Can we build resilience in our children through nature? Michelle Carrick, Council’s Manager of Children and Family Services, reckons we can.

Marrying her passions for teaching kids and environmental education, Michelle has been delving into the long-lasting benefits that play-based learning and ecological experiences have on a growing person’s wellbeing and academic success.

We talked to Michelle to find out more...

It’s not surprising that grevilleas have gained popularity with local gardeners and landscapers. They tick the 'native’ box and the hybrid varieties display large showy flowers in bloom most of the year. Sadly, hybrid grevilleas are now known to be contributing to local extinctions of small bird populations. In this story, we unpack why, and how by using a diversity of shrub species and vegetation structure, as well as providing water and a pesticide-free environment, you can help all wildlife thrive.

Interview with Alex van Os of Op Shop to Runway

Sydney eco-stylist to the stars and op-shop devotee Alex van Os from Op Shop to Runway has a passion for pre-loved fashion. She’s worked on the style teams for popular Australian TV programs including The Bachelor, I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, Home and Away, and The Voice, and has a growing fan-base on Instagram.  

We talk to her about her love for vintage and pre-loved fashion, her tips for seeking out the best finds and why she’s on a mission to change the fashion industry, one of the biggest polluting industries in the world.

It’s party time - for all local and Aussie home composters and worm farm-ers! This month we celebrate the 10^th anniversary of the now-national Compost Revolution program.

From humble beginnings as a pilot in Sydney’s eastern suburbs to help reduce food waste with community composting stations and face to face workshops, the program can now lay claim to turning over 60,000 households’ food waste into free fertiliser for gardens across Australia every week.

HIP HIP HOORAY to that!

Did you know that over one-third of carbon emissions in Australia comes from the power we use?

One of the main reasons is that around 75% of our electricity in Australia comes from coal (a fossil fuel) with only around 20 percent from zero-emissions renewable energy like solar power and wind.

The GOOD NEWS is that anyone can choose to buy renewable energy and support a more carbon-friendly power industry without actually needing a roof for solar panels or a farm for wind turbines. It’s as easy as calling your electricity provider and choosing a GreenPower product.

The last few months has seen us convert our living spaces into home offices; dining tables converted to computer desks, living rooms for virtual meetings, and any space left for fitness breaks. 

Whether you’re working from home or running a small business these top 10 tips will help you save power and money, with minimal effort and investment.

You may have heard in the media about the drastic demise of bees and other pollinators worldwide. Loss of habitat, pesticides, climate change and mites are contributing to this. Whilst honeybees in Australia are so far safe, the native bee population has taken a big hit in recent years with some estimating a 40% drop in numbers.

Local resident, climate change expert and global activist Blair Palese is co-founder and former CEO of 350.org Australia and helped organise Australia’s national fossil fuel divestment campaign that’s been part of the global divestment movement to move money out of fossil fuels.

In this blog she shares her ideas on what you can do to make a difference with your cash and voice.

Best-selling author, philanthropist, speaker, passionate sustainability advocate and local resident Sarah Wilson shares her top tips in reducing food waste (and a delicious whole of soup recipe).

(GUEST BLOG from the Australian Energy Foundation)

As many of us are now working, studying, and caring for children at home, our houses will use more electricity than usual too.

However, the last thing anyone needs right now is a higher electricity bill.

So here are seven easy ways to save energy while keeping you and your family connected, comfortable, and entertained: