ReStyle 09 finalists are hitting the catwalk this Saturday [1 August] for the judging and awards night. (formerly Trash to Fashion)
Fashion, art and waste will merge as one and be theatrically presented through a spectacular display of stunning music, dance and light, with local musical talent and dancers taking to the stage.

Interestingly, while the spotlight will be on the fashion making its way down the catwalk, members of the audience are also invited to play a part by delving into their own wardrobes!

 DELVE INTO YOUR WARDROBE FOR WOMEN’S REFUGE

Attendees at this year’s ReStyle 09 are able to clear some space in their wardrobes, quench their thirsts and earn some good karma points at the same time as part of a novel initiative!

In conjunction with Montana Catering, ReStyle 09 is supporting Women’s Refuge by encouraging attendees to bring along any items of clothing they no longer wear or need, and donating them to this worthy cause. As well as the good feeling you’ll get from knowing you’ve helped Women’s Refuge, in return for the donation you will also receive a glass of wine (ID required) or a non-alcoholic beverage to enjoy during the show.

Hamilton Mayor Bob Simcock said it is great to see a vibrant local event that is so clearly demonstrating the values and vision of the city.

“ReStyle celebrates and nurtures our up-and-coming Hamilton talent and that is what Hamilton’s Creativity and Identity Strategy is all about,” he said. “ReStyle is also a platform for raising awareness of waste minimisation, and is now adding yet another dimension to the show by putting its support behind a great cause, Women’s Refuge.”

Formally known as Trash to Fashion, ReStyle 09 has this year received a record number of entries, smashing the previous record.

A new judge for 2009 will be TV personality and Earth Hour ambassador Bridgette O'Sullivan, who will put her 'fashion in the field' expertise to a different use, while returning as judges again this year are Barrie Thomas from The Body Shop, and Kate Monahan, Tempo editor from the Waikato Times.

Tickets for ReStyle 09 are available online from www.ticketdirect.co.nz, by phoning 0800 224 224 or by visiting your local branch of Hamilton City Libraries – adults $25, children $10, students and senior citizens $15.

Visit www.hamilton.co.nz/restyle for more information.

In this newsletter:
Wednesday 29th July Sharks talk
Thursday 30th HOME movie - 2 showings
Friday 31st Nappy workshops starting
Friday 7th August Green drinks
Sat/Sun 8th and 9th Organic growing weekend
Saturday 8th August Waikato Bot Soc trip
Sat 8th August first of Green Home workshops - Retrofit
Wednesday 19th August National WetlandTrust AGM Auckland
Monday 24th August Behaviour change workshop
Saturday 12th September E-Day
Job opportunity

Wednesday July 29th

Royal Society of New Zealand, Waikato Branch
Conservation Status and Research on the White Shark in New Zealand
Clinton Duffy
Conservation Zoologist, DOC

 7.30 pm in Room AG.30 at Waikato University. Entry to A Block (School of Māori & Pacific Development) is through Gate 8 off Hillcrest Road. A campus map is available at http://www.waikato.ac.nz/contacts/map.pdf

White sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) are iconic marine apex predators, yet like many shark and ray species very little is known of their biology. This presentation covers aspects of the life history of white sharks that make them vulnerable to directed and incidental fishery mortality, their national and international conservation status, and the findings of ongoing research on their distribution, movements and biology in New Zealand waters.
Clinton joined the Department of Conservation shortly after completing an MSc (Hons) in Zoology at University of Canterbury in 1989, and is currently employed as a scientist with the Department's Marine Conservation Section based in Auckland.

There is no charge for this event; everyone is welcome.
For further information: Paul Taylor, NIWA Hamilton, p.taylor@niwa.co.nz,
8591 854 DDI.

Thursday 30th July

HOME
A film by Yann Arthus-Bertrand
Through the landscapes of 54 countries, Yann Arthus-Bertrand takes us on an unique journey around the planet. HOME is more than a documentary with a message, it is a magnificent movie in its own right. Every image shows the Earth's treasures we are destroying and all the wonders we can still preserve.

Two screenings: 4.45 and 7.15
Venue: Wintec lecture theatre C16
Map   http://www.wintec.ac.nz/index.asp?pageID=2145827879

Free entry. Waikato Branch of Forest and Bird

Friday July 31st

First Cloth Nappies Workshop
Choosing cloth nappies can be quite confusing because there are so many different styles available today. Come along to our NZNA & Hamilton City Councils reusable nappy workshop and find out how to choose the style that will suit your family and how easy it is to use cloth nappies full time part-time or even just some of the time.

