Mount Lofty bushwalk meanders through gum and tea trees, crosses creeks, and follows the Yarra River before rising to the summit of Mt Lofty.

Starting at the sacred Wurundjeri Bukkertilibul dreaming site on Brushy Creek, we'll follow the river upstream, then head up to one of the highest points in Manningham.

At the summit, enjoy a 360-degree sunset view, with the Great Dividing Range to the north and the rapids marking the start of the Warrandyte Gorge below.

• Rating: difficult (some steep and slippery sections)
• Distance: 5kms
• Time: 2.5hrs
• Bring: a water bottle and a snack
• Wear: sturdy shoes, a hat and weather-appropriate clothing

Bookings are essential. Meeting point to be supplied on booking.

Join renowned educational group Sustainable Gardening Australia as they discuss how the garden can be a place of climate action.

You'll also learn how to implement changes to reduce your contribution to climate change and help build personal and community climate resilience.

The session will also discuss how to climate proof your garden using organic waste, microclimates and water smart gardening.

The seminar begins at 6.30pm, or join us from 6.15pm for our monthly food swap, where you can bring and trade homegrown produce, cuttings, seeds, gardening magazines, jars, ferments and more!

About Home Harvest: Home Harvest is a free, complete home gardening program that runs monthly from February to December. It aims to educate and inspire residents to grow their own organic, nutritious and delicious produce at home. The series hosts seminars, question and answer time, on-site activities and food swaps! 

Registrations are essential. 

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Are you tired of skyrocketing energy bills and worried about sweltering in the summer heat? It's time to control the heat and create a cool comfort haven at home this summer.

Join this webinar to discover how to:

• Repel the urban heat island effect by harnessing nature's incredible cooling potential! Explore natural cooling methods like passive solar design, landscaping, and ventilation to keep your home cool.
• Examine your home's performance. We'll discuss the impact of air leaks, insulation needs and window treatments which can greatly enhance your home's performance through the heat.
• Learn about best practice 'Active Cooling' using fans and air conditioners. There are smart ways to keep you comfortable, reduce wear and tear, consume less electricity and deliver lower energy bills.
• Consider smart technologies and upgrading appliances for an even more energy efficient future.
• Find out about rebates and get answers to your specific cooling challenges and concerns.

Whether you live in a small apartment or a spacious family home, this presentation offers solutions for every type of living space.

Join us for this essential presentation and take the first step toward creating a cool, comfortable, and energy-efficient home.

This event is part of our Inspired Living Series. This series showcases an exciting range of fun and sustainable activities and events for all ages, supporting sustainability at home, in the community and at work. 

Registration is essential. 

Join us at Currawong Bush Park to learn about local wildlife and come face to face with local animals of Manningham.

Recommended for children aged 5 to 12 years, the Manningham Junior Ranger Program is designed to get young environmentalists out and active in our local environment.

Activities include:

• Go on a bush park discovery walk with Environment Officers as they explore why Currawong Bush Park is known as the best little wilderness in town
• Survive a live wildlife show presented by Reptile Encounters
• Experience nature as a place to play, imagine, relax and explore.

Participant information:

• Children must be supervised by a parent or guardian at all times. Please arrive 10 minutes prior to start time.
• Come prepared and dress for the weather on the day. Please wear closed-toed footwear.
• Don’t forget to bring a snack and water bottle for morning tea.
• In the event of extreme weather, this event will be cancelled.
• Currawong Bush Park is protected habitat, dogs are not permitted in the park at any time.

What amazing biodiversity is in your area? We'd love to know!

By the end of October, the natural world is on full throttle. Flowers are blooming, insects are emerging, birds are singing, and reptiles are coming out of their winter hibernation. It makes sense for the Southern Hemisphere to observe life at this time of year.

The purpose of the Great Southern Bioblitz is to highlight the immense biodiversity spread across the Southern Hemisphere in the flourishing springtime. Also, to engage the public in science and nature learning, using the citizen science platform iNaturalist.

To participate in the event you will need to download the iNaturalist app on your device.

• iNaturalist app for Android
• iNaturalist app for Apple

Join Elana from Cloth Nappy Workshops Melbourne to discover the world of modern cloth nappies.

She will take you through everything you need to know to get started with cloth nappies. Learn how to wash them, where to buy them and what to look for.

She will cover washing tips, dispel myths, show the different styles of modern cloth and most importantly an opportunity to ask questions to get you confident with cloth.

Find out about different aspects of the water quality of the creek and how we test it while enjoying a walk along one of the prettiest sections of our iconic Mullum Mullum Creek. 

• Distance: 5 km
• Time: 3.5 hours
• Difficulty: Moderate: Long out and back walk 

Booking essential.

Meeting point to be supplied on booking.

Join Elana from Cloth Nappy Workshops Melbourne who will take you through the different reusable menstrual products and how to decide which one suits your needs, budget and body.

She will discuss washable cloth pads, menstrual discs and cups, and absorbent period underwear, and how to use and wash them, so you can avoid spending money at the shops each month.

Are you covered for emergencies at home?

We are holding a home insurance workshop with Eastern Community Legal Centre (ECLC), a multidisciplinary legal service that works to prevent problems and support community resilience.

The session will cover important topics including:

• having an up-to-date insurance policy  
• the right insurance amount for your home and contents
• what to look out for in your existing insurance policy.

