Compost Kings and Queens!

Sustainable Living Tasmania is running a project through Hobart City Council with the wonderful Hannah Maloney to help people get going with composting or worm-farming their food scraps. There is space for a few more households!

Compost Kings and Queens is an exciting and innovative project designed to support residents to compost their food scraps at home is coming to Lenah Valley! We're looking for 30 Lenah Valley (and West Hobart) households to join the project. They will receive a subsidised compost system of their choice, free workshops and ongoing professional support to ensure they are composting successfully. 

Participants will reduce or eliminate food scraps going into their rubbish bin, create nutrient-rich compost for their garden and prevent harmful methane gases being released from landfill where food scraps usually end up!

In exchange, we ask that you record the amount of food scraps you're composting on a weekly basis so we can collect valuable data on how effective home composting can be. We'll provide you with a handy fridge magnet that you can write on to make this recording easy peasy!

Check out the website  www.slt.org.au/compost or email hannah@slt.org.au if you are interested.

State Government paper on Adapting to Climate Change

The Minister for Climate Change, Cassy O’Connor MP, has released an issues paper on Adapting to Climate Change in Tasmania .

  

The purpose of this paper is to seek input from business, industry, community groups, natural resource management bodies, technical experts and the general community about the key issues, priorities, risks and opportunities facing the State in adapting to a changing climate.  The feedback received will inform the Tasmanian Government’s approach to climate change adaptation in the future, with a focus on specific actions for inclusion in the 2020 Climate Action Plan to be released in 2013.

The paper provides some background information on climate change in Tasmania and discusses six areas where action to adapt to climate change is likely to be needed.  These areas are:

• ·  human settlements and infrastructure
• ·  natural systems
• ·  water management
• ·  industry sectors
• ·  natural hazards
• ·  human health and vulnerable communities

Download it from here: 

http://www.dpac.tas.gov.au/divisions/climatechange/adapting/adapting_to_climate_change_in_tasmania

If you would like to contribute to WHEN's feedback to the Government on this paper, pls contact Di via whenvnet@gmail.com.

October is Buy Nothing New Month

Visit the website:  http://www.buynothingnew.com.au/home/

This is an extract from it….

 

Buy Nothing New Month is the global movement for collective, conscientious consumption.

It's a little idea that started in Melbourne and has spread to the Netherlands and USA.  It's a one month challenge to buy nothing new (with the exception of essentials like food, hygiene and medicines) .

It's literally about taking one month off to really think, "Do I really need it?" If I do, “can I get it second-hand, borrow it or rent it? What are my alternatives? Can I borrow from a friend? Can I swap with my neighbor?" .    It's about thinking where our stuff comes from (finite resources) and where it goes when we're done (often landfill) and what are the fantastic alternatives out there to extend the life of our 'stuff'.

Our way of life, in Transition

"Our way of life in Transition" was the title of an excellent article in today's Mercury.  Peter Boyer introduces to readers what groups like ours are doing:

As you read this, chances are that somewhere in Tasmania the Transition movement is working on your behalf.....

and lists some of the many ways in which groups like WHEN are engaging in our communities: 

They might be drumming up support for the next local festival, monthly communal feast or food market day, or arranging bulk purchase of insulation or solar panels, or a community gardening roster.
They might be planning a ‘‘Be the Change’’ forum or a traditional skills workshop, or organising a visiting speaker, or lobbying for safer pedestrian and cycling facilities, or agitating for electricity supply systems that monitor usage and reward frugal users.
Or they might be discussing a whole new way for our communities to operate—things such as visionary plans for towns and transport systems, or local currency for local needs, or new ways we can grow and distribute food, or generate and conserve energy.

He reflects on the broader strategic directions of the movement, and also on the challenges we are encountering on the way.  Recommended reading!

Spring seedling sale at Eve's - 30th September

Spring Seedling Sale
Eve's Garden is hosting a spring seedling sale - heritage tomatoes, summer vegetables, herbs, flowers - robust, hardened and lovingly grown.
When: Sunday 30th September, 3-4pm.
Where: 14 Petty St, West Hobart .

Eve is happy to sell at other times - just knock. She also is in need of pots, especially punnets and three inch cubes; if you have any to spare, please drop them over her gate.

 

 

Phone apps to send alerts to local authorities

If you have a smartphone, and you might want to take action to tell an authority about an issue, here are a couple of Apps you might be interested in.

Snap Send Solve
is useful to advise your local Council about issues with streets, potholes, signs, vandalisation, rubbish etc.  For example, you are walking along and you see that a tree has fallen over a footpath, or a street sign has been vandalised.  You can open up Snap Send Solve, take a photo of the problem, add some words and when you hit "Send", an email will be sent to the Council immediately.  Turnaround on such alerts is apparently very quick, indicating that the message is directed to the relevant team fast.
This app is available for both iPhone and Android phones.

