Special Edition - Celebrating Sustainably - Living Green eNewsletter No images? Click here 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. At this time of year, we find ourselves saying goodbye to the Kulin season Buarth Gurru and hello to Garrawang. This is a season of changeable, thundery weather, active goannas, long days and short nights, kangaroo-apple and cherry ballart fruiting and wedge-tailed eagles breeding. Welcome to this special edition of Living Green, a newsletter that provides tips for the festive season and information on how to get involved in nature and your local community. We hope this newsletter inspires you to reduce your environmental impact this festive season! Where have all the Christmas beetles gone? Help scientists learn more about why Christmas beetles are disappearing in Australia by using iNaturalist to track these beetles. Unfortunately, we are seeing fewer Christmas beetles lately, but we don't know how bad it really is or if it's affecting all 35 Christmas beetle types. Scientists need your help to figure this out. Christmas beetles usually show up from November to late January. If you see one, take pictures and put them on iNaturalist. Try to take pictures of the top, bottom, back, and rear of the beetle. This helps scientists figure out what kind of beetle it is. Don't worry if you're not sure – iNaturalist can help you and if it's a Christmas beetle, it will automatically be part of the project. Australian Museum have developed an app designed to help identify Christmas Beetles. Image: Donald Hobern 'Tis the season for sustainability Summer is here, bringing celebrations and the start of a new year. It's a great time to be kind to the planet and make choices that help our environment. Here are some tips for a greener and more earth-friendly season: Gift Thoughtfully: If you already have everything you need, think about not asking for gifts. Instead, suggest that your friends and family donate to a charity you like or give you a membership to a cool place like a zoo, museum, or streaming service. Make Your Gifts: Try making your own gifts, like a special cookie mix in a reusable jar. It's a fun and enviro-friendly way to share something sweet. Check Thrift Stores: Look for unique and special presents at op shop stores. You can find cool stuff that's also good for the planet. Share the Feast: When planning your holiday meals, talk to your guests and ask them to bring a dish. It's a great way to share the cooking and reduce waste by using reusable containers. Craft Your Own Fun: Create your own holiday crackers with funny hats and useful items from thrift stores. Add some jokes and fun facts to make your celebrations even more enjoyable. Get Creative with Your Tree: Instead of buying a new Christmas tree, consider using branches from your garden or decorating a potted plant. It's a creative and Earth-friendly way to celebrate. Give Plants: Give the gift of plants from a local nursery. It's a beautiful present for your friends or family, and it also helps the environment by providing food and homes for wildlife. Community grant has tasty results! Links Community Garden located in Lalor was a recent recipient of a City of Whittlesea Community Garden Grant. Months of sweat, learning and hard work later, the gardeners have created an outdoor pizza oven to encourage social connection and celebrate their harvests. They also planted a pizza “toppings” garden with tomatoes, rosemary, and oregano playing a starring role. Members have fired up the oven as part of their working bees and encourage others to join them and enjoy the space for community events. This author can verify, the pizza is excellent! New year, new series! Save the dates for the 2024 Sustainable Community Workshop Series The 2024 Sustainable Communities Workshop Series schedule is now finalised! This year, the series will focus more on energy efficiency, thermal comfort, and upgrades/retrofits to reduce power bills and improve your home’s comfort levels. A 2-day Energy Hero training course will be offered in February to train 15 community members to become informal home energy assessors who will then share their learnings within the community. The series will also continue hands-on learning through workshops on fruit tree grafting, seed-saving, gardening as a renter, and pickling olives. Enjoy the summer sun while managing extreme heat In our previous newsletter we shared some tips on staying cool during extreme heat. Below are additional resources that can help you stay cool and protect your health this summer. Image Credit: Pixabay Rolling into the holidays with a craft! Looking for a fun holiday craft to entertain the kids? Why not turn some old toilet paper rolls into decorative stars? Simply fold an empty toilet paper roll in half and cut evenly spaced bands. Glue them together and paint by hand or leave them plain for a natural look. For more directions and ideas, search online or follow these tips.
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