Spring is the bursting season: blossoms, rain showers, birdsong ... and EcoCentre community compost! Each enormous bay is filling in two weeks; this is 4x faster than it can turn from food scraps to gardener's gold. It's currently closed for worms to do their engineering work. We need your help: bring equal parts paper to food scraps, for a balanced compost -- even better, contact us if you can help aerate the compost for 30 minutes midweek. Cheaper than gym membership, and compost turning gets you out amongst that birdsong and blossom parade! (It was my first job here in 2009.)
Finally, a burst of grant funding: if your not-for-profit group or school has a great plan for an on-ground or citizen science project to help animals, plants, soil, coasts or waterways in Macnamara (map), call Josh Burns' electorate officers ASAP on (03) 9534 8126 to apply this week for up to $20k.
|
|
 |
| See you at the Zero Waste Festival on Saturday 26th October at St Kilda Town Hall. Get ready for inspiring presentations, information stalls, music, and workshops showcasing ways to creatively and economically reduce waste, rethink the way we reuse resources, and to empower community focused environmental actions. The EcoCentre will have a stall on the day - come say hello! The Zero Waste Festival falls within Buy Nothing New Month, a month that challenges you to change your purchasing habits. |
 |
| Great news from Elsternwick Park Association - just 24 hours after installing logs and nest boxes in Elsternwick Park, Eastern rosellas have made themselves at home! Our local patch is home to rich biodiversity. For the first time, EcoCentre-powered citizen science will be quantifying City of Port Phillip's biodiversity on our NatureSpot program, launching this November and funded by City of Port Phillip. Do you have local animal or plant ID skills? Contact us about joining the team, or sign up to learn more. |
|
|
Great nature-spotting from the EcoCentre community last month! Anne saw a tiger snake in a tree in Westgate Park, Cecile and students from Galilee Primary School found a cunjevoi (sea squirt) in West Beach, and Kay spotted this wattle in Middle Park.
Seen any amazing wildlife in your area? Send us a photo of what nature you encounter -- whether plants, or animals of the sky, sea, or land -- to josh@ecocentre.com and we'll feature a photo in every month's newsletter!
|
Cool & compelling
- The EcoCentre community compost is full and closed until 21st October. In the meantime, explore programs like ShareWaste; purchase a green cone, worm farm, or compost bin for your home; get an apartment-friendly Hungry Bin Worm Farm; or drop your organic waste in friends' green bins if they live in Glen Eira or Bayside.
- A circular economy can help tackle the overlooked 45% of emissions by transforming the way goods are made and used.
- Small business owners, like this mechanic from Fremantle, are empowering their community to reduce their waste.
- This short video teaches you what to do with your electronic waste.
- Comedian Sam Simmons is on a mission to help Victorians remember to take their reuseable bags, with a catchy jingle.
- Sir David Attenborough has a clear message for Australia: "You are the keepers of an extraordinary section of the planet, and what you say and do really matters."
- Victoria is currently setting emission reduction targets for 2025 and 2030. State MPs need to hear from people like you that the Victorian community wants strong climate action.
- The Care for Country RAP Action focuses on the importance of building relationships with community to learn about First Nations peoples’ concepts of Country/place, to build students’ personal sense of responsibility for looking after the lands, seas and skies amidst which they live and learn.
- Meet Mrs Ticklebottom, who aims to use comedy to educate schools and families about plastic pollution.
- Applications for the Bayside Sustainable Environments Grant are now open. Grants of up to $5,000 are available for not-for-profit community groups to support activities, projects, and programs that enhance and protect biodiversity and environmental volunteering in Bayside.
- Kids Teaching Kids is gearing up for their 2019 KTK Melbourne Water Conference on October 29 & 30. They are seeking volunteers to help out at this event as student group leaders or with event logistics. If interested, contact Michelle on michelle@kidsteachingkids.com.au
- We're excited to welcome three new affiliate groups to the EcoCentre: WeAll Youth Australia, RAW Australia, and Brighton Playroom!
|
|
|
Mark your diary
• Sun 13 Oct 2-5pm - St Kilda Repair Cafe at the EcoCentre. FREE.
• Thurs 17 Oct 6:30pm - Keeping It Cool: Parent Info Sessions, at St Columba's Primary School, Elwood. Learn ways to empower young people to make a difference, and how to engage your children with environmental issues. Register here: FREE.
• Sat 19 Oct - Sun 20 Oct 10am - 4pm - ANGAIR Native and Indigenous Open Garden Weekend across Anglesea. Gold coin donations upon entry. Donations for Garden 10 (Sunday only) go to the EcoCentre.
• Sat 26 Oct 10am - 6pm - Zero Waste Festival, St Kilda Town Hall.
• Sun 27 Oct 9:30am - 12:30pm - Deep Time Walk hosted by Step Through Time. Join a 4.6km Deep Time Walk to travel across Earth's 4.6 billion year timeline at a rate of one million years per metre. Book here.
• Sun 27 Oct 2-3pm - EcoCentre Annual General Meeting.
• Wed 30 Oct 3:45 - 5:30pm - Free Teachers' Professional Development: School Biodiversity by the Bay at Gardenvale Primary School. Exchange ideas and lesson plans on local school / ELC biodiversity and find out about available biodiversity grants and resources. The energetic Tim McRae will be our tour guide as we explore the sustainability and biodiversity achievements of Gardenvale Primary School. Book here: FREE.
• Fri 8 Nov 10:30-11:30am - EcoCentre Volunteer Induction. Join us to get started volunteering with the EcoCentre! Registrations essential.
• Wed 13 Nov 5 - 7:30pm - Wild PD Series - Talking Sustainability with the Deputy Lord Mayor. Join Arron Wood, Melbourne's Deputy Lord Mayor, as he speaks about how sustainability must be at the core of the economy, people and communities. Book here.
• Sat 16 Nov 9am - 3pm - MESAC Marine Photography Course. Join MESAC on a snorkel, reef walk, or foreshore landscapes walk, guided by specialist photographers who'll teach you how to take incredible nature photos. All experience levels welcome. $20. Register here.
• Sat 7 Dec - EcoCentre's 20th Birthday. Save the date for an exciting celebration of the EcoCentre's history, and look forward to the years ahead.
|
|
|
|
|
|