Upcoming Dates: Friday 31st July @ 6.00pm
Saturday 1st August @ 9.30am
Friday 25th September @6.00pm
Saturday 26th September @9.30am
Venue: Parents Place, 87 Boundary Road, Hamilton

Cost: $15 per couple
Each couple that attends will receive a free cloth nappy trial pack valued at around $45 for them to keep.
Bookings essential: Please contact Kate Meads (aka The Nappy Lady) on (07) 5492955 or (0800) 868 726 to book your place. There are limited spaces available and they book up very quickly.

7th August

Next Green Drinks at Landcare Trust
For details see the Green drinks website

8th and 9th August

Organic Growing and Farming in New Zealand
A weekend of learning and practical information

Opening address by Jeanette Fitzsimons
Presented by OrganicFarmNZ
Venue: Hamilton Gardens
Cost $20 per person. Limited places pls register by 30 July
Contact Carol Knutson, OrganicFarmNZ, PO Box 36170, NOrthcote, Auckland or phone 09 419 4536. email manager@organicnz.org
for full schedule and registration information visit
www.organicfarm.org.nz

Saturday 8th August 2009

Waikato Botanical society trip
Hauraki Forest Remnant - Hapuakohe

The Hapuakohe Range to the North-East of Huntly borders the western edge of the Hauraki Plains. The bush remnant we are exploring is untracked and steep in places, so a reasonable level of fitness will be required.
Meet: 8.30 am, Landcare Research carpark, Gate 10 Silverdale Rd, Hillcrest. Contact: Catherine Beard ph. 859 0999 email: Catherine.Beard@ew.govt.nz

Saturday 8th August
Retrofit workshop
Presented by Ian Mayes - insulation, energy savings, and other changes to make your home more sustainable. www.ecodesigner.org.nz  $20 per person
Register with Megan Edmeades, megan@greenme.org.nz

19th August

The National Wetland Trust sends you a very warm welcome to attend our 10th Annual General Meeting. Our guest speaker is Montana Book Award Winner Janet Hunt. The AGM will be held at the Auckland Regional Council building, 19th August, starting at 7 pm

The NWT may organise a bus to the venue from Hamilton on a cost-share basis. Please contact enquiries@wetlandtrust.org.nz if you are interested in this or phone Catherine Beard on 0800 800 401. The AGM event is open to members and non-members. For more information visit www.wetlandtrust.org.nz karen.denyer@wetlandtrust.org.nz 021-031-2716

Monday, August 24, 9.30am-4.30pm

Cultivating Sustainability Workshop - Behaviour Change Training for Sustainability Advocates

Cultivating Sustainability is a 1-day workshop which provides environmental sustainability advocates with insights, models and tools to trigger the psychological drivers of environmentally sustainable behaviour.
Where: The Pavilion, Hamilton Gardens, Hamilton
Cost: For-profits $250, Not-for-profit/Government $200, Individuals/Community Groups $120

Presented by Tim Cotter, a psychologist specialising in behaviour change in an organisational and environmental context. Tim provides consulting and training to groups and organisations seeking to develop sustainable behaviours. For more info and registration, see http://www.awake.com.au/cultivating.html
To discuss this workshop further, email timc@awake.com.au

eDAY 2009 - Saturday 12th September, 9am-3pm only

Habitat for Humanity ReStore; 29 Bryant Road, Te Rapa, Hamilton

It’s a simple, free and effective way to dispose of your computer waste and old mobile phones in an environmentally sustainable way. All items will either be reused or recycled.
Who can drop off? Schools*, households, community organisations and small businesses (small means cars only, no trailers)

*Schools note that schools with more than 1 m3 can contact HP's Partner Recycling programme For more information email nzeducation@hp.com or call 0800 478 352.For free removal-

http://hp-recycle.vinfiniti.biz/mainHome.action?language=EN

What can I bring? computer hardware • monitors• printers •scanners • keyboards • mice • computer speakers • laptops • toner and ink jet cartridges • games consoles • mobile phones • networking equipment
What won’t be accepted? televisions • stereos • photocopiers • furniture •DVD players, video recorders •other home appliances

 For more information visit http://www.hamilton.co.nz\ewaste Or http://www.eday.org.nz/

Job Opportunity

Love the Outdoors? Passionate about the Environment? Enjoy teaching kids? “Taste of Te Kauri” Programme Te Kauri Waikuku Trust is funded by the Ministry of Education to provide ‘learning experiences outside the classroom’ (LEOTC) to schools in Hamilton and the surrounding areas for the next three years. The Trust is seeking expressions of interest from suitably experienced people who would be keen to deliver LEOTC modules to schoolchildren, based around natural areas (gullies, parks, wetlands) close to their local schools. You don’t need to be a qualified teacher, but you do need to be knowledgeable about the natural environment and able to teach children about it in a fun, interesting, energetic and interactive way, while linking what they learn to the current curriculum for science and technology and other aspects such as sustainability. You also need to be a self-starter who can manage your own time, has your own transport, is outgoing and enthusiastic, and able to work on an ‘as needed’ basis.
If this sounds like you, email Te Kauri Waikuku Trust on info@tekauri.org.nz for more information. We look forward to hearing from you!

