OCTOBER:
Pumpkins:
Looking to pick some Pumpkins? There’s plenty of patches in Suffolk for locally grown Pumpkins – and there’s so many tasty recipes you can do with the filling afterwards!
- https://flashpackingfamily.com/pumpkin-picking-in-suffolk/ – the best places to Pumpkin pick in Suffolk.
- hubbub.org.uk/how-to-decorate-your-halloween-pumpkin – decorating your pumpkin can help it stay fresher for longer, and turn you into a budding artist
- Vegetarian pumpkin recipes | BBC Good Food – some tasty Veggie Pumpkin recipes for the whole family: from puree to pancakes!
- Pumpkin Cook Off! Tickets, Fri 27 Oct 2023 at 19:15 | Eventbrite – if you’re a masterchef, check out the great Pumpkin Cook Off on 27th October, hosted by Still Good Food in partnership with Freedom Cafe.
Green Halloween:
- https://shrinkthatfootprint.com/eco-friendly-halloween-costumes/#:~:text=Eco-Friendly%20Halloween%20Costumes%201%201.%20Mummy%20%3A%20One,8%208.%20New%20Costume%20Idea%3A%20Eco-Friendly%20Superhero%20 Looking for a new costume? Want to wear something innovative and eco-friendly? Have a look at this page for some easy crafty tips for a spooktacular costume.
- Eco-Friendly Halloween Ideas For A Spooktacular Time – Moral Fibres. -And if you want to go one step further, have a look at having an entirely sustainable Halloween.
- Eco-friendly Halloween ideas – For Families – The Regenerators – BBC Bitesize – BBC Bitesize – Finally, here’s some tips from The Regenerators on helping your family go green this Halloween.
Suffolk Wildlife:
- About Bats – Bat Conservation Trust – learn more about our spooky but cute furry friends, this website can help you with everything from identifying bats to letting you learn about a year in the life of a bat.
- Woodbridge: Rare Barbastelle bat found in volunteer garden survey – BBC News – did you know Suffolk is home to some of the rarest bats in the UK? Learn about the Barbastelle bats found in Woodbridge.
- Love your woods – Woodland Trust – some seasonal tips on helping look after our woodlands.
NOVEMBER:
Fireworks Night:
Remember, remember the 5th of November – and remember, remember to make it green.
- Fish Friendly Fireworks – What’s On – Woodbridge, Suffolk (thesuffolkcoast.co.uk) – Music and art show projecting onto Woodbridge Mill from the 4th – 5th November: an eco alternative to fireworks.
- Do eco-friendly fireworks exist? – BBC Science Focus Magazine – find out more about eco-friendly fireworks, and the science behind them to reduce their contaminates.
- Fireworks Alternatives | RSPCA – if you’re an animal lover, then the RSPCA have some alternatives that don’t harm animals.
Top tips for Fireworks Night:
- Burn natural materials on a bonfire – If you must make a bonfire yourself, burn only natural materials.
- Buy eco-friendly fireworks – have a look for “eco friendly fireworks” but research into what eco friendly here means. Read this article Do eco-friendly fireworks exist? – BBC Science Focus Magazine
- Buy quiet fireworks – not just for wildlife but domestic and farm animals. It’s estimated that 45 percent of dogs in the UK show signs of fear when they hear fireworks.
- Watch out for hedgehogs by building a bonfire within hours of burning and not before, clear the ground and avoid building bonfires on piles of leaves
- Never release sky or Chinese lanterns – they take a while to decompose, and wire can harm animals – rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/litter/skylanterns.
- Clean up thoroughly afterwards.
- Think about the food you eat and serve – avoid single use plastic.
- Watch this Youtube video on how Intel made their world record breaking Drone show How Intel Made Its World Record-Breaking Drone Show – YouTube
Diwali:
What is Diwali?
Diwali also known as Deepavali, always falls sometime between October and November. It is celebrated during the Hindu lunisolar calendar months of Ashvin. This year Diwali is being held on Sunday 12th November. The date varies each year as the Hindu calendar is based on the moon.
Diwali is a 5 day Festival of lights celebrated by millions across the world symbolising the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance. The third day is the main celebration. As the sun sets, prayers are said then clay lamps are arranged around the house, followed by fireworks and a lavish feast.
You can learn more at:
Children can also learn more at What is Diwali? – BBC Bitesize
- Eco-Friendly Diwali Ideas: How To Celebrate A Green Diwali (naaree.com) – Check this page for Green Diwali ideas, decorations and more to help you celebrate an eco-friendly Diwali.
- Happy Green Diwali 2022: 10 Tips and Ideas To Celebrate an Eco-Friendly Deepawali This Year (thequint.com) – This article will give you suggestions for eco-friendly Diwali products – simple and reusable fixes you can use year-after-year.
- Green Diwali – Environmentally Sustainable Celebrations Are The New Gold | Go Smart Bricks – Some more green tips here!
- How to Celebrate Eco Friendly Green Diwali, Ways to Celebrate Safe and Environment Friendly Diwali | ParentCircle – and here!
If you’re a chef up for a challenge:
- Save on plastic and have fun by trying to make your own sweets – and some of the recipes are easy-peasy! 20+ Quick & Easy Diwali Sweets (under 30 minutes) (madhuseverydayindian.com)
- If you are looking for Diwali menu that is both vegan and festive look no further than this link 60 + Diwali Dinner Menu Ideas (Vegan) • Simple Sumptuous Cooking (mrishtanna.com)
DECEMBER:
Christmas:
Christmas is a time for good food, terrible cracker jokes, and of course, the decorations. Despite the Carbon Footprint of Christmas averaging 280kg of CO2 per adult(!), luckily there’s loads of ways you can reduce your footprint and have a sustainable (but still Merry!) Christmas.
- Just like the 12 Days of Christmas, there’s 12 easy ways you can reduce your Christmas Carbon Footprint – from fairy lights to gifts, all of these can have a little change that will help with the planet The Carbon Footprint of Christmas (and 12 ways to reduce it!) – Sustainable(ish) (asustainablelife.co.uk).
- Want to understand the Carbon Footprint of Christmas more? Check here What is The Carbon Footprint of Christmas? – Sustainable(ish) (asustainablelife.co.uk) to learn about how Carbon Footprint ties in with Christmas, and how to reduce the CO2 of the things you can control!
Top tips for Christmas:
- The Wildlife Trust have tips on how to avoid Christmas Excess, from trees to wrapping paper – Tips for an Eco-Friendly Sustainable Christmas – Woodland Trust.
- Financial times have put together this Carbon Calculator to help you work out where you can cut back your Carbon Footprint on an individual level – Carbon counter: celebrate sustainably with well-chosen gifts.
- Cooking Christmas dinner this year? Shop local, use your freezer and make stock from your bones and peelings – more tips can be found at How to have a greener Christmas | BBC Good Food.
- If you’ve got leftovers, try some recipes specially tailored towards dinner leftovers – your dinner can be zero-waste! Find out more at 7 zero-waste recipes to make the most of Christmas leftovers – Sustainable Business Magazine.
- Some final tips on sustainable Christmas food can be found here – 10 ways to make Christmas food more sustainable by Akis Bimpizas-Pinis (sheffield.ac.uk).