St Albans Sustainability Festival engaging people all over district with events

Franki Berry

Published: 8:58 AM May 23, 2019

Updated: 3:06 PM November 1, 2020

Dog walkers take part in a walk in Heartwood Forest with The Business Community partner Sue Wybrow (left) and her dog Roger for the Sustainable St Albans Festival 2019. Picture: DANNY LOO - Credit: Picture: DANNY LOO

Visitors have been enjoying an array of different events as part of the ongoing St Albans Sustainability Festival.

Munch the hungry food waste truck is teaching children about recycling food waste in Harpenden. Picture: DANNY LOO - Credit: Picture: DANNY LOO

After a successful start last week, the festival has ploughed ahead with a jam-packed schedule of activities and events, including a sustainable cooking lesson by The Cobbled Kitchen, a Bees and Trees talk run by Sandridge Parish Council, and a Riverfly Demo on the River Ver with the Ver Valley Society.

There was also an opportunity for children to meet foodwaste truck Munch The Hungry Lorry, a Dog Walk with The Business Community St Albans, a forest skills workshop run by local Woodcraft Folk, a Sustainable Living Talk at St Paul's church, and a screening of a documentary by Leonardo DiCaprio called Before the Flood.

Additionally, there was a brunch powered 100 per cent by renewable energy at Charlie's Coffee and Company, which was run with Chappell and Caldwell.

Café owner Charlie Powell said afterwards: "I truly believe in the quote 'every time you spend money you're casting a vote for the kind of world you want'."

Munch the hungry food waste truck is teaching children about recycling food waste in Harpenden. Picture: DANNY LOO - Credit: Picture: DANNY LOO

There were also more than 200 people at an Upcycling and Repair Fair at St Luke's Church in Cell Barnes Lane, and 30 people who watched a film at The Cafe on the Corner about how the Camphill Village Trust supports adults with learning disabilities.

Daylight Club also prepared a locally sourced vegetarian meal and the Nude Tin Can gallery exhibited sculptures made from recycled materials.

On May 19, the festival hosted its central event - a Market Takeover of St Peter's Street, with more than 60 stalls from business and charities.

Attendees could see electric cars, learn about low carbon shopping, listen to live music and eat street food.

One of the organisers of the Market Takeover, Craig Scudder, said: "Maybe things have turned a corner with all the media coverage of environmental issues over the last few weeks, or maybe I just underestimated how many people care about the community they live in, but either way it was a joy to see the thousands of people and families having a great time finding out about all manner of environmentally friendly causes and products."

During the market event, Extinction Rebellion St Albans held a funeral march to protest the potential death of the planet.

Chair of the festival organising group, Catherine Ross, said: "It's half way through the Sustainability Festival, and we're delighted with how it is going.

"SustFest is a fun festival with a very serious purpose; helping local people live more sustainably."

The festival is organised by Sustainable St Albans and St Albans Friends of the Earth and runs until June 1.

Visit www.sustainablestalbans.org for the programme.

A tour of the Severn Trent Green Power North London AD Facility (formerly Agrivert). Picture: Submitted by Sustainable St Albans - Credit: Archant

Earthworks Open Day and plant sale. Picture: Submitted by Sustainable St Albans - Credit: Archant

A litter pick on Harpenden Common. Picture: Submitted by Sustainable St Albans - Credit: Archant

Oxfam Harpenden Craft display. Picture: Submitted by Sustainable St Albans - Credit: Archant

Bee hives at Sandridge Parish Council Bees and Trees event. Picture: Submitted by Sustainable St Albans - Credit: Archant

Earthworks, winners of the Sustainability Festival Environmental Pub Quiz. Picture: Sustainable St Albans - Credit: Archant

The Ver Valley Society helped children discover what lives in the #RiverVer and explore the unique chalk stream. Picture: Ver Valley Society - Credit: Archant

Other teams taking part in the Sustainability Festival Environmental Pub Quiz. Picture: Sustainable St Albans - Credit: Archant

Richard from Botox Bikes helping to repair bikes at the St Luke's Upcycling and Repair Fair. Picture: Submitted by Sustainable St Albans - Credit: Archant

Building a rope bridge with the Woodcraft Folk. Picture: Submitted by Sustainable St Albans - Credit: Archant

Catherine Ross and Danielle Durant at The Cobbled Kitchen Sustainable Cooking event. Picture: Submitted by Sustainable St Albans - Credit: Archant

The Daylight Club healthy meal. Picture: Submitted by Sustainable St Albans - Credit: Archant

Jewellery repair at the St Luke's Upcycling fair. Picture: Submitted by Sustainable St Albans - Credit: Archant

Old London Road Pre-School collecting plastic bottles to make a playground igloo - before trialling using glass bottles for milk. Picture: Submitted by Sustainable St Albans - Credit: Archant

A record player was fixed at the St Luke's upcycling fair. Picture: Submitted by Sustainable St Albans - Credit: Archant

Climbing trees with the Woodcraft Folk. Picture: Submitted by Sustainable St Albans - Credit: Archant

Extinction Rebellion St Albans staged a funeral march for the planet, followed by a colour explosion, as part of the St Albans Sustainability Festival 2019. Picture: Megan Donnett - Credit: Archant

The Extinction Rebellion St Albans funeral march down St Peter's Street during St Albans Sustainability Festival. Picture: Grae Wall - Credit: Archant

Extinction Rebellion St Albans staged a funeral march for the planet, followed by a colour explosion, as part of the St Albans Sustainability Festival 2019. Picture: Megan Donnett - Credit: Archant