Come and see the wonders of the night sky from an award-winning astrophotographer. Learn about the constellations and their fascinating history, as an astronomer traces them out in the sky. *Telescope viewing weather permitting. 

Making Rugs from Recycled materials WEC will subsidise the fee to $30, normally $50 which covers all materials. Classes for 3 hours from Workshop by Kylie Reynolds 

War on Waste Q&A with Lynda Wedding - Limited spaces left Wednesday April 1st @ 10am

Permaculture adventure - Adelaide Food Fringe Event - Saturday 4th April 10-4pm 

Bird Watching Excursions -  Monday 6th April Includes harvesting food from the garden and making lunch together. 

Our next event will be at Laratinga Wetlands. Details will only be sent to registered participants prior to the events. Email to register your interest.

Making Rugs from Recycled materials - Saturday May 2nd  1-4 pm

Planning your winter vegetable garden - Sat Feb 29, 11-1pm

City Nature Challenge coming to Adelaide! Learn how you can join thousands of participants in a global competition to document wildlife!City Nature Challenge - iNaturalist Workshop Saturday 7th March @ 10am

Stephen Fricker and Larissa Braz Sousa - Mozzie Monitors, a Citizen Science project

Willunga Environment Centre AGM

Wednesday 23rd November at 7pm followed by Key note Speaker, Doug Yuille who will share An insight on what is really happening with the Great Barrier Reef.

Create a Natural/Biophilic Home

Saturday 19th October @ 10.30 to 11.30 Cost $15 

Hosted by Time for Life and Willunga Environment  and LETSWillunga Spring Equinox Celebrations 

 2 dates · Saturday 21 Sep 8.30-1pm

                 Sunday– 22 Sep 1.30 - 3pm

Spring Equinox Community FeastForrest Bathing Walks

Sunday 22nd 6-8.30 St Josephs Church Hall

Natural Hiking Meals Saturday14th September 10.30-12.30 Cost $25 which covers all materials.

TIM MARSHALL - GOOD BUGS BAD BUGS -  Saturday 18th May @ 10.30

Summer Pruning Deciduous Fruit Trees

Want to improve your fruit quality, reduce disease and control the size of your trees for netting?

Then come along to our Summer Pruning Sessions on Saturday 23rd of March with Harry Harrison past president of the Rare Fruit Society.

Talk and PowerPoint 10.30 an til noon at the Willunga Environment Centre $5

followed by

Masterclass Practical 1.30-4pm at the Village Community Kuitpo

$10 per session

Bookings separate on Eventbrite

Places for Masterclass Practical limited.

Worm Farms-probiotics for the soil

This event is run in partnership with Onkaparinga Council (Sustainable Onkaparinga) Come along on Saturday 30th March at 10.30 and learn all about worms.

Worm farms are a clean and easy way to convert food waste into top quality fertiliser. Learn how to look after composting worms at home. Build your own worm farm or use a bought one. Then use worm casts to germinate seedlings and fertilise your garden.

$5 entry

With Harry Harrison 

ADELAIDE MEETS THE BUSH EXHIBITION is on now. We have photos and some video to share of the Exhibition that was held at Tandanya last year. Come and take a peek before 28th February!HARRY HARRISON - TIPS AND TRICKS FOR GARDEN GNOMES - Saturday 2nd February at 10.30am -12 Noon, come and learn all the secret tips and tricks to use in your garden!  

FINN PEACOCK - SOLAR, BATTERIES AND INVERTERS -  Tuesday 12th February @ 7pmFinn Peacock, Founder & Head Honcho: SolarQuotes is coming to Willunga to talk about all things Solar, Power, Energy, Finding a good installer, What to avoid, Paybacks and Batteries! Finn is a wealth of knowledge on this topic and is not to be missed! 

Willunga Environment Centre AGM- Monday 26th November at 5 pm, all welcome, light supper provided and lucky door prizes too! Are you feeling lucky?

Plastic Free Working Bee - Come and sew Boomerang bags to share with others! - Last dates for 2018, 22nd October, 5th and 19th November 

You can come along and sew for a while, cut out material for others to sew or screen print the bags! Come for the whole time or for an hour! BYO sewing machine if you have one. Morning tea and lunch provided. Please book in via eventbrite or call the centre. The more the merrier!

Festive Gift Making Workshop- Saturday November 10th from 9.30-1.30 - Come along anytime during this period and join in

Why buy when you can create????

Come along to this workshop an make your own sustainable Festive Gifts with Dani! This workshop is free, but attendees will pay for each gift they make, so make as many or few as you like!

#StopAdani film screening Willunga

Pollution from burning coal is the single biggest contributor to dangerous global warming, threatening our way of life. Coal mining drains and pollutes our water supplies, harms our health and destroys our natural landscape. If it were to go ahead, the Adani mine would be the biggest coal mine in the world.

Together, we can stop Adani's mine, once and for all. We can show our politicians the groundswell of resistance against this mine and show that supporting coal in this country will get you voted out.

Join Getup SA Action Network for a free screening of two 30-minute documentaries, with time for discussion and a shared supper.

The first film, Guarding the Galilee, is filled with stories from the front lines of the proposed Adani coal mine. Guarding the Galilee captures the raw beauty of the Queensland outback, where Adani's mine threatens essential water resources, and so much more. 

#StopAdani: A Mighty Force reveals an unstoppable movement for change, and captures the power and passion of people taking extraordinary action to stop Adani from building one of the biggest coal mines in the world.

This is how we build our mighty force to #StopAdani: bringing people together to get informed and take action.

WHEN: Thursday 27 September 6:30pm - 9pm

WHERE: Willunga Environment Centre, 18 High St, Willunga, SA 5172

Postponed until March 2019

Build your Wildlife Box Saturday 22nd September @ 9.30-12.30 Event Postponed due to low numbers

For birds, bats or possums

This activity is Ideal for families, small groups or individuals

Cost for materials is per box with 15 boxes available (no charge for individuals) See prices below. Please pay for each box and then book in extra members as a free ticket. For example if two members of the same family are coming, book one box and one free ticket.

The first hour would involve a presentation about the importance of natural hollows, hollow dependant wildlife, the place for nesting boxes and issues faced by hollow dependant fauna.

Deposit required with difference paid on the day. Please email to specify which box you wish to purchase after you have made your booking.

