Environment happenings!

Terra Dumont — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 22:09:31 GMT

Hello,

Here are some of the projects GECKO is involved with at the moment. There are heaps of different, fun activiets comming up! So if you are interested in helping out/attending anything please do! :)

1. Bike Event this Weekend Sat Feb 23

2. Downtown Eco Therapy Project You are invited to the 2^nd project meeting, Friday 12:30 at Olive Cafe

3. Island Bay Nursery open day and working bee Sat Feb 23

4. Conservation Congress

5. Aro Valley Gardening Tour Sat 8 March

6. Climate Defence Network Part-time Position Available

1. Bike Support This Weekend
We'll see you all at 9.15 at the Petone station for our brieifing and ride back into town.
There may just be chocolate for everyone that shows! (Sorry, had to stoop to bribery). Saturday February 23, don't forget :)

We are a week out from our bike ride with the Mayors and councillors so I thought I'd just give you a reminder/update. We have currently got 11 important officials, including two mayors, a WCC representative and a transit representative coming along which is great! Given the good turn out from them, I"m really hoping we can rally a good few cyclists/cycle supports to come along with us to illustrate the swell of support they have behind them to make and implement good transport policies. I am taking the VIPS (along with another Cycle Aware Wellington representative and Associate Professor Ralph Chapman) out on the train to Petone station - so we thought.

The plot has actually got thicker. First we were told we could only take 4 of the 15 bikes on the train and now we're told we can't take ANY because the trains will be replaced by buses that weekend (how convenient :)). At first, this was very disappointing but in retrospect it really just goes to further highlight the point. SO! We will actually be escorting the VIPS on the bus as our bikes get taken out to Petone station on a very non-sustainable truck. I have around 5 more bikes I can provide if people need them, they'll need to come on the bus with us and pick them up out there. But for everyone else we want to meet you out there at Petone station for when the bus arrives. For many of you, riding out on that stretch of road from Wellington may be a bit nerve racking so we've organised a group leaving on their bikes from the Wellington train station at 8.15am. John Parker will lead the clan and take everyone out to Petone so you know where to go.

If you're already in Petone, that's easy but for anyone else that wants to go in a big group out there - John will be leaving at 8.15 so turn up around 8.10 to take the cycling bus :)

I know its early and a Saturday morning but this really is a golden opportunity to make a difference in this city at a time where a lot of talk needs to be followed by a lot of action. I am told constantly that there's no political will for the decision-makers to take bold steps so we have to show them that they have our utmost support.

Claire.

2. "Downtown Eco-Therapy Project"

You are invited to the 2^nd project meeting, Friday 12:30 at Olive Cafe to discuss the "Downtown Eco-Therapy Project". At the first meeting, we agreed to aim for the first "Downtown Eco-Therapy" potting up session on 12 March in Midland Park from 12 Noon to 1:30pm.If you are new to this project concept, it is based on the vision of "Making it easy for people working in Wellington to heal the environment by 'potting-up' baby trees during their lunch break."

We will discuss, in more detail, our plans to make this a great inaugural event. I hope you can make it to the meeting. We will also need plenty of "hosts" and helpers on the day.

Ron Eckman 387-1747 021 351-595

3. Kia Ora friends,

To coincide with the Island Bay Festival, we are holding two public Open Days at our Southern Environmental Association Native Plant Nursery (in Murchison Street, Island Bay, on the south west side of flat land accessed from opposite 21 Murchison Street):

On Saturday 16 February 2008 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
On Saturday 23 February 2008 from 12 Noon to 5 p.m.

We will also be holding our usual Working Bees (concentrating on potting up baby native plants) at the Nursery on both Saturdays (16th and 23rd) from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and hope that we can have a good turnout. Gloves and tools are provided.
Finally, we still need (1) washed one litre cardboard milk cartons or fruit juice cartons, with two 50 cent sized holes cut out of the bottom; (2) medium-to-large plastic plant containers; and (3) stakes that could be used to mark our trees to help avoid mowing mishaps. All of these items can be left at the SEA native plant nursery in Murchison Street, or at 15 High Street, Island Bay inside the gate, or we can collect them if you let us know.

4. Conservation Congress 2008

Every four years, IUCN organizes the World Conservation Congress, the biggest and most diverse conservation-related event in the world. Its objective is to improve the way we manage our environment for human, social and economic development.

The central theme of the upcoming IV World Conservation Congress (5-14 October, 2008, in Barcelona, Spain), A Diverse and Sustainable World, will highlight the linkages between natural, social, cultural and economic diversity. The Congress will present the Legacy of Barcelona as a series of concrete solutions for our world to be truly sustainable in a matter of two decades.

IUCN will use the platform offered by the World Conservation Congress to organize the International Women Environmental Entrepreneurs Fair. The Fair is an innovative and unique global opportunity, because it will make visible the economic, social and environmental inputs that women entrepreneurs bring to their countries and the world through their "green enterprises" (i.e., environmentally friendly).