Bike Blackspot
is a new app produced for the Greens, which can be used to report bike blackspots and provide feedback about cycling infrastructure and safety issues.
This is only available for iPhones at present.

Do let us know of your experiences when you try these apps!

Living Smart course - free!

The Living Smart course is a free, six-week adult education program that steps people through ways of making their lives more sustainable and reduce their cost of living.

Starting on October 3rd, Living Smart will run every Wednesday up until November 7th (6:45pm-8:45pm)and will include some hands-on weekend workshops to ensure people are getting real-life, practical skills they can integrate into their lives.  Cool hey!

You can register for this course online at http://www.slt.org.au/livingsmart or email hannah@slt.org.au or give Hannah a bell for more info on her mobile below.

Hannah Moloney
0418 307 294

Reminder - Sustainable House Day, Sunday Sept 9th

Just a reminder that this annual event is on in two weeks' time.  Here is the current list of open houses:  http://www.sustainablehouseday.com/tasmania.php

The list is still being loaded, but at this stage it is possible that there may not be any houses in West Hobart listed!

If you were thinking of offering your house for people to visit but hadn't got around to it yet, now's the time to get in!  Here's where to register: http://www.sustainablehouseday.com/

Inaugural West Hobart Open Gardens Day

Our first Open Gardens Day went well.  The gates to four interesting WH gardens were thrown open on the day, and the weather was lovely.  About 15 visitors made the rounds, to check out vegie gardens and grill their owners about how they did it, what worked for them, etc.    People caught up with old acquaintances or made new friends, and there were lots of friendly conversations about gardening and 'life'.

Margaret followed up a week later via email to GAF members:
* several people asked Greg S about his choice of tomatoes. He has very kindly provided a note on good tomato varieties, tested over many summers by Greg
* a couple of people indicated that they were interested in getting soil tested for heavy metals (especially lead) following my experience in my garden - only relevant if you are growing food and are concerned about the possibility of toxic residues in the soil. Testing can be done at Analytical Services Tasmania, 18 St John's Ave, New Town; phone 6239 7003. You need to collect sample jars from the Lab.and testing costs $44 per test plus an admin fee. (This was the cost 2 years ago).  I'm happy to coordinate if there are a few folk who want to test their soil - email me at whengaf@gmail.com if you are interested.

What a great day and an inspiration to make this a regular event!

Reminder about the Winter Open Gardens Tour

Just a reminder about the local Winter Open Gardens this coming Sunday 12 August. There are 4 very varied local gardens for you to amble around. Please register to receive the addresses and garden notes. It's easy to register, just send a note to whengaf@gmail.com.

Sustainable House Day 2012

Sustainable House Day is an annual national event, aimed at providing an enjoyable, informative day that contributes to local community awareness of sustainable living. And its coming up again!  This year it will be on Sunday September 9th.

On this day each year, homes are opened for free, providing a fantastic opportunity for people who are interested in making their own homes or rental properties greener.  This gives people the chance to take a real-life look inside houses that have been designed, built or fitted out with sustainability in mind and talk to the owners, receiving unbiased advice.  Every year the organisers see greater investment in harvesting water and solar energy as communities realise our resources are finite and likely to become more expensive. By becoming energy efficient today, you’ll be on the front foot to save on energy bills and help the environment now and into the future. 

Would you like to be involved?  Do you have a house which was built to conserve energy, or which demonstrates sustainable living features?  e.g  reverse brick veneer / internal mass, passive solar heating, trombe wall, clever insulating techniques, water storage, permaculture garden,.....  The organisers of SHD would love to hear from you - there is a form to express interest on this page,  or you can contact them by email or phone 0438 988 345. 

They are also keen to hear from people who are available to simply help out on the day.

WH Winter Gardens Tour - Sunday 12 August 2012

Why not shake off that winter hibernation, come out and join fellow garden enthusiasts enjoying some lovely gardens in West Hobart?  See how your neighbours are dealing with the challenges of home fruit and vegie growing, get (and share) some tips, and chat with fellow gardeners.  Maybe go home with some cuttings or plants, and new ideas for your own vegie patch this summer : )

A number of West Hobart gardeners will be “at home” to neighbours on Sunday 12 August 2012. 

The open day is organised by WHEN’s Gardening and Food group (GAF), and is inspired by the highly successful “Gardening with the Bush” Garden Tour which was organised by Sustainable Living Tasmania  some years ago.