Government climate change target consultation meeting

Monday 13 July, 7.30 - 9.30 pm
Waikato Room, SkyCity Hamilton
346 Victoria St, Hamilton

If you need any convincing that climate change is something we need to be taking seriously read this article from Australia:
Deadly warning as tropics advance

you can register online

Or just come to the meeting!
You probably know that the Climate Change summit in Copenhagen in December is a crucial forum- some are calling it the most important of all time for the near term future of our planet- as it is there that international action on climate change, a successor to Kyoto will be agreed upon.

 350ppm is currently being touted as the 'safe' figure for global atmospheric CO2 (we're currently at 387). The emissions reduction target over the next decade to get us back on track for 350 is 40% by 2020- its important that our government know how strongly the NZ public feels about this issue.

 This is from Lucy Lawless:

Hundreds of people have turned up to the Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin target consultations in the past few days.

Please spread the word that the government wants to hear your views at the Hamilton consultation meeting Monday. The consultations do not seem to be well publicised ahead of time so word of mouth is key.
I had to rush to the Auckland one straight from work on set, wig and all. I was glad to be there. It was fascinating, frustrating and dramatic. I highly recommend it as a night out!
To National's Minister for the environment, Dr Nick Smith, we delivered a very strong message that a 40% carbon reduction by 2020 is the only acceptable goal. This is in line with what scientists are now telling us is the minimum target for staving off global catastrophe.

For about 40 minutes Dr Smith was reasonably impressive with his presentation and bar graphs and then he dropped what for me was a clanger. He responded to one question that no, he would not oppose digging up Happy Valley in order to sell coal to India because, let's face it, they'd just get it from somewhere else! I am paraphrasing but that was the gist of it.

It seems that this government does have a moral compass. And on it Business points North. Thus, it is VITAL that as many business people as possible show up and impress upon our minister and our international negotiators, Tim Groser and Adrian Macey, the opportunities that green business models will afford us. Tell us your success stories.

Tell them what degradation of the environment and climate will cost your business.
And bring your friends. We need all hands on deck. If Germany and Scotland can set emission reduction goals of 40% and 42%, we can too.
We have a great deal of know how. What we lack presently is political will and policy.
Let's give our Prime Minister the mandate to seek the necessary 40% reduction by 2020.
No one ever won gold by setting the bar at a comfortable height.
We can do this!

Yours truly,
Lucy Lawless

 Annual General Meeting of the Waikato branch of the New Zealand Association for Environmental Education

 22 July 2009,

Environment Centre, 25 Ward St, Hamilton

5.30pm - 6.00pm nibbles

6.00 Presentation: Eco-classroom – Living Room project

Come and hear Michelle White, the Environmental Education Co-ordinator for Hukanui School, who will be speaking about Hukanui’s  Eco-classroom - Living Room  project which has developed since 2005. Building of the Living Room is due to start shortly. 

 Michelle has been the EE coordinator at Hukanui since 2005, after a year's leave to complete a Teacher Fellowship with The Royal Society of NZ.  She leads a team of enthusiastic teachers on the Environmental/Science team, and co-ordinates student groups (enviro council, paper recyclers, lunch composting, cultural garden caretakers, Eco-classroom Working Party, Seed and Gully restoration group and Student Guides).  Her main teaching role involves teaching ten week studies in Year 5/6 and Year 3/4 in enviroschools programmes.

 6.30 AGM

 All welcome.

 Enquiries Katherine Hay, 839 4452

Sustainable Buildings AKA green homes, energy efficient design, green buildings, eco-homes.....

Please find below details of the five sustainable building workshops for semester 2. Final rego date for first workshop is Monday August 3.

Sustainable building workshops for homeowners – for those with an existing home and those who wish to build from new. These all day workshops are part-funded through Wintec’s ACE programme and are facilitated by specialists in the fields focussed on in each workshop. They will be held at Wintec’s Hamilton City campus.

