Not too early a start but I soon realised I had an appointment at the RSPCA animal home at 11 to deliver compost to Julia, who's doing a garden there. So I got 4 sacks of very mature compost plus a sack of leafmould, and cycled it round there. Julia was waiting for me and she took me to see where she's making raised beds, and showed me her compost bins which she's using to compost animal bedding. On the way out I asked the person in the office what they suggested I do with any squirrels I caught in my live trap. They said they wouldn't be able to accept them.
I didn't spend long there but as I left I noticed some clear plastic sacks of garden waste had been dumped in the undergrowth, so I emptied them out (it was all biodegradable) and took the sacks with me... they'll come in useful for something composty...
I cycled back towards town, and passed the Minster Vets in Salisbury Road, and decided to find out if they had a policy on squirrels. After some discussion, the answer was they would have to kill it or 'put it down' as this is euphemistically called, and charge me £24 for doing so. A very unsatisfactory situation. This issue of 'pest animals' is a real ethical dilemma for me. I think I need to write a note about ethical dilemmas.(now done!)
I came back via Country Fresh, and after lunch went to do a load of leafleting in the Tang Hall area.
In the evening I attended a 20s Plenty for York meeting at Anna's, and was glad to meet a York Press reporter who's keen to cover the campaign. I have a few actions against my name. Our main focus is to persuade people to fill in the consultation, despite it being very poorly worded. The information about the consultation is here, but a pdf of the YourCity is here, with the 20 mph consultation on page 4. The council also provide this information. I'm backing the 20's Plenty for 3 main reasons: lower speeds mean if there is a collision, there is a reduced likelihood of injury or death; reduced speeds mean less acceleration and braking, and therefore reduced fuel use; lower speeds mean quieter roads. Additionally, lower speeds may encourage people currently scared of cycling to get back on their bikes and cycle to work, school or the shops.
I came home via Country Fresh again and brought a broken pallet back. Not a lot of wood in it, but it would have ended up in a skip if I hadn't have brought it back. It will make good kindling.
Showing posts with label RSPCA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label RSPCA. Show all posts
A good day for me... up early and then at 10.30 I headed off to St Nicks to meet Peter, whom I met yesterday. He was very interested in our local eco centre, as he believes that to spread the message of how to keep our Planet habitable, we need a network of similar places for people to be educated and be inspired, find information and hold meetings.
So I showed him the various 'bits' of the Environment Centre, the passive solar design, Sedum roof, rainwater harvesting, compost toilets/waterless urinal/strawbale urinal, photovoltaic and hot water solar panels, the energy balance display, woodstove and the York Rotters stuff.
Then we went out onto the nature reserve and looked at the John Lally Wood, the original mature trees in their dips, where the clay cap on the landfill wasn't put. And to the stone circle, the kids playground where a very friendly little boy was playing on a swing with two women with him, and then back to the Environment Centre. Here I had a brief chat with Catherine and left Peter chatting with Ivana.
I came home via Freshways and picked up a sack of wilting greenery and sad foreign vegetables. I had the usual sandwiches for lunch. Whilst eating lunch Gill and I spotted the very persistent squirrel leaping over to the walnut tree and leaving with another nut. It (or they?) has had about half of the crop so far, and I'm getting increasingly annoyed as I really want a crop of walnuts. The live trap is being ignored... fresh walnuts are obviously too much of a pull. A few days ago, last week, I rang the RSPCA about their advice about squirrels and how to deal with them. Drowning them is illegal, as is releasing them elsewhere, as they are officially vermin. We're talking about the American Grey here, introduced as a novelty by the Victorians, and they've pushed our native Red Squirrel to the brink of extinction due to competition for habitat and because of the Squirrel Pox virus that they carry, which kills the Reds. The RSPCA told me that I ought to get a pest control person out to kill the squirrel in the trap. They'd either do this with a gun, or release it into a hessian sack and hit it on the head when it was in the corner of the sack. So it's a bit of a problem, as I don't fancy the clobbering method and I understand why drowning them is inhumane, and I haven't got a gun. Still trying to work out solutions, and a second phone call to the nearest vet didn't get any results either.
