National Sustainable Living Festival 1–28 FEB

by editor | 1 Feb 2019 | SLAM

Australia’s longest running and largest sustainability festival hits the streets in 2019 for its 20th year. This iconic, national platform showcases sustainability leaders and innovators with cutting edge solutions to an ever-growing audience. Disruptions for...

Armidale Urban Rivercare Sunday Sessions

by editor | 1 Feb 2019 | AURG, Event

Armidale Urban Rivercare (AURG) Sunday Sessions will be held on the second Sunday of each month. Time: 8:30am Location: Somewhere along Dumaresq Creek — Join the AURG mailing list for details of each session. What to bring: BYO long sleeved shirt, long pants and...

AURG Maintenance Mondays

by editor | 1 Feb 2019 | AURG, Event

We will continue with our weeding downstream of Niagara Street on the north side of the Creek near where Northcott Street (accessed off Erskine Street) adjoins the creek area. Time: 3.00 to 5.00pm Location: Dumaresq Creek between the Prickly Problems sign and upstream...

Beau the Koala live at the Extinction Inquiry with the Wilderness Society

by Elizabeth O'hara | 1 Feb 2019 | Habitat, SLAM

Beau the Koala WAS LIVE from the Extinction Inquiry on the Friday 1 February. He was at the Senate hearing into the Faunal Extinction Crisis our National Director and Nature Campaigner presented evidence that our Federal Environment laws are failing animals like the...

Wild Koala Day is May 3! #wildkoaladay

by editor | 1 Feb 2019 | Event, Habitat

Get involved in Wild Koala Day… Share a wild koala photograph on facebook, instagram or twitter and tag #wildkoaladay If you don’t have a pic of a wild koala, share your favourite koala toy and tag #wildkoaladay In Australia, phone your local politician on Wild Koala...

Ecoarts Australis 3rd national conference 26-28 MAY

by editor | 1 Feb 2019 | Event

3rd National EcoArts Australis Conference: Using the Visual and Performing Arts to Encourage Pro-environmental Behaviour 26-28 May 2019 Wollongong, NSW Welcome to the first mail out for the third national EcoArts Australis Conference! We are looking forward to hosting...

Will you share your #climatestory?

by editor | 1 Feb 2019 | Climate

It you pay attention, you can see climate damage everywhere. The seasons aren’t what they used to be. We swelter through record-breaking heatwaves. There are bushfires in winter, and even in tropical rainforests in Queensland. We struggle with more frequent and...

Watch “Story of Plastic” mini-doc

by editor | 1 Feb 2019 | Waste

Plastic polluted neighbourhoods in Manila are taking things into their own hands by creating systemic zero waste programs that: Collect all recyclables Compost all organics Push for corporate accountability for everything else

350.org film Accelerate trailer #1point5

by editor | 1 Feb 2019 | Climate, Energy

You may already know that 350.org created a film of our Accelerate Climate Action tour with world-renowned author and environmentalist, 350 co-founder Bill McKibben for people everywhere to share in their communities, to empower individuals to take action. This is a...

One Year On – Save UNE Habitat Trees!

by editor | 21 Jan 2019 | Event, Habitat | 2 comments

Commemorate the first anniversary of the Save UNE Habitat Trees campaign achieving the temporary stopping of the chopping. Please bring your friends and join us for a picnic lunch near one of these rare, precious and beautiful trees still standing – one that is...

Sapphire Wind Farm Community Investment NOW OPEN!

by editor | 20 Jan 2019 | Energy, Starfish

CWP Renewables and Partners Group (a global private markets investment management firm which is also the majority equity investor in the Sapphire Wind Farm) seek to share the benefits of what is now a wind, solar (more details below) and battery project with the local...

Vickery hearing postponed due to unprecedented community interest

by editor | 20 Jan 2019 | AACSGaM

The Independent Planning Commission has postponed a preliminary hearing on a coal mine project in the state’s northwest due to unprecedented community interest. A last-minute surge in registrations has resulted in a record number of speakers for the preliminary stage...

