Edition 21 - Living Green eNewsletter
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We recognise the rich Aboriginal heritage of this country and acknowledge the Wurundjeri Willum Clan and Taungurung People as the Traditional Owners of lands within the City of Whittlesea.
Welcome to the May/June 2023 edition of Living Green, a newsletter that provides tips for the season and information on how to get involved in nature and your local community. We are in the full swing of things with plenty of events and programs for you to join in on.
We hope this newsletter inspires you to enjoy the rejuvenating benefits of getting out in nature and caring for it.
Have a sweet tooth?
You may have noticed in supermarkets that many chocolate companies have moved to recyclable paper-based packaging. Mars started to change the packaging for their Mars, Snickers and Milky Way chocolate bars from April 2023 and are encouraging other brands to move in the same direction. According to Mars, transitioning its entire chocolate portfolio to paper packaging will remove 360 tonnes of plastic across its value chain.
One of the main advantages of paper packaging is how sustainable it is. Paper is biodegradable and renewable, meaning it can be recycled more than once as opposed to plastic which takes hundreds of years to break down. On top of this, paper packaging has a lower carbon footprint compared to other types of packaging . The process involves fewer chemicals and energy, which equals fewer greenhouse gas emissions being generated.
By moving in this direction businesses are creating more sustainable practices, promoting a greener environment.
Read more about it on the Mars website. Click Here.
Container Deposit Scheme
The Container Deposit Scheme will allow Victorians to return their used drink cans, bottles as well as cartons for a 10-cent deposit refund, starting 1 November. The positives of this initiative include:
- Improved Recycling
- Less Waste - old containers become new ones
- Reducing Litter
- Creating hundreds of new jobs
iNaturalist
Are you a budding citizen scientist?
iNaturalist is an online platform for nature lovers to document all the amazing things they see. It’s as easy as:
- Find a plant, animal, or fungi
- Take a picture
- Share!
Join a global community of over 2.5 million people and contribute observations of your local biodiversity. You can use iNaturalist to monitor wildlife in your backyard, take part in global challenges, and get help identifying what you find. Every observation helps to manage and protect Whittlesea’s unique biodiversity!
Join the Wild Whittlesea project page and see what your fellow citizen scientists are finding nearby!
Living near a conservation reserve? Get ready to "Meet Your Neighbours"!
The City of Whittlesea manages over 570 hectares of conservation reserves, which include an array of endangered animals and plants. To protect these animals and plants, we’ve created a conservation-based pamphlet titled ‘Wild Whittlesea, Meet Your Neighbours’. This pamphlet will give you a sneak-peek into what we’re doing behind the scenes, from ecological burning in conservation areas, to the importance of our grasslands and what you can do to help protect #wildwhittlesea. We’ll be asking you to come face to face with your furry, scaled and even slimy Neighbours and help us protect them for future generations.
If you live near a conservation reserve, one of these pamphlets will be mailed out to you over the next year.
Peter Hopper Lake revitalisation
Peter Hopper Lake is set to get an upgrade. Share your ideas on what aspects are important to you and ways to keep current wildlife safe.
What can you do?
• Learn more about the rehabilitation of Peter Hopper Lake by reading our FAQ
• Share your feedback on the solution presented in a short survey • Share information and knowledge of local wildlife in and around the lake by dropping a marker and adding information on the map in the link below
Event details may change from time to time so please check the status of any events promoted in this newsletter as the date draws closer.
This year we have got an exciting line up of events happening for World Environment Day, from jewellery making out of recycled plastic to guided tours of our conservation sites. You won't want to miss it.
6pm - 7:30pm, Wednesday 21 June 2023
Thrifty Gardening- CoW Sustainable Communities Workshop Series
In this workshop, educator Maria Ciavarella of My Green Garden will lead a presentation on being a successful gardener without spending a lot of money.
Topics covered will include: how to use home-made compost in different ways; seedlings from seed and basic seed saving tips; striking plants from cuttings; DIY organic fertilisers; and making self-watering pots. Hands-on aspects of the workshop include making seedling pots from old newspapers and can be done by attendees in their homes. Participants will also receive extensive notes from the session.
6pm - 7:30pm, Thursday 13 July 2023
Energy Matters: Beat the heat & kill the chill (online)
With the rising costs of utilities and extremes in climate, many of us are looking at ways to reduce our bills while still doing our part for the environment. Join sustainable educator, Anna The Urban Nanna, to learn about simple, budget-friendly ways to reduce your energy footprint.
Whether you live in a rental or in your own property this workshop will include room-by-room checklists to help you assess where your home could do with some attention, and a follow-up resource list with details on initiatives available to City of Whittlesea residents.
10am - 12pm, Friday 2nd June 2023 Creeds Farm Living and Learning Centre
Save Energy Save $$$
Come down to get some tips from the experts on how to make your home energy efficient.
7pm - 8:30pm, Thursday 22nd June 2023 Mill Park Library
Induction Cooking Workshop
Induction cooktops are safe, healthy and energy efficient. Join Open Table for a cooking demonstration showing us how to whip up delicious meals on an induction cooktop.
Latrobe Wildlife Sanctuary
5:30pm - 7pm Saturday 10 June 2023 Twilight Tour Register for a Twilight Tour
4:30pm - 7:30pm Tuesday 18 July Winter Stagwatch Register for Winter Stagwatch
6pm - 7:30pm Tuesday 1 August Twilight Tour Register for a Twilight Tour
5:15pm - 8:15pm Thursday 17 August Winter Frog Census Register for a Winter Frog Census
6:30pm - 8pm Thursday 24 August Twilight Tour Register for a Twilight Tour
Winter energy efficiency webinar
Beat rising energy prices and stay warm this winter by making your home more energy efficient.
Led by an independent energy expert from Renew, this online event will discuss energy saving measures like draught proofing, insulation, window coverings, double glazing, efficient electric heat pump heating and hot water systems.
Monday 22 May, 7pm - 8.30pm
Online via Zoom
Feijoa Friand
(Created by Jo Brigford)
A healthy dessert option that can be GF if sugar and yoghurt is checked for gluten.
100g reduced-fat spread 1/3 cup honey 1 cup ground hazelnuts or ground almonds 1/4 cup rice flour 1/2 lime, zested 4 large egg whites 3 feijoas, skin removed and thickly sliced 2 teaspoons icing sugar 1 cup reduced-fat Greek-style yoghurt, to serve
1. Preheat oven to 160°C and lightly grease 12 friand or small muffin tins.
2. In a saucepan, melt spread and honey over a medium-low heat, stirring often until well combined. Leave to cool.
3. In a large bowl, combine ground hazelnuts, rice flour and lime zest.
4. In another bowl, whisk egg whites until soft peaks form, being careful not to over-whip. Add the cooled spread and honey to the dry mix and combine. Add egg whites and use a large metal spoon to carefully fold all ingredients together. Do not over-mix, you want to keep as much air in the batter as possible.
5. Divide batter evenly among prepared tins, filling to only two-thirds of the way up the tin. Place a feijoa slice on top of each friand. Place in oven and bake for about 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.
6. Remove from oven and leave to stand for 5 minutes before turning friands out of their tins. Turn friands feijoa side up, dust with a little icing sugar and serve with a dollop of yoghurt.
