The Earth First! Journal is celebrating 30 years in print this Winter!

30 years of no-bull reporting, direct actions, extensive bio-diversity coverage from those within the Earth First! movement who refuse to compromise in defense of Mother Earth!

30 years of no-bull reporting, direct actions, extensive bio-diversity coverage from those within the Earth First! movement who refuse to compromise in defense of Mother Earth!

The EF! Journal Collective is looking for your help in capturing a wicked part of the history of this movement- the UK chapter of direct action, Earth First! organizing, EF! gatherings and some of the best forest defense campaigns on the planet!

If you’re interested in writing an article for the 30 year anniversary please send an e-mail to: collective@earthfirstjournal.org and we can talk more about word length, content and deadlines.

We are also looking for more contributions: direct action photos for 2011 Direct Action Calendar and music for a new EF! music compilation. Send high resolution photos with a caption to the collective e-mail address, as well as your suggestions for songs/songwriters/bands for the new compilation!

Cheers!

For the Wild,
-the EF! Journal Collective”

Earth First! Summer Gathering, 4th – 9th Aug 2010, Derbyshire – location & programme announced/set-up plans & call-out

Ecological Direct Action without Compromise

5 days of workshops, skill sharing and planning action, plus low-impact living without leaders.

Meet people, learn skills, take action.

For latest details, see http://www.earthfirstgathering.org.uk/
Set-up plans & call-out
Location
Programme

EF! Summer Gathering poster 2010Ecological Direct Action without Compromise

5 days of workshops, skill sharing and planning action, plus low-impact living without leaders.

Meet people, learn skills, take action.

For latest details, see http://www.earthfirstgathering.org.uk/
Set-up plans & call-out
Location
Programme
Want to do something to stop our planet from getting trashed?

EF! is about direct action to halt the destruction of the Earth. It’s about doing it yourself rather than relying on leaders, governments or industry. Direct action is at the heart of it, whether you’re standing in front of a bulldozer, shutting down an open-cast mine or ripping up a field of GM crops.

We’re a loose network of people, groups and campaigns coming together for ecological direct action.

Join us for 5 days of workshops, networking and planning actions, run without leaders by everyone who comes along. The gathering is also a practical example of low-impact eco-living and non-hierarchical organising.

What’s happening?
Over 80 workshops, discussions, planning, strategy and ‘where next’ sessions:

*Share and learn skills for kick-ass actions on land and water.
Small boat handling and blockading using kayaks / Blockading – tripods, lock-ons/ Fences / Climbing skills / Action reconnaissance / Security for Activists / Strategy and tactics / How to research corporations /

*Network current campaigns against ecological destruction
Open-cast mining / Genetic engineering / Agrofuels / Saving Iceland / Climate actions / Pipeline resistance in Rossport / Anti-nuclear / Airport expansion/ Tar Sands

*Think about eco-centric ethics and alternative ways of organising
Deep green ethics / Anarchist economics / Anarchist history / Radical Politics / Working without leaders/ Consensus decision-making

*Practical skills for ecological restoration and sustainable living.
Introduction to Ecology / Restoration ecology / Flora and Fauna identification / Vegan Cake making / Power from solar and wind / wild food / Squatting / Bike maintenance

As well as international campaigns round-up, networking and planning for future actions.

Cost and practical things
£20-30 according to what you can afford.
The gathering is in Derbyshire, the exact location will be announced the week before. More info on our website.

Find out more and join in!

Email us if you can offer a workshop, want to help out with the gathering or if you would like posters and leaflets to distribute.

