earth goddess welcomed

What an honour it was to be invited to 'welcome' the Earth Goddess to Yarra Ranges as part of Yarra Valley ECOSS' Eco Food Fest.

The Eco Food Fest was a great day, celebrating and promoting all things sustainable living. 

Artists Sioux Dollman and Dakini Maddock
with Cr Samantha Dunn about to 'dress' the goddess.

The Earth Goddess is a beautiful community created 'green' sculpture, funded by a Shire of Yarra Ranges grant with the project led by fabulous local artists, Sioux Dollman and Dakini Maddock. Created from soil with a clay fired face, once the plants on her grow she will become a lovely living green sculpture

The Earth Goddess symbolises the nurturing and healing powers of the goddess. It was wonderful to be able to officially welcome her to the Shire of Yarra Ranges among a throng of local community members.

Familiar face around ECOSS, Peet, plants
 up the Earth Goddess.

I congratulate ECOSS, the day was a wonderful festival covering a diverse range of topics. For those of the culinary persuasion there was fig pickling, curry cook ups and cider home brewing. Gardeners were also catered for with Winter Vegie Preparation, Composting for Magic Soils and No Dig Gardens. 

Festival goers were entertained by a great range of local artists on the main stage. The chat tent was constantly abuzz, starting the day with the Poet's Breakfast, continuing with Bushfoods, Edible Weeds, Backyard BeeKeeping, ECOSS updates, Backyard Chook Chat and Pesty Weed & Kill tour. 

Kids and families had plenty of activities to choose from. There was saw dust a plenty for the youngsters to play in, the Earth Goddess 'dressing' where community members were encouraged to help plant the final dressing on the ECOSS earth sculpture. There was drumming, mosaic making, yoga, drama, creative dance, big community sing, circus skills training and the ever popular face painting.

It was a great day out, the ECOSS Committee are to be congratulated for their efforts to build a sustainable community and provide opportunities for people to connect. It is wonderful to see their commitment to ensuring the local community of the Upper Yarra are more prepared to meet the challenges of climate change and peak oil into the future. Well done on a wonderful, sustainable event.

eco food fest at ecoss - 28 april

Be sure to pencil the ECO FOOD FEST into your diary for Saturday April 28th.

ECO FOOD FEST is the second festival celebrating sustainable food and living in the Yarra Valley.

Details:
Where: ECOSS, 711 Old Warburton Road, Wesburn
When: 9am to 5pm
Cost: free (workshops are anywhere from free to $5)

I had the great pleasure of speaking at ECOSS' 350.org event last year, this time round I've got the honour of opening the Environmental Earth Goddess Sculpture at 3:15pm. Artists Sioux Dolman and Dakini Maddock have created a larger than life earth sculpture. This magical ‘earth’ sculpture will be planted out during the day with the help of any willing hands.

ECO FOOD FEST will be jam packed with chats, tours, demonstrations and a stack of kids activities. There will be free eco-food workshops, stalls and music. Learn about home-brewing, backyard beekeeping, chooks, food preserving or no dig gardening. Or you can just sit back, relax and enjoy the beautiful grounds with great food and entertainment.

You can start the day with poets and pancakes for breakfast, or for the active, yoga starts at 9:30. Children's activites include a creative workshop for 6-12 year olds (10:30), whilst there's a circus workshop for 8+year olds at 2 - 4pm. Eager youngsters can also make fresh apple juice and face painting will be available for most of the day.

Fantastic food will be provided by Cafe Koha and ECOSS's pizza oven as well and the Gawler Foundation's super juices will be on hand too.

A great line of entertainment has been planned including:
The Sin Frontera Band (for a Mexican hoedown)
Rachel by the Stream
Starry Eyed Ramblers
Little Yarra Ensemble
West African drumming
and Santha Press will lead the popular Community Big Sing and Songs Across the Valley Project.

It will be a great day out, a wonderful celebration of all things sustainable. I look forward to seeing you there.

