Seasons Greetings

A huge Thankyou to everyone involved in our Eco-Community, we've come a long way this year from our fledgling beginnings and hopefully next year will see us spreading our roots literally, as we await the confirmation of a lease on the land for the Community Garden.
On a sad note, the wonderful Mary-Lou, who is also our Dynamic Diggers Secretary is leaving us for the Sunshine Coast next year - but promises to return spade in hand when we have our 'working bees' in our new garden! This of course leaves a Diggers seat in our committee unfilled.
Expressions of interest in becoming our new secretary can be emailed to Beks (president) before the New Year. A Dynamic Diggers meeting will be held early in the New Year to vote in our new Secretary and plan ahead for 2010!
A lot of the hard work has already been done, now the fun begins.....Why not go for it?!
Our next general gathering will probably be on the last Sunday of January - details to follow

Have a Wonderful Festive Season, may there be Peace, Joy, Love and Abundance for you all.

Upcoming Gathering: Sun 29th November 3pm

It's our last gathering before the Christmas Break, so why not come along for some festive cheer and discussion on Summer gardening -

WHAT : Christmas Gathering : Discussions on growing Green Summer Mulch and coping with the summer sun. Check out Beks Chooks and the recent additions to the chook 'orchard'.

'Secret Santa'  - donate a gift of upto $5 worth to go into the Secret Santa Sack (why not donate some seeds/watering can/seedlings/bar of chocolate - always welcome!)

WHEN: Sunday 29th November @3pm

WHERE: Beks shady garden - 36 Wattle Ave, Bongaree (Tel: 34100030)

As usual it would be lovely to bring along some of your own produce or other seasonal fare to share for our afternoon feast, own refreshments/cutlery/crockery and chair/rug welcomed,

All Welcome

ABC radio coverage : Community Garden for Bribie

Follow this link for great feedback on this weekends' gathering onsite at our 'potential' community Garden site.
Just click on the Audio play button...
(See also in weblinks at bottom of our Blog page)
http://blogs.abc.net.au/queensland/2009/10/community-garden-for-bribie-island.html#more

Making the most of the DUNG!

The visiting circus on first avenue has oodles of poo and is happy to give it all away - Mary-Lou, Beks and Noah collected a wagon load the other day, thanks to the Ponies and Alpacas.
Great stuff for the compost heap - it's only getting thrown out if no-one claims it and we're up to our eyes in it now!
So go get some free manure and tell your friends!
Let's hope they return next year when our Community Garden is up and running (hopefully)!

Gathering Sunday 25th October 11am-1pm

WHAT - All locals are invited to find out more about the Bribie Eco-Community Garden at a special gathering on Sunday 25th October at the proposed site. Cr Gary Parsons will be attending and Craig Allison from All Round Tree Service will be the special guest speaker on the day. Craig has a wealth of knowledge on all things horticultural. He will be able to help you with advice on various mulching techniques and soil composition for growing a variety of trees and plants in your backyard. If you have a tree or plant in your garden and you’re not sure what variety it is, bring a leaf or two along and Craig can identify it for you. Do you have a problem with one of your trees or plants? Craig will also be talking about pest and disease solutions so bring a sample of the problem and Craig will help.


WHERE - Proposed garden site, off first ave, behind indoor bowls and bridge club, next to Wallum Action Group Nursery.

WHEN- 11 am to 1pm on Sunday 25th October. Craig will be speaking at 11.15 and there will be a BYO barbeque from 12 noon. Do you have any fruit, veggie, salad or herbs growing in your garden to share? - Bring them along too.

Bribie Eco-Community Membership Forms will be available to fill out on the day (membership is free),  this is a requirement of our recent incorporation, so even if you can't stay for the whole gathering please feel free to come along and grab a form, to let us know of your interest.

Anyone who can't make the 25th but would like to become a member, you can receive a membership by email, to print off and return by post to PO Box 1094, Bongaree, by emailing our Treasurer Vikki at : overscore@hotmail.com

Apologies -Brisbane Energy Audits and Green Loans - a Federal government (not state) Initiative..

Free Green Energy Audits

FREE Energy Audits are on offer from Brisbane Energy Audits - where an asessor comes to your home and asesses all energy usage in and around your house. They then follow up with a report which shows you where you can improve/make savings. For any suggestions that they make you are then able to apply for a "green loan" , interest free over 4 years to pay for any improvements. This is a State sponsored initiative.
Even better they would like to extend an offer to all contacts of Bribie EcCommunity that -  

Brisbane Energy Audits will donate $10 to our group for every completed assessment!