We have now a stack of freshly printed posters advertising the gathering. If you’d like to send you some to stick up in your area or to take to events, festivals and the like, please email us. Alternatively you can also download the files and print your own. They are fairly large files! EF! gathering poster (A4)

We are now looking for people to run workshops and discussions at the gathering. Please contact us if you can offer something. Have a look at our programme page to see the kind of thing we’re looking for.

http://www.earthfirst.org.uk, summergathering _ NOSPAM _ @ _ NOSPAM earthfirst.org.uk

Faslane blockaded twice in three days during Euro Days of Action to Ban Nukes

6 APRIL 2010

6 APRIL 2010

Following Saturday’s pan-European actions at nuclear weapons bases (see http://www.vredesactie.be/campaign.php?id=12 for details), more than a dozen Trident Ploughshares activists today revisited Faslane, home of the UK’s nuclear weapons. The protesters intend to ensure that high on the agenda of the election called by Gordon Brown today is the UK’s nuclear weapons and their threat to global security.

The protestors peacefully blockaded the base and ensured that activity at the base was disrupted.

A spokesperson said, ‘we enjoyed taking part in Saturday’s symbolic blockade at the North Gate, but we recognise the need to send a more serious message, and have returned today to exercise our civic responsibility under International Law, to do what we can to stop the work of preparing and maintaining these horrific weapons of mass destruction. At this time of year we reassert our message of Easter, that love is more powerful than hate, and life is more powerful than death’.

Up-date:

Janet Fenton was arrested for cutting down the sign ‘Faslane Nuclear depot’ as a symbol of the day that the base will close. Morag Balfour was helping with that but was only arrested after a spraying painting a message. Brian Larkin, Eurig Scandrett, Barbara Dowling and Jean Oliver were arrested for blocking the gateway locked together.

Follow Trident Ploughshares on Twitter: http://twitter.com/TridentPlough
media [at] tridentploughshares.org
http://www.tridentploughshares.org

BP not welcome in Wantage and Grove

6th April 2010
No Tar sands and Boycott BP sprayed onto walls in Wantage and Grove.

6th April 2010
No Tar sands and Boycott BP sprayed onto walls in Wantage and Grove.

Tonight, inspired by the fact that Thames Valley Climate Action are organising an event called Tarmageddon this Saturday. We sprayed “no tar sands” and “boycott BP” on various locations throughout Wantage and Grove, including a wall opposite a BP petrol station. This is in solidarity with the indigenous people for whom tar sands is destroying their lives as well as their environment. This action was taken as part of the Fortnight of shame.

Wantage and Grove Autonomous Network (WAGAN)

Penan step up campaign to defend Heart of Borneo nature reserve

6, April, 2010
Penan natives from Sarawak’s Upper Baram region in the Malaysian part of Borneo have erected two logging road blockades to prevent their last remaining virgin jungle from being logged by the Samling Group, a Malaysian timber giant.

6, April, 2010
Penan natives from Sarawak’s Upper Baram region in the Malaysian part of Borneo have erected two logging road blockades to prevent their last remaining virgin jungle from being logged by the Samling Group, a Malaysian timber giant.
The blockades have been erected at two strategical locations on logging roads near the Penan villages of Long Sabai and Ba Kerameu on the upper reaches of the Akah river. According to community sources, surveyors of the Samling corporation had repeatedly been asked by villagers of Long Sabai to stop working on the Penan’ s native lands but had refused to do so. As a consequence, the villagers erected two blockades that have been in place since 24 March and 31 March respectively.
Aya Luding, a spokesman for the Long Sabai community, said: “We know that we are weaker than the Samling bulldozers. But we are determined to fight for our next generation because we cannot survive without the forest. If we let the company in and do some logging, they will want to take all of our forest.”
Last November, seventeen Penan communities of the Upper Baram region had declared their native lands a self-administered nature reserve. The “Penan Peace Park” covers an area of 163,000 hectares of high conservation value rainforest and traditionally used agricultural land near the international border between Malaysia and Indonesia. ”

Source: http://www.bmf.ch/en/news/?show=200

Glasgow airport protest announced – protesters arrested

6th April 2010

6th April 2010
4 men and 1 woman were arrested and charged on Wednesday 31st March for speaking in public about the climate effects of aviation at the reopening of Glasgow Airport Terminal 2. The group from Stop Expansion at Scottish Airports (SESA), including a legal observer and two photographers, were leaving the airport after holding a banner for a photograph outside Terminal 1 when a police van and police car pulled up and arrested 4 of the group.