The day will be divided into morning and afternoon sessions, with some gardens open in the morning, and others in the afternoon.   To respect the privacy of our generous host gardeners, people planning to participate will need to register with GAF.  You will then be given a copy of the day’s schedule, with the garden addresses and opening times.  You then create your own tour, deciding which gardens you will visit on the day.

We are also looking for more gardens to include in the tour.  Are you interested in opening up your garden?

To register as a participant for the Winter Gardens Tour, or to offer your garden for inclusion, please contact Margaret on  62314751 or email Di at whenvnet@gmail.com .

 

West Hobart 's a bit steep!

Here is a terrific set of photos of houses on steep slopes in Hobart, a lot of which are in West Hobart.
http://www.zeit.de/kultur/kunst/2012-06/fs-hobart-steep-housing

I'm not sure of the exact translation of the text, but it is something like:  the 'art' in the photos arises from  the  detail of the Victorian architecture, the symmetrical pairing of the houses, and the correlations between the roof lines etc and the slopes of the streets.....  My favourite is the pair where the cars are colour matched to the houses!  Thanks to the photographer Günther Bayerl.

Burn Brighter This Winter

Many residents will have received a flyer in their letterbox a month or so ago, giving some tips on how to run their woodheater more cleanly.  This is an excellent joint initiative of the DPIWE and Hobart City Council. A lot of people with wood heaters are unaware of how to choose wood and how to adjust the air intakes on the heater to get the best value out of their firewood.  Did you know that if you burn the wood more efficiently, you will also reduce the amount of smoke and particulates generated from your chimney?  This of course is a good thing for your neighbours.

There is a public meeting coming up, on Wednesday 18 July, at Mt Stuart Primary School, where people can learn more about the simple steps you can take to reduce the smoke coming out of your chimney.  Also there will be opportunities to ask questions of the various experts and bodies involved in monitoring for wood smoke.  Do you have a neighbour who is a chronic offender?  If so, you may be wondering what to do about it.

Do go along!  It starts at 6.30pm and is scheduled to finish at 8pm.
If you can't make it to the meeting, a contact if you have questions about this issue is:
Kristy Blackburn:    phone 62333947  or email kristy.blackburn@environment.tas.gov.au

Council recognises volunteers

In May the Hobart City Council held its annual volunteer recognition ceremony.  Margaret and Di attended to represent WHEN, and received our certificate from the Lord Mayor Damian Thomas. 

We were impressed by the number and range of active community groups out there.  And that was even with a lot of groups not being represented that evening.

Calling all WH growers and cooks

Hello fellow local food growers,

I'm writing to you from South Hobart Sustainable Community. Our food growers group have long been talking about creating a cookbook, and we are now committed to getting it happening!

Would you like to participate in this project, and make it a Mount Wellington Cookbook? (name still in planning!)
So far, our plan is to collect/collate recipes, particularly for the foods that we grow in abundance in our local area. The zucchini is our current working mascot, because when they're on they're ON, we all have them in abundance, we can't give them away, and we run out of ideas for what to do with them all! Hence the attached draft designs use our beloved zuch example!!

Our current idea is to include recipes that we really use, including preserving ideas, growing hints, and household hints where appropriate. We estimate the books will cost somewhere between $15 and $30 each, depending on the amount of colour we use, and we're investigating grants that could provide a subsidy.

At this stage, your participation might mean:
~ helping to collect recipes and images (photos and/or illustrations),
~ whatever input you'd love to give in the planning stages, and
~ selling/distributing the finished book, so perhaps creating ownership among the local community in the process of production (eg local school community participating in recipes and/or drawings).

We would welcome your consideration and comments.

Warm regards,

Cindy Aulby (email), Ben Terry and Debra Russell

GAF Group - June update

WHEN's Gardens and Food Group sent a big thank you to Miriam Herzfeld and Annie March who have been the enthusiastic coordinators of WHEN-GAF since the group began.  They have helped organise many events and kept the information flowing.  Their contribution to community building is very much appreciated.

Annie and Miriam are stepping down from these roles, but will still be active members.   Margaret Steadman and Ann Hughes will step up into these big shoes – and will be very glad of any other assistance with keeping the group vibrant and active!

Our next event! 

3rd WHEN-GAF Midwinter vegetarian progressive feast – Saturday 30 June

Who would like to be involved?  It’s great fun and very little effort is required from any one household.

We have usually had 4 courses:

·         nibbles and children’s activities

·         soup

·         main course

·         dessert and mulled wine

We are looking for offers of

·         good things to eat – offer a contribution to one of the courses

·         places to meet – would you like to host a course?

·         and, of course, people to come along

The soup and main courses locations have been bagsed - one or two more locations would be good.

