ALTHOUGH a great number of activists flocked to COP26 in Glasgow this weekend, environmentalists in the Borders also shone a spotlight on climate issues here.

Supporters of the Fridays For Future campaign joined the weekly silent vigil in Melrose in solidarity with the Fridays For Future march which took place in Glasgow, led by Greta Thunberg.

As well as the silent vigil, climate activists in the Borders also took part in a series of events over the weekend, including the Great Borders River Clean and the Borders Book Festival.

“They’re all ‘climate beacons’ showing we care for the future of the planet,” said Greener Melrose chairman Donald McPhillimy of the weekend’s events.

“We feel it’s good to celebrate this, while COP26 is happening, so we’ve launched an appeal for groups, organisations, businesses, organic producers etc in the Borders to send us details about their green activities, and how others can get involved.”

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On Saturday, Greener Melrose met with cyclists who had been loaned Ebikes as part of Ebikes for Borderers – a scheme to help people see if they would be a suitable replacement to their car for work or leisure purposes.

And over the course of the weekend volunteers across the region joined the Great Borders River Clean, helping to collect rubbish and debris from river banks.

Volunteers from Greener Melrose were also at the Borders Book Festival recently with a display of their activities and promoting their map of eco-friendly actions being taken around the Borders. This tied in with talks at the festival from Tom Heap who discussed his new book 39 Ways to Save the Planet and a presentation from journalist Robert Peston about his experiences at COP26.

A ‘Green Beacons of Hope’ list is being produced in the Borders to highlight what actions are being taken locally to help tackle the climate crisis, to highlight the green activities people can join in with.

Mr McPhillimy said: “Joining with others, to do something positive, is a great start to helping communities be resilient to the effects of climate change, and it feels good to be working with nature, helping restore decades of damage. It certainly beats feeling anxious and helpless in the midst of all the dire warnings we’re no longer able to ignore. The first step can be to check out what’s already happening.”

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Green activities being included range from growing your own fruits and vegetables to upcycling old clothes and household items.

For more information about Greener Melrose activities, the green map and Beacons of Hope listing, contact greenermelrose@live.co.uk