Late into the night, riot police later went to the homes of the arrested without warrants. On Thursday the 5 were charged with obstructing normal airport business. All of the accused deny the charges. The group believes that those arrested were targetted because SESA is calling for a public non-violent peaceful protest at the airport on October 10.

Amelia Birrell, had riot police at her door after midnight saying that they wanted to question her son, Robbie. She said: “I think that this justice system is a joke when it locks up peaceful individuals until 6pm the next day when they are talking about such serious measures as climate change. We were made to feel like criminals when riot police searched around the whole of our house in the middle of the night. I know that the airport is a sensitive place but they are all passionate individuals worried about the future of our country and they were doing nothing to cause any disturbance. I am proud of my son, we are supposed to have freedom of speech in this country and such heavy handed policing is disproportionate and hypocritical.”

This is not the first time that Scottish anti-airport expansion campaigners have been subject to heavy-handed policing tactics. In January 2009 Geoff Lamb, a pensioner from Aberdeen was been held in a cell overnight for innocently writing ‘you fly, we die’ in the snow in food dye. Later in 2009, Plane Stupid exposed a massive police operation to bribe and infiltrate peaceful protest groups.

The disproportionate tactics we have seen by Strathclyde police mirror those infamously used by the Metropolitan police. Arrested for voicing concerns about the aviation industry’s massive and growing contribution to climate change? Who are the real criminals here?

http://sesacoalition.blogspot.com/

Huntington Lane Fossil Fools Weekend roundup

As part of Fossil Fools Day West Midlands Climate Action decided to support the Huntington Lane Camp against one of the UKs biggest Fossil Fools; UK Coal, who want to mine 900,000 tonnes of coal at Huntington Lane over a three-year period. The main idea of the Fossil Fools weekend gathering was to get as many people as possible down to the camp over the four days to help with the ongoing construction of the camp. The 230-acre site near the foot of The Wrekin encompasses part of the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is also home to the protected scheduled New Works Ancient Monument. The Camp was set up three weeks ago in response to UK Coal felling trees which were part of ancient woodland so they can build a haul road to link the two parts of the site together.

As part of Fossil Fools Day West Midlands Climate Action decided to support the Huntington Lane Camp against one of the UKs biggest Fossil Fools; UK Coal, who want to mine 900,000 tonnes of coal at Huntington Lane over a three-year period. The main idea of the Fossil Fools weekend gathering was to get as many people as possible down to the camp over the four days to help with the ongoing construction of the camp. The 230-acre site near the foot of The Wrekin encompasses part of the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is also home to the protected scheduled New Works Ancient Monument. The Camp was set up three weeks ago in response to UK Coal felling trees which were part of ancient woodland so they can build a haul road to link the two parts of the site together.

Fossil Fools Weekend

A day before Fossil Fools Days saw the camp attacked during the night by three loud bangs, which it is thought came from someone either throwing fireworks or an air bomb into the camp. The camp which included young children were terrified after being woken up during the dead of night. One camper said

“It was terrifying, really terrifying. It was in the dead of night, deathly quiet, and then all of a sudden we heard these three thunderous bangs quickly one after the other.”

As a result of the attack a 24 hour watch has now been established at the camp

Huntington Lane Camp

The weekend saw a steady stream of people visit the camp which has now grown to include two communal tipis and a third sheltered communal area is under construction which when finished will have raised flooring.

Friday the 2nd April saw two campaigners hang a banner from the famous Iron Bridge World Heritage Site landmark in view of thousands of Bank Holiday visitors.

“We are trying to raise awareness. We are still finding a large amount of people do not know proposals for a coal mine are in existence, let alone it being so close to an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.”