Discounted prices are recorded below but do not include eventbrite fees:

All About Citrus with Harry Harrison, Plant Care and Prune Saturday 15th September 

Come along and hear Harry Harrison talk about all things Citrus, from pruning to planting, feeding and care.

Talk only from 10:30am - 12.00 by booking only, at Willunga Environment Centre.

Masterclass session from 1 - 3pm by booking only, at Village Community, 67 Adams Gully Road, Hope Forest. Masterclass is limited to 12 places and will be a practical version of the talk. Own transport required.

If you wish to attend both the talk and the Masterclass, you will need to purchase the two tickets seperately. This can be paid for in one transaction.

Plastic Free July Program - Join our eventbrite page and be the first to learn about workshops and events being held during July. By  "booking" you are under no obligation but will be the first to hear about opportuinities! 

Plastic Free July, Bunting and Tissue-Ball making - Wednesday 12 July 2018 10.30-12.30

As part of Plastic Free July, we’re challenging you to think about the amount of single-use plastics that you use and make a change to refuse, reduce, reuse or recycle.

Do you have a birthday or other special event coming up and keen for an environmentally friendly alternative to balloons?

Come along to our workshop and discover how easy it is to make your own bunting and tissue paper pom-poms that can be used again and again. You'll make samples to take home and be inspired for your next event. Refreshments, materials and tools will be provided.

Suitable for ages 18yrs + Bookings required.

Proudly supported by the City of Onkaparinga Council. 

Beginners Veggie Seedlings with Chas -Saturday 14th July @ 11 am

Come along and learn how to propagate your own seedlings with Chas. This very intimate grass roots workshop will teach you the very basics of how to propogate, which soils are best and how simple it really is to grow your own from seed to table! Very limited places so book early to avoid disappointment! 

Bees Wax Wraps and jute scrubber - FULLY BOOKED WITH WAITING LIST APPLIED

Join Dani Austin and learn how to make your own alternative to plastic wrap. Saturday 21st July at 10 am. COST $5 includes all materials

As part of Plastic Free July, we’re challenging you to think about the amount of single-use plastics that you use and make a change to refuse, reduce, reuse or recycle.

Discover how easy it is to make natural reusable alternatives to toxic cling wrap and we’ll also show you how to create your own DIY jute scrubber. Refreshments, materials and tools will be provided.

Suitable for ages 18yrs+. Bookings essential as places limited.

Proudly supported by the City of Onkaparinga Council.  

 Willunga Creek and Port Willunga Beach Clean -  Saturday 4th August @ 10am Join Our Coast Our Mission and Willunga Environment Centre Detail to follow

"Girthy With Slim Edges" Saturday 30th June @ 7pm

"Girthy; with Slim Edges" is an exhibition showcasing the work from The Grand Section, a year-long study of Australia's architecture, east to west. Exhibiting publicly at Willunga out of a recycled tent structure on Saturday and speaking at the WEC on Saturday evening.

Feeling an itch that was un-scratched by institutionalised learning, local architecture students; Owen and Bobbie, wanted to study their own country as a precedent for architecture rather than the traditional European, American or classical influences. They undertook a journey to slowly get intimate with Australia's girth. They rode their push bikes 7650km over 10 months, had 19 ‘stops’, 19 exhibitions, pedalled 6,303,600 times, had an encounter with one aggressive horse, 12.5 punctures and zero ‘psychopaths’, all in one pair of shoes at an average of 12.5km/hour.

In 2017 between February and December these non-cyclists documented the Architecture of Latitude 25 across Australia. Stopping for one week in 19 places, the duo would engage with locals, document and analyse the place and its architecture, and present back their findings to the communities they stayed with. This cross section of Australia's Architecture is unprecedented. The work they produced enroute is now collated into the exhibition, “Girthy; with Slim Edges” which will tour the country from June - October. Broadening the conversation about architecture and Australia, the exhibition delivers australia’s innards to its outer fringe giving insight into the reality of Australia and the regional and remote areas of this incredible country.
The duo will talk with the WEC about their findings from the transect they journeyed across Australia. Their presentation will talk on their Australia centric discoveries, documentation and links between environments, people and buildings.

A donation of $5 would be appreciated to the cost of the supper with the balance going to our YACCA youth group.  

Forest Forraging with Genki - Sunday 17th June 2018, 10am-12pm  FULLY BOOKED Waiting list applied

Saffron Milk Caps have been a prized gourmet wild mushroom in various European countries for generations. So much so that their scientific name is 'Lactarius deliciosus' (the latin giving precedence to its flavor over morphology as is more common in botanical classification).

This workshop is designed for those who are new to wild mushroom foraging and will go through the basics of mycology with an emphasis on correct identification and preparation of Saffron Milk Caps.

Grow you own Nuts" with Harry Harrison Saturday 16th June @ 11am

FREE events for City of Onkaparinga residents - This event is a partnership between Willunga Environment Centre and  Sustainable Onkaparinga with thanks

Learn how to grow your own nut trees at home with Harry Harrison from Rare Fruit Society. Harry will have you going nuts with enthusiasm at this event!

Accelerate Climate Action: Bill McKibben speaking tour LIVE STREAMING - Thursday 3rd May @ 6.15 pm 16th June

For those of you who don’t know, Bill McKibben is a global climate activist leader and inspiring speaker. Climate Emergency Action Network SA - CLEAN, is hosting a live streaming event at WEC. This event will coincide with his Melbourne talk. Please be here at 6.15 for a 6.30 sharp start. We invite you to bring a Pot luck supper to share!

Bill’s 1989 groundbreaking book, The End of Nature, is regarded as the first book for a general audience about climate change, and has been published in 24 languages. Since then he has written over a dozen more books, and founded 350.org, the first global grassroots climate change movement. In 2012, Bills article “Do the Math” for Rolling Stone magazine became one of the most read articles in the magazine’s history and changed the .............For more info or to   

"Composting With Chas" Saturday 5th May @ 10 am at a venue to be confirmed

Come along and learn how to build your own compost heap from scratch, and what you need to add to end up with a perfectly cooked compost! Handouts included. This is a free event supported by the City of Onkaparinga Council

Emeritus Professor Ian Lowe - Climate Change: Physical science, future problems and fantastic opportunities"  Wednesday 28th March @ 7pm.

