Students for Fair Trade at Fordham University in NYC

9:20 p.m.
The university is quiet. Some students have retired to their dorm rooms after dinner at the cafeteria, others have their books sprawled out on wooden tables in the library trying to cram weeks of reading into one night, and still others are walking to their last class of the day. Continue reading

Only 2 days to go: Shared Planet

sp09_logo2This weekend, I’m leaving my cold student house in Leicester, and heading up to my favourite city Manchester for People & Planet’s annual conference Shared Planet. My parents live near Manchester, and some of my friends are studying there so I tend to be in the City at least once a month, although usually for shopping and drinking rather than attending talks and MP panel debates! Continue reading

Foraging for free food: mushrooms revisited

Lycoperdon pyriforme (Stump Puffball)

I found these little beauties on my walk home from work, clustered around some hawthorn trees. They are known as stump puffballs, since they are commonly found clustered on and around tree stumps. You can tell if they’re not the poisonous species Earth Balls, since the edible puffballs are pure white inside. Earth Balls are never pure white inside; they change from yellow to mature purple black as they age. They need peeling before being eaten, and I sped up this process by using a knife to peel off the knobbly skin. Continue reading

“…let us work together”

Students at Royal Mail picket line

Waking up at 5.30am on a dark frosty morning is not my cup of tea to be honest and realising it is still dark outside is not the greatest feeling either. But nevertheless me and few other students meet-up at the halls and begin the walk to the Royal Mail distribution center in Derby to join striking workers at the picket line.  Continue reading

MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES: Our fabulous training day in Bristol

n174457611338_5487People & Planet have recently appointed the new volunteer role of Media Representative. This role has been implemented to help promote the causes that P&P support to the media and also to enhance the profile of the organization. Continue reading

How appropriate

So about 5 weeks ago I started studying Law at Bristol University for the first time. Oh.my.god. Yes, it’s much more difficult and time consuming than I had thought, or even planned! Bang goes most of my time basically, hence my lack of time to write. You’ll be glad to hear however that the last month hasn’t been totally steeped in legal jargon and visits to the library. There is an amazing group/society called the Bristol University Sustainability Team (BUST) who are doing some really exciting things. Continue reading

Foraging for free food: mushrooms

Clitocybe robusta: not edible :(

Like most students, I find the prospect of free food to be very appealing. However, I have taken this several steps further than merely seeking out events on campus with free catering: I have begun to dabble in foraging for edible fruits, plants and mushrooms in the fields, hedgerows and woodlands in and around my university’s campus. Continue reading

Ask not what P&P can do for you, but what you can do for P&P…

img1145_size2… though actually, I’ll talk about both!

Balancing your time campaigning with your time spent studying can sometimes be tricky. As a member of the London South Bank University P&P group, I am finding that juggling my time between People & Planet and my study is more difficult this year as I am on placement. Where there is a will there is way, however, and in the spirit of putting your principles first I thought I would share my recent rejuvenation! Continue reading