The Fair will also allow form the basis of a worldwide network of women green entrepreneurs, which will catalyze collaborations among different sectors, associations, regions and countries.

The International Women Environmental Entrepreneur Fair aims to: facilitate and strengthen women's productive enterprises that produce or provide services that are environmentally friendly; and showcase women's professional and business activities that go beyond regional borders and contribute to environmental conservation and the alleviation of poverty.

If you are a woman that belongs to an environmentally friendly entrepreneurial group, if you can recommend one, or if you are sponsoring a group of this nature, please let us know and send us your application.You can request an application for through the email address: womenfair@iucn.org

A team of experts and practitioners will select the 50 finalists from all over the world that will be part of the first and largest International Fair of Women Entrepreneurs. Finalists will be announced in May 2008.

Completed submissions should be sent to womenfair@iucn.org Submissions will be accepted from November 2007 until April 30, 2008.

5. Te Aro Community Gardener's Solidarity Tour!

Are you interested in ecology, gardening and sustainable communities? Then come and join us from 10am-2.30pm on Saturday 8^th of March as we take a walk through the beauty, ecology and history of Te Aro's gardens, wilderness and community.

This event features an all star cast of lecturers speaking about permaculture, organics, biodynamics, community gardening, revegetation, ecology, and environmental education, and will be staged as a guided walk between three lecture locations in the Aro Valley. The tour can be joined at any location, but there are so many surprises in store for the day that it would be a shame to miss a moment.

The lecture locations, topics and start times are:

Session 1- Deep ecology-Aro Community hall (48 Aro st.) 10am

Session 2- Home ecology-VUW Unity Studio (225 Aro st.) 11.15am

Session 3- Community ecology- Waimapihi reserve (top of Holloway rd.) 1.30pm

We will be stopping for lunch at 12.15 at Polehill gully park (225 Aro st). Please bring your lunch and enjoy a garden visit, complimentary organic refreshments, music from Wellington Batucada and plant giveaways.

The event is being run for koha with all proceeds going to revegetation projects in wellington.

For more information, a map of the route and speaker details see www.arogardener.com. Please register your interest in this event on the website.

6. Post of SUPPORT OFFICER to the CLIMATE DEFENCE NETWORK

Part-time, non-permanent position, up to 4 hours per week

The Climate Defence Network (CDN) is a coalition of organisations and individuals concerned about the need to prevent destabilising climate change. Its member organisations include ECO (the Environment and Conservation Organisations of New Zealand), the Environmental Defence Society, Greenpeace NZ, Oxfam NZ, the Sustainable Energy Forum, the World Wide Fund for Nature, and many other organisations.

CDN wishes to appoint a Support Officer. This is a short-term part-time contract position until 30 September 2008. Renewal of contract is possible but cannot be guaranteed The hours of work are variable and flexible, except for meetings and other events, and are normally up to four hours a week.

Post Description: Support Officer, Climate Defence Network

Location: Wellington

Responsible to: Nominated ECO CDN person

Person Description: You will be a good organizer with good management skills, tenacity, patience, and a capacity to take good minutes and notes, and to follow them up to make sure that things get done.

You will be able to work closely with a group of motivated but very busy people, and be sensitive to the needs of the member groups, as well as passionate about the need for action on climate change.

You will be able to work on your own, consistent with directions given, and able to ask for help when needed.

You will have competent computing skills and an ability and willingness to control expenditure carefully.

Relationships with: CDN coordinating committee, member groups and treasurer, ECO committees, venue administrators, official agencies, climate change scientists and other specialists and community groups.

Objective: To promote CDN's aims and objectives through supporting the administration of the network

Tasks related to the achievement of this objective:

· Organizing and attending CDN meetings

· Undertaking general administration including writing and circulating minutes and following up letters and actions from monthly meetings

· Overseeing the CDN website

· Circulating a fortnightly email newsletter to CDN members and supporters

· Maintaining relationships with CDN member groups and relevant staff, relevant government departments and agencies, and other relevant NGO's

· Engaging in meetings and other processes and helping to organize events and co-ordinate CDN submissions and other writings

· Undertaking other associated tasks as requested

Hours: Normally up to 4 hours per week at $18/hour plus entitlement to holiday pay pro rata.

Term: Initially until 30 September 2008. Renewal is possible but cannot be guaranteed.

Application method:

Please send an application as an email attachment to ecooffice@inspire.org.nz with the subject line 'CDN Support Officer', by 3 March 2008.

Please include a Curriculum Vitae with a covering letter explaining your suitability for the role, and the names and full contact details of at least two referees.

If you have any queries with respect to this post, please phone Don Locke on (04) 389 6957.

--
Gecko
Victoria University's Environmental Group
Visit us at; http://geckowellington.wetpaint.com/

Non Club Trips or Activities

Environment happenings!