The science has been warning us about global climate for decades. We are clearly seeing the sorts of changes that were predicted, and the future projections are truly scary. There are rational responses, most of which would bring other benefits as well as slowing climate change and avoiding its worst impacts. This talk will review the science, discuss the most serious future problems and analyse possible responses, from nuclear power to eating local produce. If our civilisation survives the twenty-first century, future historians will probably see climate change as the great wake-up call that redirected our development trajectory onto a sustainable path.  

More about Professor Lowe

Elisa Sparrow - Small Native Mammals of the Fleurieu Wednesday 4th April @ 7pm 

• Curious about any small native mammals still on the Fleurieu?

• Wondering what furry little critters live around your property?

• Want to know how to identify native mammals from introduced ones?

• Interested in how to conserve and protect these species?

Join District Ecologist Dr Elisa Sparrow for information on small mammal species in the region; their conservation status, ecology, behaviour, habitat requirements and distribution.

The session will also include:

• steps on how to set up remote sensor cameras to detect small mammals

• tips on how to ID different species

• practical advice on what we can do to help these critters

• an overview on how information builds knowledge and helps manage natural resources.

This session will be held at the Tatachilla Lutheran College Eco Classroom with Willunga Trees for life group.

Weed Pie and Other Garden Delicacies....and plants that heal. Saturday 7th April @ 11am

FREE events for City of Onkaparinga residents - This event is a partnership between Willunga Environment Centre and  Sustainable Onkaparinga with thanks.

Often the things which thrive in our garden are not the things we think we want.  But sometimes we are lucky – we don’t have to ‘throw them all onto the compost heap’.

Many so called weeds either have a nutritional or medicinal value.   However some aren’t helpful at all so in this talk we will discuss how to get the most out of your gardens verdant green.

Jan Ashton-Ross has been a Naturopath, Nutritionist and Herbalist for over 20 years and a gardener for longer than that – and can testify that once you see a weed in a new light it helps you feel optimistic about your green thumbs. Click to  Free event

Harry Harrison presents "Seed Saving" Saturday 24th March @ 11am

FREE events for City of Onkaparinga residents - This event is a partnership between Willunga Environment Centre and  Sustainable Onkaparinga with thanks.

Come along and learn how to save seeds that you can then use again or share with others. Harry Harrison is a great presenter and you are guaranteed to leave feeling enthusiastic and ready for action!!! 

Jenni McGlennon from Onkaparinga Council -  Urban Forrest Program" Wednesday 14th March @ 7pm 

Greening Onkaparinga 

The City of Onkaparinga has set a series of urban forest targets that will see a 20% increase in urban green cover (trees and shrubs) in our urban area by 2045.  This will amount to 100,000 new trees in street verges, waterways and parks on council land. Community support will be needed to meet this goal. 

The new targets are in response to the community asking for more trees and mapping undertaken in 2016 which showed that canopy cover is uneven across our region’s suburbs and townships.

Staff from the Sustainability and Urban Forest teams will present on the City of Onkaparinga Urban Forest program, its benefits and challenges, and provide an overview of how trees are managed on council land.

Beginners Veggie Seedlings with Chas -Saturday 17th March @ 11 am

Come along and learn how to propagate your own seedlings with Chas. This very intimate grass roots workshop will teach you the very basics of how to propogate, which soils are best and how simple it really is to grow your own from seed to table! Very limited places so book early to avoid disappointment! This event is being held in partnership with Sustainable Onkaparinga!

Ruth Trigg presents "Industrial Hemp Developments in SA" Wednesday 21st February @ 7pm 

Legislation allowing farmers to grow industrial (low THC) hemp  was passed in South Australia in April 2017 (the last state to gain this right).Legislation was also passed in Australia and NZ  in April 2017 to allow  people (and animals) to consume hemp seed and oil.Ruth will discuss how the industrial hemp industry is developing in South Australia, and what the environmental and economic benefits are for the land and for people.

 2017

September 

Postponed: presenter is unwell Grow your own Mushrooms - Join Wayne Slape of Slapes Mushroom House and discover Mushroom Spawn and how to make an oyster mushroom straw log. Pre made kits will be available at a discounted price.- Saturday 9th September @ 11 am   

Basket weaving with Christine Banks! - Come along and get your weaving on! Christine Banks will take us on a journey using plants and leaves from our gardens to create new life masterpieces. Wednesday 29th November 10am-2.30pm at the Willunga Environment Centre. Strictly 12 places only. Bookings via telephone 85 564188 members $5, non members $10

November

The Cultural and Historic Significance of South Australian Trees - Well before relevant State laws were conceived, the National Trust was concerned about preserving SA’s built heritage and its natural and cultural history – and understood there were noteworthy trees marking these elements of SA’s evolution.   That these trees contribute to SA’s story.  Acknowledge and preserve the tree – acknowledge and preserve our understanding and appreciation of SA’s natural and cultural history.  And of course many of these tree specimens stand the test of time and are quite inter-generational.Michael Heath, most recently from National Trust’s Significant Tree Steering Committee/Team (after a long and varied career beginning as a Landscape Architect)  and Glenn Williams from Tree Net will illustrate that these special merit trees in South Australia are not just your every day trees. $5 members, $10 non members

Preceding this event will be the Willunga Hillsface Landcare Groups AGM. Tuesday 21st November at 6.30pm with the presenters speaking at 7pm  

Grow your own Microgreens - Microgreens may be tiny, but they've become a huge trend and if you've taken a look at the prices, they are not cheap! The good news is that it's easy to grow your own. Join Rachel McMillan from ScoopSA as she shows you how. This is a joint partnersip between Willunga Environment Centre, The City of Onkaparinga Council and the Willunga Farmers Market - Saturday 11th November @10.30-11.30 Willunga Farmers Market, Town Square Bookings essential here  Free event

POSTPONED FOR HEALTH REASONS-Weed Pie and Other Garden Delicacies....and plants that heal. 

Often the things which thrive in our garden are not the things we think we want.  But sometimes we are lucky – we don’t have to ‘throw them all onto the compost heap’.

Many so called weeds either have a nutritional or medicinal value.   However some aren’t helpful at all so in this talk we will discuss how to get the most out of your gardens verdant green.

