Established and managed by local volunteers, Greener Leith is dedicated to making Leith greener in every sense. We need your support! The more members we have the greener Leith will get.
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August 3, 2011 by Ally The Friends of Montgomery Street Park are organising a summer fair on the 20th of August. More details in the flyer below.
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May 4, 2011 by Emily Dodd 
It's International Compost Awareness Week! Composting is a fantastic way to reduce the amount of waste you send to landfill and make a beneficial produce for your garden. From 1 to 8 May 2011, volunteers from Leith based organisation Changeworks are on hand to offer free, expert advice on home composting.
If you want to know how to get started, where to put your bin or what goes in it, just come along to one of the following events:
Or you can log on to the Changework website for more information or phone the composting help line below.
If you are already composting but need some help to check that everything is breaking down nicely you can book a home visit. All volunteers are experienced composters so don't worry, they won't be put off by the state of your bin.
Leith resident and volunteer Daniel Prince said: “I enjoy talking to others to help them start composting. It’s much easier than people think and you don’t need that much space in your garden or need to be into gardening to successfully home compost.”
To book a home visit call 0131 555 4010 or email wasteprevention@changeworks.org.uk. Happy composting!
Image credit Helen Pugh Photography.
March 10, 2011 by Ally 
Greener Leith is calling on volunteers to help us complete the Pilrig Park berry hedge on Saturday the 19th of March. As you can see from the photo, we planted the first half of the hedge, with help from Pilrig Park School pupils and local volunteers, in 2008. However, we couldn't finish it as part of the wall was scheduled to be rebuilt.
The wall has long since been completed, and the part of the wall that is not hidden by a hedge is now covered in graffiti. The bit we did plant grew rapidly, as you can see in the photo below, taken last summer. So, Greener Leith is delighted to announce that we have successfully sourced funding from the Pilrig Residents Association, and the Vegware Community Fund to complete the job.
As previously, pupils from Pilrig Park School will help to plant the hedge on the Friday the 18th. The council have alse pledged to clear the wall of graffiti before we start planting. However, there will undoubtedly be plenty left to do on the Saturday.
Charlotte Encombe, Chair of Greener Leith said:
"Greener Leith is very grateful for all the local support that is has received over the years. The first leg of the Berry Hedge, which was planted with the help of local volunteers and children from Pilrig School, has been extremely successful in preventing graffiti as well as vandalism in the park. The native plant species are good for local wildlife and we hope that in years to come they will produce the ingredients for many a pot of hedgerow jelly."
"I am very happy to have the help from pupils and teachers from Pilrig School once more, particularly pleased with the way that CEC have been on hand to support Greener Leith in providing expertise, tools and man power, but I would also like to thank the Pilrig Residents’ Association, who provided the funds to plant the last 150 meters of the Berry Hedge."
We're also delighted that the event will also see the City of Edinburgh Council launch its Britain in Bloom campaign for 2011. More details on this will be covered by a seperate press release that will probably be issued by the council in the next few days.
To take part, meet in the park at 10am on the Saturday. Please bring your own gloves and spades if you can. If you'd like more information please contact us.
Whilst anyone is welcome to simply turn-up on the day, you can confirm your attendance by signing up for the event on the Greener Leith Social.
Please note that under 16's need to have an adult with them.
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August 31, 2010 by Ally The Edinburgh Community Energy Cooperative are organising a conference on the morning of Saturday the 11th of September. The idea behind the conference is to help people from throughout the city find out about community energy projects, network, get involved and share ideas and inspiration.
There will be four sessions, looking at the practical community energy projects that are in development around the city, like the proposed commnity owned wind turbine on the Portobello promenade, and a number of Water of Leith "micro-hydro" projects, including the Redbraes Weir project.
Other sessions will look at the broader energy picture in the city, together with the scope for setting up things like energy consumer co-ops.
Lastly, Alastair Tibbitt, the Greener Leith development manager will be speaking in the closing debate with Calum Wilson, Director of Forth Energy, on the proposed Biomass plant for the Leith Docks.
You can download more information about the confrence by clicking here.
The large scale Biomas plans for the docks continue to attract criticism in the press from both local and national organisations. This week it was the turn of Friends of the Earth Scotland who released a report this week outlining the threat of an African "land grab" by Biomass supply companies. In the accompanying press release, the Director, Duncan McLaren, said:
"Growing world demand for woody biomass for energy production is already stimulating new developments in Africa and elsewhere in the global South where sustainable forest practices cannot be guaranteed: such as West Papua, Guyana, Congo and Liberia.
"The Scottish Government should reject Scottish proposals to import biomass for electricity production."
Greener Leith would encourage everyone interested in hearing more about the proposed Forth Energy plans for the docks to attend. We'd also welcome your suggestions or questions for Calum Wilson. You can add them to the comments below, or contact us here.
