NEWS

AUGUST 2024

Saturday 31 August – 2024 Trivia night supporting Kariong Eco Garden
5-8pm in Kariong Hall. Book a table of 4-6 people $50 or book individual tickets $10 each: https://events.humanitix.com/2024-trivia-night-supporting-kariong-eco-garden
Saturday 14 September 2024 – ECO DEMO DAY in Kariong ARTS BARN and ECO GARDEN. Solar oven cooking, vege seedlings for sale, music and food. Kariong residents register your solar power to be included in the Kariong Kilowatt Counter. 10am – 4pm. To coincide with Local Government Elections  – Kariong Hall is a Polling Booth. Come and visit after voting.
Saturday and Sunday 21 & 22 September PLANT LOVERS FAIR, Kariong Mountains High School. Visit the Permaculture Central Coast stall and say hello.
Saturday 12 October BIRDS IN OUR BACKYARDS – Citizen Science workshop 10.30am -12noon in the Eco Garden. Bookings link on website in September.
Sunday 13 October WOYTOPIA FESTIVAL, Woy Woy South Public School
9am – 4pm Find out more: https://woytopia.org/ Don’t miss it!
Saturday 9 November FAMILY FIRST AID in the Garden 10.30am – 12.30pm in the Eco Garden. Bookings link on website in October. Family First Aid course with Karben Training Solutions with a Certificate of Attendance.
For more information and to volunteer at any of our events call Lisa 0429 431 889

JULY 2024

Kariong Eco Garden News
July – November 2024
ECO KIDS WORKSHOP with Eco-Artist Rachel Bunney
Have you ever noticed how many bird species come to visit or even live in your garden? As we people build more and more houses and take away more and more bushland, the birds have no choice but to come to our gardens to eat, breed and play.  There are big birds and small birds, birds around only at night and lots of birds around in the day. Some birds we love but there are others we wish would go away. Some birds we make into our friends and some are fun to watch play.In this drawing workshop we will talk about the different birds in our neighbourhoods, hear stories and learn ways we can create welcoming habitats for our fine feathered friends.
Date: Saturday 13 July 2024
Time: 10.30am – 12noon
Bookings: https://events.humanitix.com/birds-of-our-backyards-a-drawing-and-more-workshop-with-rachel-bunney
Kariong Eco Garden Wiggly Worms stall at Central Coast Kids Day Out – Celebrate Trees on NATIONAL TREE DAY with The Lorax and the help reduce waste to landfill with the ECO FAIRIES
Venue: Narara Valley High School
Date: Sunday 28 July 2024
Time: 10am – 4pm
Tickets: https://www.cckdo.org/

Morning Tea to CELEBRATE 19 YEARS OF KARIONG ECO GARDEN growing in Dandaloo St, Kariong

Kariong Eco Garden is celebrating 19 years since we started on our current site in Dandaloo Street, Kariong, with a motion of Gosford Council and an ECO Festival in Winter 2005.
We have been harvesting rainwater, generating renewable energy, composting organic waste, growing habitat for wildlife and healthy food for humans since the very beginning. Volunteers tend the garden every Monday morning and every second Saturday each month. We provide a venue for nature play programs and run eco workshops. Come along to get some ideas or lend a hand.
Date: Monday 29 July 2024
Time: 11am
Bring: a plate of food to share

 

ANNUAL KEG TRIVIA NIGHT FUNDRAISER
Venue: Kariong Hall
Date: Saturday 31 August 2024
Time: 5.00pm – 8.00pm
Bookings: https://events.humanitix.com/2024-trivia-night-supporting-kariong-eco-garden
FUTURE SOONER Citizens Inquiry into the Health Effects of Coal
Venue: Halekulani (Budgewoi) Bowling club
Date: Sunday 25 August 2024
Time: 1pm-5pm
Details: https://www.facebook.com/groups/400706917962265
ECO DEMO DAY
Venue: Arts Barn and Eco Garden, 2 Dandaloo St, Kariong
Date: Saturday 14 September (Local Government Election day – vote in Kariong Hall)
Time: 10am – 4pm

Details to come – contact us to volunteer on the day. Plants for sale, live music, solar info and solar oven demonstration…

Birds in our Backyards – Citizen Science and making your garden bird friendly

Date: Saturday 12 October 2024

Time: 10.30am – 12noon

Bookings will be available in August. funds raised will go to bird conservation.