Jan Ashton-Ross has been a Naturopath, Nutritionist and Herbalist for over 20 years and a gardener for longer than that – and can testify that once you see a weed in a new light it helps you feel optimistic about your green thumbs. Click to  Free event 

Professor Craig Williams presents "Mosquito ecology and epidemics:vector-borne disease threats to Australia - 

Australia is home to a number of diseases transmitted by vectors such as mosquitoes and ticks. Although these may be serious infections for individuals, on a global scale our country has relatively little vector-borne illness. Despite this, Australians are at risk of exotic vector-borne diseases, and many people acquire infections whilst travelling overseas. Furthermore, Australia is at constant risk of importation of exotic diseases and new types of mosquitoes capable of transmitting them. In this talk Craig Williams will outline some of the major vector-borne disease risks for Australians, and consider the probabilities of them becoming established in our country. Monday 23rd Ocotober @ 7 pm Professor Williams Supper provided 

Singing Waters: the poetics of water in literature and music with Jane Southwood 

From Horace to Arrian, Sappho to Strabo, water has figured in diverse ways—as metaphor, as inspiration, as source of life and death—in writings from antiquity, through to the early-modern period and down to the present day. Saturday 28th October at 11 am

Water plays, too, an important role in the music of three composers I will discuss: the river Moldau or Vitava in Czech composer, Bedrich Smetana’s hymn to his country—Ma Vlast; the ocean, from which we come and which sustains us, in Tasmanian composer Matthew Dewey’s ex Oceano, a work he aptly calls ‘a love letter to the Ocean’; and the ocean surrounding Ningaloo Reef, off the rugged coast of north Western Australia, in composer Iain Grandage’s music for The Reef, composed in collaboration with Richard Tognetti, musicians from the ACO2, artists, a film maker, a didgeridoo player, a singer, a photographer, surfers and locals. The Reef has been described as a performance piece centred on one of Australia’s most beautiful natural wonders.

In this presentation I will explore water in the literary imagination from antiquity, through the early-modern period and in the musical imagination of a nineteenth-century and two twenty-first-century composers. I will end my presentation with the theme of ‘ubi sunt’, as I consider what is currently happening to the oceans of the world, of which we—as all human beings—should be the diligent and attentive custodians. My particular focus in this part of my presentation is work being done on the Southern Ocean, the flywheel of the global climate, a key area of exchange of CO2 with the atmosphere across the whole world and of the vast power of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current joining all the world’s oceans.

Harry Harrison presents "Grafting For Beginners"

• Why graft?
• What you can graft
• Rootstocks and compatibility
• Basic grafting techniques
• Practical - opportunity to practice grafting under supervision

Saturday 21st October @ 11am 

October

"WEC AGM - "  Monday 16th October at 6.30pm supper provided

Common Flora Guide to Kuitpo and Mt Crawford Reserves"  Join us as we take a stroll around the Kuitpo forest at Knotts Hillarea with Jenny Woodley and Trevor Garard and discover common flora (including native orchids in season). Come into the centre prior if you can to collect a free "Common Flora" pamphlet, or collect it on the day as we will have copies of this available along with a Kuitpo forest Map. We will meet at a designated parking place outside the forest (somewhere on Peter Creek Road) and carpool so that we can travel within the forest to visit as many special places that would otherwise be difficult to see in one trip. Most of the stops would then be reachable by participants with easy walks. Please wear suitable clothing for bush walking and bring water, hats and cameras. Willunga Environment Centre will provide morning tea, but no dietary provisions can be made. Please bring a packed lunch with you. Meet at the carpark on the corner of Knotts Hill Road and Peters Creek Road Sunday 22nd October from 10am

September 

Postponed: presenter is unwell Grow your own Mushrooms - Join Wayne Slape of Slapes Mushroom House and discover Mushroom Spawn and how to make an oyster mushroom straw log. Pre made kits will be available at a discounted price.- Saturday 9th September @ 11 am  

Follow up tour of the Southern Region Waste Resource Authority (SRWRA)

Since our last visit, the recycling facility has been built with the purpose of reducing the impact of waste going to landfill.  At this stage they are recovering approximately 30% diversion from landfill based on the recovery processes in place in the new building.  The facility specifically works on the kerbside municipal waste and the recovered fraction is organic waste.  This fraction is then further processed and treated through a bio-remediation process and the end material is recovered as a capping medium for use in the construction of the landfill cell. 

There are a number of areas they are working on that will increase the recovery yield moving forward. Mark Hindmarsh is happy to discuss this further on the day of the visit.  We will take a bus from the WEC as this way we can see more.  As an interesting fact, the Authority were able to use over 170,000 tonnes of waste aggregates in the construction of the new facility!

Wednesday 20th September @ 9.30am we leave WEC on the bus. Return approx 12.30. $5 to assist in bus subsidy. Strictly limited to bus space. 

Bushfire Survival Plan

The SA Country Fire Service, in conjunction with the Willunga Environmental Centre will be running a free half-day, Bushfire Survival Plan workshop at the Willunga Environmental Centre on Sunday the 24^th September from 11 – 4pm, with lunch provided.

The Bushfire Survival Plan workshop looks at Bushfire Behaviour and risks, Understanding the Fire Danger Ratings & warning messages, Preparing your home and property, the differences between a “Leave Early” and a “Stay and Defend” plan, Vehicle Safety in bushfires, Preparing yourself emotionally and most importantly, participants will leave the workshop having begun writing their own personal Bushfire Survival Plan.

For more information and to register your interest please contact Laura Gemmell - SA Country Fire Service Community Engagement Officer on 0457 103 471 or email 

August 

Veggie Seedling workshop  Come along and learn how to propagate your own seedlings with Chas.

