This week was very exciting for us newest volunteers, as we hiked to the top of the track and had a moment to relax in our upturned wheelbarrows before welcoming our first group of guests.
They were a crew of folk some from as far away as Australia, some from as far away as Bunessan, and all with an interest in sustainable living and discussing how we can reduce our carbon footprint. The group had come armed with data on how much energy they had used over the previous months, and looked into transport, home, food and consumerables, to see which area had the biggest carbon impact. We then discussed ways of reducing this to 1 tonne per year in each area. It was amazing to find how much energy is used in producing some branded organic tomato ketchup, or how much you could save by checking your electricity use and turning off everything that wasn't needed!
We gained inspiration and advice when going to visit the local eco croft and Ardalnesh farm. The beautiful beach at Ardalnish was perfect for sauntering with our icecreams, and spotting all the wildlife, flowers, and native woodland, which we were told grew back naturally now that the land was farmed less intensively.
There are so many people around here who have put in alot of work to set up their own wind turbines and more sustainable ways of heating, insulating and looking after their homes. It was great to share ideas in the village hall and have guests over for dinner on our last night.
Our little baby guest learnt lots too, mainly that she can charm us all,even if Joseph was her favorite (I think it was the cat in the hat hat he constantly wears what did it) and porridge in the mornings is good. Yum.
For those of you who remember and love my favorite kids cartoon and theme of the week - Captain Planet - 'The power is Yours'