Overall the mood at the camp is positive but we still need as many people at the camp as possible and anything you can donate would be appreciated. We still need Food, Water, Tarp, Ropes, Straw/Sawdust/Woodchips to soak up the mud a little and Walkie Talkies

http://wmclimateaction.wordpress.com/2010/04/05/fossil-fools-weekend-roundup/

Fossil Fools Day round-up

In the UK –

BP ad campaign hoax kicks off the Fortnight of Shame

In the UK –

BP ad campaign hoax kicks off the Fortnight of Shame
BP Back to Black logo smallBP Hoax 1BP Hoax 2
BP today had to halt the launch of a multi-million pound ‘Back to Black’ ad campaign. That’s right, BP’s award-winning ‘beyond petroleum’ brand took a hit today when a, previously unknown, PR agency delivered 22,000 revamped BP logos and a new sign to the company’s headquarters in St. James’ Square.The ad agency misinterpreted the brief to come up with a new logo that took account of BP’s decision to invest in the Canadian tar sands, and launched the multi-million pound ‘Back to Black’ campaign.

… What day is it? April Fools Day, a day for pranks both silly and serious.
So here’s what really happened:

Posing as representatives of a PR company, climate campaigners played a Fossil Fools Day prank on BP today by delivering 22,000 new logos – one for every BP logo in the UK – to the company’s HQ.

The campaigners, from London Rising Tide and the UK Tar Sands Network, piled boxes of ‘Back to Black’ logos on BP’s doorstep and d-locked a matching sign onto the building in protest at the company’s reversal of its decision to stay out of Canada’s controversial tar sands.

BP’s ‘beyond petroleum’ brand was never more than a slick charade and BP’s plans to move into the tar sands reveal the company’s true colours. We visited BP today to present a logo that’s more fitting for a company about to invest in the most destructive project on the planet.

Today marks the start of the BP Tar Sans Fortnight of Shame, which will see actions taking place up and down the country, all with a common message. Extraction in the Canadian tar sands is fuelling climate chaos and trampling indigenous rights, and we won’t let BP go into the tar sands without a fight.

If you want to get involved then come along to the BP Tar Sands: Party at the Pumps on Saturday 10th April, meet 1pm, Oxford Circus – more info at: www.risingtide.org.uk

tarsandsinfocus@googlemail.com
http://www.tarsandsinfocus.wordpress.com

Video

Rising Tide disrupt Shell in Bristol
Bristol Shell petrol station protest
Activists from Bristol and Bath Rising Tide visited the Shell garage in Muller Road, Eastville at 8.30am yesterday to highlight the repression experienced by communities in County Mayo, Ireland who are trying to stop Shell building an onshore high pressure pipeline and gas refinery.

The community in Erris, County Mayo has seen continued harassment and intimidation by Gardai and Shell security, as well as the unlawful arrest and targeted jailing of key campaigners. In February fisherman Pat O’Donnell was sentenced to 7 months in jail for convictions of “breach of the peace” and of “obstructing a Garda”. The community has been fighting this project for over a decade. Construction of the gas refinery has resulted in the pollution of the local drinking water. Untreated waste chemicals from the refinery, including lead, mercury, arsenic and radon would be pumped into Broadhaven Bay despite it being a designated Special Area of Conservation. 1

The action was part of Fossil Fools Day, a global day of creative action against corporations who contribute to and profit from climate change. 2

Rachel Keevil from Rising Tide, chasing another activist with a large section of pipe, said “Shell are climate criminals. The gas pipeline in County Mayo will damage the environment and threaten the health and livelihoods of local people; all for the profit of Shell. It’s a pipeline to disaster.”

This street theatre was clearly a ridiculous representation of very serious events but opened up a space for talking with the public about the issues, many of whom took genuine interest, some saying they were inspired to write to Pat in prison.

