Grey Lynn 2030 now has a new website that we will be using from now on.
Please go to www.greylynn2030.co.nz for the latest information.
Also this site will no longer be able to take comments. We would appreciate your comments very much though on the new web site.
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While reading NZ Herald an article on Ooooby caught my eye.
Ooooby stands for Out of our Own Backyard
Ooooby is…
- a movement of food growers and locavores with a common goal of food independence.
- a place where you can learn from, connect and exchange with local growers and eaters.
- a social enterprise which pours all its profits back into local food projects.
On further investigation I see that Ooooby is very much in keeping with the Transition town movement. Pete Russell who runs it is doing some great things on Waiheke.
We city dwellers can learn more about growing our own food as Ooooby is about to run a gardening course here in the room belonging to Garnet Station cafe.
Edibles and Flowers in the Kitchen Garden
Coastal and Shelter Plantings
Garden Design 1 and 2
Plant Selection for your Garden
Planting for year round Interest
These are the topics every Wednesday morning and evening at Garnet Station in Grey Lynn starting 18 February
Each session separate $15 each
Call 
021 431 098 for bookings – Gill Warren
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Auckland City Council, in collaboration with local groups, is holding a community picnic at Meola Reef on Saturday 21 March 2009. The event will include performances and presentations from local groups, activities for adults and children, and information about opportunities for being a volunteer at Meola Reef (including tree planting, bird counting and water testing).
Why
Meola Reef and the creeks that surround it are beautiful local assets. Many people in the local community visit the Reef and care for the area through tree planting and other activities.
The Meola Reef Community Picnic aims to foster community connection and strengthen a sense of belonging. It provides an opportunity for the local community to enjoy the Reef together and find out how to get involved with caring for the area.
When
1-5pm, Saturday 21 March 2009 * (Rain date 28 March)
Where
Meola Reef, in the centre and on the northern side of Meola Rd, Pt Chevalier
How you can be involved
You are invited to attend on the day!
Auckland City Council is also seeking expressions of interest from local groups who could perform or present on their work and/or involvement with Meola Reef on the day (for a maximum of 20 minutes).
There will also be a notice board available for community information, that you are invited to provide content for.
Future events and activities
Future activities including tree planting and reef clean ups will be held after the picnic at dates to be confirmed.
Contact
For further information, or to discuss participating in the event, please contact:
Mik Smellie
Community Services Place Manager – North
09 354 2031
mik.smellie@aucklandcity.govt.nz
Eva Lawrence
Community Services Adviser – North
09 354 2056
Further information will be provided closer to the time. Please mark the date in your calendar.
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We have a couple of local events for Bike Wise week.
Event: Auckland City Council Go By Bike Breakfast
Date: 18 February, 6.30am
Location: Viaduct Harbour
What’s happening: Come down to our exciting new venue – the Viaduct Harbour (Eastern Viaduct)!
Web: www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/whatson/events/gobybike/default.asp
Event: Kids Bike Ride
Date: 19 February, 5.30pm
Location: Western Springs Park
What’s happening: The Kids Bike Ride is a fun evening for kids, promoting cycle safety during National Bike Wise Week. There will be live music, obstacle courses and special bike activities with great prizes to be won.
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18 Feb 2009 18:30
The Sustainable Living Centre is screening Geoff Lawtons DVD “Establishing a food forest”.
It starts with a 20 minute Permaculture Classroom as Geoff explains the patterns of a Food Forest and the essential principles of “time-stacking” your garden with the right mix of support species that feed and protect your fledgling fruit trees into maturity. We then join Geoff in the field as he puts the theory into action, planting the seeds and watching the system grow.
It will be a great chance for people to meet and network as well as gaining an idea of setting up a thriving food system.
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We are lucky to now have two community gardens in Grey Lynn. The “experts” next to St Columba Church who have loads of experience and a flourishing garden.
We also now have a new garden on Wilton Street directly behind the Gypsy Tearoom. Both the owner of the plot and the lessee have given the enterprise their blessing so ongoing tenure is assured.
The project has been started by Mandy McMullen and Jacqui Watson. Mandy, is a landscape architect, and intends to design a plan that might gain sponsorship from various funding sources, which would pay for
soil testing and structures that need to be put in place, such as a fence and a compost bin. A local businessman has offered to do any building required at a reduced rate.
