A GROUP of Earley residents have walked around the world in name of the climate crisis.
The walk started as a virtual pilgrimage to Jerusalem in March, but grew into a lap of the globe in order to cover the virtual distance to get home again.
Liz Kerry organised the pilgrimage under the social media structure of St Nicholas Church, in Earley.
“Having heard about the national Great Big Green Week, we worked out this was a good thing to aim for and we could get back in time for COP26,” she said. “I had realised how far people were prepared to walk each week.”
Ms Kerry said the walk took roughly 20 weeks to complete.
During that time, members of Earley Environmental Group and residents of Avalon Road joined as well, making a total of 70 ramblers, aged six to 92.
Ms Kerry said each part of the virtual journey was marked with the effects of climate change.
“[There were] heat domes, floods, fires,” she said. “We took a detour to Greenland and faced the first rain ever to fall on the Highlands.”
This, she said, was particularly upsetting, as the country’s climate has warmed, leading to rain instead of snow.
“I just started to notice climate change more in each location,” Ms Kerry added. “We became more knowledgeable about each area.”
Ms Kerry added: “This walk gives an appropriate message for us all as we face climate crisis; that we can do the impossible if we work together but we may have to change what we want.”
The walkers are celebrating their global milestone with a display at the Great Big Green Week Fair at St Nicholas on Saturday.
They will display six paintings, representing different ecosystems the group virtually walked through, ranging from deserts to cities.
The fair will run from 2pm to 5pm in the church garden on Sutcliffe Avenue.
The theme is reuse, repurpose and recycle, with the event promoting ways to decrease personal carbon emissions.
There will also be crafts for children, cream teas and music from 5Ts Brass Band.
