The AGM on 16th June was a lively evening despite the gloomy weather. The Mayor of Richmond, Cllr Clare Head, was present and recorded her support for the Trust as the pre-eminent environmental group in the borough.

Jenny Pearce, the Chair, noted how well we have survived - so far - the various threats to our solvency last year and this, thanks to the Treasurer’s sound financial management and the hard work put in by trustees and supporters to raise extra funds at the Art Auction and the popular lecture events. Education and horticulture are the fields we are successfully developing to complement our traditional roles in historic building and landscape conservation, and to appeal to a ‘future audience’ of young people.

After the AGM, Andy Hawkins of the Thames Explorer Trust gave an exhilarating review of the TET’s work with schoolchildren and his own practical philosophy of environmental education.

For those of you who didn’t come to the AGM, you missed some terrific home-made canapés - now a well-established tradition, with Derrik’s wine selection, as an antidote to the compulsory legal business.

Following elections at the AGM, the Trust now has five new trustees, the result of open advertising of the vacancies. We are very pleased to welcome Martin Davis, David Gow (who is also our Honorary Secretary), Sally Gray, Joanne Merriweather, and Lynsey Stafford, who bring an infusion of new skills, and will also appreciably lower the average age and wrinkle-count of the board. Members received trustees’ statements with their AGM pack, but here is a brief resume:

Martin Davis has worked with a range of third sector organisations and has also managed local authority community-based services, including education activities and youth services, and grants programmes. He is an experienced former chair, vice-chair and trustee of registered charities.

David Gow has recently retired as a solicitor based in Dundee, where he also set up an arts charity; formerly a frequent visitor to Richmond, he has now moved to this borough.

Sally Gray’s speciality is Human Resources, and she has just set up her own company; she is also about to start an MSc in Sustainability and Change. She has personal experience of fund-raising as a regular Triathlon participant.

Joanne Merriweather’s field is Public Relations; she has worked as a journalist and as PR Manager for The Body Shop, and in a variety of fund-raising and event-management roles with charities and not-for-profit organisations. (One of her clients has been the London Duathlon in Richmond Park - with Joanne and Sally on the board, it can’t be long before we’re forced to consider an Environment Trust Triathlon. Dust off your wetsuits now.)

Lynsey Stafford will be familiar to some of you as our former Volunteer Coordinator; with a degree in Environmental Science, and now working as Biodiversity & Landscape Administrator at Kingston University, she strengthens our expertise in that field and our links with further education. You will be able to meet the new trustees at our next members’ meeting.

Trust's Schools' Project launched, 8th & 9th June

The Trust's school's project funded by the Ernest Cook Foundation got off to a great start on the 8th and 9th of June with children from Meadlands and St Richards with St Andrews primary schools removing the invasive Himalayan Balsam and conducting wildlife surveys in the grassland around Petersham woods.

Newts, Coots and Muddy Boots, 14th May

Everyone had a wonderful time, and the packed auditorium heard Sir David Attenborough describing the affairs of the Great Crested Newt, Nigel Reeve from Royal Parks talking about the stagbeetle, Keith Martin on identifying the song thrush and other birds, and Joe Pecorelli on the Thames, one of the greatest wildlife resources in this area.

Finally, the children from Archdeacon Cambridge's CE Primary School described their wildlife garden. With thanks to all the speakers and the volunteers, and everyone who attended, and especially to Sir David, who brought the afternoon a special magic. Jacqui Lofthouse's blog follow-up is here.

Springtime Safari, 8th May

The Environment Trust would like to thank all the dedicated wildlife enthusiasts and professionals who helped make this year's springtime safari such a success.

The Trust's Education Programme

The Trust is committed to life long learning for all. We offer a range of educational activities.

We are grateful to the following organisations for their help in funding our education and events programme:

• Sport England
• Thames Community Foundation
• The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation

Schools Programme

For schools we offer opportunities to link with our volunteer events and bespoke sessions related to the local environment. Please contact the office to discuss your requirements.

Healthy Walks and rowing for Adults with Disabilities

The Environment Trust provides environmental activities for those people for whom there may be barriers to participation. Since 2007 we have been running our programme for adults with physical or learning disabilities, which includes healthy walks, rowing and supported volunteering opportunities. Please contact us for more information.

Art Picnics

Each month we spend a Sunday drawing and painting in different beautiful and interesting places, inside or outside, and often with specially arranged access.  There are experienced tutors on hand to help and advise.  It’s informal and friendly – just bring a picnic lunch. All levels, from beginners upwards and including families, can take part.