So what are you waiting for?.......
If you are interested  you  will need to register online at www.brisbaneenergyaudits.com.au and in the comments section mention Bribie Eco Community.

Gathering Sun 30th Aug

WHAT: Take a look at Ray's Acre : Grid Solar Setup, Wind Turbine, Orchard and Veggie Patch
WHEN: Sun 30th August @ 3pm
WHERE: Ray's Place - 31 Fairhaven Drive, off Bestmann Rd between Ningi and Godwin Beach
(Tel : 0412 490 374/5429 5520)

Bring along a rug/chair if required and local/seasonal fare and refreshments to share. Do you have seedlings or produce to swap/share, questions to ask, advice to offer?
All Welcome

Moving Forward

A quick thanks to everyone that came on the Witjuiti Grub Outing, we all had a lovely day and came away with some interesting plants, despite Graham the owner being tied up in a field with cows somewhere ...!! and i still haven't received an invoice sooo...i'll let you know when!

Thanks to our very Dynamic Diggers Committee we are now a fully incorporated group, this means we can move forward with regard to the Community Garden. Last week members of the committee met with Gary Parsons and John Cooke (our Council Liaison person) on the potential site.
It was a very positive meeting, we have the full 150% support of Gary Parsons (our local councillor) behind us to help push this through council and the State's 'Master Plan'.

Our next step is to formally apply for a lease on the land, once we have a leasehold we are then able to apply for Grant Funding from various sources.

In order to apply for the lease we need the following :

• Public liability Insurance for $20,000,000

• Money to cover Incorporation and Public liability expenses - around $800-1000

We are currently in the process of acquiring a bank account with Bank of Queensland, who have a great record of community building activities/support and environmental sensitivity, also we shall be sourcing donations from local organisations to assist in covering initial costs -

however that's where you come in....

As interested members of Bribie Eco-Community, you understand how important a Community Garden is for Bribie, now's your chance to really make a difference and show how much you care about this project.
We have over 40 members on our email/contact list, if all of us donate
JUST 20 DOLLARS,
we can reach our target immediately AND BE SELF SUFFICIENT - isn't that what we are all about?

So make your donation NOW to be a real part of keeping Bribie Ec0-Community Growing -
you can send a cheque/money order/cash to :
Bribie Eco-Community Inc.
Po Box 1094
Bongaree
4507
If you would like to make a direct bank deposit, email Beks and our Treasurer Vikki will forward our bank details to you as soon as we have them!

Thankyou so much for your kind support

TOGETHER WE WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN

Sun 26th July Gathering - 'Witjuiti Grub' Bushfood Nursery

What : Bribie Eco-Community outing to 'Wijuti Grub' bushfood nursery (see weblinks - bottom page), they specialise in native food plants and have a wealth of knowledge to share with us. They sell individual plants as well as 'bushfood garden starter' kits that consist of an interesting selection of eight different species, made to suit our specific soil requirements, etc.

Where : Wijuti Grub Bushfood Nursery, between Mapleton and Kenilworth

When : Sun 26th July, meeting 9am @ 36 wattle Ave (Beks Place), to arrange car pooling.
It may take around 1-1/2 hrs to get there, good opportunity to check out surrounding area after!

Don't miss out on this great opportunity and a fun day out (- nursery open by appointment only).
Please contact Beks by ph/email to register your interest, so we know who to wait for on the day!
All Welcome, see you there

Progress!

It's an exciting time to be part of Bribie's Eco-Community!

The public meeting went extremely well and we are near completion for the groups incorporation - thanks to our dear Dynamic Diggers committee.
We also now have a liaison person in Council who is looking after the Community Garden Project and we are meeting with them and Gary Parsons on site next week. An application for lease of the land is also formally being made.

So if you haven't yet checked out the potential site, take some time out to go up and have a wander round - visualise the abundant Community Garden you've always wanted to be involved in and help us to manifest it!

Upcoming gathering Sun 26th July

We have a great gathering planned - an outing to 'Witjuti Grub' bush food nursery near Kenilworth, we are just waiting to hear back from them, as they are open by appointment only... so watch this space for details..

Public Meeting : Sat 4th July

We are holding a Public Meeting in the Bateman meeting Room at the local Library on Sat 4th July at 10.30 am, this is partly to fulfill requirements of incorporation and for nominating and voting in committee members, but also to present and invite comment and discussion on the draft stage of our Proposal to Council with regard to the Community Garden site.
Local Council and state representatives, as well as the mayor have been invited to attend.
All interested are welcome and encouraged to come along and show your support - it's also the library book sale the same day, so pick up a bargain at the same time!

