Participants commented that it was inspiring to hear what is being done across our region through community action and that more such regional events are a good idea.
 
Continuing the theme of regional meetings, Planet Sutherland and Scottish Communities Climate Action Network are holding a Highlands and Islands event on Saturday 5th December, 10 am – 1 pm, with three speakers. Skye Climate Action members are invited to attend. To register for “Growing Community Climate Action & Emotional Resilience with Carbon Conversations & Collaboration” click here.
 

Coming Up
 

Plastic Free Broadford and Beyond

by Anne MacLennan
 

We had our last meeting of the year on November 26^th. To make meetings more interesting and educational or motivational, we’ll be inviting speakers to talk on a topic related to plastic problems and/or solutions.

This time, we were delighted to hear from Ellie MacLennan of the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme (and Broadford) about the Scottish Entanglement Alliance Scottish Entanglement Alliance (SEA), a research project which she has been co-ordinating since its launch in June 2018. SEA set out to learn more about the extent of entanglement of whales, dolphins, porpoises and other creatures around Scotland, and to work out solutions – both disentanglement and reducing the chances of entanglement in fishing gear.  Ellie has met with many deeply concerned fishermen who were keen to share their experiences and work together on the issue. This was a great talk, illustrated with some wonderful photos and several less wonderful pictures of entangled creatures. Ellie recommends the film ‘Entangled’.

You can download the free Beach Track app to help map the health of Scottish beaches as you walk along our shores, by reporting litter as well as strandings of dead sea creatures.
 
We have discussed possible activities for next year including increased recycling and upcycling, beach cleans, practical workshops, and  stimulating speakers. These will be announced as details are finalised. Our next meeting will be in January by Zoom, date to be confirmed.

This group started in Broadford last year, but now that we are a part of Skye Climate Action this interest group could be renamed to reflect a wider involvement. Perhaps it could be SCAP (Skye Climate Action Plastics). Let us know if you can suggest a more exciting title for the group!
 
Please tell us about any projects you think we should know about or be getting involved with – and share your own tips to reduce, re-use or to avoid plastic.

Skye Climate Action: Grow Skye! Dùisg an talamh! 

Winter: celebrating the living world of soil

As we move into winter, it’s time for the vegetable plot to rest, and for us to care for the soil.
 
Soil is not just an inert substance for plants to extend their roots into; it is constantly being created by an intricate biological community whose trillions of inhabitants graze, scavenge, and prey on each other to form a ‘food web.’ Vital for plant growth are microscopic bacteria and fungi which break down rocks to release essential elements like phosphorus and potassium. They also consume dead organic matter such as manure and compost, excreting nutrients in their waste which plant roots can then absorb. In return for these nutrients, plant roots secrete carbohydrates which the fungi cannot make by themselves. More than 90% of plants have this mutually beneficial association between their roots and fungi, known as a mycorrhiza. The key to healthy soil is maintaining this vast web of complex relationships. Read more about the extraordinary fungal world in Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds and Shape Our Futures, by Merlin Sheldrake.
 
Bacteria and fungi are also essential for creating a healthy soil structure. Glues secreted by bacteria form clumps of bacteria, organic matter, and soil particles. Fungal threads (hyphae) then bind these small clumps into larger clumps with spaces in between. The spaces allow oxygen to enter the soil, earthworms to drag down surface organic matter, and plant roots to grow deeper. A well-structured soil with high organic matter acts as a sponge, soaking up water but allowing excess water to flow through, and is more able to resist erosion.
 
Local soil scientist James Merryweather has produced a set of wonderful posters about Highland soils, available to download here.
 
Soil and climate change
Through photosynthesis, plants convert carbon dioxide in the atmosphere into carbohydrates, up to 40% of which are secreted from their roots. When mycorrhizal fungi and bacteria consume these carbohydrates they are locking away carbon in their cells, which can remain intact in the soil for hundreds of years. Soil is a massive store of captured carbon as this video explains:

Regenerating the world’s soils by restoring the functioning of their microorganisms can soak up huge amounts of atmospheric carbon, perhaps even taking CO2 levels back to safe levels that would stabilise global temperature.   
 
***Join us for our film screening of Kiss the Ground on 5th December to learn how restoring soils through regenerative agriculture can balance our climate and grow more food for the world.  

Caring for our soil
Ploughing and digging interferes with the soil’s organisms and soil structure, throwing the food web out of balance. In unbalanced soils, beneficial microorganisms can be boosted by applying various home-made brews. Here is a fun video about this from Australia.  
 
Practicing no-dig methods helps to preserve soil structure and the complex relationships between soil organisms, enabling them to get on with the work. Charles Dowding, a leading practitioner of no-dig methods, has carried out trials of dig and no-dig beds for many years. These show that no-dig produces very healthy plants and as much, if not more food, with less work and less disruption of the soil ecosystem.
 
Mulches
The winter is a good time for mulching. Covering your soil with organic matter allows frost to break up larger lumps so soil organisms can get to work, and stops winter rain washing away the soil. If you still have crops in the ground, spread the mulch between them. If the beds are bare, you can put sheets of cardboard on top of your mulch - the worms will enjoy both, leaving you with a lovely crumbly surface to plant into next spring.

