A key aspect of the EcoLiving Project was to increase community awareness of the many ways by which they could improve the sustainability of their own lifestyles. A series of community events were organised to assist people to introduce as many of these more sustainable practices into their daily lives.
The challenge was to reach people not already converted to the principles of sustainable living.
The challenge was to reach people not already converted to the principles of sustainable living.
List of EcoLiving Community Events
June 17 2009 Revitalising Tatura in Tatura
August 8 2009 Use Water Wisely Peranbin PC
August 26th What can I do about Climate Change? VT Com Complex
22 Nov 2009 Cranbourne Botanical Gardens Bus Trip
To gather information on Waterwise Gardening and encourage community members to develop more water efficient gardens.
To gather information on Waterwise Gardening and encourage community members to develop more water efficient gardens.
11 April 2010 Seed Saving Workshop Peranbin PC, and Murrnong
The founders of seed saving in Australia, Jude and Michel Fanton introduced the screening of their DVD, Seeds Blong Yumi, and later lead workshops. The event was organised and conducted by the Violet Town Seedsavers and Permaculture Group and the Goulburn Valley Seedsavers. The EcoLiving Project contributed to the costs.
The event started at the Primary School vegie garden which the Ecoliving Project has supported. In the afternoon it moved to the Murrnong property, on the edge of town where 4 workshops were offered. These were - 'Diversity in the garden' with Michel, 'Selection of plants' with Jude, 'Seed collection and storage' with Terry Frewin and Carly Tranter, and 'Property Biodiversity' with David Arnold.
22 April 2010 Energy Efficiency Workshop VT Football Netball Club
Presenter - John Knox from Alternative Technologies Australia.
: frailty
: lack of finances
Purpose – Raise community awareness and understanding of how to improve the Energy efficiency in your home.
Practitioners – Energy and water assessment teams from Shepparton Uniting Care Cutting Edge plus the Education coordinator of the Ecoliving project.
Practitioners – Energy and water assessment teams from Shepparton Uniting Care Cutting Edge plus the Education coordinator of the Ecoliving project.
Ongoing during May, June and July 2010 Energy Audits for Pensioners and Health Care Holders
Purpose – to assist those in the Violet Town community who are aged and/or welfare recipients, to assess their homes for energy efficiency and then install, free of charge, energy saving devices and improvements such as low energy light bulbs, water and energy-saving shower roses, weather proofing of doors and windows and stopping leaking taps. It is highly unlikely that this section of the community would have made these changes to their homes without the assistance of this project for three reasons: frailty
: lack of finances
: reluctance to allow strangers into the home to do the assessments and improvements.
24th May 2010 Feed-in-Tarrifs Explained VT Com Complex
Purpose - to explain the process of installing PV solar panels, the advantages, the payback times, which system are recommended and then explained the feed in tariffs.
Presenters - 'Solar Valley goes Solar' Project together with local electrician and PV solar installer Jack Smyth.
Multiple dates during 2010 Tours of the Community Complex Retrofit.
The emphasis of these tours has been to help the community learn how to use the new technology in their community facility. Further to this it has been to encourage users to think about what they can do differently to keep the facility cooler or warmer and lighter eg. think before turning on heaters, air conditoners or lights; think about using lower energy consuming alternatives such as opening or closing windows, blinds, and doors. For some people the appeal of this is to save money, for others the bigger picture of the long term sustainability of the environment.
18th June Home Sustainability Assessors tour Com Complex, and beyond
15 people were enrolled in Sustainability Victoria's Home Sustainability Assessment Short Course at GOTAFE.
15 people were enrolled in Sustainability Victoria's Home Sustainability Assessment Short Course at GOTAFE.
Ohe module was lifestyle changes with the idea of visiting a sustainable new or retrofitted house. It was very difficult to find a truly sustainable house in Shepparton and the group after hearing what had been done in Violet Town with the Ecoliving project and the retrofit of the community Complex and the Early Childhood Education Centre were very keen to see it first hand.
The Education Committee of the Ecoliving Project developed a workshop for the group to include not only the Community Centre and ECEC but as an added bonus a sustainable house and retrofitted house within the town.
27th June 2010 Launch of the Retrofit VT Com Complex
This launch was a community celebration of the retrofit completed at the two public buildings in Violet Town the Community Complex and the Kindergarten. The day included the official launch by the Commissioner of Environmental Sustainability Prof Kate Auty and the Mayor of the Shire of Strathbogie Howard Myers. Displays by Seed Savers, Benalla Environment Group, Solar Valley Goes Solar, as well as a table of brochures from the tradespeople who had worked on the Retrofit added to the day.
24th July 2010 State of Design Festival Walking Tour Com Complex and beyond
2nd September 2010 Kate Auty Workshop Com Complex
12th September 2010 Sustainable House Tour Com Complex and beyond
5th October 2010 GBGA Co-ordinators tour of retrofit Com Complex
12th October 2010 Cool Roof Workshop Com Complex
18th October 2010 Cooinda Sustainable House and Retrofit House Visit Com Complex
18th October 2010 Fairley Leadership Group Retrofit Tour Com Complex
28th October 2010 Clonbinane Action Group Tour of Retrofit Com Complex
6th November 2010 Home Grown Food Gardening Day 3 home gardens
15th February 2011 How to use your excess garden produce Com Complex
8th March 2011 Retrofit your shearing shed and farm house Dunster farm
9 April 2011 Vasili at Violet Town Market - pizza oven firing
18 April 2011 Lou Costa Garden Tour Rushworth
7 May 2011 Wood fired oven workshop- firing- Recreation Reserve
8 May 2011 Wood fired oven workshop – pizza making Recreation Reserve
Sue Paton and Robin Landvogt
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