Hi everyone - I just found this funny old historical summary document that I received from Richard Askew in 2001. Current Villagers might like to read it for the interesting perspective.

Vanda R.
AAEV Early History

Here for enjoyment is a link showing some truly creative body painting - "hand art". Thanks to Vanda R. for the link: http://yoke.cc/handart.htm

Peak Oil and Peak Water (the point in time when public need begins to exceed supply and continues to diverge causing critical shortage) are familiar concepts - but "Peak Phosphorus" is unheard of. Nonetheless phosphorus is critical to our survival and mine-able quantities are looking scarcer. A discussion on Bush Telegraph, ABC Radio National: http://www.abc.net.au/rural/telegraph/content/2006/s2280862.htm

Regards - Hans B.

Thanks to Vanda for sending in the ATTACHED interesting short article (2pp) on cohousing from the writings of the late sustainability author, Donella Meadows.
Donella Meadows on Cohousing

Hi everyone,

A couple of years ago Kirsten Bradley came to our village as a student attending a local Permaculture course (PDC) arranged by Mark Moody. S.ince then she and her husband Nick Ritar have set up Milkwood, a property promoting Permaculture and sustainability. Fellow villagers might be interested in perusing their website - perhaps subscribe to their RSS feed: http://www.milkwood.net/ 

Hans B.

The Post Carbon Institute offers research, project tools, education and information for adapting to an energy constrained world. The Institute was initiated out of concern for the environmental, social, political and economic ramifications of global over-reliance on cheap energy. The main response to these concerns is the strategy of Relocalization, which aims to rebuild societies based on the local production of food and energy, and the Relocalization of currency, governance and culture. The main goals of Relocalization are to increase community energy security, strengthen local economies, and dramatically improve environmental conditions and social equity. There are a variety of supporting resources posted at: www.postcarbon.org and you can subscribe to their regular newsletter at: www.postcarbon.org/publications/newsletters

During the past weekend, Paul and Chris Worsman, who are purchasing Lot 134, moved their hive of bees onto the Farm. It is now located amongst the flowering eucalypts near the NE corner of the woodlot. Their beekeeping is not a commercial operation but a learning exercise, and could certainly benefit the Village as beekeeping for honey and pollination services has been on our list of desirable activities from the start. If you would like to be involved in this learning experience, contact Farm Coordinator, Brad Nott on 8557 7163 or by email.

If anyone in your family is allergic to bee stings, alert them to the location of the hive so they can avoid it.

Hi everyone,

In relation to the article on the award to Currumbin Ecovillage. in fact Currumbin has now won dozens of awards at state, national & international levels. Villagers may be interested in looking at their website: www.theecovillage.com.au/

Others of interest is include Somerville: www.somervilleecovillage.com.au/ and Dulaiwurrong: www.dulai.net - the developers are doing a big one called Bunjil, that is both ecovillage and CoHousing.

Vanda R.

Steve Poole has drawn our attention to how real the gathering international food crisis is becoming - and how important our ability to grow food is likely to become in the future:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1024833/Nine-meals-anarchy--Britain-facing-real-food-crisis.html

The website of the SA State Department of Water Land and Biodiversity Conservation can be a good source of information and resources for those interested in natural resource management and ways of "going green":
http://www.dwlbc.sa.gov.au/nrm/

Hi everyone,
 
A friend here in the UK told me about this local Suffolk art work, which I plan to see at its next venue. Here is the web address: www.flyintheface.com/46000.html. I thought it might interest people.  
 
Deb H.

Onkaparinga Council is holding an e-waste (electrical and electronic equipment) and household chemicals drop-off service on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 June between 9am and 2pm at the Field Operation Centre, Railway Road, Seaford Meadows (entrance from Seaford Road only). Chemical drop-off is free but there will be small charges for e-waste to cover recycling costs.
 