Action Alerts, Biomass, Energy & Climate Change, Greener Leith Community, Events, Forth Energy July 30, 2010 by Ally 
The Bike Station are running a new cycle challenge in August, that aims to build on the success of their Workplace challenge that got loads of people cycling in Edinburgh for the first time earlier this year. This time, they're running a Friends and Family cycle challenge. Here's what they say on their website:
From Monday 2nd to Sunday 22nd August 2010, the Friends and Family Cycle Challenge wants everyone to get involved, cycling wherever you want and at anytime you want over the three-week Challenge. There are chances to win some fantastic prizes, including haircuts at a top Edinburgh salon, class passes for Bristo Yoga School, mountain biking day out from MB7, a family meal at Henderson’s and some stylish panniers!
Once registered on the website, individuals can log any cycle trip for 10 minutes or more and they will be entered into the daily prize draw. The more times they cycle, the more chance they have of winning irrespective of the distance.
The Friends and Family Cycle Challenge is part of A better way to work, a project by the Bike Station, which aims to encourage people to leave the car at home and use more sustainable means of transport, and is in collaboration with the CTC Challenge for Change.
Esther Halcrow, Challenge Co-ordinator said: "The plan is simple – as well as getting more people registered for the Challenge, we’re asking the people we already have cycling to encourage their friends and family to get involved. We’re looking to encourage at least 400 people, who haven’t been on a bike in the last year, to try cycling. It’s a great form of exercise to do with friends and family, and more importantly, it’s fun!”
You can register yourself now at www.edinburghcyclechallenge.org.uk and start logging trips. There are Gold Screen Dominion Cinema tickets for new cyclists who register and for those who encourage a new cyclist to register!
For more information, including prizes, please visit the website www.edinburghcyclechallenge.org.uk or contact Esther Halcrow on 0131 667 3558.
As part of the Challenge, the Bike Station plan to hold a unique mass cycling event in Holyrood Park on the 22nd of August, so keep the day free. We'll post more information on the event as soons as we've got it.
The following weekend, we'll be restarting our own We Love Leith monthly bike rides, with an exclusive, free guided tour of the Bawsinch Nature reserve. So keep the 28th of August free if you'd like to join us for that ride and we'll release more details of the route later in the month.
Biodiversity, Cycling, Greener Travel, News From Other Groups Arthurs Seat, Bike Station, Events, Nature, Tour August 8, 2009 by Ally Sofi's is a marvelous wee bar, and one of the reasons it's so marvelous is because it holds all sorts of odd, quirky events that you won't find in any Wetherspoons. More recently, the staff there have started organising some great 'green' themed events.
Last month, they held a 'Rubbish Night Out' where they encouraged all their customers to bring some rubbish and recycle it into 'treasure'. They also organised a 'Clothes Swapping' event too.
This month, Sofi's are organising a Trade Swap on August the 12th. Here's what they say about the event:
"Bring along a trade/skill you're willing to offer and swap it for someone else's! No job too small or too big. Get those jobs done without spending cash."
Have you got a skill you could swap free?
Everytime Sofi's runs a green themed event they also ask folk to make a wee donation to Greener Leith, so we're extra grateful. Thanks Sofi's Bar!
If you see an event or if you're organising an event in Leith - you can promote it for free on The Greener Leith Social.
Action Alerts, Volunteers Events, Meetings, Skills, Trade June 13, 2009 by Ally 
Well, it's true the weather was "mixed" - but, like everyone else who braved the showers, we still had a wonderful time. Thanks to everyone who came to see us. It was great to meet some of the people who up and till now we've only spoken with on websites like Twitter, Facebook or Flickr. We got some great feedback too...Thanks also to Wendy, Jock and Ellie who helped out at the stall.
For the first time we were also raising cash by selling exclusive T-shirts, plants and locally produced food and honey. If you missed it - don't worry - there'll be other chances to buy. Watch this space!
Greener Leith, Leith Links Edinburgh, Events, Festival, Honey, Leith April 21, 2009 by Ally This Saturday, The Citadel Youth Centre are organising a Big Bike Family Fun Day in Redbraes Park, featuring all sorts of goodies. You can try your hand at Cycle Speedway, the Trail Bike Obstacle Course, BMX-ing, Unicycling and circus skills. Whilst you might not learn how to bike around Edinburgh with the confidence of Danny MacAskill, the man in the video clip above, it sounds like the day is going to provide a great chance to try new things and practice new skills on your bike.
Participation is not obligitary though. There'll also be a chance to get your bike maintained for free by Dr Bike, and you can see the Transgression Park BMX display team in Action. Leith FM's Ricky and Carly will be providing the soundtrack to the event. The action is set to take place between 11.30 and 3pm. Sounds fun doesn't it?
More information from Colin at the Citadel.
Cycling, Greener Travel, News From Other Groups, Sport Bmx, Events 
Greener Leith is a registered Scottish Charity SCO40838 and a company limited by guarantee SC365095