Notes
1 http://www.shelltosea.com/node/21
2 http://risingtide.org.uk/node/336

Bristol and Bath Rising Tide
bristol@risingtide.org.uk
http://risingtide.org.uk/bristol

Eon switch on to community renewables

PRESS RELEASE 01-04-2010

GREEN ENERGY GIFT FOR MEDWAY
Medway Renewables 2Medway Renewables 1
German energy giant EON have announced that they are shelving controversial plans for a massive expansion of coal and gas
electricity generation in the Medway region. The surprising news emerged today as Eon contractors broke ground at the offices of Medway Council on Dock Road, Chatham, and started installing wind turbines and solar panels.

Eon media relations officer, Joe King announced, “We realise that continued investment in fossil fuels is a dangerous distraction from the urgent need to develop truly sustainable technologies so we’ve abandoned our dated plans to continue burning gas and coal. This wind farm for Medway council is just the beginning, we’re also offering all our customers heavily discounted shares in future community wind farm schemes, so they’ll actually co-own the systems that provide their power”.

In a leaflet passed out to passers by, Eon admitted that until now, only a trivial amount of their investments had gone into renewables but promised that would now change. Acknowledging the urgent need to drastically cut emissions in order to curb global warming and avoid disastrous climatic tipping points, the company promised they’d abandon their plans to turn Medway into a CO2 pumping hub, end further investment into fossil fuels, and instead commit to truly sustainable energy such as wind and sun.

However, a local activist Bennie Factor, expressed disbelieve, “This is a joke! All this renewable energy rhetoric represent nothing more than cyclical greenwash from these energy giants. Sadly, the reality is that they are still committed to business as usual, damning us all to continued greenhouse gas emissions and catastrophic climate change.”

The FOSSIL FOOLS FARCE … is here!

Rising Tide-Plymouth & Art Not Oil-Plymouth took the Plymouth city centre streets to bring you the big “Fossil Fools Farce”, to remind us there are facts and names behind the Climate drama.

Today, on “Fossil Fools Day”, we bring you:

*The BIG OIL evil clown – Oil industry is the responsibility of the ‘taxpayer supported’ global expansion into the far reaches of the planet. Unless further exploration to find and exploit more oil and other fossil fuels is stopped, and instead accelerate the transfer of investment into renewable energy, the planet’s climate will not be able to withstand. Apart of massive CO2 emissions, the oil industry has been responsible for massive scale deforestation, local mortal diseases in oil field areas, ecological disasters, overriding indigenous rights and more human rights violations. All in the name of their profit.

Currently BP & Shell are investing in the tragic TAR SANDS project in Canada, which is the dirtiest and most expensive oil in terms of extraction and emissions that will lead us inevitably to runaway Climate Chaos -at a time when global oil resources are running out!

*The Crazy AVIATOR – In terms of damage to the climate, flying is ten times worse than taking the train. It’s responsible for 13% of the UK’s impact on the climate and it’s the fastest growing source of emissions in this country; between 1990 and 2050, emissions from aviation are set to quadruple, which scientists say could wipe out all other emissions savings we make in every other sector! The main cause of this massive growth in the UK is the proliferation of short haul routes – often unnecessary domestic ones.

In Plymouth we have Air South West ( owned by Sutton Harbour group – who also manage Plymouth airport!) publicising aggressively domestic flights between Plymouth-London and Newquay. Their ‘cheap’ price offers don’t tell you what we’ll all have to pay afterwards – the REAL price behind it: a planet that will never stop warming up. Besides, trains to Cornwall aren’t expensive! – and it’s a great landscape.

Fossil fuels are the main source of Greenhouse Gas emissions. However last December in Copenhagen the politicians sold us out to the fossilfools, corporate lobbyists and big banks. Now we’re left with “green capitalism,” a deeply unjust carbon market and continued assaults on our communities and ecosystems.

The stakes couldn’t be higher: destabilisation of the global climate, local communities destroyed by dirty energy extraction and combustion, devastating freak storms, droughts, floods, the list goes on …

If we’re going to stop climate chaos, the only real solution is to keep fossil fuels in the ground.

