September 6th, 2011 — food + gardens
Pepino, a native of Peru, has similar taste to pawpaw, but with a bit more zest. The ones we ate from Carlos’s garden (South Hobart) were really delicious. It’s a great fruit to grow in Tasmanian gardens.
Advantages of growing it:
July 31st, 2011 — community organising, landcare + faunacare
“What a good job the council has done with the quarry,” said someone at this week’s community meeting, and there was all round agreement. It’s a splendid case of community – council collaboration that has taken some years to come to fruition.
Thanks to early intervention by local residents the quarry and surrounds have been kept as as recreation space, it’s got a great ambience being sheltered from wind and the rockface backdrop catches the sun nicely.
July 14th, 2011 — Climate Connect Project, energy saving
RMIT has just launched a new user-friendly household emissions calculator. Now it is much easier to get a visible estimate of how your household is performing energywise.
Click on graphic at left to give it a try and let us know what you think!
(A feature of this calculator is that it graphically shows your transport and food footprints.)
And here is another one (right) – also very simple to use. We’ve been using this international one for the Climate Connect behaviour change project.
Which calculator do you prefer? You can comment below or email us directly.
July 10th, 2011 — food + gardens, inspiration
by Shiny Bristow
Consider these facts:
The Great Wall of China was 9,000 kilometres long. Impressive? The total length of backyard fences in Australia = 750,000 kilometres. Average distance to the moon = 384,000 kilometres.
That’s enough fencing to go to the moon and back – and that’s an awful lot of timber and steel. Wooden ones age and have to be replaced every 25 years or so – and that’s an awful lot of trees that have to be cut down, year in and year out.
Is there a better way?
Well, imagine if just some of these unproductive fence lines were put to good use. Imagine if they could provide us with healthy food.
July 9th, 2011 — Climate Connect Project, energy saving
After last year’s successful open forum on the emerging ‘Peak Oil’ phenomenon, another one has just been held on 2nd of July.
This forum focussed on how local government is taking a lead with this important issue.
For a concise summary just go to this link.
Many thanks to community members who helped and attended.
July 8th, 2011 — road safety
Waterworks Community meeting will be held on 7.30pm, Tuesday July 26 to discuss where to go with this issue (see below for update). Venue is 135 Waterworks Rd..
July 7th, 2011 — Climate Connect Project, energy saving, events
Waterworks Valley Community has just won the 2011 Award for Environmental Excellence (community category).
The award was presented in recognition of the work that we have undertaken during the past two years with our Climate Connect Project – overcoming barriers to behavioural change.
Our project team comprised Jacqui Allan, Jonah Gouldthorpe, Amanda Sully, Stuart Godfrey, Chris Harries and our partner organisation Eco Tasmania Inc (a spin-off from our successful bulk purchase of solar hot water systems). Glenda Hosking played a key role in managing the project’s finances.
For more information click Here.
June 22nd, 2011 — energy saving, transport
Although Dynnyrne area is quite well serviced with buses, there are many reasons people give for not using public transport.
Problem is that our urban car culture is so strong that most of us are used to jumping into cars without thinking – and are not in tune with our own bus services.
To make it easier, make these two links ‘favourites’ in your browser.
Huon Rd Timetable (Being updated, bus times are on this PDF)
Dynnyrne Timetable
Conveniently, when you go to these links the very next bus going along that route will be highlighted.
(For those who don’t use computers much, you can print out each route on an A4 page and pin it up in a convenient location.)
June 21st, 2011 — inspiration
On Saturday Blake Newton went out for his daily walk and got lost.
Residents up and down the valley had got to know Blake, a gentle man who derived great pleasure from walking along the local tracks both here and on Mount Nelson.
As a dementia sufferer, communing with nature was Blake’s great pleasure in life. In his private world he related to plants, animals and children with obvious joy, and so it was that members of the community were saddened by his passing away on June 18.
Our condolences to Blake’s family and friends.
May 18th, 2011 — Climate Connect Project, events
Is your organisation interested in sustainability issues?
Thanks to our Climate Connect project we are able to give presentations upon request (Tasmania only) during the next few months. We aim to make these workshops lively and interactive.
Please email Chris the editor to express an interest.
May 5th, 2011 — activism, landcare + faunacare
A weakening Autumn sun sheds a dappled light in amongst the understorey. This little beautiful spot was, not too long ago, a tangle of blackberry bramble, cotoneastors and a host of other weeds, strangling what was natural to this urban bushland fringe.
Now it’s nice. Nice to look at. So nice to part of its resuscitation.
May 5th, 2011 — events
World Environment Day is this Sunday, June 5.
Take this opportunity to celebrate the planet that we live on.
Most importantly: join us at the “Say YES climate rally” at 11 am – this is a very critical moment as Australia finally moves towards putting a price on carbon.
After the rally, then you can take the family to enjoy the Tread Lightly Festival (see below), lots of information talks, good food, a nice family outing with a good purpose.
See you on Sunday!
May 4th, 2011 — events
If not us, then who?
If not here, then where?
If not now, then when?
Over the last three years in the middle of winter, thousands of Tasmanians chose to spend a day outside learning more about how to live a sustainable life.
This is a very popular event. It’s on again on Sunday, June 5th, so put it in your diary now.
Click HERE to see details.