There are a few locals already involved largely from Wilton Street who are keen on the project and have good skills to donate to it.
Presently it still looks like a empty section but Ponsonby News spoke to the Mandy and Jacqui who said the plot has already undergone a
transformation with a major weed problem tackled and almost overcome. They’ve hand cleared the site of jasmine that was growing right up into the trees. Although pretty, jasmine is very hard to eradicate
completely and will require ongoing control.
Some kind person has offered them a couple of goats to get rid of it, but that’s an option requiring careful consideration! Might be a bit upsetting for people having a tipple at Gypsy Tea Rooms….
The plan is that members of the community will pull together to create a resource that we can all enjoy. Part of their vision is to have a relaxation area as well, where they might have street barbeques, or neighbourhood celebrations at festival times.
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A new, informal group started at our February 2009 meeting of people who want to swap spare seedlings from their own gardens. The aim is to save some money, share some knowledge and gain some biodiversity!
If you are interested in this please contact Alice on 3764623 or alice@angelfood.co.nz
Seed exchanges are springing up around New Zealand, the Te Kakano Trust is based in Wanaka and has achieved a lot since it was formed in September 2008. Their aim is to ‘ establish a community-based native plant nursery specialising in propagating plants of local origin for the restoration of habitats in the Upper Clutha Basin”.
Here in Grey Lynn many of us have gardens that once successful can be very productive. Please bring any seedlings that you don’t need to our monthly meeting. There is sure to be somebody who will be happy to receive them.
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Earth Hour 2009 is a global call to action to every individual, every business and every community. Earth hour is a call to stand up, to take responsibility and to get involved in working towards a sustainable future. In 2008, 50 million people in 370 cities and towns, in more than 35 countries worldwide switched off their lights for Earth Hour. Earth Hour 2009 aims to reach more than one billion people in 1000 cities around the world, inviting communities, business and governments to switch off lights for one hour at 8:30pm on Saturday March 28 and sending a powerful global message that we care enough about climate change to take action.
For more information – http://www.earthhour.org/
What can we do for Earth Hour in our community? – any ideas for how we can get all of Grey Lynn, Ponsonby and Westmere to turn out the lights for an hour on 28th March?
The good folk in Pt Chev are on to it, if you would rather not stay at home on your own in your dark house.
Coyle Park 8 – 9.30pm Saturday, March 28th – join us to watch the lights go out.
Earth hour 2009 is from 8.30-9.30 on March 28th. To acknowledge the need to take action on Climate Change, people all over the world are encouraged to turn out the lights for one hour… We understand the Sky Tower will go dark, and hope to also see other lights go out. We will meet at the Coyle Park playground. Torches (preferably rechargable!) may be needed to safely navigate the park. Don’t forget to turn out your own lights before you leave home.
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Want to learn more about how to live sustainably? The Sustainable Living Centre in New Lynn run excellent courses.
Workshops & Seminars Timetable – Feb and March
Urban Chooks
Fresh eggs and garden pest control in one!
Wed 11 February 6.30-8.30pm $10
Barbara Stumbles – Registered and Homeopathic Vet, Urban Chook Enthusiast
The sound of chickens in the backyard was commonplace up until the 50s and 60s. Chickens are a valuable addition to a productive backyard – they can still be kept in the suburbs but there are a few council by-laws you will need to know. Barbara will discuss what a chicken needs to be happy and healthy from housing and shelter to diet.
Home Winemaking
Get creative with your summer harvest
Thurs 19 February 6.30-8.30pm $10
Al Christ – President of the Manukau Wine and Apiarists Club
Turn that pile of overripe feijoas or plums into something much more satisfying – a crisp wine that will satisfy even the most discerning tastebuds! Al will give a step by step demonstration of the basic winemaking process and describe the typical kit needed to get started.
MODULAR PERMACULTURE DESIGN COURSE (12 modules in total)
The Built Environment (Module 3, PDC)
Saturday 21 February 8.45am-5pm $80 (pre-payment required)
NB: Shared lunch optional, bring a plate
Finn Mackesy – Co-chairperson, Permaculture in NZ; Gary Marshall – Landscape Architect, DJ Scott Associates Ltd
This module covers: Principles of building ecology; passive solar design and active systems (storage and heat pumps); orientation and layout; ambient temperatures and insulation; materials (local earth, straw, timber etc); on-site re-use/recycling of ‘wastes’ (compost toilets, greywater systems etc); on-site energy supplies (micro-hydro, wind, solar etc).