 

FAMILY FIRST AID IN THE GARDEN
Date: Saturday 9 November 2024
Time: 10.30am – 12.30pm
Family First Aid course with Karben Training Solutions
with a Certificate of Attendance – no formal qualification.Bookings on Humanitix will be available in September.
This course could help save the life of a loved one, friend or neighbour.
This course is aimed for school-aged children and their adult/s.
Topics:
  • recognise an emergency situation
  • call 000
  • apply the DRSABCD method
  • provide basic care to a casualty
  • bandages, abrasions, snake bite
  • bites & stings
  • allergic reactions eg to insects, plants
WOYTOPIA
Venue: Woy Woy South School
Date: Sunday 13 October
Time: 9am – 4pm
More Information: https://woytopia.org/

SOME WAYS TO SUPPORT THE ECO GARDEN

All donations, no matter how small, are always welcome!
We are with Bendigo Bank and our BSB is 633-000; Account No: 154480586; Account name: Kariong Eco Garden. (Please include your surname and ‘Membership’ or ‘Donation’ in the description)
If you make a deposit please email us to tell us so we can issue you with a receipt. Our email address is kariongecogarden@gmail.com (use SUBJECT: MEMBERSHIP or DONATION)
MEMBERSHIP PAYMENTS CAN ALSO BE MADE AT ANY ECO GARDEN EVENT OR WORKING BEE.
Active Member (Volunteer): $5/year (receive member discounts at all tic
Supporter: $20/year (you are entitled to a member discount at four ticketed events)
Sponsor: $100/year (we can arrange to have a small plaque made to put on a post in the garden)

APRIL 2024

APRIL 2024

Upcoming Workshops at Kariong Eco Garden:

Bringing Back that Good Fire

Date: Saturday 13 April 2024

Time: 11am – 1pm (tour of bushland behind Eco Garden from 10am)

Kariong Eco Garden volunteers have been committed to caring for Country since we got permission to start our community garden on the current site in 2005.

We are custodians of a small area of bushland behind the Eco Garden, which is connected to a large area of bushland surrounding Kariong and stretching into Brisbane Water National Park and land owned by Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council.

Could this land be cared for in the way it has been for thousands of years before colonisation, using Aboriginal knowledge and cultural burning practices?

What would that look like?  How could it work?

We have invited speakers from:

  • Firesticks Alliance – https://www.firesticks.org.au/…
  • National Parks and Wildlife Service
  • Kariong Bushfire Brigade
  • Central Coast Council
  • Greater Sydney Local Land Services

and invited local bloodline custodians and the Land Council to attend and offer information.

We hope that this workshop will help our community learn more about cultural burning and how it contributes to healthy communities and healthy landscapes.

As it says in our Welcome Shelter: We acknowledge with respect the Indigenous custodians of this land and work with their spirits caring for mother earth.

Bookings: https://events.humanitix.com/bringing-back-that-good-fire

Acknowledgement: banner image and more information from https://www.latrobe.edu.au/new…

 

FUTURE EVENTS: Save the Dates!

REPAIR CAFE – EVERY 3rd SUNDAY of the month (Feb – Nov) – includes Swap Table & opportunity to book a Second Hand Sunday stall in Autumn and Spring.

Venue: Kariong Hall, 2 Dandaloo St (next to Eco Garden)

Dates: Sundays 21 April, 19 May, 16 June, 21 July, 18 August, 15 September, 20 October and 17 November

Time: 10am – 1pm

 

HARVEST FESTIVAL – Saturday 8 June and Sunday 9 June (NO KEG EVENTS)

For more information: https://www.lovecentralcoast.com/events/harvest-festival-2024

 

ECO FAERIE & GREEN PIRATE TRAINING

Venue: Kariong Eco Garden

Dates: Sundays 16 June and 21 July

Time: 11am – 1pm

 

ECO KIDS WORKSHOP with Eco-Artist Rachel Bunney

Date: Saturday 13 July 2024

Time: 10.30am – 12noon

Details and Booking link to come.

 

FUTURE SOONER Citizens Inquiry into the Health Effects of Coal

Venue: Halekulani (Budgewoi) Bowling club  

Date: Sunday 25 August 2024

Time: 1pm-5pm

IMAGE SOURCE: https://coastcommunitynews.com.au/central-coast/news/2024/03/call-to-close-eraring-power-station-in-2025-over-health-concerns/

PROPOSED Family First Aid in Garden

Date: TO BE CONFIRMED – 10 AUGUST OR 9 NOVEMBER

Time: 10.30am – 12.30pm

PRE-ORDER – Proposed Family First Aid course with Karben Training Solutions
with a Certificate of Attendance – no formal qualification.

This course could help save the life of a loved one, friend or neighbour.
This course is aimed for school-aged children and their adult/s.

