A change of name!? - Let's hear from our creative friends

At the recent solstice afternoon tea we took the opportunity to indulge in a bit of navel gazing.

Over our history (i.e. since 2008), WHEN has run a number of important and valued projects in the community. We are very proud of what we have achieved (just check out the history in this blog to see what we've been up to).  We've been active around Gardens & Food, Sustainable Homes, Sustainable Transport,  etc, and the ideas keep coming...   Of course there is much to be done if we want to succeed in building and maintaining a liveable, vibrant and optimistic community in West Hobart in the face of the environmental, energy, societal and financial challenges that are coming our way.

We agreed that we have a problem with our current name. (Indeed, some people have been saying this for a long time).  Our current name came out of an early workshop and was adopted largely because of its catchy acronym.  But as George Monbiot said recently, " “environment” is a cold and distancing word, which creates no pictures".    

We want to reflect through our name the positive vision that our supporters have at heart when they think about the future community they want their children to live in.   We want our name to contain the seeds to inspire our neighbours to bring their enthusiasm to the group and to take it forward with new ideas and projects.   So - we started brainstorming some key words and  ideas, such as :

Community,   Future,   Liveable Community,  Resilience...

Living West Hobart

Living Well in West Hobart

Growing West Hobart

Transition West Hobart (implies a commitment to joining the international Transition Towns movement)

Sustainable Living in West Hobart

Building a resilient West Hobart

Westies for the Future

West Hobart in Transition

in fact any of these could be followed by a tagline 

(such as ...a new leaf / local solutions to global problems / building a strongly connected community / growing the things we love / building a resilient community / .....)

Another idea being discussed is joining together with likeminded groups in the foothills of Mt Wellington to create a stronger group.  So the name may move beyond the confines of West Hobart... 

There are lots of creative people out there, can you take a few minutes to think about a better name for our group?  Or let us know if you like one of the ideas suggested above.   We're looking forward to hearing from you!!!  Leave a comment below, or drop a line to whenvnet@gmail.com.  Thanks!!!!

What's coming up in West Hobart

Sunday's winter solstice meeting over yummy spiced tea and (too many) muffins confirmed a number of community activities in West Hobart in the coming year.  Take a look to see if there is something that takes your fancy.

1. Draught Busters in West Hobart - Take 2

Our highly successful Draught Busters project from last winter had some funds left over, so Margaret will be coordinating another (free) skills development workshop and arranging the purchase of the recommended high quality draught proofing materials (which will be available at half price) for project participants.    Contact Margaret via steadmanma@gmail.com.

2. Mary Meets Muhammed

WHEN and Sustainable Living Tasmania are hosting a free screening of this wonderful, inspiring and thought-provoking film - about the Pontville detention centre.  It will be screened on Sunday 29 June at 2.30 pm, at Sustainable Living Tasmania:  Level 1, 71 Murray St, Hobart. 
Give SLT a ring on 6234 5566 if you are planning to go - friends and family welcome.

3.  Bushfire Preparedness - revisited

WHEN coordinated several  Bushfire Preparedness tours in February this year, and residents learned important tips about preparing their homes and gardens to minimise the risk of bushfire spotting onto their own properties.  This year we will once again invite residents at the fringes of Knocklofty Reserve to discuss the risks and proven strategies.  Watch out for further information in this blog about this opportunity.

4. Fruit tree pruning

Trine suggested a pruning workshop, and offered her fruit trees as demonstration subjects.   Is there a resident who would like to show others how to do it?  And who else would like to come along?  Drop a line to whenvnet@gmail.com and we will organise a date that suits.

5. Bikelanes and traffic issues in West Hobart

Di suggested that WHEN join forces with Bicycle Tasmania to press for recognition of bikes as a healthy transport option for West Hobart residents.  We agreed there is also a need to work with Hobart City Council to find solutions to the traffic rat run through the area and the consequent safety risks for both children walking to school and older pedestrians.  The Transport Working Group will meet at 67 Newdegate Street at 3pm on Sunday 6 July.  Residents concerned about these issues are invited to come along.  RSVP via whenvnet@gmail.com so that we can plan for numbers expected.