Date: Sunday 8 November 2009

RE-SCHEDULED DATE;

SBN is pleased to announce networking event with host > NATIONAL WETLAND TRUST ...
All about the event...

The National Wetland Trust is a registered charity that aims to increase the awareness of the values of wetlands and their management needs. Their projects include creating wetland trails and building a national wetland education centre.

Confirmed Activities and talks for this tour >

Lake Serpentine complex is a series of peat lakes with plantings and a trial peat bog this is the proposed site of the National Wetland Centre.

1. Kayaking

2. Kahikatea forest ramble

3. Planting/ helping with research in peat bog trial

4. Brainstorm on wetland centre interpretation activities

5. Talks on DoC pest fish management

6. Talks on our plans to build a national wetland centre.

Lunch is at the Boat Shed café where you can view the setting for the 2010 Rowing Champs.
Mission:To increase awareness of the values of wetlands through a National Wetland Education Centre to be built in the Waikato.
Come Join us on this tour and see how important this is to the Waikato region for businesses and all New Zealanders.

Meet: Wintec car park corner Collingwood and Tristram Street (Wintec have kindly waivered the normal parking fees)

Time: 9am – approx 2pm
Cost: $30 pp includes coach & lunch - Subsidised thanks to our host!

Seats are Limited register early!!
RSVP: Waikato@sustainable.org.nz by 4 November 2009

More on wetlands...
Wetlands support a very large number of plants and animals in New Zealand many of these are found nowhere else in the world, which makes them highly unusual and valuable. Birds and animals found in wetlands include fernbirds, brown teal, scaup, shoveler, mudfish, eels, dragonflies and damselflies, while plants include cabbage trees, flax, sedges and various orchids. Although wetlands now cover less than 2% of New Zealand land area, they are home to 22% of our bird species, and 30% of our native freshwater fish. Wetlands also contribute to our economy, providing a wide range of ecosystem services including flood water storage, water filtration, carbon sequestration, tourism destinations, and provision of cultural, recreation and commercial resources such as eels and waterfowl. Many of these values go largely unrecognised, and despite being one of our most depleted ecosystem types, wetlands continue to disappear from our landscape.

Final reminder - get your team together and contact Aaron at HCC
Aaron.Fleming@hcc.govt.nz
If you would like to come but don't have a team let him know - we can make up a team for you - it is all for fun

NZAEE (NZ Association of Environmental Education) Waikato Branch are hosting a Quiz Night on Monday 2nd November at Singer Bar on Hood Street to get everyone working in the industry together and to have some fun.  Whether you are directly involved in communicating or educating an environmental message, or whether it is just something you are interested in - all are welcome.  It's an annual event and is always heaps of fun.  The quiz is made up entirely of environmental questions.

 NZAEE quite often put on fun social events, the Cafe Scientifique two weeks ago attracted about 70-80 people.

The small charge per team will go towards providing some platters for everyone.

The Sustainable Environment Team will have a team there.  It'll be great to see you there too.
And we will hopefully see you there.  You can register teams by emailing me from now onwards.

Wednesday 28th October.

This week's film is Food Inc.

At Waimarie Community Centre,7pm
53 Wellington Street, Hamilton East

IMDB summary says...
"The current method of raw food production is largely a response to the growth of the fast food industry since the 1950s. The production of food overall has more drastically changed since that time than the several thousand years prior. Controlled primarily by a handful of multinational corporations, the global food production business - with an emphasis on the business - has as its unwritten goals production of large quantities of food at low direct inputs (most often subsidized) resulting in enormous profits, which in turn results in greater control of the global supply of food sources within these few companies. Health and safety (of the food itself, of the animals produced themselves, of the workers on the assembly lines, and of the consumers actually eating the food) are often overlooked by the companies, and are often overlooked by government in an effort to provide cheap food regardless of these negative consequences. Many of the changes are based on advancements in science and technology, but often have negative side effects. The answer that the companies have come up with is to throw more science at the problems to bandage the issues but not the root causes. The global food supply may be in crisis with lack of biodiversity, but can be changed on the demand side of the equation."

If anyone doesn't make it to this screening it is possible the Environment Centre will organise another one. Let me know if you are interested.