Join the positive characters of this drama and change the script of our future!

Join the inspiring WIND FAIRY, playing and trusting clean energy; the committed CYCLIST, who claims the future with pedal power! and
the down to earth PERMACULTURE, who respects the land, grows their own food and sows the seeds into our chance to be healthy and economically independent communities!

We can be the problem ..or the solution. That is our stance today.

NOTES:

-Join ‘Transition-Plymouth’ grassroots local initiative for a sustainable Plymouth!
Email: plymouthtransition@nature-mail.com or phone: 01752 222152

– Get the facts on Tar Sands: http://www.tarsandswatch.org/

– Stop supporting unethical fossil banks like RBS & Barclay’s. Switch yourself to an ethical one: the Co-operative or Triodos, or see:
http://www.vegansociety.com/Lifestyle-And-Nutrition/Finance/Ethical-Banking.aspx

– More alternatives: http://risingtide.org.uk/resources/positivesolutions

Rising Tide-Plymouth takes creative non-violent direct action and provides popular education to confront the root causes of Climate
Change.

www.risingtide.org.uk
www.artnotoil.org.uk

Brighton – RBS out of order over Tar Sands

Royal Bank of Scotland cashpoints have fallen prey to an April fools prank in protest at RBS’s investments in Canadian tar sands. The cashpoints were disabled by local activist group Brighton Against Tar Sands (BATS) with signs which read ‘Investing in tar sands is OUT OF ORDER’. The signs were fixed to half a dozen cashpoints in Brighton and Lewes in the early hours of Thursday (1st April) morning.

The practical joke had a serious message. Tar sands oil extraction in Alberta, Canada is the single largest industrial CO2 emitter on the planet and has been responsible for destroying an area of ancient forest the size of England.

It is also home to First Nation tribes who have lived off the land for millennia. Due to the pollution they now have high rates of cancer and are losing their ancient hunting grounds.

BATS spokesperson Dan Stars said: “RBS is out of order. Tar sands is likely to be responsible for runaway climate change if the exploitation continues unchecked. It is wholly irresponsible for the bank to invest in what amounts to tarmageddon.”
http://http://www.flickr.com/photos/wdm/4327600119

==================

Back in the USA –

Colorado activists pulled an elaborate prank on Xcel Energy today, April Fool’s Day, announcing that the utility company pledged to switch to 100 percent renewable electricity statewide by phasing out not just coal plants, but natural gas as well. More

Protesters boasting signs that read “Break America’s Oil Addiction” and “Coal is Dirty” crowd around Bank of America in downtown Asheville shouting and chanting slogans like: “What do we want? No Coal! When do we want it? NOW.” More

An activist was arrested this afternoon at the Waterloo Branch of RBC Bank. Mark Corbiere was charged with mischief for hanging a banner reading “Boycott RBC” and “Stop the Tar Sands” from the roof of the branch, located in uptown Waterloo. More

Pepco announces plan to shift all power facilities to wind and solar energy, may cancel planned rate hikes Pepco notifies its customers that it wishes “to serve the energy needs of our customers for generations to come – Washington DC. More

Late last night volunteers with Portland Rising Tide blasted the city with over 3,000 fake newspaper covers wrapping the Willamette Week. With content including an interview with Bigfoot about pipeline plans. More

Philadelphia environmentalists told morning commuters not to be “fossil fooled” by PNC Bank – a bank that calls itself “A Green Bank with Eco-Friendly Service”. PNC Bank has direct and indirect connections to mountaintop removal coal mining. More

==================

Blame Canada

In the spirit of April Fools day, 13 Cities in Canada have pulled creative pranks on fossil fuel industry supporters, or “Fossil Fools,” pleasantly confusing security guards, police, and the general public. More

