Archive for the ‘Courses’ Category

Merdian Permaculture in conjunction with the Satyananda Yoga Ashram Presents Rocklyn Permaculture Design Certificate

with David Holmgren, Ian Lillington, Hamish MacCullum and other guest

Join us for this unique opportunity to learn from Australia’s top Permaculture teachers in a fourteen day residential course set in the grounds of the Satyananda Yoga Ashram deep in the heart of the Wombat Forest outside Daylesford.

Develop design skills for a world of declining energy and resources. Learn the skills and techniques for transition to a more sustainable future. Balance the head, heart and hands with integrated permaculture study, practical hands-on learning, daily yoga and meditation practice.

Course fee: $1750
Early bird bookings receive 10% discount
Concession places available

Sunday 4th September to Sunday 18th September 2011
For course information and bookings contact:
Hamish MacCallum p. 0427 403 229
Jika Mills p. 0425 856 834
hamish@meridiandesign.com.au

Tired of tasteless vegetables from the supermarket? Tired of paying too much for your vegetables? Then this is the short course for you. Learn from practical experience how to create a successful Kitchen Garden using sustainable gardening practices.

Learn the skills necessary to:

• construct a garden bed
• create healthy soil
• choose seasonal plants
• understand companion planting
• water efficiency
• grasp fertilising and mulch
• control pests and diseases organically

Our course presenter, previous horticultural consultant to ABC TV  – Gardening Australia is a professional who has been involved in the research, writing and teaching of gardening practices for over 20 years.

Course Location: VU Footscray Nicholson

School: School of Foundation, Community And Indigenous Programs

Duration: 6 hours – 3 hours for 2 consecutive Saturdays

Course Code: VNGAR

Course Dates: 3 September 2011 & 10 September 2011

Course Times: TBA

Fees: $180

Admission Information: There are no prerequisites for this course

How to Register: ph: 9919 8545 or email: urbangreen.hub@vu.edu.au

Child’s Play Permaculture (CPP) is dedicated to providing educational programs on sustainable gardening, sustainable crafts and outdoor activities. Our programs are rich, holistic activities that link ecological, social and cultural learning. We believe in education that is experiential, relevant and provide usefull skills.

We offer a range of educational services with adults and children. These include sustainable arts and crafts, experiential camps, adult education on lifestyle and well being, community and school gardens and gardening workshops.

School Holiday Program

Our Program

Location
The program will run at the Abbotsford Convent, at the Sophia Mundi Steiner School.

For more information about Child’s Play Permaculture: http://www.childsplaypermaculture.com.au/index.html

Sustainability Expo

Sustainably renovate your home with tips, tricks and tools that won’t cost the earth

Date: Sunday 1 May, 10am to 2pm

Location Footscray Community Arts Centre
45 Moreland Street, Footscray

http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=1539

We’ve all seen the TV shows where some glamorous couple wearing designer eyewear and hand knitted organic jumpers, gives us a tour of their fabulous eco-mansion with reclaimed marble kitchen, 300 year old timbers and passive solar floor tiles imported from a small village in Northern Mongolia.

http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=1526

But what about the rest of us? Most of us are hoping to make our existing homes as sustainable as possible without doing a complete demolition or ending up with a renovation that looks like a single fronted Edwardian weatherboard has collided with a Federation starship.

http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=659

If you are thinking about renovating or rejuvenating your home, then come to this free expo to save money and minimise toxins, carbon creation and household energy use. We will cover accreditation schemes, sustainable material choices and eco friendly design for extensions, kitchens and bathrooms, as well as passive heating and cooling of your home.

Experts will give presentations throughout the expo about design tips, materials to use or to avoid and what government rebates are available. Stallholders from industry and sustainability groups will present the latest in ‘eco-renovation’ products, services and schools of thought.

This will be a carbon neutral event.

For more information contact: Maribyrnong City Council on 9688 0357 or visit www.maribyrnong.vic.gov.au/greening

Free Lunchbox Session

Topic:
Reading your energy bills

Are you being ripped off?
Are there savings to be made?
How smart is your Smart Meter?

Presenter: Chandra Sundareswaran
Moreland Energy Foundation Ltd*
Date: Wednesday 23 March, 12.30-1.30pm
Location: Functions Room
Maribyrnong City Council Offices
Cnr Hyde and Napier Sts, Footscray

Find out how you can get more out of your energy dollar by attending this free session. The session will help you discover:

1. What those charts and graphs really tell you.
2. Is going solar worth it and what are ‘time of use rates’ and other jargon used in solar agreements?
3. How you compare to families similar to yours?
4. Keeping down with the Jones, without dramatically changing your lifestyle?

Come along and get the facts that will enable you to act and save money and the planet.

*Moreland Energy Foundation Limited (MEFL) is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to sustainable energy. They undertake community engagement, do research, consult, train and advocate on energy efficiency, renewable energy and related policy and planning issues.

Are you overladen with lemons? Or coveting your neighbour’s rhubarb perhaps? Too much worm tea or compost. Chooks laying like crazy and you don’t know what to do with the eggs? You can get into the spirit of sharing and swapping your surplus produce with friends and neighbours at this summer food swap.

First Saturday of each month – the Spotswood Farmers Market is just next door.

9.30 am to 10.30 am. 5 March – 2 April – 7 May – 4 June

Find us at the Spotswood Community House, cnr Melbourne Rd & McLister St, Spotswood.

Melways ref 41 J12.. (Next to the Spotswood Primary School).

Contact Madeleine on 0409 712 003 or Julie on 9391 2613.

