Beechworth Urban Landcare and Sustainability

Title: Strategic Planning Meeting re Sustainability with Ann Roberts, Sustainability Victoria Location: The Rectory, opp Beechworth Neighbourhood Centre Description: Following on from our discussion at the AGM re our 2030 Vision for Indigo Shire we are having a strategic planning meeting to help us formulate a plan to achieve these goals in the future. Come and join the discussion and share a meal with us. Light meal provided RSVP Donna on 03 5728 3238 or Joy on 03 5728 1413

Start Time: 18:00 Date: Thursday November 24th NEW DATE

Title: BULS planning meeting – Biodiversity programs Location: Rectory, Ford St Beechworth (next to Christ Church). Description: We hope to put together an overarching rehab/reveg plan that shows priority areas within our landcare boundary. One of the biodiversity staff members from DSE Wodonga will be there to help us set priorities and strategies for on-ground works in line with threatened species, habitats, degraded high weed areas etc. This will then help us target our funding applications. RSVP Donna on 03 5728 3238 or Joy on 03 5728 1413 Light supper included Start Time: 19:00 Date: 2011-11-14

Fay and Charlie Robinson present the third workshop in the ‘Grow Your Own Food’ series which covers food production over the Summer months. Topics will include:

• Suitable vegetables to grow for our region;
• Succession planting;
• Organic pest control;
• Making a solar dehydrator;
• Mulching;
• Water conservation;
• Saving and using vegetable seeds.

A limited amount of free vegetable seeds will be available for participants. Contact Charlie via megamouth [AT] activ8.net.au for full details and directions.

 Did you drop by to say hello? We had grapefruit and silverbeet seedlings for sale, as well as lovely sausages with chutney. There were also some free seeds, and plenty of info to be had.

We will have a stall at the Beechworth Farmer’s market this weekend. Drop in and pick up some information, say hi, and support us by buying a local sausage sandwich with chutney. Memberships are also due in September so bring along your $20 ($15 for concession) and renew your membership – or sign up if you’re not a financial member. Due to changes in Landcare funding this year  we no longer receive any funds to run the group, so we rely 100% on memberships to pay our insurance and run events. So please do join up – at $20 for individuals/families it’s a great deal. Members receive the Landcare magazine, and of course get in free to all our events!

Rock up at 10am on Sunday morning to the Beechworth Skate Park and help us plant some trees and plants. BYO garden gloves!

Beechworth Urban Landcare and Sustainability will have a stall at the Beechworth Farmers’ Market on September 3rd to promote the group, provide information about environmental and sustainability issues and events, and to raise some funds.

We will have a BBQ stall selling yummy sausage sandwiches with chutney – Mmmmmm

Come and see us!

Location: St Stephen’s Church grounds, Beechworth Start Time: 09:00 Date: 2011-09-03 End Time: 12:00

Below is a list of ideas for events Beeechworth Sustainability could run in 2011. To help share the workload amongst members we woudl liek some volunteers to co-ordinate and event (or more than one if you are very keen! Hopefully lead to a wider variety of events being run due to the diversity of interestwithin our group. Anyone who volunteers to co-ordinate an even will of course have the suport of the committee for publicity / organising / booking halls etc. Co-ordinating an event doesn’t mean you have to provide money to run it  – we just need some of your time and enthusiasm!

• Tie-in events with the Farmer’s Market  eg seed-swap, plant swap
• Plan for some events in the community kitchen at the neighbourhood centre once it’s finished in 2011 eg preserving, seasonal cooking etc
• Create a display area in the old Rectory (now rented by the Neighbourhood Centre) [Editors Note: Judy Lazarus positive about this idea]
• Tie in a sustainability “expo” with the Montessori Sustainable House Tour – focusing on house/housing related issues eg solar panels, building techniques  – this idea has been raised before but need to avoid a clash/duplication with Valhalla Wine’s sustainability expo
• Rabbit management issues and techniques, as well as killing and dressing rabbits (and some nice recipes)
• Charlie and Faye R are planning a series of seasonal workshops at their property looking at the different garden / fruit & veg production tasks in each season
• Charlie R also considering a cider making workshop
• Movie night – Seeds of Hope / The Age of Stupid / other filmd
• Solar panels information session – invite local people who have installed panels to talk about their experiences, what they learned, any pitfalls or unexpected bonuses along the way. Suggested that we try and tie this in with announcement of the Solar Hubs project details
• Building a 9 star house
• Solar oven building competition (involve schools)
• Also need ideas for family friendly or child oriented events – ideas anyone?
• Conducting a survey on the interest for a car-pooling scheme or mini-bus to Albury for workers

As yet we have not put dates to any events, pending volunteer co-ordinators.

If  you would liek to volunteer to co-ordinate one of these activities, or you have an idea for a Sustainabilty event you would like to co-ordinate please contact Gabrielle .

On March 28th the Food, Water and Relocalisation group hosted a workshop at the Beechworth Neighbourhood Centre for those interested in learning more about ways to store and preserve a range of fruit and vegetables.

Several group members (thanks Donna, Fay and Gabrielle) brought in their equipment to help illustrate the wide range of preserving options available:

• solar drying
• electric dehydrator / dryer
• electric fowlers unit
• stove top boiling water bath

A special thanks to Ian from The Redback Trading Company in Melbourne who bought a range of canning and preserving supplies to display, and also gave a quick introduction to pressure canning for preserving low acid foods (meats, vegetables).

Many members also brought in samples of home pickles, dried and preserved fruits and olives for tasting. The displays and tasting samples on offer generated a lot of interesting discussion within the group, and there was a lot of recipe swapping going on as well.

The discussion wasn’t only about saving and storing food -  Donna gave a demonstration on how to collect and save your tomato seeds for planting the next crop.

If you would like to download a copy of the handout with preserving websites and books then please click here.

The Beechworth Sustainability website was officially launched on Thursday 23rd of April, and the Beechworth Neighbourhood Centre.

About 25 members got together to enjoy some hearty soups – featuring home grown pumpkin and tomato -  and some local wine, as well as to discuss the development of the website as a community tool and resource.

Thanks to the generous support of local Beechworth store Dalcheri, we also had a fabulous hamper of eco-goodies to give away in a raffle.

The hamper was won by Charlie Robinson – seen here attempting to model part of the prize!

We brainstormed a lot of good ideas for developing the website, so watch out for new features, including the opinion corner – where a member will present an opinion, or introduce a topic for discussion, and then throw the cyber-floor open for comments.

If you weren’t able to attend the meeting, but have an idea, comment, or suggestion for the site, please click here to email us.