A lovely day spent at Tices Meadow Bioblitz Day together with other groups supporting and celebrating the fantastic work that goes on at the meadow all year round. This is a brilliant community event which brings out the very best in people. We had a raffle using prizes donated by members of the group. We also surveyed 30 members of the public on our campaign issues. There are 8 campaign issues we asked each member of the public to identify and prioritise their first 3 choices. Here are the results. They show the percentage weighting of the responses for each campaign issue.

• Oppose Farnborough Airfield Expansion 1st choice 43% 2nd choice 0% 3rd choice 52%
• Insulate homes (to reduce energy loss and decrease bills) 1st choice 50% 2nd choice 50% 3rd choice 0%
• Improve local air quality – the air quality in some areas of Rushmoor is of concern. Friends of the Earth air pollution map can be used to find out the pollution levels in your area. The levels in Rushmoor are often higher that World Health Guidelines suggest. 1st choice 0% , 2nd choice 60% 3rd choice 40%
• Concern over the loss of green space, mature trees and wild life. This was a popular choice for most people. 1st choice 50% , 2nd choice 40% 3rd choice 10%
• The lack of priority tackling carbon emissions and climate change 1st choice 77%, 2nd choice 11% 3rd choice 11%
• Difficulty getting around by walking, wheeling and cycling and access to public transport 1st choice 0% 2nd choice 29% 3rd choice 71%
• Water quality in our rivers and streams – This was the 2nd most chosen issue. 1st choice 19%, 2nd choice 50%, 3rd choice 31%
• Global Justice and equality of opportunity – This is an new issue we have included because of the inequalities we see in our area and also the Global injustices we see to do with conflict, the colonial past and climate change. The impacts of this on our community are becoming more apparent. 1st choice 63%, 2nd choice 13%, 3rd choice 24%

We thank all the members of the public who took part in this activity. The level of engagement and concern over the issues listed is positive and gives hope.