For more info click here.

samantha in the press - climate change

Pedal power cuts carbon footprint
Mail Newspapers
by Mara Pattison-Sowden
4 Oct 2011

350 in the valley

I was delighted to be invited to speak at the recent 350.org event at ECOSS in the upper yarra valley in Wesburn. 350.org is a worldwide movement, created by author Bill McKibben, to build a grassroots global movement to solve climate change. Why 350.org? 350 parts per million is the amount of Co2 scientists say is a safe limit for humanity (we're currently at 391ppm). ECOSS is modelled on the CERES model of community park to engender a culture of sustainability.

It was a great opportunity to talk about the range of initiatives council is undertaking to either adapt to or mitigate the effects of climate change.

This photo was taken to send to the 350.org website to show how Wesburn participated in this worldwide event.

Council's recognition of the importance of climate change as serious issue was first acknowledged with our signing of the Yarra Ranges Climate Change Commitment, which set out a number of actions we'd undertake to exceed Kyoto Protocol targets for reducing global warming pollution.

Local performers provided the entertainment, here's Michael Arvanitakis from the Jed Rowe band performing to delight of onlookers.

Council has developed a number of policies to help achieve this target:
~ Resource Management Strategy - an action plan to reduce both council and community energy and resource use and respond to climate change. It was this strategy that underpins council's decision to sign the Ethical Paper Pledge.
~ Environment Strategy - sets out our current strategic policy direction on climate change and how we will reduce our footprint through council's own operations and in the community.
~ Environmentally Sustainable Development Policy - focuses on how council can make its capital works program sustainable.

Part of the days activities included this labyrinth made out of plant pots, young and old alike had fun tracing and retracing the path of the labyrinth.

Council is also reviewing all of our strategies on climate change so we can revisit our overall approach to climate change. We are also in the midst of developing a new Peak Oil Strategy for how we will respond to potential oil shocks and fuel shortages that peak oil will bring.

After I spoke many people came up to me to say they were not aware of all the ways council plays a part in addressing climate change impacts and were pleased to have a progressive council.

We are about to embark on the development of a Water Management Strategy and have employed a dedicated Water Management Officer to deliver this. The strategy will address some of the risks climate change poses to water supply and waterway health. It will also identify alternative sources of water to allow for greater conservation of drinking water in the municipality.

Local community members had the opportunity to perform spoken word as well as songs, it was a great celebration of the diversity of talent in the valley.

Council also supports the Yarra Ranges Transition Towns network by coordinating an information sharing network and providing regular updates to our TTers.

Council has an enormous role to play in land use planning which means we have a significant input into creating a more sustainable pattern of development through our land use planning strategies. Our key strategy, the draft Housing Strategy plans for additional development in areas suitable - with connection to community infrastructure, services and public transport to reduce reliance on motor vehicles.

Our Vision 2020 by Design actively encourages the adoption of Environmentally Sustainable Design and council regularly requires new major developments to demonstrate ESD features are incorporated into the design.

Council keenly protects Green Wedge land which provides not only the food bowl to Melbourne but has enormous biodiversity and landscape values. Green Wedge policies have successfully prevented urban sprawl of car dependent suburbs into areas valued for their agriculture or biodiversity.

Council has strict controls over removal of native vegetation, along with our targetted revegetation programs we ensure we retain important habitat areas for flora and fauna to maintain a healthy ecosystems.

One of council's key revegetation programs is Ribbons of Green. Established in 2007 to offset council's fleet emissions and increase biodiversity outcomes, the program has seen participants plant more than 70,000 plants each year. The program also provides advice about how shcools, private landoweners and community groups can control weeds, manage erosion and address pest animals. More than half the plants provided under Ribbons of Green provide connections to existing remnant vegetation and will provide much needed habitat into the future.

Council is dedicated to making our own operations more sustainable and reducing our own carbon footprint, however we also play a key role in leading and educating the public, schools, professional associations, businesses and industry about reducing their footprint.

