Catch up on the latest environmental news from across the county with Abby Hook.
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00 Good evening and welcome to Kent on Climate, live on KMTV. I'm Abbey Hook and in this
00:17 show we discuss all things related to environmental issues in the county. How is climate change
00:22 impacting Kent, what are communities in the county doing to tackle it and how can you
00:27 help at home. Each week we take a deep dive into a new environmental issue in the county
00:31 and I'm joined by expert guests. In today's show we're talking about the UK's largest
00:36 lavender field here in Kent, how the RSPB are hoping to boost both the community and
00:40 climate and what the future of farming looks like for the county.
00:46 But first tonight, a family farm in Sevenoaks which dates back five generations has become
00:50 the UK's largest producer of lavender in the past three decades. They're right in the middle
00:55 of their lavender season which lasts one short month. And whether it's lavender oil, shortbread
01:00 or even lavender gin, the dried plant has a number of uses. I didn't know it did gin.
01:05 Well we sent our reporter Sophia Akin down to find out more.
01:08 Short but sweet. That's one way to describe the lavender season which lasts just one month.
01:14 Nestled in Kent's north downs is Castle Farm which dates back five generations. And in
01:21 the past 30 years they've become the UK's largest lavender farm, offering fresh cut
01:27 lavender, lavender oil and my personal favourite, lavender gin.
01:32 So possibly one of the most popular things that are on offer here today is this lavender
01:36 gin and tonic which Nicola is going to show me how to make. So how do we make one of these?
01:41 Start off with ice. This is the single. This is the lavender gin. Put in a single. Put
01:48 it in there. And then I can have a can of tonic for us. Put that in there. Finish it
01:55 off with a nice sprig of lavender. Perfect. Ooh that's lovely. Really nice. Perfect.
02:05 Something I learnt today is there are a range of varieties of lavender. It's not just used
02:10 for decorative or cosmetic purposes either. It's actually edible too.
02:15 What we've got behind me at the moment is a variety called Ladybird Lavender and that
02:18 one is particularly good for perfume and aromatherapy. It's very relaxing. It's got a very honeyed
02:24 smooth scent to it. A fulgate variety that we grow which is also a pure lavender. When
02:29 that's distilled into the oil the plant naturally has a high level of antiseptic in it so it's
02:33 really good for healing and to be able to use on your skin. And another variety that
02:38 we grow which is actually a Lavendin Grosso variety. It's got a very high level of camphor
02:42 in it and it actually wakes you up as opposed to sending you to sleep.
02:46 And for lavender to thrive its roots need to remain dry. Therefore the gentle sloping
02:51 field means the soil is free draining. But running an 130 acre farm is no easy feat.
02:58 So how have the Alexander family remained sustainable in more than 100 years of farming
03:03 and how will they continue to?
03:06 My great grandfather in fact who came down from Scotland putting a small herd of cows
03:11 on a train and bringing them down to take up a tenancy here in the Darren Valley at
03:17 Ainsford. And then it was my grandfather and father who continued the business and I've
03:23 been farming here since the late 70s.
03:27 One of the things that we're embarking upon is a big environmental programme across the
03:34 valley, across the river catchment to work with other farmers in a collaborative way
03:40 to improve the environment and improve the river quality.
03:45 But it doesn't look this extravagant all year round. It really only is this way for a month
03:50 or so. So if you want to see it for yourself there's not long left.
03:55 Sophia Akin for KMTV in Sevenoaks.
04:00 Next tonight, butterfly numbers are under threat as experts say it could take a decade
04:04 for the species to recover its population. This is a direct cause of the record breaking
04:09 heat waves that happened last summer. Scientists have launched this year's Big Butterfly
04:14 Count, arguing it's more important than ever to study the effects of hot weather on
04:18 insects. The project involves the public spending just 15 minutes looking and counting the number
04:23 of butterflies in their area. The information provided will help plan conservation projects
04:28 and assist government and environmental policy too.
04:33 Now the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds are connecting the community to nature
04:36 this summer by hosting a range of eco activities for families in Dungeness. But what is the
04:42 society all about and how important are the nature reserves here in Kent? I spoke to Charlotte
04:46 Powell from the Dungeness and Lyddon Valley Reserve earlier to find out.
04:51 So tell us a little bit about the activities you have planned.