==================

It’s not Down Under – New Zealand/

Camp for Climate Action Auckland has visited the offices of OMFinancial to present them with this year’s Fossil Fools day award for helping New Zealand’s biggest polluters cheat their way out of dealing with climate change. More

==================

Beware what happens in The Netherlands

Shell Apologises for Human Rights Violations in Niger Delta, The Hague. More

Fossil Fools Day 2010

Black Wood protest camp disappears over night to fight another mine, another day

2.4.2010
The Black Wood Solidarity Camp packed up the night before last and left the site of UK Coal’s new mine at Blair Farm, in Fife. The camp occupied the site for a week and a half to show UK Coal and other mine operators that no new mine or coal infrastructure is safe and out of reach of protesters.

2.4.2010
The Black Wood Solidarity Camp packed up the night before last and left the site of UK Coal’s new mine at Blair Farm, in Fife. The camp occupied the site for a week and a half to show UK Coal and other mine operators that no new mine or coal infrastructure is safe and out of reach of protesters.

The intention of the camp from the beginning was to hold a short-term occupation to bring attention to the issue, make links with local communities and cost UK Coal money. The occupation was a show of solidarity with local residents who opposed the mine, and with the currently occupied Huntington Lane open cast site in Shropshire.

One of the primary aims of the camp was to cost UK Coal money and make it more difficult for the company to cause such destruction in other places. Dunfermline Sheriff Court would inevitably have granted the summary eviction of the occupiers today and, coupled with the fact that bailiffs from the National Eviction Team recently visited site, the camp had undoubtedly already hit UK Coal profits.

The camp was set up on Sunday 21st March in protest against the devastating effects of open cast coal mining. Impacts on nearby communities will include noise and dust pollution, increased traffic on the roads through HGV movements, the loss of landscape, local ecology and biodiversity, and loss of access to recreation areas, not to mention the increased rates of respiratory diseases and cancer from exposure to coal dust. The mining of this coal will also release over 2 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere from combustion alone at near-by Longannet power station, directly contradicting the Scottish government’s targets to reduce emissions.

As environmentalists, the camp occupants made sure to leave the site as they found it, undamaged by their activities. This was unlike UK Coal – with felling operations complete, huge areas of birch and oak forest – designated ancient woodland – have been lost as well as the wildlife within it, which included nesting birds, bats and red squirrels. On top of this, the camp is conducting an ongoing investigation into allegations, supported by local witnesses, that fire damage to Great Crested Newt areas was carried out on behalf of UK Coal to facilitate the newts forced migration as a condition of planning consent.

Fiona Cooper from the camp said “We will be opposing more open cast coal sites in Scotland, as well as supporting other communities fighting the unsustainable and damaging growth of the coal industry in the UK, such as the Huntington Lane protest site in Shropshire.”

The camp would like to thank the people of Oakley and surrounding areas for their support throughout the occupation, and remind UK Coal of its obligations to restore the site when it is finished with it.

Black Wood Solidarity Camp
coalactionscotland@riseup.net
http://blackwood.noflag.org.uk/

Outdoor Skillshare//18-21 June, Scotland

**Please forward on to your networks, if you would like some posters/flyers to display, please get in touch**

///Outdoor Skillshare/// 18-21 June

An exciting weekend of workshops and skillsharing in rural Scotland.

Come and learn:
climbing and rope access, building tree houses, tunnelling, cooking for the masses, knot-tying, fire-lighting, wild foods and more!

**Please forward on to your networks, if you would like some posters/flyers to display, please get in touch**

///Outdoor Skillshare/// 18-21 June

An exciting weekend of workshops and skillsharing in rural Scotland.

Come and learn:
climbing and rope access, building tree houses, tunnelling, cooking for the masses, knot-tying, fire-lighting, wild foods and more!

At Mainshill Solidarity Camp we occupied land facing destruction. We lived outside, grew as a community and took continuous targeted action.
We want to focus on the skills needed to occupy and defend land with a weekend long event bringing people together to learn and share the skills for living outdoors as a community, building defences, resisting evictions and thinking about strategies for action.

