Biochar Trial for Australia’s Top End

by editor | 8 Oct 2013 | Starfish

This week an organic farm at Lambells Lagoon, near Darwin, has spread biochar onto a two hectare block of zucchinis, cucumber and watermelons. Biochar is essentially charcoal, and is created by converting biomass or feedstock into a charred product under...

Seed Swap

by editor | 4 Oct 2013 | Event, Local Food | 2 comments

Do you have excess veggie seeds and would like to swap them for something you don’t have? Or perhaps you’d simply like the chance to chat about veggie gardening in the Armidale region. Come along to ALF’s Seed Swap on Saturday 5th October from 2pm to...

Twisting Willow

by editor | 3 Oct 2013 | Event

Twisting Willow is an opportunity to build an eco gunyah on the site of the Black Gully Music Festival and to help celebrate the 30th birthday of both NERAM and THe Armidale Tree Group. The work will be facilitated by Uralla artist Andrew Parker. Find out more by...

Come and help with veggie patch at Mary White College

by editor | 2 Oct 2013 | Event | 1 comment

A group of students have formed an environmental group at Mary White College at Uni. These students recently met with the head of their college and discussed plans of what they want to do and where they see the college going environmentally. The outcome of this was...

The Story of Solutions

by editor | 2 Oct 2013 | SLAM

The Story of Solutions explores how we can move our economy in a more sustainable and just direction, starting with orienting ourselves toward a new goal. In the current ‘Game of More’, we’re told to cheer a growing economy – more roads, more malls, more Stuff! – even...

Thursday Forum: Undermining Australia: Coal vs Communities

by editor | 1 Oct 2013 | AACSGaM, Energy, Event

A new 36 minute film, Undermining Australia: Coal vs Communities, presented by the Lock the Gate Alliance and directed by David Lowe will be shown at SLA’s Thursday Forum. It recounts personal stories of suffering and courage as local communities stand together...

Has the carbon tax killed the Australian mining boom?

by editor | 1 Oct 2013 | Event

Institute for Rural Futures Research Seminar Time: Thursday, 3 October, 2013, 1.00pm. Location: Institute for Rural Futures Seminar Room (Building CO12) University of New England Dr Samuel Meng Institute for Rural Futures, School of Behavioural, Cognitive and Social...

Pilliga and Leard Forest Coal & Coal Seam Gas Tag Along Tours

by editor | 1 Oct 2013 | AACSGaM, Event

This is a not for profit tour. It is to educate about the dire impacts of coal seam gas mining / coal mining See the beauty of Leard and Pilliga Forests. And learn first hand the damage coal seam gas mining has caused in the Pilliga and open cut coal mining is causing...

Tree Group Anniversary Dinner

by editor | 1 Oct 2013 | Event

Armidale Tree Group celebrates 30 years. Tickets $45 available from Armidale Tree Group, 80 Mann Street. Telephone: six double seven one 1620. Book by 5th October.

Inland rail gains momentum

by editor | 1 Oct 2013 | Starfish, Transport

The Melbourne to Brisbane Inland Rail Alliance (MBIRA) and the Border Regional Organisation of Councils (BROC) co-hosted a Strategy Meeting in Moree to identify ways to support the creation of an inland rail line and logistics system for freight movements in the vast...

HyperVillage ~ The New Rural

by editor | 26 Sep 2013 | Starfish

The HyperVillage is an idea for an alternative to uber-urban-cities, which seem to be the predominant view of many commentators as the most sustainable future way of living for humans. But what about rural and remote communities? HyperVillage is about imagining a...

Help us write our name!

by editor | 25 Sep 2013 | Garden

We want to write the words ‘community garden’ on the north-facing fence of the garden – who out there would like to help us do it? The individual letters have already been set up on the fence in twine and the idea is for people to adopt a letter and...

Green Drinks + Ecopella

by editor | 24 Sep 2013 | Event

After the success of our first Green Drinks, we thought we should do it again. And this time there is entertainment! On Wednesday 25th September, the fabulous Ecopella choir (ecopella.org) will be visiting The Armidale Club from 7.30. This is a great opportunity to...

