Banrock Station creates the world’s first living billboard made entirely of British flowers in support of Natural England

Shoppers in London were treated to quite a sight today, as a billboard made entirely of living flowers was revealed outside the Westfield Shopping Centre.

The interactive board has been created by environmentally- focused wine brand Banrock Station to mark the launch of their new special edition wines, proceeds of which will help Banrock Station work with Natural England to preserve 2,100 acres of British wildflower meadows. The billboard, made up of over 800 native British plants and from 14 different species took over two months to grow and more than 12 hours to install.

Depicting a bottle of wine pouring out a fountain of flora; the sun, butterflies and bees have all been intricately detailed using a variety of beautiful blooms.  An interactive pump features as part of the installation, allowing passers-by to adopt the brand’s ethos of ‘giving nature a helping hand’ by watering the flowers to help them grow.

The hope is that the board will highlight the crucial role wildflowers play in the eco system, providing the nectar and pollen needed by vital wildlife to prosper and in turn pollinate up to one third of the food we eat.

The brand specifically supports causes that give something back to the earth and has backed almost 100 environmental projects since 1994. Through these special edition wines, Banrock Station is giving £30,000 to Natural England who will use the funds on their National Nature Reserves to help protect and enhance wildflower meadows across Britain.

Simon Huguet, Principal Adviser for National Nature Reserves at Natural England said; “We are delighted to work with Banrock Station and thrilled at their support for wildflower meadows on our National Nature Reserves.  Home to many rare plants, traditional meadows provide vital habitat for birds, bees and small animals and are wonderful places to visit.  In recent years they have become a rare sight across our countryside and it is great to see these special places getting a helping hand.”

Kate Thorn, Environment Manager at Banrock Station added, “We are always keen to support projects that share our philosophy of enhancing the natural environment and giving something back to nature.  ‘Good Earth, Fine Wine’ is key to our philosophy so taking care of the environment is crucial to making our great wine.  We understand how small changes to our land can have a big impact upon our environment and there seemed no better way to showcase the plight of the humble wildflower than by displaying these beautiful plants directly as part of our glorious living billboard.”

The billboard shall remain on display for two weeks and, once removed, all the wildflowers will be replanted in local communities to ensure they continue to grow and flourish long after the activity is completed.  The billboard structure is made of 80% recycled material and will also be reused for future projects, while the printed elements are all fully bio-degradable.

For more information about Banrock Station wines please visit:
www.facebook.com/banrockstationwine or www.banrockstation.co.uk

Banrock Station Special Edition wines are available at Morrisons for RRP £6.49

Who are we?

Alex, Ed, Sam, Tom and Lauren. Hi.

Between us we’ve explored every continent, and done almost every adventure sport on the site. Amongst other things we’ve been conservationists, tour operators, students, football coaches, travel agents, web geeks and waiters.

Now we are better known as the guys at muchbetteradventures.com.

Alex and Ed – Where it all began.

We’ve been climbing, skiing and surfing partners since meeting at university 8 years ago. Regularly we found ourselves in the pub with friends after an epic ride, surf or hike, talking about the next adventure. Where to go? Where should we stay? How can we make it count? Someone always turned out to have great suggestion. What if we collected these ideas in one place? The seed was planted..

It grew during our time on the road, on various stints meandering through China and South-East Asia, North and South America, and much of Europe. We were always on the search for new spots and often volunteering on local conservation and community tourism projects along the way. In between we would be working in various areas of the travel industry, asking awkward questions, piecing it all together and saving up to go away again.

We began to see the huge barriers to market faced by small operators, not for profit community or conservation projects in a travel industry dominated by big marketing budgets, large commissions and green wash.

Finally came the straw that broke the camels back. In late 2008 Alex was volunteering as marketing manager on a community tourism project trying to provide an alternative to deforestation in the little visited or cared for Chocó region of Ecuador. Meanwhile Ed was in the Alps working for a ski operator and becoming increasingly frustrated with the environmental impact of the industry, and the lack of interest in this from everyone involved.

It was time to put together everything we had learnt and let that seed put down some roots.

We have personally funded this website with our own savings, putting in some big hours at the computer and working part-time alongside. If we can get established, cutting costs and generating business for some of the amazing people and places we have unearthed, who are leading the fight for a sustainable future, then it will be well worth it. If we can encourage others to follow suit then that’s muchbetter still.

So far things are looking good for the project. We’ve just been joined by Sam, back from 6 weeks teaching football in Ghana after graduating with a Bsc in Sustainable Development….he’s one from the mould!

It may have slowed us a bit, but all this work hasn’t stopped us getting out there and living it either. Based in the Alps for much of the year, we’re still skiing, climbing, kayaking and cycling. If we are not having muchbetter adventures, how we can expect other people to?

Plans are already afoot for a global, overland, self-propelled research tour. Who’s joining us?

Why is this ‘muchbetter’?

We are collecting the world’s local adventure travel choices in one place.

When we find them, we invite them to be here for free, so you can get in direct contact with them, read latest reviews from travellers like you, and you both save money on commissions.
That’s why you will find adventure choices you won’t find anywhere else and we can claim to building the ultimate free resource for adventure seekers.

We exclusively support small independent businesses, community run projects, not for profits and charities who can’t normally appear on sites like this.

We make the most ethical choice easy thanks to our independent, unbiased sustainability vetting system. That way we reward commitment to sustainable practice, and incentivise others to follow suit. We even provide the advice and tools to help others get started.

Quench your thirst for adventure and help us build a world where your adventure sports directly support conservation and local communities.

Recommend Somewhere 
Check out our blog
Or join us on Facebook and Twitter

Much Better Adventures is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

WIN A FAMILY TICKET

Win a family ticket worth £56 to visit Marwell Wildlife park.

In support and to highlight Marwell’s fantastic animal conservation work, in particular the Grevy’s zebra, we have a family ticket worth £56 up for grabs.

Marwell Wildlife is a magnificent 140 acre home to over 250 exotic and endangered species. Marwell are at the forefront in the UK with pioneering animal conservation projects both here in the UK and in other parts of the world.

For a chance to win this excellent family prize all you have to do is tell us who your favourite animal is. Is it a bird, fish, mammal or even an insect? It’s as simple as that!

What’s Your Favourite Animal?

There are two ways to enter:

1. Visit Competition Corner and enter your answer on the link.
2. Visit our Facebook page and add your answer to the wall thread currently running.

We Wish You The Best of Luck Everyone!

Terms and Conditions Apply

Competition Closes Friday 26th November 2010

Animal Days Out is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

From 8th September Open Air Laboratories (OPAL) is asking people all over England to help uncover new insights into the country’s hedges so that the condition of these important habitats can be mapped for conservation. The OPAL Biodiversity Survey, led by The Open University, aims to find out more about the importance of hedges to nature by asking people to identify the insects that live in them and record what they find. 

http://www.opalexplorenature.org/?q=BiodiversitySurvey

If you want to plant a hedge – which is one of the best things you can do for wildlife – the time to do it is in the winter months when the plants are dormant.  For advice on planting, see:

http://www.reallywildflowers.co.uk/content/hedgerow_planting_guidance/

Really Wild Flowers is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

There is disturbing news this week of the threat of nature reserves being sold off to the private sector and DEFRA’s budgets being cut severely.  ”Some of the UK’s most vulnerable and rare species are threatened if funding for restoration and monitoring is drastically cut”, warn conservation experts.  Reported in today’s Guardian newspaper, Natural England, the government’s principal nature conservation agency, has put forward 400 job cuts for next year and up to another 400 after that, potentially one third of its workforce.

These are going to be difficult times for both people and wildlife.  Species under threat include the dormouse, lapwing, otter and bumble bees, to name but a few.

Help the balance of nature by planting more species useful to wildlife – www.reallywildflowers.co.uk

Really Wild Flowers is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Butterfly Conservation, whose strapline is ‘Saving butterflies, moths and our environment’, are organising a Big Butterfly Count.  This is going to take place between 24th July and 1st August and they would like as many people as possible to take part.  Here’s some information about it.

The survey is being launched during 2010 to mark the International Year of Biodiversity. Butterflies react very quickly to changes in their environment which makes them excellent biodiversity indicators. Butterfly declines are an early warning for other wildlife losses.  That’s why counting butterflies can be described as taking the pulse of nature.

The count will also identify trends in species that will help us plan how to protect butterflies from extinction as well as understand the effect of climate change on wildlife. 

So, please log on to the www.bigbutterflycount.org site and see how to take part.  

Simply count butterflies for 15 minutes during bright (preferably sunny) weather sometime between 24th July to 1st August. They have chosen this time of year because most butterflies are at the adult stage of their lifecycle, so more likely to be seen.  Records are welcome from anywhere: from parks and gardens, to fields and forests. 

There’s a butterfly chart you can download as a pdf and an inter-active chart on their site showing photographs of butterflies for you to record your sightings.  If you have children, this would be a great activity for them during the holidays. 

You might also like to consider adding more plants attractive to butterflies to your garden.  In addition to the well known ones such as Buddleia and Sedum, there are many native wild flowers featured on our website (www.reallywildflowers.co.uk) to choose from – ones such as Garlic Mustard and Birdsfoot Trefoil which are not only nectar plants but also caterpillar food plants.  If you are staying at home this summer, you could buy one of the Butterfly Meadow Collections now and grow them on in 3″ pots to plant out in the autumn.  Do remember to water regularly until they are established.