Free event 12TH August FULLY BOOKED

19TH August 11am limited places

Aldinga Scrub Walk and Talk  Join with as as we take a stroll in Aldinga Scrub with Friends of Aldinga Scrub tour guides Sunday 27th August @ 10am FULLY BOOKED

Harry Harrison  from the Rare Fruit Society will show us "how to grow citrus in pots"  Saturday 26th @ 11am. Bookings essential, FULLY BOOKED

July 2017

ONYA fundraiser - Come and buy all your drink bottle and shopping bag requirements and help raise money for our YACCA youth group. Click on the link to find the order form here Onya Fundraising

Nadia Couzner from Radicool Reptiles - FULLY BOOKED This school holiday activity will introduce your child to the wonder, enchantment and sheer delight that Nadia has through interactions with reptiles. Children will experience hands on reptile demonstration, basic needs and habitats, food chain and evolution! Book fast as there are very limited places. Bookings for adults attending also essential Thursday 20th July @10am

Guarding the Galilee film presentation - story of the epic fight to stop Adani’s Carmichael coal mine.

http://www.stopadani.com/

Join concerned members of Willunga and Districts community, along with Willunga Environment Centre who are proud to
present the new documentary Guarding The Galilee, the story about Adani’s proposed coal mine on Thursday 20th July @ 1-3pm
The MC of the event will be Judith Barr who has worked extensively in the media, the financial sector and then  tourism, with Greeting to Country guest tba

DESCRIPTION OF THE FILM:
Presented by Queensland-born actor Michael Caton, this new 30-minute documentary shines a spotlight on
the battle to stop the biggest coal mine in Australian history, Adani’s Carmichael project. The award-winning documentary team captures the raw beauty of the Queensland outback, where Adani’s  mine threatens essential water resources.
This event will also open up the future opportunity for people interested in uniting in choral events, singing Climate inspired songs in various locations. Please bring along your postage stamps and there will be opportunities for discussions and if you are able, a means to donate money to the Wangen and Jagalingou Family Council.  

Chris Day  from Everyday Sustainable Living will show us "Edible Garden Design in small spaces" Saturday 22nd July @ 11 am. FULLY BOOKED

Join Robert Crocker  as he discusses some of the issues from his recent book, Somebody Else's Problem: Consumerism, Sustainability and Design
Robert Crocker, D.Phil (oxon), teaches the history and theory of design and design for sustainability in the School of Art, Architecture and Design at the University of South Australia. Beginning his academic career as a historian of early modern science and philosophy, he became interested in social and environmental sustainability whilst working as a volunteer for a local pedestrian advocacy group. This led him to develop an interest in other aspects of social and environmental sustainability, and particularly the role of consumption and technology in generating our present environmental crisis. This book is his most recent publication. It won Gold in the Axiom Best Business Books Awards for 2017 (sustainability category). Tuesday 25th July @ 7pm

Bees Wax Wraps - Join Dani Austin and learn how to make your own alternative to plastic wrap. Wednesday 26th July at 10 am. 

Plastic Free July Program

Bees wax Wraps -  Join Dani Austin and learn how to make your own alternative to plastic wrap. Saturday 1st July at 10 am. 

May 2017

POSTPONED

Weed Pie - With Jan Ashton-Ross from "The Hills Natural Health"  Come along and learn how to eat what you don't grow on purpose! Saturday 13th May 10-11.30 am at Willunga Environment Centre.

Bookings: phone 8556 4188 or email  “ Members $5, non-Members $10 (Membership is $2 annually)  any profits to our YACCA Youth Group 

 June 2017

Harry Harrison  from the Rare Fruit Society will show us "how to espalier fruit trees" Saturday 10th June @ 11 am. Bookings essential, limited places

Ben DellaTorre  from the Willunga Branch of the Adelaide and Mt Lofty Ranges Natural Resource Management Board will give a presentation on local NRM projects in our region. Find out what great project are happening on the ground in the Willunga Basin. Tuesday 13th June @ 7 pm

Harry Harrison  from the Rare Fruit Society will show us "how to espalier fruit trees" Saturday 24th June @ 11 am. Bookings essential, limited places

Composting with Chas workshop  Come along and learn how use the weeds and garden waste that you don't turn into pies to nurture what you do grow! Saturday 20th May @10am at a venue to be advised, this is a free event

Campfire stories

Listen to, or share, a 5 minute true story relating to “The Great Outdoors” with special guests from our YACCA youth group
7pm 17th May 2017 - Willunga Environment Centre
18 High Street, Willunga
Entry $5 optional donation
Bring a plate to share for supper
RSVP: www.campfirestorieswillunga2.eventbrite.com.au

Ben Moulton and Nikola Manos  from Onkaparinga Council - come along and find out what the Onkaparinga Council team are doing to enhance biodiversity in our area Tuesday 9th May @ 7pm Bookings: phone 8556 4188 or email  “ Members $5, non-Members $10 (Membership is $2 annually)  any profits to our YACCA Youth Group

Chook Husbandry  8th April at 10.30  Come along and learn how to care for your young ladies (and men as may be the case!) Jan and Monica will share their knowledge and experience of keeping healthy and happy chooks. Address will be given when you book in to see the Taj Mahal of chicken coops. Saturday 8th April at 10.30

Bee Keeping workshop  Repeat of event - Come along and learn more about bee keeping with Glenda Gregory from the Beekeeping Society of South Australia on Tuesday 11th April at 7pm

March 2017

Willunga Basin Walking Trail - An introduction  Come and be a part of the Willunga Basin Walking Trail information session which has been years in the making! Tuesday 14th March@ 7pm

Bee Keeping workshop Come along and learn more about bee keeping with Glenda Gregory from the Beekeeping Society of South Australia on Saturday 11th March at 11 am

February 2017

 April 2017

Campfire stories

Listen to, or share, a 5 minute true story relating to “Belonging”
7pm 19th April 2017 - Willunga Environment Centre
18 High Street, Willunga
Entry $5 optional donation
Bring a plate to share for supper
RSVP: www.campfirestorieswillunga2.eventbrite.com.au

Campfire stories April

Campfire Stories Willunga: "Change"

Wednesday 15 February 2017 and then ongoing on the third Wednesday of each month

6:30pm for 7:00m start.

Willunga Environment Centre is proud to support this event

Campfire Stories

Join us on February 15th for the inaugural Campfire Stories Willunga, kicking off with the theme of "Change".

How it works: Come along and share a 5 minute true story related to the night's theme, or sit back and enjoy the stories on offer.

Campfire Stories is inspired by the premise that everyone has interesting life stories. These days though we rarely have the chance to hear stories from our own communities. So we are providing the space for you to share in  stories from your own community. The aim is that we will co-create a night of entertainment, good food and the opportunity to meeting interesting people.

The night will close with a shared supper so please bring a plate to share. Coffee and tea available for gold coin donation.

Entry is optional $5 donation at the door.

Event is open to all ages.

