Tollesbury Climate Partnership

18/06/2026

🐝 Did you know there are around 270 different species of bee in the UK?

When most people think of bees, they think of honey bees or bumblebees. But amazingly, around 90% of our native bee species are solitary bees!

If you watch closely in your garden, on a walk around the village, or even in the Community Orchard, you might spot a species you’ve never noticed before.

This beautiful bee was spotted enjoying some lavender on East Street. We think it might be a Four-banded Flower Bee (Anthophora quadrimaculata) — but we’d love to hear from any bee enthusiasts who can confirm the identification! 🐝💜

Every bee plays an important role in pollinating the plants, flowers, fruit and vegetables that support both wildlife and people.

📸 Have you spotted any interesting bees, butterflies or other pollinators in Tollesbury?

Share your photos in the comments so we can discover what’s buzzing around our village! 🌸

16/06/2026

All of the recycling is by our front door here at the surgery. You don't need to give your recycling to Reception, you can just pop your stuff in the boxes provided.
That includes glasses/ spectacles, now.
Thanks to Tollesbury climate partnership.
Thank you

14/06/2026

11/06/2026

🍎🦀 SAVE THE DATE! 🍐

Tollesbury Apple Day returns on Saturday 17th October!

If you’re lucky enough to have an apple or pear tree, now is the time to start thinking about your harvest.

🍏 Save your apples and pears
📦 Store them on trays in a cool, dark place
🍐 Keep varieties separate where possible
♻️ Compost any damaged or rotten fruit

Every year, thousands of perfectly good apples go to waste. Apple Day is all about bringing our community together to celebrate local fruit, reduce waste, learn about orchards, and turn surplus apples into something delicious.

Whether you have a basketful or a wheelbarrow full, we’d love you to get involved.

More details coming soon, but for now…

👉 Save the date
👉 Save your apples
👉 Tell your neighbours

Let’s make this year’s Apple Day the biggest yet! 🍎🍏🍐

09/06/2026

♻️ NEW RECYCLING CALENDAR 2026–27 ♻️

Have you received your new recycling calendar yet?

Maldon District Council has published the collection dates for 2026–27, helping residents plan ahead for refuse, recycling, food waste and garden waste collections.

🗓️ If you’re on Tuesday Route 1, your collection dates are shown below.
⏰ Remember to leave bins, sacks and boxes out by 7am on collection day.

Recycling correctly helps reduce waste, conserve resources and lower the amount sent to landfill. Every item recycled is a small action that contributes to a greener future 🌍

Not sure what can be recycled locally?

TCP’s community recycling scheme collects 21 additional waste streams including:
🔋 Batteries
💊 Empty blister packs
👓 Spectacles
👙 Bras
🖊️ Pens
🕯️ Candle wax
🍾 Corks
👁️ Contact lens cases
…and much more!

Together, we can continue to reduce waste and make a difference in Tollesbury 💚

08/06/2026

🌊 World Ocean Day 🌊

Conservation organisations including the Essex Wildlife Trust are helping to map, protect and restore seagrass meadows around our coastline. 🌱

Seagrass may not look like much, but it is one of nature’s superpowers:
💚 Absorbs and stores carbon
🐟 Provides nursery habitats for fish and marine life
🦀 Supports biodiversity
🌊 Helps stabilise sediments and improve water quality

The waters around Tollesbury are part of a nationally important coastal environment, and projects such as these help us better understand how we can protect and restore these valuable habitats for future generations.

This World Ocean Day, let’s celebrate not only the wonderful oceans themselves, but also the incredible wildlife and ecosystems right on our doorstep.

Have you ever spotted seagrass, seahorses, wading birds or other marine wildlife around the Blackwater Estuary? We’d love to hear your stories below. 👇

📸 Why not share your favourite photo of the estuary with us too?

01/06/2026

Two years ago, we started a simple idea:
to help make it easier for Tollesbury to recycle more and waste less ♻️

On the 3rd of June, our recycling scheme turns 2 years old 🎉

Since then, together we have:
🌍 Collected 21 different items
♻️ Diverted well over a tonne of waste from landfill
💊 Recycled approximately 19,500 empty blister packs
📦 Filled 13 blister pack collection boxes
👓 Reused and recycled hundreds of spectacles
👙…and bras
🔋 Recycled countless batteries, printer cartridges, pens, corks, contact lens cases and more!

But none of this would have been possible without:
💚 Our fantastic hosts who made space for collection points
💚 Our volunteers who help sort and manage everything
💚 And YOU — the amazing people of Tollesbury who continue to use the schemes

Every battery, blister pack, pen, bra, cork and contact lens case really does make a difference!

Thank you for helping to build a greener Tollesbury and proving what a community can achieve when people work together 💚

Let’s keep diverting waste from landfill and making a difference — together ♻️

31/05/2026

Trees are nature’s air conditioning 🌿☀️

During periods of extreme heat, trees help cool the environment naturally by blocking direct sunlight and releasing moisture into the air.

Shaded areas beneath trees can feel between 5–15°C cooler than exposed surfaces such as concrete or asphalt — making parks, streets and green spaces far more comfortable for people and wildlife alike.

As our climate continues to change, trees are becoming increasingly important in helping communities stay cooler, healthier and more resilient 🌍💚

Another reason why protecting existing trees and planting new ones matters so much 🌳

25/05/2026

Ever wondered what the black pipes next to the orchard trees are for? 💧 🌳

These are watering tubes! Perforated tubing has been wrapped around each tree’s root ball so water can be poured directly down to the thirsty roots where it’s needed most.

When we water only on the surface, it doesn’t always soak deeply enough into the soil — especially during dry weather. These tubes help make sure the young fruit trees get a proper drink and stay healthy 🍎🌱

If you’re passing the orchard and fancy helping out, please feel free to pick up a watering can and water a tree or two 💚

Don’t worry — you don’t have to do them all! We have a fantastic team of volunteers who help water the trees weekly to keep them hydrated.

If you’d like to get involved with the orchard project, please send us a message or email:
📧 [email protected]

24/05/2026

🐞 Ladybirds are here to help! 🌿

These little garden heroes are fantastic natural pest controllers, helping to keep greenfly and blackfly populations under control — pests which can damage leaves, young shoots and fruit trees 🍏🌱

Every ladybird in the orchard is hard at work helping nature find its balance without the need for chemicals.

So if you spot any ladybirds around the village… send them up to the orchard! 🐞💚