I do what I can, where I am.

Earthcare’s end of year celebrations

A twilight supper at West Beach St Kilda.

Bring your friends for a special meeting to celebrate another successful year with Earthcare. Help plan next years planting calendar, watch the committee in action!

A light supper and drinks will be provided

7.30pm at West Beach, St Kilda, at the corner of Beaconsfield Pde and Pier Rd (north end). If the weather looks bad, the party will go ahead at the Cora Grave Centre, 38 Blessington St, St Kilda. Details Zoe 0402 164 482

Bag Yourself a Better Environment - National Launch

Sunday December 8^th 11am –11.30am

St Kilda Pier

Official Speakers
Hon. Dr David Kemp, Minister for the Environment
Ian Kiernan, Chairman, Clean Up Australia
Retail representative from Coles, Woolworths, ARA

Clean Up Australia invite the Ecocentre to become an Ambassador for this
important campaign. As an ambassador, Ecocentre will purely promote the
campaign proper utilising the material that Clean Up Australia will provide
on the day. The launch must not be used to promote other Ecocentre
activities. Ecocentre key staff would be invited to attend the event on the
day. Ecocentre would then be noted as an official campaign ambassador and
provided with the use of the logo and material for promotion of the campaign
at a local level. All councils nationally are approached for this same
level of involvement.

Earthcare St Kilda and the Plastic Bag Theatre Group will also be actively involved. Earthcare St Kilda has been asked to provide data on the fairy penguin colony that could be used as reference to plastic bag impacts at a local level.

Help Earthcare rejuvenate Wild Wonderful West Beach

1pm –3pm Sunday 24^th November

If the weather looks good, bring your bathers and enjoy the water while removing seastars, if you fancy. Give us your ideas on what you would like done to Cowderoy Creek. Just Come down and join us, last opportunity this year. West Beach is at the corner of Beaconsfield Pde and Pier Rd (north end). Please bring your own weather protection.

Details Alison 9532 4138

What’s On October / November

24^th Nov West Beach Weeding 1pm-3pm at West Beach St Kilda, corner Beaconsfield Pde and Pier Rd north end. Details Alison 9532 4138

28^thNov Earthcare Meeting, twilight picnic at West Beach 7.30pm

1st Dec Penguin Research, meeting at start of St Kilda Pier. Bookings/Info Angela 9527 8334

8^th Dec Bag Yourself a Better Environment - National Launch 11am-12noon, St Kilda Pier

14^th Dec Friends of Port Melbourne’s Foreshore working Bee at Perc White Reserve Melways 56 F3 Details Janet 9645 2269 9.30am –12noon

Earthcare St Kilda Ph 0500 832 784 PO Box 287 Elwood

Email zoemh@bigpond.com or aliart@bigpond.com

Earthcare’s First Book

Indigenous Plants of the Sandbelt – A gardening guide for South-eastern Melbourne is available at last!

Get your copies direct from Earthcare by mail order $30 ($25 + $5 postage and handling). PO Box 287 Elwood, 3184. (Please make cheques payable to Earthcare)

Or in person at $25 from Neil at the EcoCentre (tearooms next door), please ph: 9209 6491 to make sure Neil is there and copies are available,

Or from most good bookshops.

The book has excellent practical information on local plant species and their tolerances and requirements and aboriginal usage, how to attract fauna or butterflies to your garden, local geology, plus much more. It is presented beautifully in full colour, and will make an excellent Christmas present, or treat for yourself.

Wild Nights at Penguin Research

Penguin research nights have always had a reputation of calm seas, gentle
breezes and no rain. It has often been very cold but we can cope with that.
THINGS HAVE CHANGED. Last penguin research night started off in a normal way but suddenly a few spots of rain appeared, then the wind started to blow,
then a mighty gale came along with teaming rain. Try to imagine eight
researchers trying to shelter under a saltbush. (At this stage moving into
a penguin burrow looked appealing). After ten minutes or so we decided to
return to land but the breakwater is long and unsheltered, so too is St
Kilda Pier. Despite this being the second time we have been soaked in the
last couple of months we are keeping our fingers crossed that the cool
change predicted for the 17th of November, and the weather for future Penguin research is a little less dramatic. Sound appealing; next Penguin research is Sunday December 1^st after sunset. For more info or bookings please contract Angela 9527 8334

Earthcare

Earthcare is a practical, local environment group. We work closely with specialists and the Council to improve the environment in the City of Port Phillip.

Our main projects are to increase the diversity and extent of native vegetation, the fortnightly penguin and rakali study groups, litter and water quality monitoring, underwater studies of the St Kilda Harbour, the nest box project and sustainable housing.

Membership includes the monthly newsletter, admission to talks by guest speakers, access to specialist project groups, and participation in local plantings.

It’s a great way to study local ecologies, with or without formal qualifications while giving something to our community.

Tel. 0500 832 784 http://www.vicnet.net.au/~earthcare

Membership or Renewal Form

Membership of Earthcare St. Kilda Inc. is per calendar year, February to January.

Membership includes a monthly newsletter and information about coming events.

I wish to join Earthcare St. Kilda Inc.

$15 Student/ Concession $20 individual $30 family

I wish to make a donation $……

Please return completed form to PO Box 287 Elwood 3184

Name……………………………………………..New Renewal

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