Dynamic Diggers meeting : Mon June 29th

At Beks place : 36 Wattle Ave, Bongaree @ 7pm

Sunday 28th June Gathering

Due to the upcoming Public Meeting (see next posting!) we've decided to have this months gathering at the proposed Community Garden site and we'll move Dave's 'organic pest control' to a later date, so......

WHAT: Planning our Community Garden...
WHEN: Sun 28th June @ 3pm
WHERE: First Avenue, on the way to Woorim, behind the indoor bowls and bridge clubs - might want your mozzie spray

Bring along a rug/chair if required and local/seasonal fare and refreshments to share. Do you have seedlings or produce to swap/share, questions to ask, advice to offer?

All Welcome

Dynamic Diggers : June 15th

Our incorporation application is well under way, with only a bit more pruning required before maturity - we have organised a Public meeting for Saturday 4th July at the library to 'officially' nominate and vote in our President/Secretary/Treasurer (more details at later date). All are welcome and encouraged to attend as we will also be presenting our Community Garden Proposal (at whatever stage it's at), for public discussion and comment.

Do you want to be in at the Grass Roots of this exciting project and have a positive input on how
YOUR Community Garden will look/operate? Here's how -

Next Dynamic Diggers meeting : Monday 15th June @ 7pm, 17 Elcata Ave , Bellara - Jim's Place

See you there....

Gathering Sun 31st May

Everyone seems happy to continue with the last Sun of the month for our gatherings, so here's what's coming up next -

When: Sunday 31st May, 3pm onwards for early Tea
Where: Cherie's House - 29 Cicada St, Woorim
What: "Wicking Beds" - save on water using a wicking bed system, for use in the garden and in containers, Mary-Lou is going to show us how! Also, come inspired to help Cherie design her own backyard....

Bring along a plate of local seasonal food to share (if possible), refreshment, plate, cutlery and a rug/spare chair. Come armed with a sustainable question or advice to offer... do you have seeds/seedlings/produce to swap or share? Do you need help on a working Bee?

Bring along a smile ....

All Welcome, Child friendly

Dynamic Diggers committee meeting

Friendly reminder of this weeks inaugral meeting for those interested in being part of the 'Grass Roots' of BEC House -
When : Wed 2oth May 7.30pm
Where : Mandy's place - 39 Pacific Drive, Banksia

Low Carbon Diet!

If you are looking for ways to further reduce your carbon footprint, then take a look at this website - they are hosting a free afternoon workshop in May to help out with ideas and there are also links to the climate smart qld govt site which has carbon calculators, etc online

http://www.sustainablejamboree.org/

Woodford Tree Planting Festival 1st - 3rd May

On the first w/end in May, Woodford Folk Festival organisers hold a Tree Planting W/end.
For info and tickets, check out : theplantingfestival.com

As well as taking part in short working bees to help replant the festival site and to provide/restore native habitat, there is an opportunity to attend various workshops on sustainable topics, along with great food, music and comedy - it's a w/end not to miss.

If you want to hook up with others who are also going and would like/need to share camping equipment and an evening around the Webber fire - contact Beks via email

Next Gathering Sunday 26th April - Making Tofu

Due to supporting the annual Tree Planting Festival at Woodford on the first w/end in May we have brought our next gathering forward...

When: Sunday 26th April, 3pm onwards for early Tea
Where: Ron's House - 74 Oleander Drive, Bongaree
What: Come and learn "HOW TO MAKE TOFU" with us.

Bring along a plate of local seasonal food to share (if possible), refreshment, plate, cutlery and a rug/spare chair. Come armed with a sustainable question or advice to offer... do you have seeds/seedlings/produce to swap or share?

Bring along a smile ....

All Welcome, Child friendly

--

Veggie Village Outing April 19th

As arranged at our last gathering on 5th April, we have planned a trip to 'Veggie Village' atPeregian Beach for Sunday 19th April, meeting at Bek's house at 9am prompt to arrange car pooling for the trip up.
It should take about an hour to get up there and we will be met by a Veggie Village local to show us around, etc.
Bring along some morning Tea/lunch and refreshments as we're not sure how long we'll stay.
It promises to be a great insight into how to establish and maintain a successful community garden, along with general gardening tips.

Everyone welcome to come along.

