Page 40 • The HERALD • 6th August 2026 v F @heraldpublishing v SPECIALISING IN HOUSE RENOVATIONS THE FITTING OF BATHROOMS AND KITCHENS CARPENTRY, GARAGE CONVERSIONS PATIOS AND GENERAL BUILDING Family-run business with over 30 years of experience Tel: 07774134992 w: southernhomedevelopments.co.uk S H PLASTERING Contact Sam on 07896 830160 No Job is Too Small! Local • Reliable Service Waterside Climate Action Network News from Waterside Climate Action Group (WaterCAN) Alistair McNaught has produced an updated summarised report following the second weekend of water testing: “We currently have 9 people trained in how to measure stream quality. We are measuring Nitrates, Phosphates, Conductivity and E Coli in selected streams on a monthly basis. We can also measure ammonia where recent spills are suspected. E Coli and Ammonia indicate pollution by sewage or animal waste while Nitrates, Phosphates and Conductivity also pick up pollution by agrochemicals. We are currently monitoring 4 of the 8 streams in the Waterside area. Two of the streams, at Langdown and Hythe Marina, show high levels (above 1000 cfu), although these have varied between the two tests undertaken. Cfu stands for “colony forming units”. More than 1000 cfu, which the above streams are showing, significantly increases the probability of infections and illness. Early results indicate that hotter, dryer weather raises E Coli levels.” WaterCAN is working closely with New Forest Water Watchers to share knowledge and experiences. Each site visit costs £10-12. New testers are always welcome. To nd further information visit: http//tinyurl.com/ newforestww An update from Community Energy New Forest (CENF) lead, Mike Bundock, reports that: “The pool of talent in CENF is really impressive, including chartered accountants, lawyers, electrical engineers, sustainability and marketing experts and directors of West Solent Energy Coop and the Environment Centre. They are all engaged in the paperwork required to move forward. Positive discussions with NFDC have resulted in an agreement to look into which of their properties might be suitable for rooftop solar installation.” WaterCAN will be involved in a workshop on 24th September on e Grove foreshore with Artecology CoCreate, an Isle of Wight based organisation which aims to “fuse art, engineering and ecological science to integrate wildlife habitats into the built environment”. For further information visit: www.artecology.space On the subject of how we can decrease the cumulative environmental impact of human processes, we were lucky enough to be able to attend three talks by Russell Maier at Lucie’s Place in Black eld. Russell is an inventor and regenerative philosopher, currently based in Gianyar, Indonesia. During the three sessions Russell looked at the work and thinking behind his book “An Earthen Ethics”, co-authored with Banayan Angway, who has worked for two decades in indigenous people’s education, highlighting indigenous values. e discussions ranged around how we might learn from indigenous cultures, who as well as having no word for waste also have no word for nature, basically seeing themselves as part of, rather than separate from, nature. e focus becomes developing a regenerative culture which avoids waste and recognises the importance of seeing themselves as part of the natural world with the responsibilities attached to that. Which leads us neatly into coverage of the litter picking sessions led by Lee Attrill from Surfers Against Sewage. e July session picked up 7.9 kg of litter. e next session is 8th August, 10am – 12noon at Calshot, meeting by the castle. A reminder that the next lm show at Lucie’s place, Black eld will be at 7pm on the 18th August. For further information and updates visit: e-voice.org.uk/waterCAN, Facebook or email: watercan2025@ gmail.com WaterCAN’s youngest member water testing Waterside Scrapstore Announces Expanded Hours Waterside Scrapstore, based at Sunny elds Farm, Totton, SO40 9FX, has o cially extended its weekly operating hours. Friday a ernoons from 3pm to 5pm have been added to its schedule, providing local cra ers, teachers, and makers with additional opportunities to source low-cost creative supplies. e newly updated weekly opening hours are as follows: • Mondays and Fridays: 3pm-5pm. • Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays: 10am-12noon. Waterside Scrapstore collects clean unwanted materials suitable for repurposing for cra and creative projects from businesses and individuals, successfully diverting usable items from land ll and o ering them to individuals, schools, and community groups as valuable resources at low cost. Access to the ever-changing stock is exclusive to members, with individual membership available for £10 per year. Pardon the dust! In addition to the extended schedule, the Scrapstore site is currently undergoing signi cant structural renovations. e ongoing project includes a brand-new roof and an updated front elevation. Once complete, these improvements will transform the facility into a fully enclosed, weatherprotected environment for visitors and volunteers alike. Further updates regarding the renovation project will be released in the near future. For regular news, stock arrivals, ideas of what can be donated and project inspiration, please follow the o cial Facebook page: facebook. com/WatersideScrapstore
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