04:56 So we have a great activities planned over the summer holidays. We've got pond dipping
05:02 happening. We've also got a bumblebee trail around our discovery trail of the reserve.
05:08 And we've also got an arts and crafts area full of nature based arts and crafts for people
05:13 to come and participate in. And we've also got a range of other resources as well, such
05:21 as our explorer backpacks that families can come and hire for the day. And they've got
05:25 all sorts of goodies in them that just help with the connections to nature here at the
05:31 reserve.
05:32 Now why is it so important do you think to get families out this summer? We've been seeing
05:36 a lot about how childcare costs are really rising or expensive. So how can you offer
05:42 I suppose an affordable, a fun, a day connecting back to nature as we were saying as well?
05:49 Why do you think that's so important?
05:52 I think we can all agree that being out and about in nature not only benefits people's
05:58 physical health but also benefits people's mental health as well. And I think with, like
06:04 you said, the rising cost of living, the activities that we've got here at the reserve come at
06:10 little to no cost at all. And they're just really great ways for families to come out
06:18 on a day during the summer holidays and just have a really great time in a really amazing
06:24 place in Kent.
06:25 What's some of the responses you get from the families that are taking part in these
06:29 activities? What sort of would you say is the most interesting activity, the one you
06:34 get a lot of sort of response from? And people might be a bit more surprised that they can
06:39 do an activity like that.
06:42 I mean we always get some great positive feedback from our pond dipping activities, not just
06:48 from the children actually but from the adults and parents that participate in as well. I
06:53 think it's just an amazing activity to get engaged with. You know, you get to see some
06:59 great wildlife, you know, frogs, newts, other kind of mini beasts that live underneath the
07:04 surface. So it's always hands on as well. And you can spend a great amount of time finding
07:12 so many different things that live in a pond.
07:15 And at the RSPB you do a lot of work obviously for birds, for the protection of certain species
07:20 and animals in Kent. Tell me a bit more about the reserve at Dungeness.
07:28 So Dungeness is the longest running RSPB nature reserve. We are a great migratory hotspot
07:36 for birds but we also have such a diverse habitat for insects and invertebrates. And
07:45 we also have over 600 species of wildflower on the reserve as well, which is actually
07:50 the third of the UK's wildflower species in total, which I think is always an impressive
07:56 fact to know about RSPB Dungeness, being that it was such a small area and we have that
08:02 many wildflowers here.
08:04 Such a key point for wildlife and nature and we have it right here in Kent as well. And
08:10 on another one of your reserves, not Dungeness, but for the first time, black-winged stilts
08:16 have successfully had chicks. Now how important is this? What does this mean for that species
08:23 of bird and to have it at another one of your reserves?
08:29 I mean it's amazing to have that species, that success story in Kent. I believe it's
08:40 one of the first success stories of that species and it's, like I said, great to have it at
08:47 one of our sister reserves in Kent.
08:50 And coming back to Dungeness, how much access is there for the public over the summer? Is
08:54 it just for, because it is a nature reserve, we want to protect nature, not only providing
08:59 places for families to go but keeping in mind nature and keeping it calm as well and not
09:04 disturbing that habitat too much. So how much access can the public have? Is it just the
09:08 scheduled activities or can people wander through the reserve? How does it work?
09:14 So we have a range of trails that people can have access to. Our main trail being the Discovery
09:19 Trail and that's got all the hides and the lookout points are, so it's a really great
09:23 trail to do. And there's other trails as well. We've got another part of the reserve with
09:31 another kind of trail with a really nice boardwalk down to a viewing point. There's another hide
09:37 in that area as well. So for people that are coming down, we've got a big map in the visitor
09:43 centre so feel free to pop in and ask the staff that are in there where the best places
09:48 around the reserve are.
09:50 Amazing. We've discussed how this is helping people and residents find those sort of affordable
09:56 activities. We've discussed how it's helping the wildlife but also how does this sort of,
10:00 the money spent and people visiting, people coming to the RSPB and getting involved in
10:05 these activities, how does it help your society as well? How does it help keep that going?
10:10 We've heard how important it is for all those species there in Dungeness. How important
10:14 is it to bring people to you?
