Green Councillor Kevin Pressland is a passionate campaigner for nature and the natural environment. His understanding of the threats faced by the natural world is based on expertise gained from a 40-year career in horticulture, garden design and sustainable land management:
In the run-up to Halloween, the chances are you’ll spot spooky-looking spider web decorations draped over garden hedges and dangling from doorways. Although they’re fake, these webs can catch real-life prey. That means birds and other wildlife are at risk of getting tangled in the fibres, so they’re best to avoid.
Instead, try hanging them inside your windows for an equally creepy display, without the risk to wildlife
Instead of buying new decorations, why not make your own? Like creating leaf luminaries by upcycling old jam jars and gluing on fallen autumn leaves. This not only reduces waste but also adds a personal, natural touch to your Halloween decor.
For Halloween parties, think about using natural decorations instead of plastic. If you do use plastic (repurpose plastic materials you already have) and then consider how you can dispose of it responsibly. Why not use a box for Halloween decorations ensuring they are used year after year, reducing waste.
When carving pumpkins, make sure to use every part of it. Toast the seeds for a tasty snack and use the flesh to make delicious soups or pies. This way, nothing goes to waste, and you get to enjoy some seasonal treats.
Each year, an estimated 10 million pumpkins are grown for Halloween in the UK, with most eventually ending up in landfill. However, throwing away your ghoulish gourd isn’t the only option.
Pumpkin is an incredibly versatile ingredient, so why not get creative in the kitchen? From warming autumnal soups and stews, to traditional pumpkin pies and even pumpkin spiced lattes, there are lots of tasty ways to devour your pumpkin’s innards
Some great pies worth considering making are on following links-:
https://www.inspiredtaste.net/24962/pumpkin-pie-recipe/
https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/pumpkin-pie-with-caramel-pecan-topping/
https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/the-great-pumpkin-pie-recipe/
If you don’t fancy gorging on gourd, the best place for your pumpkin is a compost heap. A healthy compost heap needs a mix of brown (carbon-rich) and green (nitrogen-rich) material to thrive. Brown materials include things like sticks and cardboard, while green materials include grass clippings and uncooked veggies just like your pumpkin!
Make sure to chop your pumpkin up small before adding it, as the key is to spread each layer of material thinly. If you don’t already have a compost heap, now’s the perfect time to create one https://www.rhs.org.uk/soil-composts-mulches/composting . Not only will it provide you with lots of lovely homemade compost to help you grow veggies and flowers, it’s great for wildlife too!
Finally, it’s really important to keep your pumpkin out of the reach of hungry Hedgehogs, as eating it can give them an upset tummy. In hogs, this can lead to fatal dehydration
Have a Happy Fun Halloween.
The Green Party unfortunately is not as nature loving and innocuous as Green Councillor Kevin Pressland .
They have an awful agenda, they seem to hate Israel, hate women and hate anyone who wants to make a successful business,
This is a valid article but I wonder why the Green Party is so deathly quiet on geo-engineering – ever present in our skies and now being debated to ban in states across the US. Or the illiterate net zero scam.
maybe members of the green party don’t read silly conspiracy theories
Members of the green party have enough silly conspiracy theories of their own!
Present some evidence of geoengineering.
Andrew – you are either incapable of seeing evidence in front of your own eyes, , or you as attempting to gaslight – which went down so badly in the convid era. So many write-ups and docs. for decades now. in the US: https://statecapitallobbyist.com/environment/state-level-geoengineering-bans-florida-montana-and-beyond/. You can even read some of it in the questionable Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/08/chemtrails-us-states-legislation. Or in UK government so called solar dimming discussions. It’s certainly unsafe and ineffective, and increasingly in the more astute public awareness.
The two links you put up referring to legislators passing laws to outlaw geoengineering.
Where is the evidence that geoengineering is actually happening?
Andrew- I don’t think you’ll get any.
Some great ideas, thanks Cllr Pressland
I’ve a better solution: don’t celebrate Halloween. Works for me every time.