Last chance to go solar before credits reduce on 1 Jan ’19

by editor | 14 Dec 2018 | Energy, Starfish

The 9th solar power bulk-buy block is currently open for residents, farms and businesses throughout the New England North West region. As at the time of writing, deposits for just over half of the block have been taken. Now is your last chance to purchase and install...

Progress from the Start of Save Our Macleay River

by editor | 14 Dec 2018 | AACSGaM, Habitat

In 2013, a group of consultants made several recommendations to Government about how to deal with the arsenic contaminated tailings from a processing facility at Urunga. One option presented was to truck 30,000M3 for storing and possibly processing to Hillgrove, on...

December Party: Bring a friend and finger food to share

by editor | 5 Dec 2018 | Event, Garden, Local Food, Monthly Forum

Let’s celebrate all the good sustainable culture in Armidale with friends and lovely finger food. We will provide drinks, corn hole, table soccer, music, and a beautiful community garden. The festivities will happen at the new time of 6.30pm Thursday 6th...

Sapphire Community Investment December Roadshow

by editor | 5 Dec 2018 | Energy, Event

Thank you for your patience over the past few months and it was great to see those that attended the Wind Farm Open Day on 21 October. The exciting news is that with construction nearing completion, the community co-investment into Sapphire Wind Farm is about to open....

Book Launch: ‘Locked On!’

by editor | 5 Dec 2018 | AACSGaM, Event

Friday 7th December, 5.30 pm Reader’s Companion, 149 Beardy St Mall This event launches Marty Branagan’s illustrated novel ‘Locked On! The Seventh and Most Illegal in the Hitchhiker’s Guide Trilogy’. It’s a fictionalised account of the Leard Forest blockade against...

The Future is Not for Sale

by editor | 5 Dec 2018 | AACSGaM, Climate, Event, Stop Adani

Concerned members of our community who are angry at the news this week that ADANI will be proceeding are invited to join a march to give voice to your concern. The Reef, Queensland’s Artesian Water, the climate, the traditional owners, the environment, our young...

Boomerang Bag Bee

by editor | 5 Dec 2018 | Boomerang Bags, Event

Boomerang Bags sewing bees are the second Saturday of the month at the Kent House Community Centre commencing at 9am to 1pm. It would be great to see you all there. Bring your friends and your sewing machine if you have one. There are some non-sewing jobs to do also....

The Rescue Project

by editor | 5 Dec 2018 | Habitat

The Rescue Project is a citizen storytelling project by UNSW and Landcare Australia, and it invites the public to tell their story of environmental rescue – whether that be of a tract of bush, a farm, or indeed a native animal – in 500 words. It’s a...

Fair Trade Pop Up Shop Nov 30th

by editor | 28 Nov 2018 | Event

Get ready for Christmas at a Fair Trade Downunder – Hands & Hearts Pop-Up Shop Would you like to come down to the Baptist Church hall on Friday evening to have a look at some lovely fair trade goodies? The kinds of things you’ll find are described on...

Climate Matters: The Value Of A Local Farmers’ Market

by editor | 27 Nov 2018 | Local Food

What does the local Farmers market have to do with climate matters? Why should it matter to me? Our Armidale Farmers’ Market provides an opportunity for locals to purchase fresh, seasonably available, locally grown and prepared produce. We as consumers can interact...

Video: Why does Black Friday even exist?

by editor | 27 Nov 2018 | Waste

Black Friday, it’s an American tradition where millions of shoppers wait in long lines to buy more Stuff. How did the season of giving turn into the season of buying? Why does Black Friday even exist? Brett Chamberlin — Story of Stuff P.S. If shopping...

Climate Matters: Reducing Waste One Bag at a Time

by editor | 23 Nov 2018 | Climate

Much of what we eat and drink comes in some kind of plastic packaging. It is estimated one million, single use, plastic bags are used worldwide every minute amounting to a staggering 3.5 million tons of waste per year. Recycling is once again in the spotlight...

Local environment provides the ‘face’ of 2018 Black Gully Festival

by editor | 16 Nov 2018 | Black Gully, SLAM

A stylised lizard is the ‘face’ of this year’s Black Gully Festival – an annual celebration that brings people together to enjoy music, art, the environment and our community. Designed by local artist Simon Mellor, this year’s logo makes a creative mark while...