10:19 I think we can all see over the last few years that our climate is in crisis. So having people
10:27 come to the reserve, of course the money that is spent on the reserve goes back into the
10:33 RSPB but actually having people come and be engaged in the wildlife here so that people
10:39 can see what it is we're trying to protect.
10:42 Well thank you so much Charlotte for giving us all that information there. There's so
10:46 many events that you're hosting for families to get back connected with nature as well.
10:51 Now just before I let you go, very quickly, tell me what your favourite event is this
10:55 summer and what will you be getting involved in yourself?
10:59 Oh gosh, that's a good question. I mean the trail that we have at the moment, which is
11:05 a bumblebee trail, that's a really nice trail to do. It's got loads of facts about bumblebees
11:13 and being that we are such a diverse site for insects and invertebrates, I think that
11:19 will be the one that I will be interested in doing this summer.
11:23 Amazing, I think I'll join you on that trip as well. That sounds really interesting. Thank
11:26 you so much Charlotte for your time today and for giving families an idea of how to
11:31 get back into nature. Thank you so much.
11:34 Some really great eco events planned there. Now it's time for a very quick break but coming
11:38 up in the second half of Kent on Climate. As Kent continues to be covered by cloud and
11:43 the rest of Europe face a scorching heatwave, I speak to a local weather expert to find
11:47 out why. And we look into the future of farming in Kent. See you in just a few minutes.
11:53 [Music]
11:55 [Music]
11:57 [Music]
11:59 [Music]
12:01 [Music]
12:03 [Music]
12:05 [Music]
12:07 [Music]
12:09 [Music]
12:11 [Music]
12:13 [Music]
12:15 [Music]
12:17 [Music]
12:19 [Music]
12:21 [Music]
12:23 [BLANK_AUDIO]
12:33 [BLANK_AUDIO]
12:43 [BLANK_AUDIO]
12:53 [BLANK_AUDIO]
13:03 [BLANK_AUDIO]
13:13 [BLANK_AUDIO]
13:23 [BLANK_AUDIO]
13:33 [BLANK_AUDIO]
13:43 [BLANK_AUDIO]
13:53 [BLANK_AUDIO]
14:03 [BLANK_AUDIO]
14:13 [BLANK_AUDIO]
14:23 [BLANK_AUDIO]
14:33 [BLANK_AUDIO]
14:43 [BLANK_AUDIO]
14:53 [BLANK_AUDIO]
15:03 >> Hello there and welcome back to Kent on Climate live on KMTV.
15:07 Now a warning has been issued after the invasive Asian hornets have been identified in Kent.
15:13 The species are known to attack and eat honey bees.
15:16 The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs are asking members of the public to remain vigilant after the insect was spotted in Dover.
15:23 More information can be found on Kent online.
15:27 Now one year ago today, Kent endured the hottest day of the year where temperatures spiked to the 40s.
15:32 But this year, the county continues to be covered by cloud while the rest of Europe face a scorching heat wave.
15:38 Temperatures are expected to exceed the current record on the mainland of 48.8 degrees Celsius.
15:43 But us in England and here in the southeast aren't seeing anything close to those numbers.
15:47 I spoke to Steve Wall from the YouTube channel Southeast England Weather to find out why.
15:52 >> The temperatures are probably getting closer to record levels.
15:56 I think we mentioned the other day 48.8 was the record which recorded a couple of years ago in Italy.
16:04 And looking at those temperatures over the next few days, yeah, it's going to get really close.
16:08 So I think today the main heat is over Sardinia.
16:12 And then over the course of the next couple of days, it's Sardinia, Sicily and Italy.
16:19 That's where the core is going to be.
16:20 And then maybe next week it moves more towards Greece.
16:23 So, yeah, it's in for quite a while.
16:26 In June, the jet stream was like to the south of us.
16:30 And that was taking a lot of the fronts down over southern Europe.
16:34 So although they were having quite a nice summer, they were getting more in the way of cloud and some showers.
16:38 And the temperatures were a little bit closer to what they get, whereas we were getting the lion's share of the sunshine then.
16:43 But all that's happened is the jet stream's gone more to its traditional position, which is up more towards the UK.
16:50 And all that's doing is it's keeping us under those those weather fronts and those active weather systems.
16:55 And high pressure is now formed over the Mediterranean where it's just, you know, getting hotter and hotter.
17:01 So, yeah, it's just it's just where the jet stream sits. The patterns, the patterns are pretty normal.
