Trip to Barton Hills

These are photographs of residents of Camphill Milton Keynes going on a walking trip to Barton Hills.
Barton Hills are situated southeast of the village of Barton-le-Clay in the English county of Bedfordshire. They are part of the Chilterns and hiking routes are marked on maps at the entrance to the hills. From the foot of the hillside, a spring (Barton Springs) marks the start of a chalk stream river. During the summer, Dartmoor ponies roam the hills.
A large part of the area is managed by Natural England as a national nature reserve. The reserve is also designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
The steep well-grazed slopes are a classic downland habitat, however there were no sheep on the hills from about 1930 until the 1980s and a woodland has formed on the hillside to the west of the stream which issues from Barton Springs.

Alex Fox

Community Assembly

These are photographs of residents of Camphill Milton Keynes attending a Community Assembly at the Chrysalis Theatre on Tuesday 10th September.

Alex Fox

Recycling training

These are photographs of residents of Camphill Milton Keynes doing recycling training at the Chrysalis Theatre.
Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into reusable objects to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, energy usage, air pollution (from incineration) and water pollution (from landfilling) by decreasing the need for “conventional” waste disposal and lowering greenhouse gas emissions compared to plastic production. Recycling is a key component of modern waste reduction and is the third component of the "Reduce, Reuse and Recycle" waste hierarchy.
The three R’s – reduce, reuse and recycle – all help to cut down on the amount of waste we throw away. They conserve natural resources, landfill space and energy. Plus, the three R’s save land and money communities must use to dispose of waste in landfills. Siting a new landfill has become difficult and more expensive due to environmental regulations and public opposition.

Alex Fox

13th Death Anniversary Ceremony for Reverend Handa Shonin Sama

On Sunday 18th August, there was the 13th Death Anniversary Ceremony for Reverend Handa Shonin Sama.
Rev Handa was a Buddhist Monk, the abbot of Milton Keynes Peace Pagoda and Temple until his sudden death in 2007.
He was a follower of Fujii Guruji (1885-1985), a Japanese monk who established the basic practice of chanting a prayer for peace accompanied by a drum, bowing in respect to whoever he met, and walking to bring the prayer wherever it is most needed.
After the nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Fujii started the construction of Peace Pagoda's as a way to raise a spiritual basis for people to unite and turn around the threat to all life.
The Peace Pagoda in Milton Keynes is the first in the West, and Rev. Handa was a driving force in its construction and associated work.
He died in August 2007 in an accident doing maintenance work around the Pagoda, just weeks after joining in an anti-nuclear walk and leading the annual Hiroshima Day lantern floating on the lake.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/mkbuddhism/

Alex Fox