Saturday, 31 October -

Friends of Waiwhakareke Working Morning

Meet at 9am  at Brymer Rd, go past the zoo (heading north) about 300m and look out for the Community Planting sign.
We have Max Weinberg from Sport Waikato attending to give a run through of a new initiative the "Green Gym", warm up and stretching exercises, so come along and find out how to get the best from doing the right exercises before gardening or undertaking restoration work.
Main tasks for day will be releasing last year's plantings and placing weed mats.
Everyone is very welcome to come to this event - and vring the family.
Join Friends of Waiwhakareke - support this great Hamilton project.
contact the Environment Centre 839 4452

Saturday, 31 October

Riverlea working bee at Hammond Bush

Please meet at the northern (Malcolm St) end of the boardwalk, 1pm to 4pm.
We will be placing rat tracking cards in the rat tracking stations. The ones we laid have been tracking hedgehogs so need replacing.
If we have lots of helpers we can concentrate on "Weed Busting" small clumps of Kahili Ginger and small privet through the bush area. See www.weedbusters.co.nz
If we have a large turnout we could have a group continue with Honeysuckle removal in the first wet area on left under the Alders as you enter the boardwalk.
For November we can release plants that we planted at the far end of the park by the large Kowhai in the gully.

Participants need to bring
* suitable footwear i.e. gumboots
* gardening gloves (disposable gloves are available for those applying vigilant to cut privet).
* secateurs and or loppers
* Suitable clothing (it could be muddy in the bog area at start of the Boardwalk) wet weather gear if light rain)

Stephen Hamilton
Chairperson
Riverlea Environment Society Inc.
Tel. +64 7 856 8355
www.resi.org.nz

Sunday November 1

Urban Stream Tour: Hooked on native fish
1:30pm – 4:30pm

Meet us at Memorial Park to join the bus for a tour of 5 Hamilton streams.
Building on the highly successful gully-themed tours run over the last decade by Tui 2000, this year’s tour, run in partnership with the NZ Landcare Trust, will focus on 5 Hamilton streams. To help unravel the stories around each stream, experts have been invited to share their knowledge. Taking the perspective of a native fish, the general themes for the afternoon will be what’s in our streams, urban planning: the good and not so good, water quality, community stream restoration successes and importantly, what you can do to help your local stream.

For more info, email monica.peters@landcare.org.nz or phone 07 859 3725
To register, email envirocentre@paradise.net.nz or phone 07 839 4452

Only a couple more days to take advantage of these great prize-winning opportunities as part of Energy Blitz ‘09!

For only $35, you can become a member of the Hamilton Environment Centre AND go in to win $500 worth of Noel Leeming vouchers! Sign up today by clicking on this link!

And for something just as easy – read our energy tips here and then transfer what you've just learn onto this form here and you are in to win a Seal-A-Fridge fridge service - valued at $200!

It’s just that simple! Do it today!

Energy Blitz 09

Chances to upgrade your inefficient fridge!

There are some great prizes up for grabs, very little effort required,  so spend some time in the weekend and get your entries in -
Look on our website www.envirocentre.org.nz and go to Energy Blitz to enter online - it is really easy!

1. Two brand new fridges to be won - "Out with the Old" - all you have to do is get rid of an old inefficient fridge - take it over to CMA and go in the draw for one of two brand new efficient models.

2. Fill a fridge - Prizes of 3 Seal-A-Fridge energy check plus (3)  $400 Pak'n'save vouchers. Just nominate a family who will benefit by having a full fridge - entry form on the website. We need three families, and their stories will be featured in the Waikato Times.

3. Free refrigerator energy checks - Energy tip line - go in the draw to win one of 3 checks by submitting an energy tip online (how hard is that!) checks supplied by Seal-A-Fridge (Hamilton)

4. Calling all students! Decorate your fridge, send us a photo and go in the draw to win $200 and $300 worth of Noel Leemings vouchers.

5. Environment Centre membership drive
Go in the draw for $300 and $200 Noel Leemings vouchers - just become a member of the centre before 24 October and go in the draw.

350.org.nz

More details about 350 event this Saturday
Make sure you are in Hamilton this Saturday, we need your body!

Support our action event to highlight climate change (the theme is 350ppm CO2 as a target for atmospheric levels – we are currently over 385ppm). It consists of an awareness raising meeting in Civic Plaza, Garden Place. Give us an hour of your time if you can – it will be on rain or shine.

 Programme

11.05 General introduction to speakers and about 350, what it is and what it is trying to achieve
11.15 – 11.25 – Paula Southgate
11.25 – 11.40 – Mary-Beth and Dhaxna
11.40 – 11.50 – Rob Hamill
11.50 – people form into 350, photograph to go on 350.org website.

Saturday 31 October

Materials Workshop
Ian Mayes, Eco Design Advisor at HCC will take you from framing to exterior cladding to interior floors and wall claddings, where you will learn about the toxicity of products used in  house construction and the alternatives such as untreated douglas fir timber for framing, natural floor varnishes, low VOC paints. You'll learn how to minimise waste, reuse and recycle on the build site.
Venue: Wintec's Hamilton City campus. $20 per person.

Enquiries and registrations to Megan Edmeades Megan@greenme.org.nz   ph 021 414 529

Sunday 1st November

Tui 2000 * Annual Gully Bus Trip

Visits to several urban streams to see how compatible they are with fish & invertebrate life. Researchers in the field & Council staff will highlight the challenges of these habitats, & suggest how conditions can be improved.

