Seabirds, Seals & Cetaceans
Join us as the summer rolls in with all of our beautiful visitors for their season of romance. Whales, Puffins, Gannets, Fulmar, Guillemots, Seals and Dolphins are all flocking back to Thurso bay for a summer of love and feasting on the migratory fish that boom by our wee home time. Watch and learn about the world's smallest species of albatross, one of the rarest seal species in the world staring back at you, and some of the biggest adrenaline junkies in the baby bird world with our guillemots. Keep an ear out for the unique sound of harbour porpoise and an eye for the pod of Killer whales visiting Thurso Bay through May and June. Binoculars, natural histories, and ID guides provided!
Meet at the Blue Door Cafe, Thurso at 11am on 3rd July
To book please click on the link below:
Future Thurso
Thurso Community Development Trust are asking their community, what is a future Net Zero Thurso? Exploring what a future Thurso may look like through community engagement and a large scale art project.
Thurso Zero Waste Market
Thurso Community Development Trust will be running a Zero Waste Market from 11am - 3pm at Olrig Street Gardens in Thurso to promote the circular economy with community sellers offering pre-loved items.
Thurso Community Garden Open Day
Thurso Community Development Trust Community Garden - Thurso Grows will be holding a Garden Open Day as part of the Highland Climate Festival organised by the North Highlands & Islands Climate Hub and Highland Adapts. Come along for guided tours, children's activities and plant swap.
See the Thurso Community Development Trust website for further details.
Net Zero Thurso Panel Chats
Thurso Community Development Trust as part of the Highland Climate Festival will be holding an open event to discuss their Net Zero Thurso project including the work so far and having a panel discussion with Magnus Davidson, Cllr Karl Rose and Joan Lawrie, Development Manager.
To book for the event please visit the Thurso Community Development Trust website.
Net Zero Day Thurso
What does a Net Zero Thurso look like? Come along and chat to Thurso Community Development Trust at Socially Growing and give your views.
What is your carbon footprint? The Trust can run through a check with you and give you some tips on your carbon footprint. Gain understanding on your carbon footprint and carbon measures.
The Trust will be joined by Home Energy Scotland and Caithness Citizen’s Advice who will be supplying energy efficiency advice.
Thurso Climate Conversation
Join Thurso Community Development Trust for a Climate Conversation. This is a more structured approach to talking climate and we will be holding as the first part of the evening a discussion on eco-anxiety followed by a climate conversation.
We are expecting to hold this event upstairs in the Trust offices so please let us know if you have any accessibility requirements please let us know on booking. Spaces are limited so please click on the link below to book.
Thurso Climate Cafe
Join Thurso Community Development Trust (weather dependent) either outside or inside Socially Growing for a Climate Cafe. An informal space to grab a cuppa and cake (on us!) and have a chat about climate change and what you can do to combat it. Either generally or by getting advice on waste, making simple changes, understanding your carbon footprint and how you can get involved in climate action locally.
Very simply, drop in for a natter and have some tea and cake!
Thurso pop Up Clothes Swap
Do you have an item that you no longer wear? Something that doesn't fit you anymore? Something you just don't like anymore? Then this event is perfect for you! Swapping is the aim, this event is not for donations; we are asking you to bring something of good enough quality that you’d be proud to claim as your own. Being held as part of the Highland Climate Festival by the North Highlands & Islands Climate Hub and Highland Adapts and to launch the Highland Community Waste Partnership.
Full details of the event available on the Thurso Community Development Trust website.
Thurso Beach Clean
Join Thurso Community Development Trust at Thurso East for a Beach Clean and walk along the beach and path there for a social occasion of a walk alongside picking up any litter to keep our beautiful coastline clean.
We’ll meet at the car park at Caithness Livestock Breeders and then make our way up the coastline. Litter pickers, gloves and all equipment supplied as well as tea and cake to finish and have a chat.
Thurso Foraging Walk
Foraging Walks with Amanda Grieg of Thurso East Honesty Box are back! These walks are incredibly popular so please book your space as soon as possible and places are limited. Amanda will take you on a guided tour of foraging spots in and around Thurso with incredibly helpful advice on the way. Refreshments provided following the walk.
Free of charge, to book, click on the link below and select the appropriate date for the Foraging Walk, either Saturday 25th or Tuesday 28th June. Details of the meeting point for the walk will be sent out after booking and prior to the walk taking place. It will be a Thurso location.
Thurso Repair Day
Do you have a garment that is in need of repair?
