Lisa Wriley – KARIONG ECO GARDEN

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…

Family First Aid in Garden

Date: Saturday 11 May 2024

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

BOOK NOW TO HELP US CONFIRM THE WORKSHOP:
https://events.humanitix.com/family-first-aid-in-the-eco-garden

Minimum 10 families (If we don’t reach the minimum number of families to go ahead we will refund you.)

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

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

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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: 1pm – 2pm

ECO KIDS WORKSHOP with Eco-Artist Rachel Bunney

Date: Saturday 13 July 2024

Time: 10.30am – 12noon

Details and Booking link to come.

NATIONAL TREE DAY & Kariong Eco Garden 17th Anniversary of our Official Opening in 2007

Venue: Kariong Eco Garden

Date: Sunday 28 July 2024

Time: 2pm

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/

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 Tool – Stainless 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

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

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

SEPTEMBER 2022

OUR SEPTEMBER WORKSHOP:

The Attraction of Birds

Saturday 10 September 2022

1 – 3pm

(following working bee 10am – 12.30pm)

Cost: $10 non-members. $5 active members or supporter members, or young people

Bookings: https://events.humanitix.com/for-the-love-of-birds

Local birders Kaye and Margaret Pointer will share their love of birds and gardening in a family friendly workshop.

Learn about:

local birds
how you can make your garden and suburb a great place for birds and wildlife
the benefits of recording and sharing bird observations
their habitats and how you can assist
how to provide safe nesting environments and materials for local birds.

The workshop will include a short gentle walk to see what birds are in the bush behind and around the Eco Garden.

Please wear enclosed shoes and bring a hat and water bottle.

There will be a bird inspired craft activity.

More about Kaye and Margaret:

The love of birds is in the blood. Both Kaye’s and Margaret’s interests started before they walked. They are two of the founding members of Central Coast Branch of Birding NSW (27 years) and are involved in guiding bird outings, and education on the Central Coast. They have participated in many surveys monitoring, or searching for birds including rare and endangered species. They have teamed up with other local birders over more than 20 years in the annual Twitchathon, to fundraise for bird conservation projects. Kaye and Margaret will knock back other activities to go birding in the garden, or across the Central Coast!

The workshop follows the monthly garden working bee from 10am – 12.30pm. Feel free to come early and lend a hand or just enjoy a picnic lunch in the garden.
For more information please call Lisa 0429 431 889.

WORKING BEE at the garden: Saturday 10 September 2022, 10am – 12.30pm

We will be preparing the bush circle for Kariong Public School Year 6 students’ visit and weeding the labyrinth path. BYO hat, water, picnic lunch and stay for the bird workshop if you can. You are welcome to bring something to share for morning tea – it is always a highlight of the working bees.

OTHER LOCAL ECO EVENTS

Community Environment Network: Love Trees Love COSS event /weekend.

Community Day Saturday 17 September 10am – 3pm at Ourimbah campus of university of Newcastle. KEG is having a stall. Volunteers needed; https://cen.org.au/events/cen-event-list/733-love-trees-love-coss

COSS Crawl Sunday 18 September https://cen.org.au/events/cen-event-list/732-coss-crawl-love-trees-love-coss

Narara Eco Village Experience weekend 30 September – 2 October (3 October optional), https://nararaecovillage.com/narara-ecovillage-experience-weekend-october-2022/

WOYTOPIA – Sustainable Living Festival – Sunday 30 October 2022, 9am-4pm at Woy Woy South PS. https://woytopia.org/ KEG is having a stall – volunteers needed

Sustainable Future Festival, 10-13 November at Mingara – stay tuned for details.

For more information and to volunteer at one of our stalls, call Lisa 0429 431 889

January – June 2021

We have been repairing one of the raised gardens beds, weeding the labyrinth path, removing some of the vigorous native raspberry, planting silverbeet, onions and beetroot, doing path and drain maintenance. We have some great new workshops planned for the rest of the year. Time for some more planting, cooking and eating!

Wanda had fun clearing the drain in the Snazzy Snake Path!

Rob and Vince with repaired raised garden bed

We hosted 120 students from Central Coast Sports College who took part in ADAM activities to understand the essential things to make good compost – ALIVENESS, DIVERSITY, AIR & MOISTURE.

PEG Nature Playgroup has visited the ECO garden on several occasions.

We played the EARTHCARE game – see www.earthcaregame.org to check it out.

SUP & Yoga with Tina started Wednesday morning yoga in the garden at 9.30am

Central Coast Quakers meets at the garden every 1st and 3rd Sunday at 10am.

Troubadours meet at the garden every 1st Sunday from 1pm for folk music.

October 2020 – January 2021 news

We would love to see you at the 2020 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of Kariong Eco Garden.

Date: Monday 26 October 2020
Time: 11:00am
Venue: Kariong Eco Garden, 2 Dandaloo Street, Kariong 2250

All positions will be declared vacant. Would you like to join us?

Positions/Responsibilities – current and proposed:

President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Safety
Garden
Bush Kids
Repair Cafe
Boomerang Bags
Eco Office & Library
Media Team – newsletter, website, facebook
Public Officer
Fundraising
Membership
General

Kariong Eco Garden Vision

To be an inspiring example of how to live with nature and promote sustainable living.

Kariong Eco Garden Mission

To provide a point of reference for the local community on sustainable living, environmental awareness and the employment of ecological principles by providing learning opportunities and supporting established programs run by others.

Out last monthly volunteer working bee for 2020 will be on Saturday 14/11/2020, 10am – 1pm and the last Repair Cafe and Boomerang Bags will be on Sunday 15/11/2020, also 10am – 1pm. Let us know if you are interested in a Second Hand stall/ Car Boot Sale on that weekend. 2nd Saturday Working bees and 3rd Sunday Repair Cafe + Boomerang Bags will resume in February 2021.

Weekly garden volunteering will continue on Monday mornings until 21/12/2020 and resume on Monday 18/01/2020 with Muddy Monday 10am – 12noon for children with their grown ups. The garden is available for school holiday activities, small events and parties – book with Lisa on 0429 431 889.

We have a CovidSafe plan and ask that if you are unwell, please stay home and get well soon. We provide hand sanitiser and eucalyptus spray for tool handles. Please BYO gloves if you would prefer. We ask everyone to maintain 1.5 metre spacing.

Fundraising: please donate any unwanted bottles and cans eligible for 10c refund. You can take them direct to the Envirobank Automated depot at 311 Manns Road, West Gosford and ask them to credit the ‘Kariong Eco Garden’ account. Every little bit helps!

Wishing you all well for late spring and summer.

August/September News

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.