Thanks to those who came along to the Yulunga Community Garden design meeting yesterday. We received good feedback with most interest being in the establishment of a learning resource where members can share gardening knowledge gained from formal training and local knowledge. Specific areas of interest were companion planting, propagation, seed bank, experimental plantings and Bush Tucker.
We are now preparing a concept design for a garden enclosure that will contain a communal learning garden comprising raised beds and espaliered fruit trees; with a separate smaller area for a storage shed and compost bays. We were fortunate to have a representative from Ulladulla TAFE in attendance who is interested in providing opportunities for hosting horticultural workshops at the completed garden. If you would like to be part of the continuing development process of the garden please become a formal member of FVCG. Membership is now open with a modest first year fee of $5 (single) and $10 (family). You can by clicking on the join tab. During the last few weeks we've been busy gathering information and working closely with Shoalhaven Council to formalise a planning pathway and establish a lease over the proposed garden site. This has all been very positive.
We'd now like to invite you to a public meeting where we can explain what's happening and to get your ideas. It’s important to Five Villages Community Garden that your garden represents the learning, growing and social needs of the community. The meeting will be facilitated in a structured workshop style but not too formal though. You don’t need to prepare anything to get involved just come along and get creative! On the day we will have some concept sketches (incorporating suggestions already received) of what the garden could look like. These will be used as a starting point. The meeting will be held outside at the back of the Yulunga Reserve community hall on Saturday 19 March at 2:00PM. In case of wet weather we'll hold the meeting inside the hall. Also, very soon we will be rolling out an official Membership process and encouraging community members to formally join FVCG. This will help ensure our vision for resilience and sustainability within our community. Stuart Bellingham, Services Coordinator at Ulladulla TAFE has advised that Ulladulla TAFE is running a Certificate II Course in Horticulture starting on 28 April.
If anyone is interested details are in the flyer below; if you would like more information Stuart is happy for you to contact him directly. https://www.tafensw.edu.au/.../Certificate-II-in... Stuart Bellingham TAFE Services Coordinator Ulladulla T: +61 44549223 | M: +61 419 549755 [email protected] Today we received the fantastic news that we have been successful with our grant application under the Black Summer Bushfire Grants Program. We have been granted $125,718 which will fund the Yulunga Reserve community garden. This generous funding will allow us to build and sustain an incredible community resource that will not only improve our resilience but will bring us closer together.
Big shout out to the Yulunga Reserve Committee, RHVA, Shoalhaven Council and Fiona Phillips - Federal Labor Member for Gilmore, for their unwavering support and encouragement. Thanks also to our hard-working committee for preparing such a professional and compelling grant application. We will invite everyone soon with opportunities for input on our priorities as we progress. Watch this space……. A quick update on our application to the Black Summer Bushfire Recovery Grants Program - originally grant announcements were expected at the end of December, this was extended to end of January, and we've just heard that it will now be end of February.
As the outcome of the grant application will determine how we plan our year we've been deliberately going slow on ramping up any activities. Hoping for positive news soon! On a separate note; for anyone who is interested in getting involved in Bushcare, we have a work day planned for this Saturday afternoon 1:30 to 4:00PM at Redhead. Direct message me for details if you are keen. BACK TO WORK!
Happy new year everyone... We've been taking time off to avoid the heat and get ready for a big 2022 in the garden! The first monthly meeting will be held on Monday the 14th of February at 7pm. Location TBC. An open invitation to anyone who'd like to attend and get more involved is extended. Was a pleasure to help our hard working Yulunga Reserve Management Committee plant out their new verge native garden this morning. Once again a big shout out to Milton Rural Landcare Inc for donating the 40 shrubs, ground covers, and grasses! Let's all watch them grow together.
You would be aware of the significant campaign currently being championed by Manyana Matters Environmental Association (MMEA) to preserve the remaining patch of significant forest in Manyana following the black summer fires. The attached is FVCG's response to the development proposal. Like MMEA we believe federal, state and local governments have a responsibility to conserve this critical habitat and to support the will of our community by holding the developer to account. In support of MMEA's work, the Five Villages Community Garden Executive Committee has forwarded the attached letter to the NSW Environment Minister and member for Farrer, The Honourable Sussan Ley MP. We have also sent a matching letter to The Honourable Fiona Phillips MP, Labor member here in Gilmore. We have emailed the same letter to Ecoplanning (Ozy Homes consultant), Ozyhomes, NSW Planning Minister Rob Stokes MP, NSW Environment Minister Matt Kean MP, and Member for South Coast Shelley Hancock MP.
Although there isn't a Yuin version this Aboriginal season outline is really cool... It's relevant to D'harawal country from the Shoalhaven North so close enough to us.
European settlers brought 4 seasons with them. This understanding of land and ecology works but the original basis for seasonal forecasting, landcare, growing and reading the environment has far more accuracy. Interesting stuff! More info at: http://www.bom.gov.au/iwk/calendars/dharawal.shtml What a wonderful day we had on Saturday. Congratulations to everyone who came along and got their hands dirty over the week of prep and on the day.