Really Wild Flowers 

(Thanks to P. Llewellyn of www.ukwildflowers.com for the photo of the Small Tortoiseshell butterfly.)

Really Wild Flowers is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

UK Technology launch – Mobile Push to Talk for businesses

Green Mobile in association with Push to Talk Ltd can now offer businesses push to talk services (PTT) on their mobile phones.

Widely used in the USA, PTT is the newest, fastest and most cost effective communication system for business mobile phones. It’s like turning your mobile into a walkie-talkie but with a global range.

‘Pressing just one button on your mobile lets you instantly talk to one or everybody in your chosen group at the same time’ says Johan Thomsen, a manager at Green Mobile.

How does it work?

• We text you software that embeds itself into your mobile
• The software automatically links to your contact group and sets up the PTT button.
• Press your PTT button, wait for the beep, then begin to speak
• Your message can be heard by everyone on your contact list
• If you want to speak someone individually, just select that persons name from your contact list and press your PTT button to talk
• Whoever is pushing the button is the speaker

PTT works by routing calls over the data connection on your mobile. PTT only uses data when you speak. This means if you have a data package on your mobile all your PTT calls could be free. Tests show that the average data use for PTT is just 30Mgbs per month.

The benefits of PTT are immense; besides cost saving on network calls, it can help increase productivity. Talk to any of your staff anywhere!

Being Green Mobile’s PTT, 4% of business customers’ ongoing bills are used to plant trees or carbon offset (at no cost to the customer).

Find out more:

Green Mobile is so sure that your business will like PTT that we offer a free one month trial (limited period only) to businesses with 5 or mobile phones. Call Green Mobile’s customer service on 08452 333 333 and find out how your business can benefit from using PTT.

Earthwatch Debate
Thursday 20th November, 7.00pm-9.00pm, at the Royal Geographical Society, 1 Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AR.

The ever-popular and thought-provoking Earthwatch Debate this year focuses on the world’s most irreplaceable species – choose between bees, bats, fungi, plankton and primates (but not man!), championed by leaders in their field.

Chair – Andrea Catherwood, TV broadcaster & independent film producer

Our speakers for the evening

• Bats – Dr. Kate Jones, the Zoological Society of London
• Bees – Dr. George McGavin, entomologist, author, TV presenter and explorer
• Fungi – Prof. Lynne Boddy, Cardiff School of Biosciences
• Plankton – Prof. David Thomas, School of Ocean Sciences, University of Bangor
• Primates – Ian Redmond OBE, Chairman of the Ape Alliance

Doors open at 6.00pm (cash bar); debate to be followed by a second cash bar, 9.00-9.30pm.

Entrance free to Earthwatch supporters; otherwise a small donation will be requested on the door. Optional buffet supper, with a chance to talk with the speakers, 9.00-10.30pm – supper tickets £25.00

For tickets and more information, please contact the Earthwatch Europe Events Department on (01865) 318856; events@earthwatch.org.uk

For more information visit the Earthwatch website

I’m guessing that there are probably very few of us now who have not been affected by rising fuel costs, either at home or in our businesses.  When the rising cost of a common commodity grabs our attention, this can trigger old anxieties around money. This might be focused on making ends meet at home or watching the bottom line in our businesses. According to sustainable business principles, the key to success is to operate to a Triple Bottom Line – People, Planet and Profit. You might well be tempted to view the People and Planet elements as something of a luxury when times are hard and may well ask "What’s wrong with just focusing on the money when things get difficult?"

The problem with being profit orientated in any situation is that it tends to change our behaviour in the following ways:

We won’t let ourselves be happy in our business unless and until we make x amount of profit.

We won’t let ourselves be happy in our personal lives until we are out of debt/off benefits/able to afford X,Y or Z.

We neglect the relationships in our business and personal lives (with ourselves, our families, employees, mutual support network etc) and consequently make ourselves suffer.

We forget our purposes in life and so we feel unfulfilled.

We overlook our relationship with the natural world and so we feel disconnected and uninspired.

In other words, we let it affect our whole attitude to our business in a way that is not going to be helpful in riding the storm. Our perceptions of the possible threats of a recession begin to outweigh our enthusiasm, inspiration and creativity – the real fuel upon which our business and our personal happiness depend.

