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| Check this page regularly for news of upcoming events. | |||
| March 2005 First UK 2005 Transnational Meeting | |||
PURE Seaton Valley was the theme of the first PURE North Sea transnational meeting of 2005. The event started on the 6 th of March with a hike through the Seaton Burn catchment, visitors from the Netherlands, and Sweden, joined there colleagues from Redcar and Cleveland, the Team revival project, Newcastle City Council, PURE North East, and PURE Seaton Valley at Watery Gates Wideopen. Julie Lawrence from the Wideopen Forum led the walk through the site, giving a very informative insight into Watery Gates. After lunch the two bus loads of visitors travelled to Holywell village for the start of a walk through Holywell Dene. This part of the hike was led by Russell Pannell of the Friends of Holywell Dene. As the group walked through the Dene Russell pointed out the several kilometres of footpaths that have been improved.
Hiking through Watery Gates Wideopen
Walking in Holywell Dene |
The many trees and hedges planted, the fences and stiles that have been erected, and areas of meadow regenerated over the last two years by the Friends with the help of the PURE Seaton Valley project. The afternoons hike ended at the newly cleaned pond next to Hartley car park. Before boarding the buses for the return journey to Newcastle, Russell thanked the PURE NORTH SEA project for enabling the Friends to realise many of its aims and dreams well before there expectations. On Monday the 7 th of March the conference resumed at the Vermont hotel Newcastle with presentations from Bill Thompson the PURE Seaton Valley Coordinator. Bill explained the way PURE Seaton Valley had evolved and how the catchment Plan had been formulated. He also gave an outline of the other projects been undertaken by the Seaton Valley project not visited on the Sunday hike. Lindsay Palmer a PHD student from the University of Newcastle , gave an outline of the work she has been involved with relating to the PURE Seaton Valley project. This has been concerned with how people engage with their environment – how people use the land and how this may impact on water quality. Lindsay was followed by Martin Duffy who demonstrated how the project encouraged children to become involved in the project, with the use of magic with an environmental slant. Blyth Valley 's Wendy Taylor had the unenviable job of following Martin; she used her own magic to explain how the Seaton Valley catchment plan could fit into future plans produced by Blyth Valley Council. The rest of the afternoon and following morning involved different workshops focusing on the work carried out by the PURE Seaton Valley project, and the way the catchment plan had been produced. On Tuesday morning one group were given the opportunity to visit the Komatsu excavator factory in Birtley. Komatsu are members of the Team Revival green business club, and during the tour demonstrated the many ways they work to lessen the effect of the works on the local environment. After lunch we said goodbye to our transnational visitors as they boarded the bus to Newcastle airport for the start of their journey home. |
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PURE Seaton Valley and Merck Sharp & Dohme To Create New Gateway to East Cramlington Local Nature Reserve PURE Seaton Valley and local pharmaceutical manufacturer Merck Sharp & Dohme Limited (MSD) are joining forces for a Champions for the Environment project at East Cramlington Local Nature Reserve (LNR). The theme of the project is the reduction of water pollution in the Seaton Valley and has a number of complimentary activities. These are to prevent further pollution and water leaching into tributaries feeding into the Seaton Burn waterway - this will be achieved by working with Newcastle University to survey the site and from the results of the survey, design an appropriate treatment system, investigate the impact of the discharges and propose a treatment programme to remediate the polluted watercourse. One of the proposed solutions is to dig and plant large scale wetland reed beds in key areas of the site in order to achieve a reduction in pollution from the spoil heap leachate and related acid mine drainage, including a reduction in the visible white surface scum that accumulates around pools of water and which is indicative of high aluminium levels and also of the orange and red iron-ochre deposits along the stream bed. The volunteers from Merck Sharp & Dohme will work with the Friends of East Cramlington , Northumberland county Council, CONE (Cramlington Organisation for Nature & the Environment), the University of Nerwcastle, and PURE staff on this project. Other activities include the creation of stone footpaths to enable better access into the LNR for the general public and those with mobility issues and information boards will be designed and installed within the LNR so that the public can better understand the heritage of the site and what can be found within the LNR. Working with local artist, Vivienne Dawson, the MSD volunteers will help create a substantial and creative ‘Green Brick' entrance to the East Cramlington Local Nature Reserve with the aid of students from surrounding schools. The entrance will provide a focal point for the community who use this excellent natural resource. Pharmaceutical
giant claims North East environment award Guildford
, UK , January 2006 -North
East based pharmaceutical company, Merck Sharp & Dohme Limited
(MSD) has won first prize in the inaugural BOC/ NEPIC environment
award for business, announced recently at the NEPIC annual dinner.
The BOC/ NEPIC environment award year invited north east businesses from Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, Durham and Teesside to submit practical ideas on environmental issues ranging from recycling to the preservation of air and water resources. The award recognises MSD for its work over the past 12 months to help clear the East Cramlington Local Nature Reserve (LNR) of polluting water discharged from disused mines. The project is part of the ‘Merck Champions for the Environment' programme and has involved community volunteers and employees from the company's manufacturing facility at Cramlington in creating a ‘green brick' entrance into the LNR. Presenting
the award, BOC Teesside manager, Dr Dave Lockyer said: “The purpose
of the BOC/ NEPIC environment award is to raise the awareness of
key environmental issues with local businesses. We all have a responsibility
for our environment and BOC is constantly working to minimise the
impact of industry on the world we live in. BOC has a long tradition
here and through the BOC Foundation, fosters projects that improve
the quality of our air and water resources.” “By working with the local community. The ‘Merck Champions for the Environment' programme combines both a long term and practical commitment to improving the environment with a desire to engender respect for nature. “The judging team was
particularly impressed by MSD's collaboration with partners, PURE
Seaton Valley, the Friends of East Cramlington and the University
of Newcastle to continue monitoring mine water pollution on the
reserve, which means the this project will be sustained for some
time to come. This project has shown MSD's determination to deal
with a local issue and is deserving of special recognition.” The BOC/ NEPIC
environment award for business
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