For costs and more details of accepted equipment and materials, and drop-off location, please see the information brochure ATTACHED or contact Council on 8384 0666.
080605 Toxic & e-waste May08

Lochiel Park is a regular but more sustainable than usual government (LMC) sponsored development, in which John Maitland has had a hand in the design. It is doing quite a lot to encourage the development of Community in a commercially-driven project. As such, it may be of interest to anyone seeking to develop a better quality of community. If you are interested in finding out more, it is possible for outsiders to be registered on their internal website: http://www.lochielpark.com.au

Regards - Vanda

If you are interested in sustainable cities and sustainable urban living, praticularly as expressed in Christie Walk, Adelaide, you might like to check out the newsletter of Urban Ecology Australia (UEA) via: http://www.urbanecology.org.au

If you are interested in the growing trend to co-housing, especially for seniors, you may like to subscribe to 'Cohousing Magazine' via: http://www.cohousing.org

WOMADelaide Earth Station In a bid to bring a permanent presence of World cultures to South Australia, the WOMADelaide Foundation has scoured the state to find a suitable property. A recent statement by Ian Scobie, Director of Arts Projects Australia which oversees WOMAdelaide, is précised below, followed by a brief interview conducted by Peter Dawson:

The Foundation is working to establish a new annual festival (tentatively called "Earth Station"), to be staged on the second weekend of October from 2010, at a 250 acre property near Ashbourne, 75 minutes’ drive south of Adelaide.

The 3 day Earth Station festival will not be a replacement for WOMADelaide in Botanic Park, but it is planned to be entirely new and will focus on the land itself and the associated concerns for environmental sustainability through the presentation of music, arts, dance, discussions, workshops and demonstration projects highlighting for example, alternative energy and environmental practices. It will have some onsite camping available with the remainder of the audience being encouraged to stay in the surrounding region (Strathalbyn, Goolwa, Victor Harbour, Middleton, etc) in existing accommodation & camping facilities, or to just visit for the day. It is also planned that in the longer term, the site will host up to four short-term ‘workshop gatherings’ each year, where the ongoing environmental program will be discussed with artists, educators and members of the public. The Foundation also aims to establish some demonstration projects there e.g. solar power generation, water and waste water treatment via ponds and reed beds etc, and for tree plantings to offset the carbon footprint of WOMADelaide and the new festival.  A major revegetation / planting program is planned, which would see the restoration of much of the original cleared trees and plantings. The Foundation is currently working to secure planning approval for the development of the land so as to enable it to proceed with the purchase and development of the property in order to present the inaugural Earth Station festival in October 2010. The Earth Station is an ambitious long term project which will require significant detailed planning, community and financial support and the Foundation believes that this new initiative could be a major and ongoing legacy of the WOMADelaide Festival as an important new event and resource for the benefit of the wider community.

PD:  In the development of the Earth Station site, I would imagine WOMAD will certainly value the contribution of the local indigenous people and that of other aboriginal organisations?
IS: We will undertake an indigenous survey of the site as part of our planning and development process and certainly would expect to, both identify their local knowledge and history associated with the site, and to have an indigenous component of particular festival programs.

PD: The Bellingen Global Carnival is in October, so is there any cooperation with WOMAD to make available visiting overseas artists.
IS: No – but that doesn’t mean that there might not be in the future should artists of mutual interest become apparent to us. For WOMADelaide we regularly tour artists to related festivals / cities.
PD: Is it envisaged that the site will be developed along the same lines as Woodford Folk Festival with regard to infrastructure and camping facilities (eg. Shower blocks and toilets)?
IS: We have certainly visited and taken advice from Woodford and aspects of their environmental management and development of their site are certainly aligned with our thinking.
PD: The 1973 Aquarius Festival near Nimbin had similar aims and stimulated the growth of alternative lifestyle communities, music and the arts in northern NSW. Do you feel Earth Station will do the same for its surrounding area.
IS: No – our ambition is to present an arts festival which has as its focus issues of environmental sustainability. We would certainly hope that the surrounding area benefits from the combination of the focus upon the environment (the river Murray and its proximity comes to mind) and economic benefit through increased activity in the region.

Peter Dawson - email, mobile: 0403 808 526