Children can enjoy a free pond dipping session at the Woodlands Farm Trust, Shooters Hill, Welling on Saturday (5th) and learn more about water wildlife. Sessions are from 10am until noon and 1pm to 3pm. Call 020 8319 8900 or email woodlandsft@aol.com

Volunteers are wanted to help with a clean-up of the River Shuttle on March 7. Meet in the car park next to the pub/restaurant at Hall Place, Bourne Road, Bexley, at 10.30am . Email joanne.bradley@thames21.org.uk if you want to take part.

Parkwood Leisure which manages Bexley’s three leisure centres has adopted a new, greener brand of bottled water in its drinks machines. It claims the water is bottled at a carbon-neutral plant in Wales, contained in recyclable bottles and for every litre sold, the drop4drop charity will provide a litre of clean drinking water to a developing country.

Euro MPs have just approved more stringent carbon dioxide limits which will apply to new vans. The greener vans will also mean better fuel consumption, and follow on from 2008 legislation by the European Parliament to set reduced CO2 emission targets for cars.

Conservation groups and garden suppliers are pressing the government to introduce a levy on garden peat products in the upcoming budget to discourage buyers. The sale of peat-based compost in the UK accounts for 630,000 tonnes of carbon emissions a year, at a cost to society of £32m.