No Images? Click here Welcome to the April edition of Green Living in Wyndham NewsSeagrass MeadowsSeagrass is found in many bays and estuaries, including the Point Cook and Werribee South areas. These flowering plants play a vital role in providing shelter and food sources for many of our marine animals whilst also offering a layer of protection for exposed mud flats during low tides. Animals such as worms, crabs, glass shrimp, small fish and even banjo sharks, rely on this grassy habitat for their survival. The decline in seagrass meadows has been significant in Port Phillip Bay over the last 30 years and is heightened in areas effected by agricultural and urban runoff. Increased water turbidity, excess algal growth and introduced species are just some of the challenges these habitats face. What can you do to help? It’s important that we continue to maintain and improve the quality of water that enters the bay from our rivers and creeks to give these sensitive marine ecosystems a chance. You can also volunteer with local marine care or litter groups to help educate the wider community and reduce and monitor the impacts along Wyndham’s coast. Wyndham City Launches New Footpath TrialHave you ever wondered where your glass bottles go once you’re finished with them? Soon, they could be going into the footpaths you walk on. Wyndham City, in partnership with Swinburne University, have successfully launched a new trial to include crushed glass and recycled plastics in the mixture used to build footpaths. The newly developed cement mix formula includes plastic and glass fines for the base and top layers of the footpath. Wyndham City is very excited to explore new and innovative ways to deal with waste. The concrete was laid in early March at Geddes Crescent Reserve in Hoppers Crossing, and a research team from Swinburne will now monitor the concrete and conduct tests on samples collected. This project was supported through a grant from Sustainability Victoria. Get out into nature these school holidaysLooking for something to do with the kids these school holidays? Spending time in nature has a range of benefits for kids. It improves their resilience to stress, reduces attention disorders, depression and anxiety and develops their respect for the environment.
Check out the guide to the eco hotspots of Wyndham here for more ideas. Green Living Series Session InformationHave you attended a Green Living Series workshop or seminar recently and wanted to take some information home with you? You can now access some of the documents and presentations related to the workshops, seminars and events, online. This is a fantastic way for us to share information amongst Wyndham Residents so that you have a take-home from the day or for those that unfortunately missed out. Our Solar Information Session is currenlty available – stay tuned while we continue to add more useful documents! Please note, all files found on this page are for personal use only and not to be reproduced without permission. Find them at the Green Living Series website. Call To ActionSustainable SalonsNeed a haircut or looking to give your tresses a new look, why not try a Sustainable Salon? Sustainable Salons are a social enterprise that rescues up to 95% of salon resources from landfill and finds repurposing solutions that benefit our planet, all while supporting the community! Sustainable Salons is on a journey to zero waste, with up to 95% of salon waste being collected and reused or repurposed. And if that wasn’t enough, all proceeds from repurposing salon materials are donated to OzHarvest and KiwiHarvest to distribute meals for those in need. So, if you’re looking for your next haircut jump online to find a participating salon near you, or if you’re a local hairdresser and want to become a Sustainable Salon you can register at the website Sustainable Salons. Don’t bag your recycling!Did you know that if you put your recyclables into a plastic bag it cannot be recycled and will end up in landfill? In a recent audit of Wyndham’s recycling bins, the single largest form of contamination was recycling in plastic bags. Unfortunatley, you cannot put any soft (or scrunchy) plastic into your recycling bin. That includes plastic bags, food packets, wrappers, etc. The only plastic that should be going into your recycling bin are hard plastics like bottles, tubs and containers. By keeping soft plastics out of our recycling bins, we can ensure that more of the right items are being recycled! For more information visit www.wyndham.vic.gov.au/recycleright Werribee River Waterbug Sampling Day The Werribee River Association is seeking volunteers to help map the water quality of Werribee River and Skeleton Creek. To get involved with this exciting citizen science project, register to attend this training day and learn techniques in macroinvertebrate sampling and identification as used in the Waterwatch Waterbug Census. As a volunteer you will assist the Werribee River Association with monitoring aquatic macroinvertebrates on an ongoing basis. The training day is jointly run by freshwater ecologist Dr Teresa Mackintosh from Werribee River Association and Waterwatch. The findings of the project will inform management plans for pollution reduction in the waterways. Volunteers will also receive ongoing support and training from Teresa. When: Saturday 6 April 2019 10:00am-3:00pm Registrations are essential by emailing: Teresa.mackintosh@werribeeriver.org.au What's OnWanna Be Gardeners Shoestring Gardening is offering free sessions on the second Saturday of every month to help you with setting up your very own backyard edible garden. The April session will cover how to compost and utilize food scraps to improve your soil quality. Come along to this free session to learn more from Bronwyn, shoestring’s gardening guru. Date: Saturday 13th April Earth Hour Don’t forget to sign up to switch off for Earth hour Saturday the 30th March. You will be joining millions of people in over the world to show the need for stronger climate action. Earth Hour isn’t just about switching off your lights for an hour, it’s a symbol of your commitment to be part of the solution to climate change. You don’t have to do it alone – why not make an evening of it with friends or your local community group, sit around and tell stories or take the hour to spend the time outside star gazing or on a night bush walk. To register head to Earth Hour and sign up to switch off. Manage your subscriptionTo manage your details and newsletters you are subscribed to follow the link below. |