Build a Hybrid Adobe Garden Seat
Saturday 28 February 10am-3pm $30
Grant Steven - Organics Tutor, Northland Polytechnic
Grant Steven, who bought us ‘organoponico’ raised vege gardens, will be showing us ‘hybrid adobe’ techniques to build a new visitors bench seat for the community garden. Hybrid adobe is a lightweight but strong building material which incorporates clay and paper pulp in the mix. We will also be constructing a simple Kanuka shade structure as part of the seating.
March 2009
EcoDay 2009 Sunday 8 March 2009
Renewable Energy Workshop Exciting innovations in DIY energy production, Saturday 7 March, 10 – 30am – 12.30pm, $10 Presented by Michael Lawley, Renewable Energy Engineer, EcoInnovation
Bring Back Butterflies Workshop How to attract native butterflies to your garden, Wednesay 18 March, 6.30pm – 8.30pm, $10 Presented by Angela Gibbons, Native Butterfly Breeder
Edible Garden Culture (8 part series)
Part 1: Edible Garden Planning & Practice
Saturday 28 March, 10:30am – 12:30pm, $20
This is the first workshop of a new 8 part edible gardening series for 2009. Richard Main is an enthusiastic and experienced environmental educator and co-founder of the Unitec Hortecology Sanctuary. In this mainly hands-on practical workshop, participants will be introduced to ideas around working with nature, propagation techniques, planting and an abundant summer harvest.
War On Weeds
The War On Weeds programme is delivered by WeedFree Trust on behalf of Keep Waitakere Beautiful Trust, and runs throughout the month of March every year.
Click here for more information.
EcoDay – FREE COMMUNITY EVENT!
Sunday 8 March 10-4pm Held at Olympic Park, New Lynn.
The Sustainable Living Centre will be open all day and there will also be tours of the Trusts EcoHouse. Eco stalls and exhibitions, organic food and drinks, kids zone, music, workshops and seminars, vehicle emissions testing, tours of sustainable homes and gardens. See www.ecoday.org.nz for more info.
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A few weeks ago on Radio NZ, Gareth Morgan spoke about that in a recession people like to ” run home to Mum” . I found this idea for Green Grannies on www.springwise.com and it struck a chord. Wouldn’t it be great to harness the skills of our older folk to get us through these difficult times and also to pass on skills that we used to have. Only my mother has the patience to teach my daughter to knit!
Grandmothers are known for many virtues, not the least of which is their ability to knit spectacular socks. Perhaps even more admirable, however, is the older generation’s ability to make the most of limited resources.
With just that talent in mind, Oxfam recently recruited a team of what it calls Green Grannies to offer advice to the UK public about everything from how to darn socks to how to make delicious food from leftovers. Part of Good Ideas Unltd, Oxfam’s new lifestyles campaign, the service aims not only to help UK consumers save cash, but also to encourage recycling and help tackle climate change, which it notes has a particularly hard impact on the world’s poorest populations. To disseminate the grannies’ advice, Oxfam has launched a YouTube channel—a recent clip describes how to stay warm at night without running the heat, for example—and will soon debut its ‘Ask a Granny’ service on the Oxfam website.
Green Granny Barbara Walmsley explains: “I have always made the most of what I have—it just comes naturally to me. Every granny has her own tricks for saving money, and I’m really glad to have the chance to share them with younger people. Its great to be involved with a campaign which is helping people living in poverty now, and which will also help take care of the world for my grandchildren’s generation.”
“Waste not, want not” is a maxim that works well both from an economic and an environmental perspective, and it’s also one that comes naturally to older generations. Where else could consumers benefit from some elderly advice….?
Website: www.oxfam.org.uk/applications/blogs/goodideasvideo
Contact: rmarsh@oxfam.org.uk
GreyLynn 2030 | Amie Maxwell on Green Grannies |
 | galina sanderson on Want to get involved? |
 | Angela Smith on Dates for meetings 2009 |
| Amie Maxwell on Waste Away Group |