Guide to Australian Insect Bites

Topics:

  • recognise an emergency situation
  • call 000
  • apply the DRSABCD method
  • provide basic care to a casualty
  • bandages, abrasions, snake bite
  • bites & stings
  • allergic reactions eg to insects, plants

IMAGE SOURCE: https://lfafirstresponse.com.au/blog/guide-to-australian-insect-bites/

 

CELEBRATE SOLAR DAY

Venue: Arts Barn and Eco Garden, 2 Dandaloo St, Kariong

Date: Saturday 14 September (2nd Saturday and Local Government Election day – vote in Kariong Hall)

Time: 10am – 4pm

Woytopia

WOYTOPIA

Venue: Woy Woy South School

Date: Sunday 13 October

Time: 9am – 4pm

More Information: https://woytopia.org/

December 2023-January 2024

Mini ECO Shop in ECO-ARTS BARN, 2 DANDALOO ST, KARIONG
Wednesday 20 December & Thursday 21 December, 12.30pm – 4.15pm

Looking for some Christmas gifts that are locally made?

Spiral Compost ToolStainless Steel
$49 at Kimbriki – our Price $45 (just 3 left!)
The Rolls Royce of Compost mixing tools! Hand made in Sydney.
Aeration/mixing is the KEY to successful composting.


Boomerang Bags $5- $10 – lots to choose from, all unique – great way to wrap a gift!

EARTHCARE games $60-$74 ($5 from every game sold goes to Kariong Eco Garden)
https://www.earthcaregame.org/ Mindfully made on the Central Coast. Ages 6-106.

Summer Solstice/ End of Year Christmas Gathering in the Eco Garden
Thursday 21 December 6pm.
Bring a plate of food to share.

WHAT’S ON JANUARY 2024

Monday 8 January 2024 10.00am to 1 pm
Volunteers return to:
Planting, watering, weeding & having cuppas!
Come and join us 🙂


And for the children this school holiday…
Monday 15 January 2024 10.30am to Noon
Make Recycled Paper
Any age and for the whole family
Children must be accompanied by a grown up
Gold coin donation

Monday 22 January 2024 10.30am to Noon
Screen Print your OWN T-shirt with our logo
Any age and for the whole family
Children must be accompanied by a grown up
Gold coin donation

Monday 29 January 2024 10.00am to 1 pm
Volunteers – all ages – we have kids tools too:
Planting, watering, weeding & having cuppas!
Come and join us 🙂

AUGUST 2023

FOR THE LOVE OF BIRDS workshop with Kaye Pointer

Saturday 12 August 2023 – 10.30 – 11.30am

Find out more and book your tickets:
https://events.humanitix.com/for-the-love-of-birds-2023

FUNDRAISING TRIVIA NIGHT

Saturday 19 August 2023, 6-8pm in Kariong Hall, Dandaloo St, Kariong

Find out more and buy your tickets:
https://events.humanitix.com/2023-trivia-night-supporting-kariong-eco-garden

June 2023

NO KEG monthly working bee / workshop day on 2nd Saturday in June.

Instead… we encourage you to support
the Central Coast Harvest Festival – 10 & 11 June 2023

Explore the events and activities of Harvest Festival while you plan your adventure into the hinterland, this comprehensive map will help you plan your day before you set out on your way. Remember reception in the Hinterland can be as patchy as a Country Women’s Association quilt so make sure to take notes and download the program before you join the Harvest Festival Trail.

HAPPY WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY – MONDAY 5 JUNE 2023

What’s happening in the Eco Garden? Scroll to the bottom for upcoming events!

Some of the biggest changes in a long time with the arrival and preparation on our new raised garden beds. We have set up new one new wicking bed (“the garden bed bed”), two new no dig garden beds (60cm high) and four new hugelkultur beds.

If you missed the May Garden Bed workshop you can still come and learn how to make a hugulkultur bed on Mondays 19th and 26th when we set up the last two.

Big thanks to Eco Garden friend Robyn for delivering the new beds from Coast & Country Water Tanks and to all our supporters, bottles and can donors and garden hirers whose donations helped us save the funds to buy them. Thank you!

WEDNESDAY 28 JUNE IS 18 YEARS SINCE OUR COMMUNITY GARDEN WAS APPROVED BY A MOTION OF GOSFORD CITY COUNCIL IN 2005.

OUR MAY GARDEN BED CONSTRUCTION WORKSHOP

John from Woy Woy Garden Teaching us the German style of Hugelkultur gardening
Rosie teaching us how to make a wicking bed with upcycled IBC container
Lisa and helpers making an Esther Dean style No Dig garden

QUICK PICKLING WORKSHOP WITH VIVIAN

Vivian teaching us Quick Pickling

If you missed the Quick Pickling workshop in May, Vivian will be back to teach us on Saturday 9 September. Save the date in your diary now.