Finish Line at The Armidale Club

by editor | 20 Sep 2013 | Event, Transport

Come to The Armidale Club 3pm this Saturday for Bike Week’s – Finish Line. If you were in the Commute Challenge, bring your commute card to be in the running for great prizes. There will be free nibbles and entertainment at Turntables Restaurant –...

You’re invited to the first Walcha Farmers’ Market

by editor | 20 Sep 2013 | Event | 1 comment

The Walcha Farmers’ Market Committee invites you to attend our first ever Walcha Farmers’ Market. We have over 20 stalls confirmed, including a diverse range of produce, by-products and home-made items sourced from the Walcha area and within the region. Look forward...

Commute Challenge @ Bike Week 2013

by editor | 17 Sep 2013 | Event, Transport

You can expect more bikes in the streets of Armidale between 15th and 22nd September, as NSW Bike Week is celebrated. This annual community event promotes cycling as a healthy, sustainable, economical and fun activity for riders of all types. Sustainable Living...

Book presentation and launch

by user submitted | 17 Sep 2013 | Event, SLAM | 1 comment

You are invited to a Book Promotion “Global Warming, Militarism and Non Violence: The Art of Active Resistance” by Dr Marty Branagan Wednesday 18th September The Armidale Club, 6 pm. Now available at United Campus Bookshop, UNE. Reviews can be found at Amazon By:...

Latest from Community Garden

by editor | 17 Sep 2013 | Garden

Hi everyone it has been such a long time since I gave you an update on the garden. Our 3 chooks are settling in well to their new home, they are very beautiful and have already laid lots of lovely brown eggs. Many thanks to Pat for giving us our gorgeous girls, and to...

Materialism vs Sustainability

by editor | 17 Sep 2013 | Starfish

Australian’s have one of the highest environmental footprints per capita in the world. If everyone in the world lived like Australians, we’d need more than four Earths worth of resources and capacity to satisfy the demand. Yet despite the absurdity in that...

Waste Land

by editor | 11 Sep 2013 | Event, SLAM

Progressive Cinema presents: Waste Land at The Armidale Club, 91 Beardy St, on Wednesday, 11th September, 2013 at 7:00pm “Human society sustains itself by transforming nature into garbage.” – Mason Cooley “Waste Land”, a documentary by...

Matt Damon ‘meets’ AACSG

by editor | 11 Sep 2013 | AACSGaM, Event

Every so often there is a celebrity-backed Hollywood movie that throws a spotlight on a major issue. Such a film is Promised Land starring Matt Damon, where the story is about the buying up of mineral rights from farmers to drill for gas, using hydraulic fracturing...

Global fossil fuel incentives top $2.4 trillion per year

by editor | 9 Sep 2013 | Starfish

In the hotly politicised energy arena, public attention is rarely drawn to the fact that fossil fuels receieve incentives which are far greater than those provided to support clean and renewable energy. Government incentives are widely accepted as being critical to...

Volunteers for ride in the park

by editor | 9 Sep 2013 | Event, Transport

You may be aware the SLA Transport Group has been busy planning Bike Week events, to encourage more local riding. It would be great if you could spare some time between 10:00am – 11:30am on Sunday 15 September to help operate the group social ride (Ride in the...

TAFE Saturday Sustainable Living Workshops CANCELLED

by editor | 9 Sep 2013 | SLAM

Update 10/10/13 CANCELLED For the third year, TAFE New England, Armidale campus is running a series of workshops called “The Saturday Sustainable Living Workshops”. Building on the success and experience of previous years, the workshops this year will have a practical...

Earth Overshoot Day comes earlier again in 2013

by editor | 9 Sep 2013 | Event, Starfish | 1 comment

August 20 was Earth Overshoot Day 2013. This marks the date when globally we have consumed all the resources the earth has created for the year. Our consumption and footprint for the rest of 2013 will be further degrading the planet’s capacity to support life – ours...