Mersey Basin Campaign Blog

reduce your car-borne carbon footprint....

Just a quick post to tell you about a new social networking site aimed at reducing our collective carbon footprint, and getting some cars off our roads.

www.isanyonegoingto.com is new, free social site that aims to link up travellers before they make journeys, thus enabling people to car-share and lessen the load on our roads.

You can upload your details, photo and information about your  journeys to www.isanyonegoingto.com, and then communicate with potential sharers by skype or messenger.

The site's creators aim to improve the environment by reducing the number of single car journeys, help us to reduce our carbon footprint, and ultimately change the way we travel.

They're looking to introduce 500 000 travellers to one another during their first year, and three months in, things are looking positive, with 6000 members, and an average 20 introductions a day.

So what are you waiting for? Log on, link up and get sharing..........

Get down to the green gym

It's that time of year again when you can no longer hide inside your winter woollies, and thoughts begin to turn to getting in shape. But if the thought of pounding the streets in your running gear, hitting the gym or facing the crowds at your local pool leaves you cold, why not try out one of BTCV's Green Gyms? They offer the chance to get fit by taking part in conservation activities, with the added bonus that you'll meet like-minded people and get out in the fresh air at the same time.

The latest Green Gym opportunity in our area takes place on Thursday mornings at Witton Country Park. Click here to visit BTCV's website and find out more.

You'll be showing off that new swimwear in no time!

Mersey sounds....

As it's summer (apparently), we thought we'd post a couple of vaguely seasonal snippets from the Mersey People interviews - it seems a long time since we set out to choose our interviewees, way back last summer. Is it me, or was it hotter then?

Dave Hall of quintessential south Manchester summer destination, Jackson's Boat Inn, on the joys of working beside the Mersey:

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Barney Easdown, deckhand for Mersey Ferries, on why donkeys should stay at the beach.....

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Cover star: Tony Brand

Tony Brand, Chairman of Liverpool Pilots and interviewee for the Mersey People has appeared in the most recent edition of SourceNW magazine. An extract from Tony's interview was featured alongside an abridged sneak preview of Michael Taylor's chapter 'Down to the sea in ships', also from Mersey: The river that changed the world. Tony also appeared as the cover star, as you can see above.

Look out for another sneak preview in the next edition of SourceNW - from Antony Wilson's chapter 'Westward Ho'.

Off to Mongolia? Better do your homework...

Time for a quick update from Green Team 2cv - the intrepid Envirolink NW employees who are taking on the Mongol Rally, driving from Hyde Park to Ulan Bator in a 2cv. Graeme and Mark are now just a month away from departure, but they're making sure they've done their homework before they hit the road.

Apart from putting their luxury vehicle through thermal imaging, and tricking it out with a solar panel and battery pack, they've also linked up with local pupils to help them prepare for the 10 000 mile trek. Children from Elmridge Primary School in Hale Barns are currently working towards Eco-School status, and will be following the progress of Green Team 2cv as they travel across Europe, through Russia, and onwards to Mongolia. The children have designed a logo for the side of the car, and, thanks to the Rally's charity, Mercy Corps, Elmridge has now been twinned with a Mongolian school in Dundgobi. Graeme and Mark's solar panel, among other items that have been donated for their car, will be given to the Mongolian school when (if?) they arrive at their destination. Find out more...

STOP PRESS: The latest news is that the 2cv, now fully kitted out, will be visiting us at Mersey Basin Campaign HQ later in the week - look out for some photos. You never know, Sammy the Salmon might even manage to hitch a ride from the Mersey to Mongolia............

Click here to sponsor Graeme or Mark.

100 days of attitude

In some parts of the country, the popular image of the Northwest of England might still be a Lowry-like landscape of factories and terraced houses, peopled by flat-cap-wearing, whippet-toting men and headscarfed women who model themselves on Ena Sharples. Now, we know that's very far from the truth -just look at the regenerating cities of Liverpool and Manchester, about to become Capital of Culture or the new Northern home of the BBC.

But how often do you take the time to appreciate the natural assets of the Northwest?

A new organisation, Natural Economy Northwest, has launched a campaign to draw attention to the region's environment, and to encourage us to brag about our natural assets. Here are some numbers to get you going - scribble them on a beer mat and become an instant pub expert on the matter:

• 30% of the Northwest is in a national park or an area of outstanding natural beauty
• It's the only place in England where you can spot Golden Eagles - at the RSPB reserve in Haweswater, Cumbria
• 80% of the region is countryside
• It has the longest stretch of undeveloped coastline in England, some 1400km. But only 50% of us have actually visited the Northwest's coast.
• 7 of the 16 red squirrel reserves in Northern England are here - and Formby's National Trust reserve is one of the best places in Britain to spot Tufty.

If this has whetted your appetite, and you're hungry for more statistics to make your friends in London / New York / Milan jealous, visit the campaign website. You can also sign up for a handy email, supplying you with seven facts a week. Bargain!

Cheshire Waters Forum 2007- Questions

This year's Cheshire Waters Forum is taking place on Thursday 5th July at Crewe Alexandra FC. Find out more on our website.

If you're coming to the forum and would like to ask a question during the "Questions to Speakers" session, please feel free to leave one as a comment on this post - we'll collect these and bring them along on the day. Click 'comments' below to add a question.

You'll be welcome to ask further questions at the forum, once you've heard the presentations.

Ribble barrage survey online now....

The Lancashire Evening Post has just launched a survey on its website where people can register their opinions about the proposed Ribble barrage scheme.

Visit the website and have your say.

Leave us a comment here, too, we're interested to know what people are thinking about this.

Sammy signs off, for now....

Well, my week of adventure on the Mersey has finally come to an end - I've travelled from the start of the river in urban Stockport, with cyclists, canoeists, ferry tours, ramblers, rowers, sailors and even on board a powerboat, to reach my destination, Pier Head, Liverpool. As befits a pioneering fish like myself, even the Mayor of Liverpool was there to greet me. I was delighted to see some of the people who helped me along the way (see the picture below), and to get my fins on firm ground.

I've put the best of my pictures from the week onto a flickr page here, so that you can relive the highs and lows with me.

I'd just like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped me along the way, especially:

Stockport Community Cyclists
Warrington Ramblers & the Ramblers Association
Warrington Rowing Club
Fiddlers Ferry Sailing Club
Liverpool Sailing Club
Environment Agency
United Utilities
Clare Foot
Bev Mitchell
Fred Talbot
& the Mayors of Stockport and Liverpool

Not forgetting, of course, the readers of my relay blog. Hope to see you all back here for next year's relay.

If you've enjoyed following my adventures, keep checking back to this site. You never know where Sammy will get to next............

THANK YOU! Sammy and some of the people who helped him along his relay route...

I couldn't have done it without you, guys!