Contact: 
RSVP: https://campfirestorieswillungachange.eventbrite.com/?aff=affiliate1
Facebook: www.facebook.com/campfirestoriesaustralia

Recycle right Bin Inspection Education Program

Information Session with Lynda Wedding,  Waste and Recycling Education Officer from Onkaparinga Council. Lynda is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to recycling and something new is learned every time she speaks. A very worthwhile event to attend. Please refer to flyer for detailed information. Recycle Right Bin Inspection Education Program

When: Saturday 18th February 2017 @ 11am, Willunga Environment Centre

Veggie Seedling workshop  Come along and learn how to propagate your own Autumn seedlings with Chas.  Free event Saturday 4th February from 11-12 noon

January 2017

 Peter Cook and the McLaren Vale Irrigators Community Forum

Groundwater Resources of the Willunga Basin- Tuesday 31st January 2017 from 5.30 pm at the McLaren Vale Bocce Club. This is an exciting partnership event between the Willunga Environment Centre and the McLaren Vale Grape Wine and Tourism Association. Please see the program link above. Attendees may wish to attend all of the presentation, or come for a 6.30 start to hear Peter Cook speak followed by a bowl of pasta (for a gold coin donation). And the bar will be open! This event will be followed later in the year with a walk/ tour around the area with Peter. Please book online here: https://www.trybooking.com/OEUC

 Presented by Peter Cook   Professor of Hydrogeology at Flinders University and National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training (NCGRT)

This presentation will discuss the groundwater resources within the Willunga – McLaren Vale region. It will begin with a background presentation of groundwater processes – where it comes from, how it is replenished, how fast it moves. It will then present results of recent studies into the Willunga – McLaren Vale groundwater resources –

• how much water flows across the fault from the hills into the plains?

• how does water in the creeks interact with the groundwater?

• what is the connection between the groundwater and the ocean?

• is salinity increasing, and if so, why? 

Background -The NCGRT's role is to advance our understanding of Australia's groundwater resources, and to train the next generation of groundwater researchers.  Based at Flinders University, with 12 partner universities, a growing list of more than 15 industry partners, and formal linkages with some of the world's leading groundwater research organisations, the NCGRT brings together nearly 200 Australian and international researchers to pool their knowledge and expertise. 

In the last few decades, Australia has more than doubled its groundwater use, and this will only increase in the future as we strive to meet the water needs of a rapidly growing population, our native landscape, expanding industries and agriculture, all of which must coexist under the increasing pressure of climate change.

In 2010 the NCGRT received $15 million from the Education Investment Fund through the Super Science Initiative to be spent on field infrastructure at five sites throughout Australia. The Willunga Basin was one of those chosen sites.

2016 Workshops and events 

November

Terry Reardon from SA Museum will present Bats – what’s new in bats locally and beyond.  Tuesday 22nd November @ 7 pm. An illustrated  talk followed by a local walk to discover some bats.

This is a joint initiative of the Willunga Environment Centre and the Friends of Aldinga Scrub and will be followed up with some Bat monitoring at the Aldinga Scrub early next year, again with Terry sharing his wealth of knowledge and experience!  

October 

WILLUNGA ENVIRONMENT CENTRE AGM - Monday 10th October, 2016 at 6.30pm

Helena Jenkinson is a former school teacher, past Board member and President of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens, and has been a  Guide Officer of the Garden Guides at the Botanic Gardens of SA for 13 years. She will present "Bush Tucker in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens" 

September

A Spirituality of Peace - Making peace with the Earth, making peace with each other - 23rd September at 7 pm

To mark World Peace Day, Claude Mostowik will speak about a spirituality of peace that addresses the epidemic of violence and structures of injustice so evident at this time. Claude is a Catholic priest from Sydney who has been an activist on East Timor, and has been involved in recent times in civil disobedience actions as part of Love Makes a Way, challenging the Australian Government’s treatment of asylum seekers. He is currently also campaigning with Indigenous communities against the establishment of a nuclear waste facility in South Australia. He will bring his wealth of experience together with his vision of how we need to change the way we live in this land, in order to bring a message of hope through community, action and creativity. Claude Mostowik flier

 Aldinga Washpool Bird ID Walk and Talk -25th September at 9.15 for a 9.30 start - Walk and talk with a focus on bird ID with Aidan and  Chas Martin. Limited places

"Soup and Damper " evening for Local Action Groups to come out and showcase their great Community Work. Invitation only event on Tuesday September 20th at 6 pm - this was a very successful event

 September

Retrofits to Improve Energy Efficiency - this event will only run if 15 bookings are confirmed. Cost of this event will be $15 per head which is heavily subsidised. Retrofits to Improve Energy Efficiency Sunday September 4th at 12.30-4 

This workshop will cover:

• The importance to your comfort, health and wallet of having a home that functions well in all seasons

• The key points of improvement necessary to consider when making any house work efficiently (draughts, insulation, solar gain and thermal mass)

• Some less often considered problems such as radiant heat gain and loss

• The results of a two-year retrofitting study on an old house, and the comments of its residents

• All these points can reduce your power bills and help you feel more comfortable in your house

• They will also help anyone planning a home extension.

There will be an introduction to the basic theories, followed by a walk-through (and around) a home which needs help, looking at what was covered in that introduction.

Detailed notes will be provided.

Bio

Tony Weaver has a Masters in Environmental Management specializing in home energy retrofits.

He has worked on Federal and State Government projects interstate to improve energy efficiency in homes and reduce power bills. He has personally done energy audits or improvements on over 500 homes.

August

c - Sunday 14th August at 10am,Aldinga Washpool Lagoon Walk and talk with a focus on Macro Invertebrates and plants with Julie Burghur and Chas Martin

Bob Major Geology presentation on Tuesday 16th August @7pm. Come along and enjoy a presentation."Hallet Cove and the Ice Ages"

Veggie Seedling workshop on Saturday 27th August at 11am at the WEC. Come along and learn how to propagate your own summer seedlings with Chas Free Event

Professor Chris Daniels Chairperson of the Adelaide and Mt Lofty Ranges NRM Board on Tuesday 24th May @ 7 pm Flies, Australia's National Bird

“Flies –the Australian national bird”

When we think about the Australian bush we can not help but  think of flies. They are as big a part of the Australian outdoors as gum trees and kangaroos. But what do we know about them? Why are there so many’?  What types are there? What does fly blown mean? Why do some bite? Why do they fly in circles in the middle of a room?  What is a blow fly?  How do they land an take off upside down? So many questions…This talk will put the microscope on the fly –What do we do about them, and why!

