News Archives Jan 2012 - March 2012

Sustainability News Jan 2012 - March 2012

The Secret Garden Morning Tea

The Office of Sustainability, along the The Secret Garden & Nursery, are holding a morning tea on the 21 March 2012. The morning tea will be held at Hawkesbury Campus, Building S22 with a start time of 10:30am. $5 coffee and cake offered with all proceeds donated to the Secret Garden and Nursery.
 
Please join us for a wonderful morning at the Secret Garden where you can meets the pigs, walk through the gardens and enjoy the quite side of Hawkesbury campus.
 

Permaculture in Sydney's West

Permaculture is a design system for sustainability that has three ethics, care of people, care of Earth and fair share. This system can offer solutions for a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle. To learn more about these principles, please join us at the launch of the Permaculture Sydney West Penrith Group held on Friday 17 February 2012 with guest speaker Andrew Hewson, Sustainability Education Officer from Penrith City Council.

Permaculture Sydney West Penrith Group (PDF, 58.5 KB) (opens in a new window)
Friday 17 February 2012
7.00pm, light refreshments provided
North Penrith Community Hall
Free to all

For more information please contact the Permaculture Sydney West Penrith Group.

Professor Geoffrey Scott - Turnaround Leadership for Sustainability in Higher Education

The workshop, 'Turnaround Leadership for Sustainability in Higher Education' (opens in a new window), took place at the University of Gloucestershire on 2 December 2011. Professor Geoff Scott, Executive Director of Sustainability and Professor of Higher Education at the University of Western Sydney, presented and discussed the Turnaround Leadership for Sustainability Project which seeks to define the capabilities of an effective higher education leader for sustainability; and to produce Education for Sustainable Development resources for HE leadership in sustainability.

Soils Up Close: Getting to know the Neighbours

The Hawkesbury Microscope Group is please to announce Thea Ridley, a Watershed Landcare educator and founding member of the inspirational Mudgee Microscope Group, will be guest speaker at the first meeting for 2012.

The February meeting will introduce practical first steps in using microscopes. Samples from local veggie, pasture and fruit tree settings will be examined for different microbial populations. The 'health' of the samples will be recorded using 10 simple tests growers can undertake in the field. This event is for landholders concerned about soil health, farm inputs and the future of sustainable agriculture.

Soils Up Close Workshop
Tuesday 21 February 2012, 6.00pm to 8.00pm (like tea provided)
UWS Richmond campus, K16 Building - Room G.11
Closed toe shoes required
RSVP: Friday 10 February 2012 (places are limited)

TVS Youth Eco Summit goes to Air

The Youth Eco Summit – YES will air on TVS Channel 44 Saturday 18 February at 7.30pm repeated Tuesday 21 February at 12.30pm and Wednesday 22 February at 5.30pm. UWS was a key sponsor and partner in this summit which is now an ongoing event in Greater Western Sydney.

The program (opens in a new window) was produced by the Community Programs Production Unit, School of Humanities and Communication Arts with many thanks. Thanks also goes to Beatriz Cardona, Brenda Dobia, James Arvanitakis, David Harland, Gillian Wilkins, Monica di Sandro and Amy Borg for their wonderful contribution.

Sustainable Procurement and Sustainability Performance Management workshops

Registration has opened for two upcoming regional events.

Sustainable Procurement Workshop (opens in a new window), to be run by Jimmy Brannigan, will involve interactive half day workshops on sustainable procurement. In this workshop you will reconnect with what sustainable procurement means, how to make the business case for doing it and discover how to get it moving along in your institution. The Sydney workshop is on the 28 February 2012.

Sustainability Performance Management & Improvements in Tertiary Education (opens in a new window), will be free workshops and webinars to be delivered by the key LiFE index international consultant Jimmy Brannigan. In the workshop you will find about the soon-to-be launched LiFE index performance management and improvement tool in detail. The workshop is on the 28 February 2012 with the webinars on the 17, 23 and 28 February 2012.

Celebrating World Wetlands Day

Hawkesbury wetlandsWorld Wetlands Day is celebrated internationally each year on the 2 February. It marks the anniversary of the signing of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, known as the Ramsar Convention (1971). Spanning 40 years, the Ramsar Convention is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. Australia has been a member country since 1975, with 65 sites covering over 7,510,177 hectares.

Since 1997, government agencies, non-government organisations and community groups have celebrated World Wetlands Day by undertaking action to raise public awareness of wetland values and benefits and promote the conservation and wise use of wetlands.

UWS is committed to the sustainability and preservation of wetlands, and is fortunate enough to have three unique forested wetlands that form part of a critically endangered ecological community on its Hawkesbury campus. Capital Works and Facilities (CWF) and the Hawkesbury-Nepean Catchment Management Authority (HNCMA) a continuing their work on the collaborative project aimed at improving the condition of three wetlands.

To celebrate World Wetland Day the Office of Sustainability are organising a staff walk to the melaleuca wetland to be scheduled at a later date. If you are interested, please contact The Office of Sustainability.

For more information about the Ramsar Convention and World Wetland Day please visit the Ramsar website (opens in a new window). For more information regarding UWS forested wetlands and the UWS Wetlands project, please contact Dr Lyn Anderson at Capital Works and Facilities.

Coal Seam Gas and You

In partnership with the Putty Community Association, Hawkesbury Environment Network (HEN) and the Environmental Defender's Office are presenting information about legal processes applying to the granting of exploration and mining licences on private land in the Hawkesbury.

Coal Seam Gas Information Session
Tebbutt Room - Deerubbin Centre, Windsor
Thursday 16 February, 7.00pm
The information session is free and open to all

The information will provide landowners with information about their rights and environmental and farming impacts if coal seam gas mining is approved on their property.

For further information please contact the Hawkesbury Environmental Network (opens in a new window) (HEN) by email or phone Glenn (Secretary) on 02 4574 1430 or 0417 675 193.