Lecture events

Each event consists of a series of short talks by specialists, celebrating distinctive aspects of local heritage and ecology. Usually they are chaired by one of our Patrons, who have national reputations as experts in their field. There will also be displays by relevant local groups and businesses.

Exploring with the Environment Trust

Walks exploring Richmond’s rich environment and heritage, led by local experts run from March to November. Please see our events programme for upcoming walks.

Art Picnic at the Rose Theatre, Kingston, 29 Jan 2012

Report by Ros Newby

On a cold, frosty and not quite bright enough January morning when it would have been very easy to stay home, I set off for our first art picnic of the year.  This time we were venturing out of the borough to The Rose theatre, Kingston, lured by the promise of interesting vistas, both architectural and social.  The picnic was to be based in the Culture Café but we were to have the run of the public areas of the building with all the rooftop and townscape views through the expansive windows and intriguing perspectives on the ‘industrial chic’ architectural features of the building itself from its three floors.

It turned out to be an even more stimulating and enjoyable day than any of us had expected.  Not only were the temperature and the welcome warm but, as luck would have it, there were additional attractions  for us.  In the morning a play reading group, The Versophiles, were rehearsing King Lear in the auditorium and agreed to let us go in to sketch it (and them - provided we ‘knocked 10 years off’  their ages with our drawings!)  How idyllic – practising our drawing skills while listening to a semi-professional (many of the group are working actors) performance of Shakespeare.

After a brief show-and-tell session with our highly supportive and encouraging tutor Emily and our picnic lunch (amply complemented by cake and coffee from the Culture Café) we resumed our sketching.

The afternoon’s treat turned out to be the monthly Swing Dance – a Tea-Dance style event in the café with ballroom, Latin and jive recordings provided by a devoted duo, supported by a very enthusiastic group of dancers, clearly enjoying their Sunday afternoon and oblivious to or unperturbed by our attempts to capture their moves with pencil and paper.  Needless to say, some of us joined in with the dancing and vowed to go back for more!

The Rose picnic was only the first of the season but exemplifies the whole spirit of the idea which is to provide a venue (indoors in winter, outdoors in warmer weather) with landscape or architectural interest, a tutor and a group of people to learn or improve with or simply to spend the day drawing or painting with others.  Absolutely no previous experience of drawing is needed – that’s what the tutor is for! – and  families are particularly welcome.  The full year’s programme is always available on the Trust’s website and we try to introduce some new venues every year with some firm favourites featuring more regularly.  I have a feeling The Rose may turn out to be one of those.

Please contact the office on 020 8891 5455 to book your place on the art picnics.

About the Art Picnics and Courses

Experiencing our environment is so much better when we get outside and walk round and look. We bring learning through looking together with the development of your art skills to make the great outdoors an even more enjoyable experience.

If you have ever stopped to watch someone sketching or painting by the river or at some other beauty spot and thought ‘I wish I could do that’ – now you can.

But I can’t draw

It does not matter. Experienced local artists will help and guide you. Soon you will know how to study a scene, see the effects of light and shadow cast on the smallest field mushroom, appreciate the particular beauty and qualities all around from a fading thistle, a rusted bucket, the prow of a boat, an unusual doorway, an exquisite engine piston, to a meadow of wildflowers, a cloud formation or the sweep of a lake.  If you are more experienced you can work away to your heart’s content in the company of like minded people.

What do I need to bring?

All materials are provided : Charcoal, pastels, pens and coloured pencils, watercolours and oils, drawing boards and clips. You are very welcome to bring your own.

We run two sorts of art events. These are art picnics and art courses.

Art Picnics

What a wonderful way to spend a Sunday. Each month we get special access to beautiful and interesting places, sometimes inside sometimes outside.  All art picnics run from 11am to 4pm. All you need to bring is a picnic lunch and maybe something to sit on.

The tutor introduces and makes suggestions about subjects for the day.  Beginners are given some additional tuition to get them started.  There is a break around 1pm to review work and have lunch. The afternoon session continues until about 3.30 when everyone has a chance to share experiences and discuss their achievements.

Art courses

Our art courses based on a particular subject are generally half day or shorter sessions running over a few weeks. These courses sometimes combine different skills like drawing and printmaking.

View more information about our art picnics and courses, and book your place.

Art Auctions

Each year art works generously donated by local artists and some eminent artists from around the UK are put up for public auction. This is a major fundraising event and the money made makes a great difference to our community-based work with volunteers and our education projects.

View more information about our annual art auction