Cooks River Day Out

Print made by someone at the Cooks River Day Out. To me it summed up the whole event.

‘Mike’ is Mike Baird MP & Premier of New South Wales. I hope he & his party listens to the loud call from the community for a Cash for Containers scheme to be returned to NSW. The environment needs it desperately.

Showing some of the tents at the Cooks River Day Out. They chose a great place to have the event because there was lots of shady trees where people could get respite from the heat,

We have just come back from a terrific time at the ‘Cooks River Day Out’ organized by the Cooks River Alliance & held in Gough Whitlam Reserve Earlwood.

One of the exhibits

There were lots of stalls providing information – The Cooks River Valley Association & The Mudcrabs, The Wolli Creek Preservation Society, the Total Environment Centre & the Ethnic Communities Council.  The Taronga Zoomobile brought along native animals inside fish tanks to view.

Travelbugs Mobile Mini-beasts brought along a number of stick insects, which were impossible to find until we had them pointed out to us. There were also a number of other living insects providing an educational display.

Gaawaa Miyay Designs was holding a very popular workshop where young & old were scratching designs on pieces of Styrofoam, which was then made into a print for people to take home. People had created some wonderful work.

Aside from the print-making, there were workshops on weaving, creating rain gardens, bush tucker & also guided bush tucker walks & Aboriginal history along the Cooks River.

Leon from Taronga Zoo with Spike the Echidna.

I saw my first echidna close up & what a gorgeous lively animal ‘Spike’ was. He was 10-years old & very used to being the centre of attraction at educational events.   When I asked what would happen if he were left to dig, the zookeeper said he would need a shovel to get him out of the ground. That fast!  Who knew.

Plus there was a Reverse Vending Machine for 10-cent refund on plastic bottles. I do not understand why these machines are not everywhere. NSW should have a Cash for Containers scheme. I remember people collecting cans & bottles on garbage night in the mid-90s. Instead we have an environment where drink cans & bottles are everywhere destroying the environment & causing great harm to wildlife. A Cash for Containers scheme is a no brainer.

It was a beautiful hot summer’s day despite still being winter.   People were seeking shade under the trees. The music was great & so was the atmosphere. It was wonderful to see so many local groups whose focus is to clean up the Cooks River, as well as to protect the environment. See my blog roll for contact details.

Well done to everyone involved. I hope this becomes a yearly event.

Volunteers of the Cooks River Valley Association with their new green t-shirt on display – “Cooks River – Safe to Swim by 2020.”

Volunteers of the Wolli Creek Preservation Society.

A Spiny Leaf insect, which looked just like leaves when in follage.

To end, here is a close-up of Spike the echidna. What a cute face.

 

Local volunteers nominated for the Urban Landcare Award

Local volunteers, The Cooks River Valley Association (see blogroll for contact details) have been nominated for the NSW Urban Landcare Group of the Year.

The NSW Landcare Awards are a biannual event & recognize groups for excellence in Landcare & Natural Resource Management. There are 12 categories with winners becoming the NSW nominees in the prestigious National Landcare Awards.

We have the opportunity to support them by voting for them in the ‘People’s Choice Award.’  However, voting closes at 5pm tomorrow 5^th August 2011.

To vote, go to the link below, scroll to the Urban Landcare Award Section, click on ‘The Cooks River Valley Association,’ tick the box & press submit.  It takes less than 10 seconds to support our own community’s hard efforts.

Good luck CRVA.   http://www.landcareonline.com.au/?page_id=4880

The lovely Cooks River from the Illawarra Road bridge

 

 

Earth Day & the Cooks River Forum 2010

Today is the 40^th Earth Day.  Earth Day headquarters say their core issues are: advocacy, climate change, conservation & biodiversity, energy, food & agriculture, green economy, recycling & waste reduction, sustainable development & water.  All really great things & important in our time.

The Cooks River Valley Association (contact details in the blogroll – 0405 549 356) are having the Cooks River Forum 2010 on Saturday 8^th May 1pm – 4pm at Canterbury Girls High School Auditorium, Princess Street Canterbury.  All welcome.

Garbage collected before it goes into the Cooks River. It's great that Marrickville Council has put such measures in place, but sad that so much garbage is on our streets & ends up at the river.

A duck & 7 ducklings swimming amongst the captured garbage at the Cooks River. I find this very sad.

The Cooks River at Marrickville. We all have a part to play in keeping this beautiful river unpolluted