Participants are encouraged to bring insurance policy documents for personal reference during the session.

It's free to register but bookings are essential. 

Please note: this repeat session of the Home Insurance workshop will be held in Mandarin. 

In this workshop, primary school-aged children are invited to join the staff from Awareaway to create fish from re-purposed plastic waste. The fish will then be displayed as part of the 'School of Plastic Fish' exhibition at the Box Hill Community Art Centre. 

Participation in the workshops is free but places are limited.

The exhibition runs from 23 May until 29 May 2022 at the Box Hill Community Art Centre.

'School of Plastic Fish' is an exhibition responding to the alarming study that predicts by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in our oceans.

The fish depict an eerie yet beautiful ocean-scape where they are displayed, reminding us of a possible future and encouraging us to embrace positive behaviour change to reimagine a better and more sustainable future.

Awareaway is a social and environmental enterprise, co-founded by Sophie Dahm and Alex Child, dedicated to sustainable and creative design by re-purposing and up-cycling plastic waste.

In Support of Victorian Seniors Festival (running throughout October). 

Looking for ways to improve comfort and energy efficiency at home? This two-hour session, presented in partnership with Manningham City Council, is perfectly timed as we head toward the warmer months. We can all appreciate minimising cost and maximising comfort, so join us for the multiple takeaways this comprehensive and practical session will provide.

Places are limited and enrolment is essential

Join Elana from Cloth Nappy Workshops Melbourne to discover the world of modern cloth nappies.

She will take you through everything you need to know to get started with cloth nappies. Learn how to wash them, where to buy them and what to look for.

She will cover washing tips, dispel myths, show the different styles of modern cloth and most importantly an opportunity to ask questions to get you confident with cloth.

Join us for a presentation by John Harris, Principle Ecological Consultant at Wildlife Experiences to learn more about the Local Birds of Warrandyte.
John has worked in both the environmental and educational sectors, so this presentation is sure to be engaging and interesting!

The presentation will get you prepared for the upcoming Aussie Backyard Bird Count which is run each year by Bird Life Australia and supported by Manningham. All level of bird knowledge is welcome.
 

Have you had enough of rising energy bills? Do you feel like your bills are swallowing up your earnings?

It's time to take control! This webinar, ‘Reduce Your Energy Bills!’ is your ticket to a smart, more affordable and comfortable home. Learn how to create an efficient haven that nurtures your family, benefits your wallet and cares after the planet.

Connect with the best! Learn how to find the right energy plan and how to choose between the fog of so many offers. It may be confusing to navigate but we can help you knock down those overpriced bills!

See the power and direct the current! Learn about simple energy monitors that show you real-time energy usage. We'll show you how these clever tools reveal appliance costs and makes it easy to manage them.

Get practical - get rewarded! We highlight the best energy efficiency methods tailored for Australian homes. From insulation, draught proofing, windows and appliance upgrades, we'll show you where to start, what elements deserve attention now and how to optimize your appliances for results.

Don't miss this opportunity to unlock the full potential of your home and embark on a journey towards a more energy-efficient future.

Our presenter, Ian Moxon, is a seasoned sustainability consultant with over 15 years of experience in this field and 20 years living ‘Off-Grid’. He’ll share his extensive knowledge and valuable industry insights into the benefits of installing solar power and solar batteries at your home.

This event is part of our Inspired Living Series. This series showcases an exciting range of fun and sustainable activities and events for all ages, supporting sustainability at home, in the community and at work.

Bookings are essential.

Meeting Date: 4 November 2021
Meeting Time: 7.00pm 
Location: You can watch the livestream on this page or on our Facebook page.          

Council meeting livestream

Warrandyte Neighbourhood House and the Warrandyte Arts Association will be joining forces to launch National Recycling Week on Sunday 6 November 2022.

This fun community day has been funded by a Manningham Community Grant and will include:

• sustainability workshops and demonstrations
• an exhibition of artwork using recycled materials
• The Repair Café
• Warrandyte Potters
• musical entertainment and theatre
• food and drinks

National Recycling Week, established by Planet Ark in 1996, is held every year during the second week of November.

Excessive consumption is a key driver of environmental change. It points to the need for increased understanding of the environmental impact of everyday items and how we can alter our behaviour and choices. Making our households and communities sustainable will enable us to adapt to a carbon constrained world.

The Aussie Backyard Bird Count is a great way to connect with the birds in your backyard no matter where your backyard happens to be — a suburban backyard, a local park, a patch of forest, down by the beach, or the main street of town.

You can count as many times as you like over the week; we just ask that each count is completed over a 20-minute period.

The data collected assists BirdLife Australia in understanding more about the birds that live where people live.

You can record your bird count via a webform, or using the Aussie Bird Count app.

• Aussie Bird Count app for Android
• Aussie Bird Count app for Apple

We are funding in person energy advice consultations to help residents make the switch to an all-electric home. The sessions are one-on-one with a qualified energy adviser, and will run for 20 minutes.

 ​On behalf of Manningham Council, Caroline Burgess from Be Comfy will be delivering the consultations. ​These sessions are available at no cost to Manningham residents.

A 20 minute one-on-one advice session can help you:

• discuss ways to make the switch from gas to electricity in your home, tailored to your budget and situation
• reduce your energy use, understand your energy bill, or review your energy plan
• access basic advice on a specific energy efficiency issue.