We have to thank Manyana Matters for kicking a bucket of community funds to our project. To Red Head Villages Association Inc for assisting in establishing our organisation and advising us behind the scenes. Our beautiful stones and soils came from Garden Haven and lots of plants at a 'community-friendly' rate from Wirin Wirra Native Nursery. Thanks to Milton IGA Plus Liquor and Sue Hanson for feeding everyone some lunch. Another big, heavy-machinery strength shout out goes to Al Deadman who moved our giant rocks with his excavator. Boral Timbers Batemans Bay and Bunnings Ulladulla for supporting the build that was carried out with smiles from the talented tool swingers Lachie and AJ Nolan Constructions. Designs for the garden were made possible and polished to framable art by Sheree / Sunny Road Permaculture Manyana. There was a huge community push for this project. We've really seen the power of our collective will and the unstoppable desire for us all to get together, re-grow after the fires and be healthy, helpful and happy as a whole. Congratulations everyone. The first of many projects! Photo by: Annette Tesoriero BIG NEWS!
We're official as of this morning. The office of NSW Fair Trading has sent back our certificate of registration for our Incorporated Association. This means we can do all sorts of fun stuff like get insurance, hold formal meetings and have a bank account to receive grants and buy tools and plants with! See you all on Saturday at our first build, Five Villages Community Garden Club - Permablitz #1 event if you can make it. It's nearly time to blitz the first garden! Check out what we have planned and get your boots ready. Everyone is welcome. Hello Gardeners! We have big news.
The paperwork is off and we're in the process of setting up all of the legal mumbo-jumbo stuff in the background to make sure we can keep gardening for the foreseeable future and have insurance and legal status to keep our group growing and thriving. We, the executive committee, have decided on the name Five Villages Community Garden as it incorporates our whole area and all of us in it. Saturday 10th April 2021 10am - 2:00pm
Manyana RFS - Cunjurong Point Road, Cunjurong Point. Time to get our hands dirty! This Permablitz event involves a the build of a no-dig garden bed, a fire-resistant and food producing planting and worm tunnel demo. We will show members how to create a no-dig garden bed, build worm tunnels and quickly convert a neglected patch of dirt into a beautiful, productive and fire-resistant garden in a day... with a bit of community spirit and people-power. Please note: You will be required bring/wear your own Personal Protective Equipment. At a minimum, it will need to be: Work boots, Long sturdy pants, Gloves and sun protection. No hat (boots, gloves and sturdy clothes), No play! For more info on what exactly a Permablitz is see the link below: https://www.permablitz.net/.../permablitz-on-gardening.../ Yulunga Reserve - 195 Sunset Strip, Manyana
Saturday April 3rd 2021 9am - 10am All community garden club members and their potential member friends are invited to attend. This casual meeting will focus on preparation for the upcoming Fire-resistant garden example Permablitz event at the RFS shed on the 10th of April (TBC). We will meet outside for COVID-safe compliance so the meeting will be postponed if the weather isn't nice. Meeting agenda: - Intro to new members - Presentation of plan for Permablitz event on 10th April - Discussion/brainstorm of plan - Delegation of duties for Permablitz - Permablitz Equipment & Safety briefing Come and join us at second garden club meeting at the Yulunga Reserve.
13 February 2021 10am - 11:30am 195 Sunset Strip Manyana Our second meet up will be a chance for members and friends to meet our organisers if they missed the January meeting. We will go over concept plans that we've been developing and ask you all for feedback and ideas. This meeting will be a great opportunity to meet group members and make connections before we start digging and planting together soon. We will meet outside for COVID-safe compliance so the meeting will be postponed if the weather isn't nice. Meeting agenda: - Intro to garden goals, planning progress and organisers. - Member introductions - Brainstorm and feedback session over concept plan for garden at Yulunga Reserve. Please wear a mask at the event if you are within 1.5m others. If not for you for others who may be more vulnerable to the unlikely event of transmission. Hey there gardeners!
We've been digging away at a fair bit of planning in January. Working towards securing a permanent space for our group to get their hands dirty. We've got some amazing responses and generous community members working with us to make it happen but... Like in the garden... You can't force it to happen, you just have to let it grow. We'll keep you all posted with progress. Thanks to all who attended our first EVER meeting!
A second thanks to all of you who were there in spirit too. If you couldn't make it we were discussing our goal to have another meet up and hopefully a Permablitz (one day garden build working B) on the 6th of February. We need to get some permissions and organise some other elements to make this happen and we will keep you all posted. Stay tuned! Not gardening related but certainly relevant to our community.
Here's a lovely event on New Years Eve afternoon presented by one of our co-founders. Come and join us at our first ever garden club meeting at the Yulunga Reserve.
10th January 2021 10am - 11:30am 195 Sunset Strip Manyana All community garden club members and their potential member friends are invited to our first meeting. The meeting will focus on meeting the organisers, each other and updating the club members on progress with the community garden. We will meet outside for COVID-safe compliance so the meeting will be postponed if the weather isn't nice. COVID Update 4th January: Please wear a mask at the event if you are within 1.5m others. If not for you for others who may be more vulnerable to the unlikely event of transmission. A handy weblink for future reference. A huge amount of valuable information, along with a great list of local fire retardant native species we will be referring to for planting. Check it out!
Radical Hope: Bushfire Resources for a La Nina Year Sheree, Lachie & Jimmy getting some plans on paper and brainstorming the many, many positive gains that can come from this project for our community.
From little things, big things grow. 🪴🪴🪴 |
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April 2024
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