Tag Archives: Sustainability

Broken chair? Blown amp? Busted washing machine? They don’t have to be thrown away! These Mid Mountains fixers and makers will revive them.

Second-hand bookstore and social enterprise RoseyRavelston has moved to Lawson-town. While the core of their business remains the same, the move has prompted adaptation and diversification, which has opened up new collaborations and opportunities for the business and the community.

Boomerang Bags Blue Mountains is part of a global, grassroots movement replacing single-use plastic bags with sustainable recycled fabric alternatives: one sewing bee at a time. The volunteers were hard at work when Belle Butler visited the group to find out more.

Mushrooms are a hot topic at the moment with more and more research illuminating the essential role these organisms play in the health of the planet as well as the significant health and medicinal benefits they hold for humans. Belle Butler visited local mushroom grower, Alex Felix, at his farm in Lawson to talk about the mighty mushroom.

Blue Mountains libraries now stock free-to-borrow ‘My Energy and Water Saver’ kits that Blue Mountains residents can use to assess their homes for energy and water efficiency. Belle Butler borrowed one of the kits and discovered some room for improvement in her Lawson home.

As we face predictions of increasing natural disasters due to climate change, past events show that community-led recovery and preparedness is key to building resilience. Belle Butler talked with Kris Newton of Mountains Community Resource Network about how she prepares to reduce her own risk of disaster, and about MCRN's pilot project Resilient Villages, which aims to equip communities with the skills and tools they need to take control of their own destiny.

Growing fruit and vegetables is immensely gratifying, but doing it consistently well is hard: and that’s where Community Gardens are an invaluable resource. Visit Mid Mountains Community Garden with Belle Butler to dig deeper.

A green roof, with soil and a vegetation layer, reduces energy use, boosts biodiversity and reduces bushfire risk. Read about a home in Linden where the owners have enjoyed the benefits of their green roof for over 30 years.

Magpie Markets in Lawson are a local institution providing a sustainable boost to the local economy. Recently a trial waste sorting and recycling hub has significantly reduced waste going to landfill. Find out more and meet some of the stallholders here.

In response to the global biodiversity crisis, which has seen around 69% of wildlife populations decline in 50 years, Lawson resident Ian Tanner has established an Ecological Funding Group which is raising funds to provide focussed donations to the Environmental Defenders Office and The Nature Conservancy.