17:06 So every summer, you know, we're going to get these heat waves in certain areas.
17:11 High pressure, you know, traditionally the MED is the package holiday resort.
17:15 And that's why everyone in the 70s and 80s went on holiday, because these weather patterns were more common in those in those times.
17:24 But, you know, we can't ignore the background signal, which is climate change.
17:28 We've seen that temperatures are getting hotter. So every year when you get these heat waves, you're always like pushing the you know, you're pushing the limits.
17:36 And yes, so this is where we're at. It's we're always right up the upper end.
17:41 Now, when we do get these heat waves, when they pop up.
17:44 So next tonight, nearly 200 parks in Kent have received the Green Flag Award,
17:49 highlighting their positive impact on the environment and the community.
17:53 The international recognition has been given to eight parks in Medway.
17:56 And Cameron Noble was at one talking to local residents and councillors.
18:01 It's safe to say that Kent has earned its title as the Garden of England.
18:06 The Green Flag Award has announced where the very best green spaces throughout the UK and the world are, with the South East earning 186 awards.
18:14 Eight of these have gone to parks throughout Medway, as I've been finding out.
18:19 I'm here at Hillyfields Community Park, one of the many parks across Kent and Medway, which has been awarded the Green Flags Award.
18:26 Now, I spoke to Christine about why places like this are so important to the local community.
18:31 For people to unwind, to have picnics, you've got a family down below there that are having a lovely picnic with their little children and they're safe and they're just well kept.
18:47 And there's no danger here.
18:50 Whilst it's all well and good having these beautiful spaces, the challenge lies in maintaining them.
18:56 So what's being done?
18:58 We've introduced the bulk waste collection, which we know that's going to greatly stop fly tipping, because people will know, residents will know, there's a set day they can bring out their bulk waste and have that taken off.
19:12 But generally speaking, I think people, when you have an open and expansive space that people know is being used correctly, they tend not to want to fly tip it.
19:23 It's when you see a green space not being managed effectively that people feel, OK, they're not taking care of the green space, why should I?
19:30 Places like Hillyfields have plenty to offer, from wanting to go for a picnic to wanting to pick berries.
19:36 But what is to come later on?
19:39 We're going to have a lot of green spaces, we're going to have a lot of green parks, there will be small kind of disused pieces of land that we're going to greenify.
19:45 They might not be very big, but it will just be spaces for people without gardens and without access to or easy access to bigger spaces like this.
19:51 To have some green that's really close to them, just to improve mental well-being.
19:55 Lots of charities say being outdoors has benefits for both mental and physical well-being.
20:00 So with more Green Flag Awards in Kent, many hope to see more people outdoors.
20:05 Cameron Noble for KMTV in Gillingham.
20:09 Next tonight, Kent is one of the worst areas in the UK for dogfighting, according to the RSPCA.
20:15 It has been illegal for nearly 200 years, but the animal welfare charity says there have been more than 30 cases in the county in the past five.
20:23 Since the pandemic, the RSPCA has seen a steady rise in the number of reports.
20:27 Well, we spoke with the charity.
20:30 We've looked at the stats regarding the number of calls regarding dogfighting that come into the RSPCA, and they seem to have increased since lockdown.
20:39 So since 2019, we've had an increase in the numbers of calls that come in.
20:45 We're not quite sure why this is. Dog ownership has gone up since lockdown.
20:50 More people have got dogs and it may be that more people are reporting the cruelty that's happening.
20:55 So we're not entirely sure what the reasons are.
20:58 We would urge the public that if they see anything they're concerned about to let us know.
21:03 We see dogs that are used in dogfighting and generally a bull breed type of dog, sometimes pit bulls, not always.
21:09 And they can be scarred very badly around the face, chest and legs, particularly.
21:14 That's where another dog will tend to go for.
21:17 Also, we see that treadmills are used in different items that the usual dog owner wouldn't use.
21:24 So anything that is suspicious, then we'd ask that people could let us know.
21:29 Sometimes just that little bit of information can mean the difference to us.
21:34 It's like a piece of a jigsaw putting it all together.
21:37 Next tonight, how are Kent's crops doing during this rainy July?
21:41 Well, some British strawberry growers are reporting a disappointing season due to the changing weather conditions.