But I'd heard that squirrels don't like chilli so Gill mixed up some curry powder with Vaseline, and we spent half an hour wiping as many nuts as we could with this, just a thin smear, to get the taste onto the nut. I have no idea if this will prevent them getting taken.
At about 2pm, a Freecycler called Chris called, and delivered a stainless steel sink which he's taken out of a kitchen he's doing up. Our white enamel sink is horrible and stained and Gill's been asking for a while about replacing it. This one seems to be the right size, although it needs the tap moving so the drainer is on the right.
I did some chainsawing, to keep on top of the bits and bobs I regularly bring home. I also did a bit of compost management, and some weeding, and picked the three remaining Winter Squash.
For tea I had a stir-fry of courgette, home grown sweetcorn and green beans, the pakora from the Sheffield Freegle Ceilidh and a couple of felafel, which Gill bought. Gill had made a delicious chocolate and banana cake so I had a small square of that... yummy!
In the evening I made up my muesli, made some carrot and tromboncino squash soup, and did another large batch of fruit for drying...
So I showed him the various 'bits' of the Environment Centre, the passive solar design, Sedum roof, rainwater harvesting, compost toilets/waterless urinal/strawbale urinal, photovoltaic and hot water solar panels, the energy balance display, woodstove and the York Rotters stuff.
Then we went out onto the nature reserve and looked at the John Lally Wood, the original mature trees in their dips, where the clay cap on the landfill wasn't put. And to the stone circle, the kids playground where a very friendly little boy was playing on a swing with two women with him, and then back to the Environment Centre. Here I had a brief chat with Catherine and left Peter chatting with Ivana.
I came home via Freshways and picked up a sack of wilting greenery and sad foreign vegetables. I had the usual sandwiches for lunch. Whilst eating lunch Gill and I spotted the very persistent squirrel leaping over to the walnut tree and leaving with another nut. It (or they?) has had about half of the crop so far, and I'm getting increasingly annoyed as I really want a crop of walnuts. The live trap is being ignored... fresh walnuts are obviously too much of a pull. A few days ago, last week, I rang the RSPCA about their advice about squirrels and how to deal with them. Drowning them is illegal, as is releasing them elsewhere, as they are officially vermin. We're talking about the American Grey here, introduced as a novelty by the Victorians, and they've pushed our native Red Squirrel to the brink of extinction due to competition for habitat and because of the Squirrel Pox virus that they carry, which kills the Reds. The RSPCA told me that I ought to get a pest control person out to kill the squirrel in the trap. They'd either do this with a gun, or release it into a hessian sack and hit it on the head when it was in the corner of the sack. So it's a bit of a problem, as I don't fancy the clobbering method and I understand why drowning them is inhumane, and I haven't got a gun. Still trying to work out solutions, and a second phone call to the nearest vet didn't get any results either.
But I'd heard that squirrels don't like chilli so Gill mixed up some curry powder with Vaseline, and we spent half an hour wiping as many nuts as we could with this, just a thin smear, to get the taste onto the nut. I have no idea if this will prevent them getting taken.
At about 2pm, a Freecycler called Chris called, and delivered a stainless steel sink which he's taken out of a kitchen he's doing up. Our white enamel sink is horrible and stained and Gill's been asking for a while about replacing it. This one seems to be the right size, although it needs the tap moving so the drainer is on the right.
I did some chainsawing, to keep on top of the bits and bobs I regularly bring home. I also did a bit of compost management, and some weeding, and picked the three remaining Winter Squash.
For tea I had a stir-fry of courgette, home grown sweetcorn and green beans, the pakora from the Sheffield Freegle Ceilidh and a couple of felafel, which Gill bought. Gill had made a delicious chocolate and banana cake so I had a small square of that... yummy!
In the evening I made up my muesli, made some carrot and tromboncino squash soup, and did another large batch of fruit for drying...
