Author: Darren

**Venue: ** Thirroul Community Centre, 352 – 360 Lawrence Hargrave Drive, Thirroul (Parking at building rear) Refresh your wardrobe, save money and reduce your ecological footprint at our first Sustainable Illawarra clothes swap event! – Bring along items you don’t wear that are in good condition and laundered (i.e. new or lightly used). You can…

Come and participate in creating a permaculture garden in this hands-on workshops series. Learn about designing your garden at home, and how to create a healthy environment for your plants and your family. This course will reduce your waste and increase your resources. Running over 5 weeks, and we will meet every second week on…

**Venue:** Blackbutt Reserve, Shellharbour (confirm meeting place upon booking) Blackbutt Reserve is home to an incredible diversity of plants and animals. It remains as a living reminder of the extensive forest that originally covered the Shellharbour district. Come and explore this precious remnant of towering Eucalyptus pilularis forest. Learn about the Dry Subtropical Rainforest and…

Come along to this informative workshop, and learn the basics of installing and maintaining a frog pond in your backyard. Facilitated by local wildlife guru Peter Nolan from Habitat Ponds, you will also learn about the importance of creating habitat to attract frogs, and how you can ensure they have a safe and healthy environment…

**Venue:** Wollongong Botanic Gardens Nursery, Northfields Avenue, Keiraville Plants are available to Wollongong City Council residents only at a minimum cost. This activity is run by Wollongong Council and is available to Wollongong residents only.

**Venue:** Oak Flats Neighbourhood Centre, Fisher Street, Oak Flats Learn how to set up a compost bin or worm farm to manage your kitchen waste, produce valuable fertilisers and soil conditioners for your garden and minimise odour from your garbage bins. Participants will receive a free compost bin on completion of the course! This activity…

**Venue:** Girl Guide Cottage, Hindmarsh Park, Kiama Come and learn the basics of successful composting and worm farming, as well as the revolutionary Bokashi bin system. Each household participating in the workshop will receive a FREE COMPOST BIN, or can purchase the Bokashi Bin at a reduced rate. This offer is only available to Kiama…

**Mt Keira to Wollongong Botanic Gardens via Robertsons Lookout Bushwalk** This amazing Bushwalk will take you through the Open Forest and Heath of the Illawarra Escarpment. We’ll look for signs of animals such as wombats and search for carnivorous plants, and food plants such as Sarsparilla and Mat Rush, along the edges of the trail.…

**Venue:** Kiama Downs Childcare Centre In the Illawarra we have many fascinating animals living around us – in our gardens, over the back fence and in the trees and bushland in our streets. Come to this interactive workshop and learn more about our four legged neighbours and how you can encourage them to stay around.…

**Venue:** Discovery Centre, Wollongong Botanic Gardens Learn the basics of two ways to reduce your ecological footprint and give your food scraps new life! In this workshop you will learn how to set up and maintain a worm farm and also how to develop and look after a healthy active compost heap. Find out the…