Other Dates for your diary

July SCHOOL HOLIDAY craft workshops with Lisa McArthur-Edwards

Woolly Winter Craft on both Wednesdays in the July School holidays – bookings on Humanitix: Wednesday 5 July 2023, 10.30am and Wednesday 12 July 2023, 10.30am

2nd Saturday in July (8/7/23, 10am-1pm) – Tool Maintenance Working Bee – Guest TBC

2nd Saturday in August (12/3/23) – 10am For the Love of Birds with Kaye Pointer. Bookings here. Followed by Working Bee and shared lunch.

2nd Saturday in September (9/9/23, 10am – 1pm) – Working Bee – planting for Spring and Quick Pickling lesson with Vivian

2nd Saturday in October – TBC

2nd Saturday in November (11/11/23, 10am – 1pm) – Kimbriki Eco Garden Guru Peter Rutherford – Topic TBC. Save the date! Bookings will open soon.

May 2023

Stall at Central Coast Kids Day Out – Sunday 7 May at Narara Valley High School

Pop in and lend a hand or say hello as we show the kids wonderful worms or help them make a yarn butterfly or yarn turtle. Buy a Kariong Eco Garden t-shirt or Boomerang Bag or fruit & vege bags. 10am – 3pm. Adults $12 Kids $7 (under 1 year old free) Family $35. All day entertainment. Free rides and shows after entry. Find out more at https://www.cckdo.org/.

Garden Bed Workshop/ Working Bee – Saturday 13 May, 9am – 1pm at KEG – Learn about Hugelkultur, Wicking and Esther Dean Style No-dig garden beds. $5 donation.

Hugelkultur Garden bed benefits include: no/low cost, all-natural materials, carbon storing good water retention. John R (Woy Woy Community Garden volunteer) will teach us how these gardens work and we will set up the first of four in our garden.

Woy Woy Community Garden Hugelkultur Garden under construction

Wicking beds have an inbuilt reservoir of water which waters veggies from the bottom up – the way they like it!! They are an easy working height using a lot less water and minimal work to maintain once set up.

Rosie (Founder of Laguna Earth House) will be our teacher on the day and has been growing food organically for 50 years. She now has a local productive veggie garden with raised and wicking beds.

She will demonstrate the simplicity of set up in this hands-on workshop.

This is what our new wicking beds will be made of – two halves of a 1000L plastic tank.
This is what Rosie’s wicking beds look like.

Link to book in for the Garden Bed Workshop/ Autumn working bee: https://events.humanitix.com/garden-bed-contruction-workshop-autumn-working-bee

april 2023

IT’S NEARLY EASTER!

Saturday 1/4/2023 ECO ART – Bilby workshop with Rachel Bunney

10.30-12noon (bookings essential $15/young person or $10/young person for 2 or more and accompanying adult free.

Bookings: https://events.humanitix.com/beloved-bilbies-1-april-2023

Volunteers working bee will happen concurrently 10am – 1pm

SCHOOL HOLIDAY WORKSHOP

Monday 17/4/2023 ECO ART – Orangutan workshop with Rachel Bunney

10.30-12noon (bookings essential $15/young person or 2 for $20 and accompanying adult free. Bookings: https://events.humanitix.com/copy-of-orang-utans-and-their-forest-home-a-children-s-eco-art-workshop-with-rachel-bunney-umlb071d

Volunteer working bee will happen concurrently 10am – 1pm

NEWS – MARCH 2023

Weekly Volunteer Mondays in the Garden, 10am – 1pm

What’s happening on Mondays in Autumn?

  • Re-designing our raised garden area in preparation for buying new raised beds.
  • Weeding and re-setting the pavers in the Labyrinth path
  • Painting the pavers in the Children’s Labyrinth path – rainbow colours!
follow the yellow brick road…into the labyrinth

CLEAN UP AUSTRALIA DAY

Sign up to clean up in Kariong – https://www.cleanupaustraliaday.org.au/fundraisers/lisawriley/kariong-commuter-car-park—skate-park-area

Saturday 4/3/23 – Julie is going to clean up the Kangoo Road Car Park again.  Let me know if you are available to help.  BYO gloves, hat, drinking water. Time: 9.30am.

Monday 6/3/23 – Kariong Skate Park and surrounding public land could use some love. 9-10am – before our regular garden volunteer time. BYO gloves, hat, drinking water. Meet at the corner of Mitchell Drive and Langford Drive, Kariong.