21:46 Some say the cold spring has stunted the growth of their strawberries.
21:50 Well, Steve Oram from Kent VegBox, who works with local farmers and producers across the county, spoke to me about this earlier this week.
21:59 Thank you so much for joining me, Steve. Really great to have you on.
22:02 Now, I know you also use Hulo Farms for your strawberry supplier as well, a huge supplier here in the county in Meriworth.
22:09 But some farmers have said that the weather is impacting their strawberry crop, has actually stunted the growth or they're just not growing.
22:16 So they're struggling to find those strawberries. Not the case for the farm in Meriworth.
22:20 Now, why do you think we're seeing these differences in different farms?
22:24 Well, I think, you know, certainly with it comes down to the size and whether people are able to finance what they're doing.
22:33 And some of our smaller growers have struggled with shorter crop time and maybe not been around, not been able to produce as much.
22:45 But the bigger producers and certainly Hulo we use, you know, they have their irrigation, et cetera, sorted now.
22:51 So and it's in their interest to. So, you know, they've invested that money.
22:57 And I think, you know, that's taken place perhaps over the past five, 10 years where people have realized, growers have realized that, you know,
23:05 they need to assume that there's going to be very little natural rainfall and therefore they need to make arrangements.
23:13 And if you're big enough to be able to do that, that's great.
23:17 But it's an expensive business. And if you're not, then you're going to have to trust to the weather.
23:24 And I think that's the basic difference between us, between the growers at the moment.
23:29 Do you think that's what farmers are being forced to do to change the way they farm, to invest in costly systems and the way they farm,
23:38 to actually still be competitive in the market as well? Are you seeing some of your smaller supplies sort of drop off or are they still managing to hang in there?
23:48 Well, I think, you know, if you're farming and growing, looking at what you're doing and changing it,
23:55 it's just a natural state of being. They have to respond to challenges all the time.
24:00 And weather obviously being a main one. But yeah, if you're farming in this area of the country,
24:09 then you'd have to assume that you're going to have to make some arrangements to cope with these challenges.
24:16 Whether you can afford to cope with them is probably the dividing line between.
24:20 And it also puts a lot of people off getting into the industry, getting into growing, getting into farming,
24:26 because now you have to consider things like irrigation and investing in that.
24:31 And, you know, it's a sad fact of life that perhaps the bigger you are, and it applies to anything in business really,
24:39 the bigger you are, the less trouble you have in investing and finding the cash to invest.
24:48 And it's a barrier to entry. You know, it puts people off coming in because they see the cost of it.
24:53 And just quickly, those that don't want to or can't afford, as you were saying, to invest in these systems and irrigation systems,
25:00 what can they do to help manage the changing weather, the unpredictable weather and changing seasons?
25:07 As we see, I mean, it's July at the minute. We've seen some really wet weather. It's not what we would have thought.
25:12 So how can farmers help prepare for that if they can't invest in irrigation?
25:18 Well, you know, there's various, certainly there's new varieties coming out all the time that are more tolerant of less water or less weather,
25:28 you know, adverse weather conditions. So there's new varieties coming out.
25:33 They're not always cheap for obvious reasons if they're new.
25:37 Plus, you do start to see things such as, you know, polytunnels coming out and which obviously we've seen a big use,
25:45 extra use of over the past few years. Things like drip feed irrigation so that, you know, you're literally just dripping water onto it.
25:54 So there's all these tricks that you can do. But it still comes back to the main point that the bigger you are,
26:03 the easier it is or the less cost per item it is, if you like, to invest in these things.
26:10 Thank you so much, Steve, for joining. A really important topic, especially here in the county as well.
26:15 We have so much farmland and agricultural ground here. Thank you so much for speaking with me today.
26:22 Well, that's all we have time for on this week's episode of Kent on Climate.
26:26 We'll be back again next week with another new episode discussing all the matters relevant to environmental issues in the county.
26:32 So be sure to tune in at 6.30 next Wednesday.
26:35 And in the meantime, you can keep up to date on all things climate related by visiting our website, kmtv.co.uk.
26:41 And if you have a climate story or project you're getting up to, then please do let us know.
26:47 You can find us on Facebook or Twitter by searching for KMTV Kent.
26:52 That's all from me and the team this evening. See you soon. Bye bye.
26:55 [Music]