For her #100DaysOfGreenNevis project, Nevis trustee Carol Fleming has been growing her own herbs, fruit and vegetables with her daughter.

We first heard from Carol on day fifty-three of the campaign. You can read her post here.

Since my last update in March, our tomato plants have grown and are about to flower, we’ve sown carrots and potatoes in the garden, our rhubarb has sprouted, and we’ve been enjoying using the basil in our cooking. It’s been lovely to work together with Hannah in the garden, seeing her take a real pride in watching the plants grow and talking to her about the importance of sustainability. “When we buy food from the shops it has a lot of plastic. Growing our own food is better for the environment because we’re not using plastic.”

It has been inspiring to read everyone else’s journeys and green tips and I hope that it has encouraged others to make changes. No matter how big or small, we can all play a part in reducing climate change.

Thinking about our journey, I wanted to share Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture with you. The music, composed in 1830 about Scotland’s Fingal’s Cave, cleverly depicts the growing swell of the waves of the sea, but when I listen to it, I can also imagine that it’s the sound of our seeds growing and breaking through the surface of the soil to reach the sun. Here’s a lovely performance from the Orchestre National de France under the baton of the fabulous Neeme Järvi – a conductor who has a special connection with Scotland through his position as Conductor Laureate of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. I hope you enjoy it!

From 1 February 2021, Nevis is running #100DaysOfGreenNevis, where our musicians, staff and trustees will each take on a task for 100 days linked to Sustainability. We’d love you to join us, either by following the campaign online to get ideas of what you can do, or to show us you own actions for us to share. If you would like to know more, do get in touch at georgina@nevisensemble.org 

Nevis Ensemble’s #GreenNevis campaign in 2019 won the Environmental Sustainability award at the 2020 Scottish Awards for New Music, and was shortlisted for Best Campaign by Julie’s Bicycle.