Richardson, experienced energy auditor and chair of Zero Carbon Yorkshire to discuss ways to save energy this winter. | 30 September 9-10am | Online | Zero Carbon Yorkshire |
| Meet York’s Remarkable City Trees – a walk | Among the familiar varieties of trees in York city centre there are rarer specimens. Find out their names and a bit more about them. Sorry, full up! Bike Belles has events all year round. | 2nd October 2pm-4pm | Starts near Lendal Bridge | York Bike Belles |