When we encounter any form of stress, one of the risks to watch out for is a tendency all humans have to revert back to old, comfortable habits. The old comfortable habit that we’re reverting back to when we begin to focus solely on profit rather than the triple bottom line stems from our being raised in a consumer society. The economic machine that is consumerism depends on making us feel that we are not worthy in some way – not slim enough, not beautiful enough, not sweet smelling enough, don’t have the right mobile phone/car/home/clothes. We are led to believe that we can only be happy when we meet someone else’s approval and the specification for that approval is forever shifting with trends in fashion. So, we’re left chasing an arbitrarily defined set of goal posts over which we have little control. According to consumerism, you can always buy your way out of unhappiness. So yes, profit orientation is an old rat race habit that we haven’t quite managed to shed! What are we to do?

What some people who are money or profit focused say is "Well, that’s ok because I’ll make sure I get my connection with nature and my fulfilling relationships outside of work."

The problems with that is:

Our business isn’t holistic

We don’t feel authentic in what we do at work

We don’t enjoy it nearly as much as we could

We feel compelled to work really hard on a thing called "work/life balance"

So, when we’re feeling stretched financially, that is the time to revisit our business purpose and our reasons for doing what we do – our offering and contribution to the world. It is a time to "keep the faith". How do we do that?

Keeping the faith is like gardening. First you clear the ground – declutter your work and living space, declutter your thoughts by reducing the number of projects you’re working on, have a spring clean. Then sew your seeds – continue to make new contacts, build on and nurture existing relationships, learn a new skill or cultivate a new habit, find a new way to reduce your consumption, do something kind just for yourself, be consistent in your marketing, stay in integrity. Watch as the seeds you’ve sewn start to bear fruit. Just notice synchronicities happening, act on them with gratitude and see where they lead. Remember to remain unattached to particular outcomes. We live in rapidly changing times and the opportunities that arise may not emerge in the form that you expect! Finally, have fun and be at peace during the process.

When we "keep the faith" and focus on maintaining our authenticity and sustainability in our business lives, especially when times are tough, there is no need for "work/life balance", there’s just life.

© Sally Lever 2008 www.sallylever.co.uk

Sally Lever is a Sustainable Living Coach who specializes in inspiring and encouraging those who are downshifting or otherwise moving towards a more sustainable way of life. She offers one-to-one coaching, teleclasses in "How to step off the Treadmill" and a free email newsletter.

What could be more rock‘n’roll than strumming away on an electric guitar pretending you’re a famous band member?  Well budding musicians everywhere can now save the planet whilst showing off their skills by investing in a made-to-order electric guitar crafted from recycled plastics.  Guitarist Tom Jarvis from indie rock band Reverend and The Makers was thrilled to be playing one at all the festivals this summer.

Conventional guitars are often made from endangered hardwoods but Simon Lee has produced the ones made from recycled materials, using environmentally sound processes wherever possible.  The Cyclotron guitars are available to buy on http://www.ethicalsuperstore.com/.

If you have your reservations about their quality, fear not.  The maple neck, heavy recycled plastic body and top quality hand-wound Bare Knuckle pickups (as used by Matt Bellamy and Lenny Kravitz) combine to give it amazing sound.  Five way switching allows for a variety of sound combinations suitable for different musical styles.

Sheffield based band Reverend and the Makers burst on to the scene last year with their album ‘The State of Things’.  With their debut single ‘Heavyweight Champion of the World’ becoming the anthem of the summer, Tom is well placed to deliver his professional verdict.  So don’t keep us in suspense, what’s it really like to play?…

"Playing a guitar made from recycled materials is definitely a change but I was pleasantly surprised.  It played really nicely with a gutsy bluesy and retro sound.  I’m impressed it’s made with bits of crushed CDs too – genius! "

Each guitar is made to order for each person and rockers can choose between the Cylotron Benton – a more traditional telecaster shape for £815 – and the Cyclotron Webster which is a bold new design using the timeless combination of three single coils for £850.

If you’re looking to be different, look no further.  Available in six unique funky materials which will give you the edge:

Marble: Reclaimed plastics from food production industry. Semi-translucent with black veining. Has the appearance of a very heavy marble.   

 Snow: Factory reject yoghurt pots with foil fragments from lids embedded in a white stone like material. Polishes to a hard shine.

Pirate: Sparkling fragments of crushed CDs suspended in translucent blue from office water cooler bottles. The CDs were seized by Trading Standards during a raid on illegal CD production facilities. 

Superfresh: Domestic bottles and containers of all types. Gives very vivid splashes and streaks of colour moving through the material. It even has a fresh soapy smell when first machined.

Chilli: Off cuts from industrial pipes. The mixture of colours produce a hot volcanic effect.

Espresso: Vending machine coffee cups which show as chips of cream and beige in a grey/ black base. This material polishes well to granite like appearance.

Now all you need is your record deal, happy strumming.  Check out a clip of Tom playing the Simon Lee eco-guitar at http://www.ethicalsuperstore.com/products/simon-lee-guitars/simon-lee-recycled-guitar-(cyclotron-webster-)/ (scroll down).