Cardboard has many uses in the garden. It is ideal for creating new beds using the no-dig method. Dig out any perennial weeds such as docks or brambles, but leave the rest. Lay down overlapping sheets of plain brown cardboard with any plastic tape removed. Weight down with 15 cm of compost or well-rotted manure and leave for six months. Or if the season is right for growing, you can plant seedlings straight into the compost. 

*** Anne at Skye Climate Action has a stock of cardboard sheets suitable for use in the garden. Contact her if you need some.

Leafmould is easy to make: 

• collect fallen autumn leaves (avoid evergreen leaves as they take longer to break down).
• put them while damp into a re-usable sack (pierce with a few holes if plastic) and tie the top. Or you can make a container of wire mesh, or twined plant stalks, held up by posts.
• leave for a year or two until the leaves have decomposed into a crumbly, dark substance with no leaf structure remaining.

Spread leafmould on your vegetable beds, add to the compost heap, or use it to make your own potting compost. For seed compost use either well-sieved leafmould on its own or mixed with equal parts sharp sand. For growing seedlings, mix equal parts leafmould, sharp sand, loam (soil), and garden compost.
 
Autumn leaves rot down best under cool conditions through the action of fungi. Adding a lot of leaves to your compost heap will slow down the bacteria-driven decomposition, so it’s best to compost leaves separately. Lignin from the decomposed leaves is useful for soil health. It regulates mineral flows within the soil, and can hold soil nutrients in reserve. 

 


Composting your vegetable waste recycles the nutrients absorbed by your crops back into your garden soil. You can compost in wooden bays (use upcycled pallets), purpose-designed containers or just a pile on the ground. The main thing is to avoid too much moisture getting into the compost heap, and retain the warmth generated by the bacterial action – a covering of old carpet or other insulation helps in both respects. Make sure the base allows drainage and air can enter the heap. Then build the heap with layers of 25-50 percent soft green materials (grass clippings, annual weeds, vegetable waste or manure) and the rest consisting of woody brown material (prunings, wood chippings, paper, cardboard, straw, dead bracken). To speed up the process you can turn the heap every few months.
 
For more information on how to compost, watch three short videos by MooFood:
What is compost and why is it important?
What you can and can't compost
Different ways to compost


Preparing for next year
Take advantage of this quiet time in the garden to plan what you’d like to grow next year, and where in the garden. Look at seed suppliers (if you haven’t saved your own) and get together with others to share and swap seeds - try something new!  Real Seeds and the Seed Cooperative produce open-pollinated seeds and encourage people to save their own seeds.

Also, check out the excellent online training courses offered by West Highland College to increase the productivity of your garden taking account of our west coast weather and soil conditions. 

Hedges and Shelter Belts 8th December and 26th January, £20
Soft fruit 19th January, £20
Vegetables and salad 2nd & 9th February, £35
Polytunnel and greenhouse growing 16th & 23rd February, £35

Tree Dressing Day
 

Tree dressing day is a time for people to gather and celebrate trees in their community, a tradition that is carried out in many different ways around the world.

Visit the Christmas Market at Camping Skye, Broadford, on 5th December where children at Broadford’s Outdoor School are holding a Dress-a-Tree event The children will show their finger knitting and weaving skills, and create decorations from the forest floor using natural and found materials, and possibly even Japanese mud balls (dorodango).

Highland Council 
 

Highland Food Growing 

with over 1000 products from across the Scottish Islands.

Scotland's Climate Assembly
 

Scotland’s Climate Assembly has completed its first of six weekends of deliberations spread over six months. A hundred participants were selected to be broadly representative of Scotland’s population and so have a range of backgrounds and viewpoints to bring to the discussion of how Scotland can tackle climate change. 

Although no new participants can join at this stage, you can apply to observe a meeting. Follow Scotland's Climate Assembly on Facebook.

The Scottish Climate Assembly will report in 2021 and, by law, Ministers must publish a statement within six months setting out how the Scottish Government intends to respond. 

The UK’s Climate Assembly of 108 citizens published its report in September. The key recommendations include a frequent flyer tax, more low-carbon transport, a ban on selling SUVs, greater reliance on locally produced food, and less meat and dairy consumption. The Assembly also said that the government needed to show leadership and to forge a cross-party consensus for long-term planning. The six UK Parliamentary Select Committees that commissioned the Assembly report have urged the government to act on these recommendations ahead of the UK hosting the UN climate summit, COP26, in November 2021.

UK Wind Energy Plans

by Thomas Prentice et al.

Carbon dioxide, solidified after being injected underground and reacting with basalt rock.


Companies and Carbon Offsetting

by Thomas Prentice et al.

Youth climate activists move forward with court case 
 

The European court of human rights has fast-tracked a landmark climate lawsuit lodged by six youth campaigners from Portugal, who say governments are moving too slowly to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that are destabilising the climate. The court has ordered the EU27 plus Norway, Russia, Switzerland, the UK, Turkey and Ukraine to respond by 23 February 2021 to the plaintiffs' complaint that tougher climate action is needed to safeguard their future physical and mental wellbeing, to prevent discrimination against the young and protect their rights to exercise outdoors and live without anxiety.