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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 🙂

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

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

QUICK PICKLING WORKSHOP WITH VIVIAN

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.

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

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!

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.

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.

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

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

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 (after volunteering for 10 hours you are entitled to a member discount at any of our ticketed events)

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)

We had an awesome Permablitz in the Eco Garden on Sunday 19 June and hosted the PCC meeting. We want to say a huge thank you to our friends at Permaculture Central Coast. Join PCC and get involved in future Permablitz’s – as they are fun and a great way to learn.

You can also come along to Kariong Eco Garden any Monday morning or second Saturday of the month, 10am – 1pm to lend a hand in looking after our space.

There are many different jobs – light, heavy, creative and administrative.

Something to suit everyone!

MONTHLY WORKING BEES

This Saturday 9 July is our monthly second Saturday working bee, 10am – 1pm

Weather permitting we will do some track maintenance in the bush kids
kindy bushland include in our Licence area behind the eco garden.

Other jobs in the garden include labelling plants and mural maintenance.

All welcome. Bring protective clothes and shoes, hat and water bottle. Bring food to share if you are able. Tea & coffee provided.

OTHER EVENTS COMING UP

School holiday ECO-ART workshop with Rachel Bunney: Beloved Bilbies Monday 11 July, 10.30am -12.30pm

More information and bookings: https://events.humanitix.com/beloved-bilbies-in-july

OTHER LOCAL ECO EVENTS

Permaculture Central Coast Talk on FROG PONDS at Bateau Bay Community Garden, SUNDAY 17 JULY, 2-4PM. https://permaculturecc.org.au/events/frog-ponds/

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/

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