OUR MARCH WORKSHOP – Propagation

Saturday 11/3 Propagation workshop with Graeme Ingall – 10am – 11.30am $5/person (free for active members/volunteers), followed by working bee – bookings encouraged – message Lisa on 0429 431 889 or email: kariongecogarden@gmail.com.

Graeme has a wealth of knowledge about propagation and is an active member of the Australia Plant Society – Central Coast District Group (CCDG) where he has been able to indulge in his passion of propagating native plants, sometimes successfully and sometimes with failure – it is called a learning curve.

Currently, Graeme conducts, with others, the propagation of native plants for sale by the CCDG. Also, he is involved in teaching propagation at the Pearl Beach Arboretum.

For those who are interested, Graeme graduated with a Diploma of Agriculture from Wagga Agricultural College (now Charles Stuart University, Wagga Wagga Campus) and TAFE Ourimbah Campus where he gained Certificate II in Bush Regeneration.

Graeme recommends using an old ironing board for potting up, as you can adjust the height to suit. We will have tables to use at the workshop but feel free to BYO an ironing board! We will have posts and soil and Graeme will show how to take cuttings from plants in the eco garden as well as bring other specimens. BYO chop sticks if you have some you don’t mind getting dirty.

For more information or bookings please send your name and number of people to Lisa on 0429 431 889 or email kariongecogarden@gmail.com.

ECO ART WORKSHOPS COMING UP

  • Saturday 1/4 ECO ART – Bilby workshop with Rachel Bunney 10.30-12noon (bookings essential $15/young person or $10/young person for 2 or more and accompanying adult free – yet to be advertised – will be on website and facebook) and volunteers working bee concurrently.
  • Monday 17/4 (in school holidays) ECO ART – Orangutan workshop with Rachel Bunney 10.30-12noon (bookings essential $15/young person or 2 for $20 and accompanying adult free – yet to be advertised – will be on website and facebook) and volunteers working bee concurrently.
  • Monday 3/7 (in school holidays) ECO ART – Platypus workshop with Rachel Bunney 10.30-12noon (bookings essential $15/young person or 2 for $20 – accompanying adult free – yet to be advertised – will be on website and facebook) and volunteers working bee concurrently.

COMING UP

  • Aboriginal Cultural Workshop with Tim Selwyn, Girri Girra – or he may come to one of the ECO ART workshops TBC
  • Quick Pickling workshop with Vivian 2nd Saturday in May TBC
  • No workshop or working bee on 2nd Saturday in June due to long weekend.
  • First Aid in the Garden workshop 2nd Saturday in July TBC
  • The ever popular Bird workshop with Kaye Pointer – August TBC


For more information please call Lisa 0429 431 889 on Mondays or between 4pm and 8pm on other days.

october 2022

Our Annual General Meeting is taking place at the Eco Garden on Monday 24 October 2022 at 12noon. Come and join us and bring a plate to share for lunch after the meeting. All positions will be declared vacant. Many hands make light work!

WOYTOPIA is on Sunday 30 October 2022 at Woy Woy South Public School and will be an awesome day. Come and visit our stall or plan ahead to volunteer with us. Call Lisa if you would be happy to help out for an hour or so. Lisa 0429 431 889.

Don’t miss the inaugural Central Coast Edible Garden Trail on 19 & 20 November 2022. Kariong Eco Garden are one of the many places hosting visitors. We will have tours of the garden on Sunday 20/11/22 at 10.20am, 11.30am, 12.30pm and 1.30pm.

REPAIR CAFE – the last one for the year in on Sunday 20 November 10am – 1pm in Kariong Hall. Bring your items to be repaired or your bike to be serviced – volunteers help with sewing, tool sharpening, woodwork, jewellery repairs and you make a donation. There is also a SWAP TABLE for items you would like to swap.

On 12 September 2022 Kariong Public School Year 6 students came to Kariong Eco Garden for an ECO Day where they learned from Tracey Howie, Jake Cassar and artists Rachel Bunney and Lisa McArthur-Edwards.

Tracey Howie taught the Year 6 students about the First Peoples where we live.
Kariong PS Year 6 students enjoyed an ECO day which included learning from Jake Cassar.

If you are interested in the kinds of things we are doing to promote sustainability come and visit any Monday morning or monthly Saturday working bee. Volunteers always welcome and extra working bee days or meetings can be arranged.

We are also advocating for a Re-use and Repair Centre/ Service on the Central Coast and fully support Central Coast Council’s plans to introduce a Food Organics Garden Organics (FOGO) collection service.

Did you know there is a Central coast Council in Tasmania? This is their information about a FOGO service they introduced in 2019: http://www.centralcoast.tas.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/FOGO-17092019.pdf