July

Aldinga Washpool Lagoon

Aldinga Washpool Lagoon- Three events from July to September to be confirmed

•    Greetings to Spirit of Place by Georgina Williams, Ngankiburkkamekauwe. Cultural Sharing by Karl WindaTelfer during a walk and talk through this area. 

Sunday 14th August at 10am-  Walk and talk with a focus on Macro Invertebrates and plants with Julie Burghur and Chas Martin

June

Bernard Doube  will enlighten us on the fascinating world of "Dung Beetles" Tuesday 14th June @ 7 pm

May

Chas Martin will present us with a practical demonstration and instruction into "Composting" on Saturday 7th May at 10am. See below: (Telephone or email bookings only for this event, no online bookings please)

March

Tour of the Southern Region Waste Resource Authority (SRWRA) Wednesday 23rd March at 10am. Meet at 112 Bakewell Drive, Seaford Heights. Meet there.

Come and learn about Landfill gas (methane) and how it is extracted from the landfill site, processed to remove moisture and particulate matter and then used as a fuel for power generation. The resultant power is fed into the utility distribution system that supplies around 3,500 homes and businesses in the McLaren Vale area.

Christine Bankswill take us on a journey of Basket Weaving – Friday 18^th March 10am-2.30 pm with the possibility of ongoing events. Maximum of 12 participants. This event is fully booked. Please call for waiting list.

April

The Findhorn Community is an international spiritual community In the North East of Scotland founded in 1962. It grew from a family with friends, to a community, and now to a village, with connections and networks spanning the globe. Findhorn was a founding member of the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) in 1995 and plays many active roles in GEN, including a strong educational involvement. The present resident community at Findhorn is in the region of 500. There are over 35 organisations actively involved in the community association, the largest being the Findhorn Foundation - the oldest and strongest organisation, providing adult education to thousands of people every year. (Links: http://findhorn.cc/ (community association), 

https://www.findhorn.org/ (Findhorn Foundation), http://gen.ecovillage.org/ (GEN))

Cornelia Featherstone lives at Findhorn since 1987. She has a background as GP and is now mainly involved with social sustainability (care in the community, as well as with affordable housing).

Dr. Carmen Hayward from Doctors for the Environment Australia presents "Fracking with our future: The health implications of unconventional gas"   on Tuesday 8th March @ 7pm.

Currently, there is a parliamentary inquiry going on in SA as to whether this industry will be given the go-ahead here (date for final decision mid-2016) and Doctors for the Environment Australia have put in a well-researched submission to this inquiry, Find out how that decision could impact us from a health perspective. Dr Carmen Hayward

February

Sean Galvin from Salubrious Cheeses will conduct a full day comprehensive Cheesemaking workshop on Saturday 20th February from 9am-3pm. Salubrious Cheeses flyer

The workshop will require 10 people to run and will cost $110 per person, which covers the cost of the workshop, lunch and venue.

Each participant receives workshop material including recipes for the day’s cheese making to take home.
Each participant should take home approximately; 600gm’s Halluomi and 200gm’s Ricotta.

Tony Weaver presents "From Greenhouse gasses to land management on Bass Strait Islands- A personal experience " on Tuesday 16th February @ 7pm. Tony Weaver flyer

Environmental Consultant Tony Weaver has recently returned to SA to live near Willunga after nearly 30 years in Tasmania. In that time he had a range of occupations beginning with working at Cape Grim Air Pollution Monitoring Station, a key link in the world monitoring of greenhouse gases. He designed and carried out plantings at The Nut State Reserve in Stanley, taught participants working on environmental rehabilitation projects across the state, and wrote land management plans for Aboriginal community organisations which had land returned to them by the State Government. Many of these lands were on Bass Strait islands. Finally he worked on a State Government funded program to improve the energy efficiency of the homes of disadvantaged people in government housing, to reduce their power bills. In this talk he will discuss all of the above and show photographs of the worksites from spectacular locations across Tasmania.

January

Peter Owen from the Wilderness Society presents "Drilling for oil and gas in the Great Australian Bight" on Wednesday 27th January @ 7pm Peter Owen - Drilling in the Great Australian Bight

Peter Owen is Director at The Wilderness Society South Australia. 
Over the past decade, Pete and the team at TWSSA have been instrumental in the protection of vast areas of land and seascape including the Nullarbor Plain, South Australia’s Offshore Islands, the Arkaroola Mountains, the Mawson Plateau and the declaration of the State’s 19 Marine Parks. 
Pete has an Honors Degree, a Graduate Diploma in Environmental Studies and a Law Degree with majors in Environmental and International Law. He was admitted as a Lawyer in 2003 after working at the Environmental Defenders Office in South Australia. Previously, he was Campaigner for the Conservation Council of SA. 
He was named South Australian of the Year and won the Jill Hudson Award for Environmental Protection.

Willunga Environment Centre AGM- Tuesday 13th October. Guest presenter Colin Clarke from the Natural Funeral Company. 

Our guest speaker for the night will be Colin Clarke from the Natural Funeral Company. Please call the centre or book online if you would like to attend. http://willungaenviro.org.au/index.php/events-and-workshops As always, supper provided!

The Natural Funeral Company  are passionate about helping you get what you want and need from a funeral. They take pride in providing the personal, down-to-earth, friendly professional service you need when faced with the death of someone you love.  Above all, they care hugely about getting it right for you.  While they provide traditional services they specialise in alternative funerals using cardboard, wicker, willow and shroud burials. This will be an interesting talk and is honour of David Ninnes, who recently departed us and had a Natural Funeral.

Sunday 18^th October, we will be running a short one hour tour of the Aldinga Washpool Lagoon, with the focus being on the plants in this coastal brackish water lagoon.  There are limited places for this event and bookings will be essential. This event will take place at 10 am sharp and will not be catered for. Please wear enclosed footwear and bring some water with you. To book, call the centre, book online  http://willungaenviro.org.au/index.php/events-and-workshops or reply to this email. Meet at the carpark at the bottom of Button Road. Button Road is off of Justs Road, Sellicks Beach.

August

Julian Craig presents Venomous Animals of South Australia-Tuesday 25th August@ 7pm. Uniting Church Hall, St Andrews Terrace, Willunga. Bookings Essential Venomous Animals

Friends of Aldinga Scrub presents Aldinga Scrub Talk and Tour- Sunday 23rd August@ 10am Aldinga Scrub

June 2015

 World Environment Day Washpool Activity including "Welcome to spirit of Place" with Georgina Williams Nganki burkka mekauwe, Cultural Sharing by Karl Winda Telfer,  Sunday 21st June @ 9.45 for a 10am sharp start. Please join us at the Willunga Environment Centre at the conclusion of this event for a light lunch. Sorry, no dietary inclusions, but vegetarian available.  