Email coordinator@spotswood.com.au

An initiative of The Spotswood Community House & Newport Organic Collective Inc

WORKSHOP – THE ART OF MAKING A GREAT SUGO & GNOCCHI

Learn to make the mother of all tomato sauces – Sugo – with LouLou. LouLou has channelled generations of Nonna’s to perfect this super intense recipe. She will also demonstrate how to make Nonna’s home made gnocchi using a foolproof recipe.

It’s a small group, hands on, and everyone will get a jar of freshly made ORGANIC sugo to take home. We finish off with a bowl of freshly made gnocchi smothered in fresh, rich sugo, parsley and parmesan cheese. It doesn’t get any better.

COMPULSORY BOOKING FEE $20 Full refund with 48 hours notice.

DATE Saturday March 5, 10 am to 1 pm, includes light lunch.

VENUE Spotswood Community House,
Cnr Melbourne Rd & McLister Ave

BOOKINGS Contact Julie on 9391 2613 or email
coordinator@spotswood.com.au

An initiative of the Newport Organic Collective Inc & Spotswood Community House

Course details: Experience 1-4 weekends of hands-on learning through building an earth dome to prepare you to build your own studio, home, eco-village, or school. The focus of this workshop is to build in a way that connects the structure and the participants to the energy flows of the planet. Chose to attend just one, two, three, or all four weekends. For every additional weekend you attend, receive a discount. This gives participants the opportunity to gain specific skills and the ability to pick and choose weekends that work for them. We encourage participants to attend all four weekends if you plan on building for your self or your community.

Dates:
March 11 (Free informational evening and registration at 7pm)
March 12-13 The Nitty-Gritty of Earthbag Building
March 19-20 Finding Direction and Openings
March 26-27 Way Up High- A New Perspective
April 2-3 Envisioning the Future


Registration:
One Weekend $300
Two Weekends $550 ($50 discount)
Three Weekends $750 ($150 discount)
Four Weekends $900 ($300 discount) it’s like a whole weekend for free!
Register through Pay Pal on the Upcoming Workshops Page.

Contact: phone 61 3 9016 2675 AUS, 1(801)542-9386 USA, Skype Name: “neildeck”, and email at guidingstarcreations@gmail.com

It is our intention (Adrian Dent and me, Miriam Baxt) to start an Urban PDC for Melbournians. As we live in the SE suburbs we would like to base it in that region. Unfortunately, we are in a very small home on a half block which is unsuitable as a classroom base.

Information we need from others:

It’s time to get serious about this. I would like to get expressions of interest from anyone wanting to get involved in this project.
Please let me know what topics you cover/present, your fee, preferred delivery times/days (generally) and background.

Ideally, I would like to organise this through a community house that has capacity to get the course government funding, so any suggestions on any you know of/rec in the SE suburbs region would be great.

Contact

Miriam Baxt 9578 7237

or

Adrian Dent – 0438 740 112

Drain Spotters Walking Tours at Werribee Open Range Zoo

Friday 4th March, Werribee Open Range Zoo, Werribee

The Drain Spotter project is being trialled in the west because the western suburbs are a highly industrialised region and many of the waterways are at risk from accidental or intentional pollution spills.

Drain Spotters is a community based water pollution monitoring program. We are holding a number of clean industry tours to highlight industries that are taking steps to reduce water-pollution and incorporate sustainable water use.
Come on a behind-the-scenes walking tour of Werribee Open Range Zoo! Get a first-hand look on the many practices they have incorporated into their business to use water effectively and reduce their impact on the environment.


Where: Werribee Open Range Zoo, K Road, Werribee Melways 201 D1.
When: 10:00am – 11:30am, Friday 4th March.
Cost: Tour and entry to the zoo is free,
but bookings are essential.
For bookings or more information please
email rohan.long@melbournewater.com.au, check out www.drainspotters.melbournewater.com.au or call Rohan on 9235 7037.

What is biogas?

Biogas is a naturally produced fuel, capable of powering stoves, lights, refrigerators, and anything that natural gas or propane can power. It is a gas composed almost entirely of CO2 (carbon dioxide) and methane (CH4) produced by an ‘oxygen free’ composting process known in as anaerobic digestion. Almost anything that was once alive can produce biogas, but plants provide a good deal more biogas than manure, pound for pound. It is a simple and cost effective process that’s used in many countries around the world, particularly where the cost of propane gas has been prohibitive. Thanks to the growing demand in renewable energy, it is now receiving a resurgence of interest in Australia.

About the presenter

David House is the American author of the internationally acclaimed book, ‘The Complete Biogas Handbook’. He will be visiting the Wimmera and Wimmera Machinery Field Days to promote Biogas through a series of workshops and presentations. David has a diverse background with experience in computers, IT, medical devices (Cochlear implants), alternative energy (Biogas and wind power generation). He is a published author and social activist. With more than thirty years of experience, David is highly regarded in his field, travelling extensively, lecturing and teaching a variety of subjects in more than twenty countries.
About the workshop

David will be conducting a two-day Biogas workshop at the Kaniva Shire Hall from 5th – 6th March, 2011. Saturday (Day 1) will consist of several lectures, from a basic introduction right through to the design, construction and production of Biogas. On Sunday (Day 2), all participants will put their knowledge to use, and build their own small Biogas producer to take home and use. The comprehensive two-day course includes morning and afternoon tea, lunch, a copy of ‘The complete Biogas handbook’, CD (including additional information and digester designs) and the digester kit.  The cost of the comprehensive two-day workshop is $330. Places are limited and interested participants are urged to book now for this not to be missed workshop.

Alternatively for people who do not wish to do the full 2 day Beginners Biogas course, tickets are available to attend the Saturday workshop only, with tickets priced at $66 which includes morning and afternoon tea plus lunch. Books (including CD) and digester kits can then be purchased separately at the Saturday workshop if required.

For more information visit http://www.bebioenergy.com/biogas.html