Our draft Economic Strategy recognises the importance of encouraging a low carbon economy in Yarra Ranges and council's commitment to assisting local businesses to meet the challenges this will bring.

Yarra Ranges Sustainable Business Program, has graduated over 95 businesses since its inception in 2007 and helps businesses develop growth strategies that do more with less, this innovative program was recognised with a nomination for the 2010 Banksia Awards.

Council's Learning for Sustainability program helps schools gain an stronger understanding of their ecological footprint, how they use their resources, and how students, staff and the broader school community can make a difference working towards a more sustainable future. The LfS program encourages students to take leadership on environment issues and learn good environmental habits.

Council also plays a key role in advocacy on public transport through the Eastern Transport Coalition, a group of 7 councils commited to reducing car dependency across the east of Melbourne and improving liveability.

Council has also played a key role in advocating to see native forest logging stopped in the municipality and currently oppose logging in Melbourne's water catchments and logging on Mt St Leonard and the Bicentennial Trail and most recently signed the Ethical Paper Pledge.

Council continues to act to reduce our footprint and encourages community members to do so also. ECOSS plays a key role in helping communities transition to a low carbon future and are dedicated to make our region more resiliant into the future. The ECOSS committee, staff and volunteers are to be commended for their ongoing efforts for Ecologically Sustainable Solutions and for the organising the valley's 350.org event.

sharing sustainable stories

Yarra Valley ECOSS, with support from the Shire of Yarra Ranges, Sustainability Victoria and Warburton Pantry is holding Sharing Sustainable & Affordable Building/Design Stories.

As part of Sustainable House Day (11 Sep), ECOSS will hold the forum at the Upper Yarra Arts Centre in Warburton.

You will be able to pick up some great tips and lessons learnt form local sustainable home builders and designers. What a great way to learn from local Living Sustainably champions.

This year is the 10th Anniversary of Sustainable House day and Warburton Pantry will add to the occasion by providing delicious Yarra Valley wine and cheese.

Bookings essential on yvecossevents@gmail.com, cost $10 per person, click here for more info.

sustainable ideas and food fest - wesburn

Yarra Valley ECOSS (located in the heart of the little yarra valley in Wesburn) are running a Sustainable Ideas and Food Fest. .............................................................. The day includes ....................................................................... Inspiration - sustainable food and ideas market Skills Sharing - practical sustainable food workshops Engage - sustainable food/changing climate forum ........................................................................................................................................................................ Be part of the Sustainable Food Future. .......................................................................................................................................................... Where: ECOSS, 711 Old Warburton Road, Wesburn ............................................................ When: 30th April from 9am to 5pm ................................................... ................................. More info: yarravalleyecoss@gmail.com Web: www.ecoss.org.au

earthships and the art of zero carbon living

Creative Climate Community Upper Yarra is presenting Michael Reynolds and Earthships and the Art of Zero Carbon Living at two dynamic events in Upper Yarra.

This is a great opportunity for locals to meet and learn with Michael Reynolds. At the workshop you'll be able to watch, learn and participate in a creative building exercise followed by a planning discusion about restorative andsustainable design at ECOSS and in the Yara Valley.

At the forum, participants will be inspired by Michael's story of building sustainable housing and his experimentation with advanced methods of carbon-zero housing for disaster relief and economically autonomous communities.

Details:

What: Sustainable Building workshop

Where: ECOSS Community Enviroment Park, 711 Old Warburton Hwy, Wesburn

When: Tuesday 22nd Feb, 1 to 4pm

Cost: $20 per head, space limited - bookings essential on 5967 2416

What: Evening presentation and open forum

Where: Little Yarra Steiner School Music Hall, 206 Little Yarra Rd, Yarra Junction

When: Tuesday 22nd Feb, 7pm
Cost: $10 per head, call 5967 2416 to book