Slowly starting up again

It’s great to see our neighbourhood come alive again, now that the threat of COVID-19 is slowly subsiding. It’s even greater to finally be able to start our regular meet-ups again! Our first meet-up will be on Saturday, June 13, 10am at Boyd, while the following one will be held on Saturday, June 27, and we’ll continue to meet every two weeks after that. That is, provided restriction measures don’t tighten up again. While we are slowly going back into our routines, or into new routines, we still need to be mindful that the risk has not completely passed yet. While we all want to completely relax and not worry about physical distancing, we know that this is the most critical time to ensure we clear the pandemic threat. Like those last few doses of antibiotics we don’t care to take once we start feeling better. This means that for a while, our meet-ups will be a bit different, so that we keep everyone safe. For now, our meet-ups will be restricted to 15 participants maximum and people are required to register through Eventbrite, so we ensure we don’t exceed the 15-person limit. We also ask that people bring their own gardening gloves, tools, mask and hand sanitiser if they have them. We will meet outside, in Boyd’s front yard where the garden beds are located and we will make sure that a one-and-a-half-metre distance is held between each participant at all times. I am sure we are all going to be very tempted to get close or even hug our friends and neighbours when we meet again after all this time, but a warm smile and a lovely conversation while gardening will have to do instead. If you are interested in joining our meet-ups, please email us or send us a Facebook message. We can share the Eventbrite registration link or other details about the meet-ups. Beyond gardening, there is plenty of good news for our neighbourhood to share. All the paperwork is now done, and we have received the two council grant funds our group had won. One for free community educational days, and the other for the long-awaited composting hub. The first educational workshop we had pre-COVID-19 on the topic “A Melbourne Practical Guide to Zero Waste Living”, exceeded our expectations with 46 participants and some wonderful feedback on the value and usefulness of the workshop. Upcoming topics will include “Apartment Gardening 101”, “Conscious Consumerism and Fast Fashion” and “Sustainable Xmas” to name a few. Some will be moved online, while some we will do outdoors at Boyd. Keep an eye on our Facebook page or email us for more details. We are also still accepting volunteers for delivering the community composting hub at Boyd Park. A very exciting project, a Southbank first, with lots of educational opportunities! About the group: A solutions-focused group of Southbank residents working to bring positive change in sustainability practices and education to our neighbourhood, while building a wonderful community of like-minded people. 2019 Environment Melbourne Award winner •