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Hello again – I hope you are well.
Can you believe it – this is the 3rd newsletter? Amazing and thank you for the nice remarks that were sent.
My report for you this month is good – I got my survey out there and people have started filling it in for me. Later this month I will analyse the information. I know what I would like to include in my first houseplant session, but I want to know what other people would like. I know that we all have different wants and needs. I will let you know the results of this next month. If you haven't already completed the survey and would like to, this is the link and thank you in advance: https://forms.gle/LhDnMjL2vqrmNa378
The plan is to run at 2 pilot courses in November to see what people think and to get some nice pictures for the future website.
Alex is my technical assistant and was busy designing a business card for the project. This is out to the printers at the moment – so it won't be long before I can start giving them out. Here is a sneak preview:
I think he has done a nice job - What do you think?
Enjoy the newsletter and feel happy to give me any feedback or ideas you have. You can use e-mail, FB or LinkedIn – whichever is your preference.
Upcycle– Recycle – Reuse
Upcycling is a reasonably new term in our language, and it is possible we all have different ideas of what it means. I had a look online to see what the dictionary definitions were.
Here are two I found:
To process (used goods or waste material) so as to produce something that is often better than the original.
And:
Upcycling also known as creative reuse, is the process of transforming by-products, waste materials, useless or unwanted products into new materials or products perceived to be of greater quality.
So what is the difference between upcycling and recycling?
With recycling; we have the process of turning waste into a reusable material or products. It involves us taking common household items, like paper, glass and plastic to centres, where they are broken down and used to form another product, often of less quality. For example, the quality of paper is not the same every time it is recycled.
This seems to need a large industrial process of some sort. Upcycling in comparison is a special type of recycling – where we take that waste and transform it into something better. We do not need to send or take items to a recycling centre to be broken down if we want to upcycle. Instead, we need ideas and to come up with new ways to repurpose or refashion the item.
Upbymarc, a Tain based artisan – produced our first window box type planter. He made it from an Ikea shelf unit, which was destined for the landfill. The wood from this unit was refinished using bee’s wax and hemp oil. He used screws that were all different because they came from other discarded items and have all been used before. Even the liner is from an old coal sack, which could not be recycled. I think this is a lovely container for some beautiful plants to live in.
Then, of course, there is the third in this trio: reuse.
It is not always possible for us to reuse our own unwanted items – but there are plenty of places we can donate, or sell to – they do not need to go into landfill, because we want the space back.
These 3 concepts are all part of what The Project Zen is about. Where possible, we want to reuse items like these flower pots – no longer wanted by a friend, but piled up ready for disposal.
Piles of unwanted flower pots are not an unusual thing. I rescued these and maybe collecting unwanted flower pots will become one of our regular services. Helping to keep landfill free of them by reusing. I believe practicing all 3 as much as possible will lessen our carbon footprint, help the wider environment and may even do something towards helping positively towards climate change.
What are your thoughts about these 3 ideas?
Do they mean something different to you?
Do you have a story to tell about what you do?
Please feel happy and free to share.
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What do Portugal, Romania, Ukraine & Moldova, Croatia, Bulgaria, Italy, Germany & Poland, and Sweden have in common with Scotland?
They have all been part of one of Rewilding Europe's projects. Scotland is the home to the 9th rewilding area. Rewilding Europe's projects are all on a grand scale and the one in Scotland is no exception.
The Affic Highlands Initiative will restore and reconnect wildlife, repair and re-establish peat bog areas, and rebuild river networks. Imagine a football pitch. Now imagine 250 thousand football pitches all joined up: this is over 2 thousand km2. This is the area that we are talking about and they plan for it to take 30 years to finish. The project will be good not only for the environment and climate change but also for the local economy, for example, the tourist industry, providing a host of jobs and opportunities.
Community and partnership working is a central theme to this programme. The Scottish registered charity 'Trees for Life' will be one of the partners and intends to open the world's first rewilding centre. With other Scottish organisations and groups, they will work to recover and revitalise the landscape, halting land erosion, especially on hillsides. The local deer will have a role to play as part of the biodiversity in the area, with the reintroduction of some species to bring back an ecosystem that manages itself more.
This is exciting news and I look forward to following this project as it develops. If this is something you would like more news about over time – let me know.
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The Chelsea Flower Show
I have never been to a flower show – and certainly not the one in Chelsea. However, this year one of my friends suggested watching the opening and closing programmes on YouTube, and I was pleasantly surprised that I found it interesting. I was expecting posh people talking down to me about posh flowers.
OK, there was a bit of that, but there were also some engaging sections showing hardworking, everyday people putting their creative ideas out there for everyone to see. I admit to feeling a little guilty about my semi jungle of a garden until I saw the Yeo Valley Organic Garden, and I instantly felt better.
Don't get me wrong, I don't have a garden the size of the show garden nor do I have fancy sculptures to sit on or a brook running through it, but the ambiance that this wild garden gave out I could identify with. I know it is a designed garden, but it made me feel more happy with the wild one.
The picture only shows a section, with apparently fruiting trees in the woodland part of it. This garden not only won a gold medal, which I think is great [I told you I was biased towards the wild] – but it was also the people's choice for best show garden. Have you been to any flower show events or do you watch them online or on the TV?
Can you recommend any in Scotland?
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Well as the nights are getting longer and the days shorter we have come to the end of the October issue.
If you know anyone you think would like the newsletter as well, please share the web page for them to sign up – thank you.
I wish you a happy & healthy month ahead and hope to speak with you soon.
Sarina Kosewsky-Griffiths
Email: TheProjectZenAberdeen@gmail.com
Web page: https://sarinakosewsky.wixsite.com/theprojzenlandpg1
FB: https://www.facebook.com/TheProjectZen
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-project-zen/?
Sources:
• https://www.dictionary.com/browse/upcycle
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upcycling
• https://recyclenation.com/2017/02/upcycling-vs-recycling/
• https://www.facebook.com/Upbymarc/
• Scottish Highlands to be transformed by major rewilding project article:
https://www.positive.news/environment/scottish-highlands-to-be-transformed-by-
major-rewilding-project/
• Rewilding Europe welcomes Affric Highlands as its ninth rewilding area:
https://rewildingeurope.com/news/rewilding-europe-welcomes-affric-highlands-
as-its-ninth-rewilding-area/
• Map graphic:Rewilding Europe welcomes Affric Highlands as its ninth rewilding
area Trees for Life: https://treesforlife.org.uk/
• Glen Affic graphic: Walkhighlands https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/news/affric-
highlands-launched-to-rewild-half-a-million-acres/
• Graphics: https://www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-chelsea-flower-
show/Gardens/2021/the-yeo-valley-organic-garden
• RHS Chelsea Flower Show S21E14 September 24 2021 Full Episode -
https://youtu.be/RGRix7XI-rc
• Graphics: https://www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-chelsea-flower-
show/Gardens/2021/the-yeo-valley-organic-garden
• RHS Chelsea Flower Show S21E14 September 24 2021 Full Episode
https://youtu.be/RGRix7XI-rc
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