Dear Kariong Eco Garden members and friends,
We hope you are all keeping well in these strange times. Remember if you have cabin fever the garden and other places in nature are relatively safe places to be!
It is easy to maintain safe physical distance at the eco garden. You are welcome to wear a mask if you choose to. You can BYO gloves or use ours and the hand sanitiser provided. We have eucalyptus spray to spray tool handles as needed. It is nice to keep in contact with people and nature, and good for our mental health. Pop in on a Monday morning or other times as detailed below. If you would like to donate eligible Return & Earn bottles and cans we can cash them in to raise funds for the garden! KEG annual membership is $5 or 50 refundable bottles also accepted.
Breaking News: We are holding an online ECO TRIVIA NIGHT on Monday 31/8/20, 7-8pm – the last night before spring!
This in keeping with our annual August fundraiser. It will be free to join but if you are able to make a donation, tickets are usually $10 and we raise more with a silent auction. We are with Bendigo Bank and our BSB is 633-000; Account No: 154480586
You will have to BYO pizza on the night this time – or eat what you like. Join on your own or with family or friends from your home. Have paper and pencil handy.
Our lovely ECO Trivia host is Alex Lynch, Sustainability Educator, Total Environment Centre.
Register through Eventbrite and you will receive the Meeting ID and password via email: https://kegtrivia2020.eventbrite.com.au
Here is some info about Zoom if you haven’t done it before: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362193-Joining-a-meeting
Any questions feel free to call or message Lisa on 0429 431 889.
We will open the Zoom Room at 6.45pm.
Our Repair Cafe, held every 3rd Sunday of the month, 10am – 1pm, is gaining some momentum and we welcome more volunteers and people with things to fix! Contact Wanda 0414 832 162. We hold our Boomerang Bag working bee at the same as the Repair Cafe, also in the Kariong Progress Hall. More helpers needed. We have fabric and sewing machines if you would like to sew a mask for yourself or family members. Bring and share best patterns and BYO elastic.
There are also some lovely groups using the garden – every 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month from 1pm the Troubadours come and make music. All welcome. $3 donation. Regular storytelling is also planned on some Sundays by Tangerine Elephant Storytelling – contact Gab at eagleartsyouth19@gmail.com.
If you are part of a group with a newsletter please feel free to share the following far and wide:
Kariong Eco Garden is the oldest community garden on the Central Coast. It has been sustained by volunteers thinking globally and acting locally since 2005. The garden is a place where people can learn about caring for the earth, providing habitat for wildlife, harvesting rainwater, generating renewable energy, recycling organic matter and growing food, naturally. Our garden includes an herb spiral, veges, bush tucker, fruit trees, no dig gardens, a wicking bed and ponds. We also have a mosaic snake path, murals about permaculture, Tiddalik the greedy frog, the elements of the earth, and life cycles of birds, snakes, butterflies and frogs!
Regular volunteer mornings are back on Mondays 10am-12noon. Children are very welcome – please bring a grown up. We have children’s tools, watering cans and gloves.
School visits welcome by appointment, eg teachers and environmental leaders seeking hands-on composting and worm farming advice. We also have a monthly working bee in the garden every 2nd Saturday of the month: 10am – 1pm during Spring and Summer, 11am – 2pm Autumn and Winter. Bring some food to share for lunch if you are able. We are registered with Centrelink as a Volunteer Work Provider. Extra volunteer days can happen if we get 3 volunteers who want to come on a different day.
Some schools require senior students and leadership applicants to do community service.
We offer the opportunity for students (aged 14-17years) to give their time and energy as community volunteers at our monthly 2nd Saturday working bee.
Parent consent required. Regular Eco Garden volunteers all have current ‘Working with Children Checks’ and a First Aid certificate.
The next three working bees:
Saturday 12 September 2020, 10am-1pm
Saturday 10 October 2020, 10am-1pm
And Saturday 14 November 2020, 10am – 1pm
Gloves, tools and guidance provided as well as refreshments.
Other volunteer opportunities are on every 3rd Sunday at the Boomerang Bag working bees in Kariong Progress Hall, 10am – 1pm.
Next Repair Cafe and Boomerang Bag dates:
Sundays 20/9/20, 18/10/20 and 15/11/20.
Where are we?
Kariong Eco Garden, Dandaloo Street (Turn off Woy Woy Road at roundabout, Kariong (behind community hall).
For more information:
Lisa Wriley 0429431889
New Worm Tub for Sale $250
Made by Peninsula Mens Shed
See info in our Resource page re setting it up – we can help with this. Call Lisa to discuss or pop in and have a look.