Please reply to this email if you would like participate.

Other GAF activities

We plan to continue

·         garden help at Lawrenny Court – Annie March will coordinate this

·         produce exchanges – with overflow donated to Second Bite http://secondbite.org/

·         monthly ‘what to plant’ tasks and tips

There are plenty of other ideas including working bees and communal gardening, workshops, garden tours, links with likeminded groups such as the St John’s Community Orchard and South Hobart garden group.  Please let us know if you have ideas or would like to take a role in organising something.

You can get in touch via:  whengaf@gmail.com

Let's get a car sharing service in West Hobart

Have you heard about car sharing services?       The way this works is:  when enough locals register as interested in using the service, the company locates a car in the neighbourhood.  When you want to use the car, you book it online.  Simple.  You get all the benefits of a car, without the hassle or expense of owning one!

GoGet is an example of a car sharing service. The company says:  With low hourly rates – you can book a car for as little as an hour - you can forget about rego, insurance, petrol, and everything else that goes with owning a car.  For every GoGet car, 9 private cars are taken off our roads, making our cities more liveable. 

Are there any other companies like this we should take a look at?  Let us know!  Check them out, and if you are interested, register your interest.  If enough of us register, we can put West Hobart on the car sharing map!

Ground offered for a Community Garden !!!!

The Wilderness Society at 130 Davey St is one of the few places left in central Hobart with a large productive veggie garden. The Wilderness Society has contacted WHEN to offer this space to be managed autonomously by local citizens who dream of a convenient community gardening space.

Their large backyard is soon to play host to the innovative Hobart Bike Kitchen, so this space will become a real hub for community engagement of all types. The garden is already in good form, has access to ample water, and simply needs creative management and ongoing maintenance.

WHEN's GAF group is considering this project, possibly in conjunction with nearby sister groups.  If you would like to be involved, pls contact us at whenvnet@gmail.com.

Tread Lightly EnviroFest, Botanical Gardens, Sunday 22 April

The fifth Tread Lightly EnviroFest will be on at the Botanical Gardens on Sunday 22 April, 10am to 4pm.  The theme this year is:  Live life with a small footprint.     This will be a great opportunity to learn about simple and easy ways to become more sustainable in your everyday life – at home, at work, at school, out and about in the community.

There will be exhibitors talking about community living, energy efficient choices for the home, sustainable gardens, delicious foods made from home-grown produce, and lots more.  The living area will include areas such as community gardens and waste reduction, including hazardous household waste, while the thinking hub will include a wide variety of speakers on different topics, including a debate on sustainability. The Food for Thought area will once again showcase an amazing array of local produce.

And more!!!   There will also be vegie seedlings available for sale, featuring heirloom vegetables that will grow during the colder months and can be used in cooking during the winter. The plants for sale will be in the glasshouses near the ABC Vegie Patch, and here is a list of seedlings and various plants that are available. 
 

Asparagus	Chinese Broad Leek	Kohl Rabi Purple Vienna
Blackcurrant	Chinese Cabbage Tatsoi Deep Purple	Leek   Carentan
Broccoli Di Ciccio	Chinese Cabbage Wong Bok	Lettuce Australian Yellow
Broccoli Green Sprouting	Chives	Lettuce Gourmet Allstar
Broccoli Romanesco	Comfrey	Miners Lettuce
Brussels Sprouts Long Island Improved	Cornsalad Large Dutch	NZ Spinach
Brussels Sprouts Red Ribs	Cornsalad Verde de Cambrai	NZ Yams
Bunching Onion Evergreen	Eggplant	Onion Gladalan white
Bunching Onion Natsuyo	English Spinach Medina	Perpetual capsicum
Bunching Onion Red Beard	Fig Black Genoa	Pepino
Burdock Takinogawa long	Fragaria vesca Fraises des Bois White strawberries	Persicaria odorata Vietnamese Mint
Cabbage Cabeza Red	Globe archichoke	Raspberry
Cabbage Golden Age	Grape vines	Rosella
Cabbage Red Express	Hops      Pride of Ringwood	Rosemary
Cabbage Sugarloaf	Horse radish	Saffron
Cape Gooseberry	Kale Dwarf Blue Curly	Salsify Black Duplex
Cape Gooseberry Golden Nugget	Kale Lacinato	Salsify Mammoth
Capsicum	Kale Lacinato	Spinach Mountain Red
Cauliflower Snowball Early	Kale Red Russian	Thyme
Cauliflower Violet Sicilian	Kale Siberian	Triple Parsley
Chichory Aries	Kale The Gulag	Ugni molinae Chilean Guava
Chichory Travisio Red	Kale Two Peters