May 2015

Dr Eleanor Evans will talk on "Climate Change and the impacts on Health", -Wednesday 13th May @7pm

April 2015

Jayant Keskar will talk on Biogas technology, converting biological waste into energy-Tuesday 28th April@7pm>

March 2015

Professor David Paton will talk about bioR, Reconstructing habitat for biodiversity-  Tuesday 17th March @ 7pm David_Paton_talk_powerpoint

Cynthia Pyle presents Coastal Geology walk and talk discussing rocks of the Willunga Area- Sunday 29th March @ 10.30am Geology_Part_One Geology_Part_2

January 2015

Professor Ian Lowe "Sellicks, Speedway and Sustainability" on Thursday 29th January@ 7pm PowerpointPresentation

September 2015 

• Oshanna Moataz- Bushfire Ready Workshop Tuesday 30th September @ 7pm Bushfire Ready Workshop 

October 2014 

• Aldinga Washpool Second Tour- Hosted by Chas Martin and proud Greetings to Spirit of Place by Georgina Williams, Nganki burkka mekauwe. Cultural Sharing by Karl Winda Telfer Sunday 12th October @ 10 am Meet at the beach carpark at the end of Button Road at 9.45am for a prompt 10am start. Aldinga_Washpool_Tour
  

WILLUNGA ENVIRONMENT CENTRE AGM PRESENTER........ 

• Rod Wells- Digging up the past, Australia's giant extinct marsupials, or,  where did all the browsers go??  Monday 20th October @7pm 

• Linda Builth- Arachnids from South Australia Tuesday 28th October @7pm 

SEPTEMBER 2014

• Ken Long - Sustainable Housing Day speaker   "The Living Building Challenge" Tuesday 9th  September @ 7pm

• http://living-future.org/sites/default/files/reports/FINAL%20LBC%203_0_WebOptimized_low.pdf

JULY 2014

• Adelaide Desalination Plant Tour Come and learn about the desalination plant and processes as you are taken on a bus tour of the facility Thursday 24th July @ 10.30am Strictly Limited places. Registration Essential ONLY BY TELEPHONE

• Eddie Banks- Willunga and area Groundwater  Tuesday 22nd July7pm  The_Water_Beneath_Our_Feet_The_Willunga_Embayment

• Felting workshop- Plastic Free July activity. 22nd July 10.30am

JUNE 2014

PLASTIC FREE JULY EVENTS CALENDAR

• Felting workshop- Tuesday 22nd July at 10.30am Only 12 places available to Plastic Free July Participants, book at registration.
  

• bagit, is your life too plastic? Video Screening and Plastic Free July Registration day Monday 16th June @ 10.30am Register and go in the draw for a door prize at the end of July!!! bagitmovie
  

• The Clean Bin Project Clancy Retallick from The Beach Guardians will enlighten you beyond belief!! Come along to our video screening on Thursday 19th June @ 7pm Clancy_Retallick

Please join our blog on the Sustainable Communities McLaren Vale Website. Lots of great hints and tips on this site. PlasticFreeJulySustainableCommunitiesLink

World Environment day Activities including  Aldinga_Washpool_Tour Sunday 15th June @ 10am

MAY 2014

• Colin and Gillian Rayment- Wildlife/Nature Photography Workshops over two full days, 17th & 24th May  Wildlife_Bird_Photography_Workshop

• Tindo Solar Panel Factory - Thursday 15th May. Leave centre at 9.30 for 11am tour of facility Tindo_Solar_Plant_Tour

• Numen-TheNature of Plants- with Patrizia Bronzi, Herbalist and Massage Therapist. Wednesday 28th May @ 10.30am with Patrizia Bronzi, Herbalist and Massage Therapist. Numen_TheNatureofPlants 

APRIL 2014 

• Andrew Milne- Setting up a Worm Farm, practical demo Tuesday 8th April @ 7pm

• Hayley Everuss- Oz Harvest  Hayley_Everuss_OzHarvest 

MARCH 2014 

• Pam from the Shoppe - Green Cleaning Workshop  Wednesday 19th March @ 10.30am Green_Cleaning

• Remko Leijs- Native Bees  Tuesday 25th March @ 7pm Native_Bees

FEBRUARY 2014

Professor Phil Lawn

OCTOBER 2013

Professor Corey Bradshaw discusses " Current state of Biodiversity and our Impoverished Future Life Support Systems" 

 SEPTEMBER 2013.....

Community Snake Awareness Session "Working With Wildlife" Julian Craig

 AUGUST 2013.....

Chas Martin- Rainwater and Greywater for your home

 JULY 2013.....

How to Detox your home      

 JUNE 2013......

BOLIVAR TREATMENT WORKS TOUR

CHRISTIE WALK DVD LAUNCH AND TALK

WONDERFUL WORLD OF FROGS   Tuesday 28th May @ 7pm

Throughout much of the world, frog populations are declining and some species are disappearing totally. In Australia, several species have become extinct in the past 25 years. Presenter Professor Mike Tyler is a world-renowned expert and accomplished author on frogs.

His foresight in freezing specimens of the gastric brooding frog prior to their extinction, has led to the cloning of the species and its potential re-establishment. 

RENEWABLE ENERGY TRENDS AND DIRECTIONS   Tues 23rd April @ 7pm 

Steve Jenkins from the local branch of the Alternative Technology Association will present "Renewable Energy Trends and Directions". Steve will also cover how this translates when building sustainable housing and runs a business called Green by Design.   

UNCONVENTIONAL GAS   Monday 8th April @ 7pm

Andrew Cooper, member of the "Lock the Gate Alliance" will present "Unconventional Gas". Andrew has been a member of the "Lock the Gate Alliance" for five years, and has researched Unconventional Gas for six years. He has been an activist against that, and uranium mining during that time. He does volunteer work with Birds Australia and National Parks, being involved in shorebird counts and the Yellow Tail Black Cockatoo conservation program on the Eyre Peninsula. TEST.

• Dr Jim Gehling- Palaentologist - The 2 Billion years of time recorded in the rocks of the Fleurieu Peninsula to be advised