Announcing York Environment Week 2021!

We are pleased to report that following its successful debut in 2020, York Environment Week will be back in 2021 from 18th to 26th September, so pencil it in your diaries now! The theme for this year will be “#YorkActsTogether – Tackling Climate Change”, and it will be taking place at the same time as the nationwide Great Big Green Week. This means that YEW will be one of many events running all over the country to raise climate awareness and demand action from our politicians as they prepare for COP 26 in Glasgow.

Last year’s event was almost entirely online due to COVID restrictions; we are hoping to have more in-person events this year, but only time will tell. At the very least, we will be aiming to have a greater variety of events beyond the standard PowerPoint presentation format (although there will be plenty of those too). More on that in the near future!

If you would like to put on an event during the Week, submissions are now OPEN! You have until Friday 16th July to fill in the form and tell us what your event is all about. You can find the form and guidelines for entries on this page. Remember, this year it’s all about York standing together to take action on climate change. Action can come in many forms: we can all make changes in our own lives to reduce our carbon impact, but we also need our political and business leaders to make changes, as they have the power to make massive emissions savings on a scale we can only dream of. And don’t forget that teaching and inspiring is also a form of action; the more people we bring along on the journey, the more emissions we save, and the louder our collective voice for holding those leaders to account.

We’re really looking forward to seeing what kind of events and projects you come up with. So be creative and get brainstorming! Also, if you would like to join the organising committee, we are currently looking for someone to help with fundraising and/or admin, so if that sounds like you then please get in touch.

Press release: York Environment Week: 28 November – 6 December 2020

Outdoor events have been given the go-ahead for York Environment Week 2020, which begins on Saturday and runs until 6 December.

The festival, which coincides with National Tree Week, originally had 15 outdoor events for people to take part in practical activities, but it was thought these would have to be postponed due to the second national lockdown. 

Now organisers have confirmed that some physical events WILL be permitted, so long as social distancing and other precautions are observed.

It means activities with The Conservation Volunteers (TCV), including four volunteering sessions at Clifton Backies Nature Reserve and a gardening session at Hull Road Park, will take place. 

There will also be an opportunity to do tree planting and maintenance (including the removal of plastic tree guards and cable ties for recycling) with the John Lally Foundation Kimberlow Hill and Diamond Wood project on the University of York campus.

For those wishing to do their environmental activities from the comfort of their own home, York Environment Week has a packed programme of online events to join in with on the themes of energy, food, nature, resources and waste, and transport and travel.

They include the ‘revitalisation’ of One Planet York, featuring guest speaker Mike Berners-Lee, author of ‘How Bad Are Bananas?’ and ‘There Is No Planet B’; an opportunity to find out how beavers can help reduce flooding; a waste-free virtual lunch hosted by St Nick’s, and stories of food and resilience from Tang Hall.

Other virtual events look at the history of transport change and cycling in Amsterdam; a celebration of innovative housing design in York; how to build your own small solar panel systems, and lessons from Bishopthorpe’s popular annual recycling day.

Participants can also get “involved” with trees and nature without getting muddy or cold. Online options include a virtual tour of a tree trail in New Earswick, an introduction to Rowntree Park’s Forest School, and a talk by Greener Pocklington about engaging the community through practical projects to combat wildlife habitat loss.

The week, which features a total of 27 online and outdoor events, is organised by a team from York Environment Forum, which aims to celebrate and promote the work of local environmental groups. To find out more and to book for events, go to: https://yorkenvironmentweek.org.uk or email info@yorkenvironmentweek.org.uk

YEW 2020 events revealed!

We are pleased to announce that the full list of events for the inaugural York Environment Week is now available!

We have 22 events taking place over the week of 28th November to 6th December, covering the five themes of Energy, Food, Nature, Resources & Waste and Travel & Transport. The vast majority of these events will be online through Zoom and require booking on Eventbrite in order to get the details. However, there will also be some opportunities to get involved in outdoor volunteer work, even if lockdown restrictions are still in place in December, due to an exemption in the rules for this kind of activity.

During the week, you will be able to learn about eco-housing, flood risk management, the impact of food on the environment, how to draught-proof your house and much more. We are also very excited to tell you that the One Planet York revitalisation event will feature a keynote from researcher and environmental writer Mike Berners-Lee, author of the ground-breaking books ‘How Bad Are Bananas? The Carbon Footprint of Everything’ and ‘There is No Planet B’.

For organisers making preparations for their events, we now have a How To section to help with the technical and practical aspects of hosting an online event. If there is anything else you would like to see a guide on, or if you need to get some technical help direct from the YEW team, please get in touch.

Other than that, please have a browse of the events and get booking, and we look forward to seeing you in a few weeks!