The trip is FREE, but we need to know the numbers (for the bus), so please book with Environment Centre ph. 839 4452 before 21 October

Time:  1.30 – 4.30pm
Place: Memorial Drive (opposite no.58) by ‘Round Garden’

* in conjunction with LandcareTrust & Hamilton City Council

•Habitat for Humanity 29 Bryant Road Hamilton. www.habitat.org.nz

•YWCA 28 Clarence st Hamilton. www.ywcahamilton.org.nz

•Red Bins 181 Paterangi Rd Te Awamutu. www.redbins.co.nz

•Waikato University Student Union Second Floor StudentUnion Building. www.waikato.ac.nz
IDEAS ON WHAT TO GIVE:
Shoes, clothes,tools -hammers, Nails of different sizes, Axes, Shovels, Saws, Screwdrivers, Batteries or Kerosene Lights, machetes, old cell phones, kitchen items, Kids toys, books, pens, schoolbags,
sanitation items, panadol!!!
If you have any baby items -canned milk, powder, muslin cloths, wipes, nappies, curash, Johnson'sbaby powder, are just of the some items desperately required.

PLEASE LABEL BAGS/BOXES CLEARLY FOR TSUNAMI -SAMOA

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP.
Call Jody BH; 07 8384439 or M; 0211339990
Or Call Michelle BH; 07 8558955 M; 021686619

If you missed the item on urban restoration in Hamilton on National Radio today go to http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/

Wednesday 14th  October 7pm

Free film screening of The Age of Stupid.

IMDB:
This ambitious documentary/drama/animation hybrid stars Pete Postlethwaite as an archivist in the devastated world of the future, asking the question: "Why didn't we stop climate change when we still had the chance?" He looks back on footage of real people around the world in the years leading up to 2015 before runaway climate change took place.
Venue: Waimarie Community Centre  53 Wellington Street, Hamilton East

Monday 19th October, 7.30pm.

Hamilton Organic Gardeners' group meeting

All welcome.
Guest speaker will be Nelson Lebo: Using Organic Gardening to teach Ecology, Energy Flow and Sustainable Design. Nelson has a background in teaching and organic farming in the United States, and he is doing research in permaculture and education at Waikato University.

Please note venue change: we’re now meeting at Te Whare o Te Ata, the Fairfield-Chartwell Community House, 60A Sare Cres, Fairfield (off Clarkin Rd, past the intermediate school).
Gold coin donation appreciated to cover meeting costs.

Saturday 17th October - Reminder

350 event - come along to Garden Place at 11am to join with others in showing the Governments of the world that we want action on climate change

Sunday 18 October 2009

SBN NETWORKING EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT:
Wetland Coach Tour
SBN is pleased to announce the next networking event with host > NATIONAL WETLAND TRUST ...

 All about the event...

The National Wetland Trust is a registered charity that aims to increase the awareness of the values of wetlands and their management needs. Our projects include creating wetland trails and building a national wetland centre.
Confirmed Activities and talks for this tour >

Lake Serpentine complex is a series of peat lakes with plantings and a trial peat bog this is the proposed site of the National Wetland Centre.
1. Kayaking
2. Kahikatea forest ramble
3. Planting/ helping with research in peat bog trial
4. Brainstorm on wetland centre interpretation activities
5. Talks on DoC pest fish management
6. Talks on our plans to build a national wetland centre.

Lunch is at the Boat Shed café and view the setting for the 2010 Rowing Champs.

Mission: To increase awareness of the values of wetlands through a National Wetland Education Centre to be built in the Waikato.
They need your help to make the vision become a reality. They are looking for Corporate partners and Sponsors to come on board and be a part of this exciting opportunity in the Waikato.

Wetlands support a very large number of plants and animals in New Zealand many of these are found nowhere else in the world, which makes them highly unusual and valuable. Although wetlands now cover less than 2% of New Zealand land area, they are home to 22% of our bird species, and 30% of our native freshwater fish. Wetlands also contribute to our economy, providing a wide range of ecosystem services including flood water storage, water filtration, carbon sequestration, tourism destinations, and provision of cultural, recreation and commercial resources such as eels and waterfowl. Many of these values go largely unrecognised, and despite being one of our most depleted ecosystem types, wetlands continue to disappear from our landscape.

Meet: Wintec car park corner Collingwood and Tristram Street (Wintec have kindly waivered the normal parking fees)
Time: 9am – approx 1pm
Cost: $30 pp includes coach & lunch - Subsidised thanks to our host!
Seats are Limited register early!!
RSVP: Waikato@sustainable.org.nz by 15 October 2009