Would you like to learn how to sew a button or repair a hem? Take your garments along to Socially Growing where Zoe, our Development Officer who is working on the Highland Community Waste Partnership due to launch during the Highland Climate Festival will take you through how to do your repair. Please note, this is not a drop your garment off and pick up later session, this is so that you can learn the steps that Zoe takes to repair your item. You can also drop in for any general sewing and upcycling of garments advice on the day. We’ll either be outside Socially Growing or inside the shop (weather dependent)
Online Film Screening: The True Cost
Join Thurso Community Development Trust for a watch-along screening of The True Cost - a film about the impact of fast-fashion. Leading up to our Pop-Up Clothes Swap on Wednesday 29th June.
After the film we'll be hosting an online discussion that we'd love you to join. Book below to receive the links to watch with us!
The True Cost (2015)
This is a story about clothing. It’s about the clothes we wear, the people who make them, and the impact the industry is having on our world. The price of clothing has been decreasing for decades, while the human and environmental costs have grown dramatically. The True Cost is a ground breaking documentary film that pulls back the curtain on the untold story and asks us to consider, who really pays the price for our clothing? Filmed in countries all over the world, from the brightest runways to the darkest slums, and featuring interviews with the world’s leading influencers including Stella McCartney, Livia Firth and Vandana Shiva, The True Cost is an unprecedented project that invites us on an eye opening journey around the world and into the lives of the many people and places behind our clothes.
Thurso Active Travel Treasure Hunt
An Active Travel Treasure Hunt for all to be done through either walking or cycling in the town. Collect your sheets from Socially Growing/Trust Offices between 11am - 12pm on Sunday 26th June and off you go to find the critters hidden around the town from a series of clues.
We’ll have prizes on offer of refill/good for the planet goodies from Socially Growing from the winning hunters!
Thurso Foraging Walk
Foraging Walk with Amanda Greig of Thurso East Honesty Box. Foraging walks held in the past have been very popular so booking is essential. Walk with Amanda who will share what can be foraged and what you can then do with it, refreshments provided following the walk.
Spaces are free of charge but booking is essential. To book please follow the button below to be taken to the Thurso Community Development Trust website.
Thurso Climate Day
Get engaged in climate change and the simple every day actions that you can do to combat it. Thurso Community Development Trust will have a host of activities on during the day of Saturday 25th June where we will be ‘showing off’ and talking climate with anyone who wants to listen to us!
Cycling UK will be Olrig Street Gardens in the centre of Thurso with a selection of bikes to try
Socially Growing will be hosting waste awareness and we’ll be talking Net Zero Thurso in the Town Centre
Tours available (refurbishments permitting) of the Socially Growing Greenhouses
Food waste and cooking at our Sharing Shed over at Thurso Youth Club
Drop into the volunteer session at the Thurso Community Development Trust Community Garden
Full details including a map at the Thurso Community Development Trust website.
Thurso Critter Search
Tradition dictates in Thurso every year that there is a ‘Red Herring’ Competition throughout the shop windows where the local shops hide an item in the window which is not supposed to be there. Many a day has been spent out with the kids during the summer holidays to search and search shop windows for that object, is it the pin that has been dropped? Or is that pin the Red Herring?
This year a ‘Red Herring’ with a difference where to illustrate the importance of the climate crises on biodiversity a series of little critters expertly crafted from recycled materials will be hidden in participating shop windows encouraging footfall in the town centre to #lovelocal and #lovehighland while highlighting the importance of those critters!
Forms are available for download from 25th June on the Thurso Community Development Trust Website or can be picked up in person from Socially Growing, the Trust’s Zero Waste Refill Shop in Thurso Precinct.
Dandelion Festival: Unexpected Garden Caithness
The Lyth Arts Centre Unexpected Garden will take the garden to the people! A curtain-sider trailer converted into an innovative growing space will tour to 4-5 sites across Caithness.
On arrival at each site, the raised beds and planters will roll off the trailer to create a garden and audience area. The trailer will become a performance and workshop space, offering seating and integrated lighting/electricals allowing the gardens to be brought into the heart of each community. Each site will also offer the chance to ‘dig in’ and create more permanent planting.
We hope to create a cyclical growing pattern where communities across the county grow food for each other. We’ll explore where our food comes from, how it’s transported, and try some experimental approaches to cultivating vegetables.
For more information on the weeks itinerary please check for latest news by clicking button below.
Midnight Swim & Climate Conversation
A midnight swim on Midsummer’s Eve to welcome the beginning of the Highland Climate Festival to Thurso.
An event to launch the Highland Climate Festival in Thurso with a Climate Conversation and refreshments on the beach followed by a dip in the sea under the midnight sun. Booking is essential for this event as spaces are limited.
To book please click the button below to be taken to the Thurso Community Development Trust website.