Upcoming Monthly Gathering

When: Sunday 5th April, 3pm onwards for early Tea
Where: Beks' House - 36 Wattle, Ave Bongaree
What: Bring along a plate of local seasonal food to share (if possible), refreshment, plate, cutlery and a rug/spare chair. Come armed with a sustainable question or advice to offer... do you have seeds/seedlings/produce to swap or share?
Bring along a smile .... and your diary, so we can look at days for those community garden visits

All Welcome, Child friendly

Bribie Climate Change Adaptation Alliance

BEC House members attended a Climate Change information session last year, this has led onto creating an Alliance of community groups on Bribie to look at Bribie's future.
Thanks to Colleen Finn who attended the Climate Change workshop on Monday 24th March on our behalf and has given us this feedback from it: -

In a nutshell: this meeting of the Bribie Climate Change Adaptation Alliance, sought to clarify and condense the concerns that were raised at the public meeting of the 19th November 2008.

This large list of concerns( almost 70 items) has now been divided into subsections, they are as follows:
Disaster Plan,
Vegetation,
Water,
Wildlife,
Transport,
Shoreline Erosion,
Infrastructure and Planning,
Soil.

The group will look at ways to best address these issues for achievable, practical, measurable and positive outcomes. Goals are to be short term- up to 1 year, mid term 2-5 yrs and long term and will include mapping, monitoring and evaluation of the above sub sections.

Ways to best involve and educate the community and particularly to engage younger people also need to be addressed.

BEC House will hopefully be involved in this process as they are issues that concern all of us.

NEW Local Council Community Gardens Info Site

We have been in touch with Candice Lloyd from Queensland Health, who's working with MBR Council with regard to this new initiative - please take a look at their site

www.mbcommunitygardens.com.au

(also at top of list in weblinks), it is going to be a great resource for the whole community and a guide also for starting up.
Candice is keen to meet with us to discuss our aims for the future with BEC house on Bribie and how we'd like to be represented on their website...

We've arranged a meeting at Beks Thompson's place - 36 Wattle Ave for next Friday 27th March at 10am. It would be fantastic to see some of you there too and be involved, if you can make it.

Please give me a call or email me if you are able to come - see you there, with morning tea?!

Also Mandy Allen And Colleen Finn from BEC House are representing us at a regional Climate Change workshop for interested community groups on Bribie on Tues. 24th - watch this space for outcomes.
Thanks Guys.

Veggie Village - Peregian Beach

I encourage you all to take the time to look at this community garden website - (on our links area - bottom right). It looks very well organised and as it's also coastal it'd be interesting to check out. They also have some good info on web communication in groups (to follow!)

They are having an official opening this Sat - March 7th from 8.30am.

I'm interested in going - is anyone else available and want to car pool or follow up? I think it will be very worthwhile as it's a fairly new, but already successful project. Even if you can't make it up this w/end, we could organise it as a group trip at our next gathering.
Let me know...

Feb/March Gatherings News

Great to see everyone at our last couple of gatherings.

• We've already mentioned in the last post about deciding to re-look at the Art's Centre as a possible meeting ground/useage area for workshops and a garden/premises, there seems to be a new committee underway - We won't know unless we try!....

• We discussed Working/Busy bees in our own back yards and are all keen to do that as needs be - the weather is just getting to action time again. So anyone needing a few extra hands, just let us know and we'll all help out.

• When we all have some seedlings, etc, underway, we are happy to swap and share at future gatherings, get a bit of a barter system going.

• We discussed the idea of Tool Share - are you happy to lend out a tool? Do we all need one of everything?? Let us know what you think on that one...

• Julie is now going to be selling Green Harvest seeds at the Mercy Shop, instead of Eden seeds. They promise a 99% germination rate and are sourced from maleny.

• The veg box scheme has stopped, in favour of buying Organics direct from Wright's Fruit Barn, so please support Jackie at Wrights (next to the Orange Bribie hardware store) as she's doing it all just for us and keeping prices down.

• We are all interested in future workshops and are looking at possibilities - let us know what your interests are and what you'd like to attend..

• We are going to approach Peter Kearney from City Food Growers about a visit to the Samford garden for some time soon - watch this space..

Community Garden - council feedback

We have had some communication with our new council, who are in the process of putting in place a general policy with regard to the 'handling' of Community Gardens - as they say they have had interest in this issue from many areas. We are waiting for feedback from this, however we may be looking at putting in a proposal for the land use as a community garden to speed this process up, in the future, depending on member interest for use of this particular site.
Another area we are looking at is use of the Community Arts Centre in some form or other, being already a great community venue, but which appears to be currrently underused. We are arranging a meeting with them to discuss any possibilities.