These are transferable skills that can be taken away and used in a wide range of campaigns and actions.

This skillshare will be a safe, inclusive and participatory environment for learning new practical skills and is open to people of all abilities and experiences. If you have any queries or special requirements, please let us know – we will do our best to accommodate everyone’s needs.

We will be asking for donations toward food and other costs from those that can afford it.

If you want to find out more, or if you have skills you want to share then please contact us at: outdoorskillshare@riseup.net

//Workshop Timetable//

Friday
8:00-10:00 Breakfast
11:00 Workshop Facilitator Drop-in (2 hours, 11-13:00)
12:00 Confidence Building and Mutual Support (1 hour, 12-13:00)
13:00- 14:00 Lunch
14:00 Dealing with Problem Behaviour and Encouraging Participation (1
hour, 14-15:00)
16:00-16:30 Tea Break
16:30 Trip to Mainshill (2 hours, 16:30-18:30)
18:30- 19:00 Welcome Session
19:00 Dinner
20:00 Pub Quiz
22:00 Music. Jam. Fire.
00:00 Bedtime

Saturday
8:00-10:00 Breakfast
9:30-10:00 Welcome Session
10:00 Cooking for the Masses (3 hours, 10-13:00)
Fire Building and Lighting (1 hour, 10-11:00)
Tree climbing, general rope access skills (2 hours, 10-12:00)
Tripods (2 hours, 10- 12:00)
12:00Tool Use and Care (1 hour, 12-13:00)
13:00-14:00 Lunch
14:00 Facilitation for Consensus (2 hours,14-16:00)
Overcoming Oppression (2 hours, 14-16:00)
Tunnelling (2 hours, 14-16:00)
Vegan Baking (2 hours, 14-16:00)
16:00 Tea Break
16:30 Legal Observing (1.5 hours, 16:30-18:00)
Self Defence (1.5 hours, 16:30-18:00)
Site Electrics (1.5 hours, 16:30-18:00)
Tactics and Strategy for Defence (1 hour, 16:30-17:30)
18:00 Knots (1 hour, 18-19:00)
Protecting Your Habitat inc. toilets (1 hour, 18-19:00)
Radios (1 hour, 18-19:00)
19:00-20:00 Dinner
20:00 Films Talks, Craft Session
22:00 Open Mic
00:00 Bedtime

Sunday
8:00-10:00 Breakfast
9:30-10:00 Site Meet-up
10:00 First Aid (3 hours, 10-13:00)
Herb and Plant Identification (1 hour, 10-11:00)
Map reading and Navigation for beginners (2 hours, 10-12:00)
Treehouse Building (2 hours, 10-12:00)
13:00-14:00 Lunch
14:00 Blockading for Beginners (2 hours, 14-16:00)
Fences – getting through, over etc. (2 hours, 14-16:00)
Tree climbing- advanced, Arbouring etc. (2 hours, 14-16:00)
15:00 Comms (1 hour, 15-16:00)
16:00 Tea Break
16:30 Dragon Dynamics Empowerment Skillshare (2 hours 16:30-18:30) Field
Plumbing (1.5 hours, 16:30-18:00)
Recces (2 hours 16:30-18:30)
Tree climbing,general rope access skills (2 hours 16:30-18:30)
19:00-20:00 Dinner
20:00 Music – Performances
00:00 DJ
03:00 Bedtime

Kids’ Workshops

Saturday
10:00 Tree Identification (2 hours, 10-12:00)
14:00 Tree Climbing for Kids (aged 10+) (2 hours, 14-16:00)

Sunday
14:00 Consensus for Kids (2 hours, 14-16:00)
16:30 Clang, Bang, ShakeyShake, Crash! Making Instruments Out of Trash!
(2 hours, 16:30-18:30)

Lots more info at http://outdoorskillshare.noflag.org.uk