Retrofit - 8 August
Ian Mayes, Eco Design Advisor at Hamilton City Council, will convince you of the need to insulate, insulate, insulate and how to make small changes to your existing home to make some big gains in terms of energy saving. You will also visit a home where you will put your ‘energy audit’ skills into practice. www.ecodesignadvisor.org.nz
$20 per person

Water - 5th September
Ben Thompson, Kapiti Coast District Council Water Use Coordinator, will look at ways to reduce your water usage in the home, how to harvest and store rainwater for domestic water usage or garden usage, onsite disposal of grey and black water, and reed bed gardens. Representatives from local authorities will discuss what is practical and permitted in their relevant areas.  $20 per person

Energy - 3 October
Michael Lawley, of Eco-Innovations in Taranaki, will go through ways of reducing your homes’ energy load, how to carry out an energy audit, and provides a hands on opportunity to learn more about onsite micro generation, such as wind turbines, solar hot water, photo voltaic cells, and so much more. www.ecoinnovation.co.nz
$20 per person

Materials - 31 October
Ian Mayes, Eco Design Advisor at Hamilton City Council, will take you from framing to exterior cladding to interior floors and wall claddings, where you’ll learn about the toxicity of products used in house constructions and the alternatives such as untreated douglas fir timber for framing, natural floor varnishes, low VOC paints. You’ll learn how to minimise waste, re-use and recycle on the build site.
$20 per person

Eco Design - weekend course in November
(Attendance at previous 4 workshops is a prerequisite)
A team of eco-building and energy efficient design experts will work with you on the design of your new eco-house and site design, one on one or in small groups. This weekend course includes: passive solar design, insulation, orientation, thermal mass, ventilation, site consideration, building (internal) layout, computer modelling, such as Sketchup, life cycle analysis such as ALF (Annual Loss Factor calculation tool).

There will also be two evening meetings leading up to the weekend workshop to ensure all preparation, research and documentation is complete.    $70 per household project

The one day workshops are facilitated by Ian Mayes, Eco Design Advisor at Hamilton City Council, with additional expert input where available. They are partially funded through Wintec's Adult Community Education programme, and coordinated behind the scenes by  Megan Edmeades.

Important: if you are even just possibly considering coming along let me know asap so in ensure appropriate room size and so that I can get a registration form to you. No obligation to attend if you return a completed form to me and are then unable to make it - your registration fee is taken on the day.

 A few things to know for this year:

* For those who have attended these workshops in previous years, please note there is a new workshop this year on materials.

* In the wake of the government's announcement for increased insulation retrofit and clean heat funding over the next four years, it is anticipated that these workshops, and others like, it will now have a higher profile and interest.
* First come first served. Numbers limited!

 These workshops are open to anyone with an interest, however big or small, in sustainable building design and retrofit, from all over the Waikato.

Megan Edmeades
grEEnme Environmental Education ServicesM 021 414 529
P 07 884 6825
E greenme@xtra.co.nz

Thursday July 9th  'The Psychology of Place Making'

HCC Reception Lounge, Garden Place, Hamilton
RSVP to mayor@hcc.govt.nz or 07 838 6976
5.00pm: Drinks & nibbles for 20-30mins prior to presentation commencing 5.30pm: 1 hour presentation followed by 20-30mins of questions

David Engwicht is author of four books on transport and urban design, his latest being Mental Speed Bumps: the smarter way to tame traffic. David is perhaps best known as the inventor of the Walking School Bus which has been adopted world-wide. He is considered one of the world's most innovative thinkers about cities, traffic, urban design, community development and place making. David is a writer, sculptor and street philosopher.

It is with great pleasure that we bring David direct to Hamilton to speak about his experiences as Place Maker for Wodonga, a rural city in Victoria, Australia where he was charged with turning a run down main street into the vibrant heart of the city. David will share his unique and ground-breaking approach which integrated urban psychology, social programs, economic development and urban design. He will argue that many urban revitalisation programs fail because they do not take into account urban psychology. He will also discuss the design principles of shared space and some of the common pitfalls.

This is an open invitation, please invite any of your colleagues that may be interested in David's presentation.

Friday 10th July 2009

“Carbon Farming” seminar
Environment Waikato, In conjunction with SSF, Carbon Farming Group and PA Handford & Associates Ltd,
1.00 – 3.00 pm
Environment Waikato (401 Grey St, Hamilton East)

 Information areas covered in the seminar include:
• New Zealand’s response to Climate Change
• Soil Carbon
• Carbon Trading in practice
• Carbon Forest Management
• Voluntary Carbon Market
• Practical implications – case studies
• Greenhouse Gasses – the rules
• Greenhouse Gasses and Farming Livestock

Presented by John-Paul Praat of PA Handford and Associates Ltd

• Seminar will provide an initial understanding of opportunities and issues involved in Carbon Farming

• Information sheets will be available at the seminar

 Afternoon Tea will follow
RSVP essential by Wednesday 8th July to Kasey Hilton or Therese Balvert on 0800 800 401

Have your say!

 International negotiations to address climate change are reaching a critical point, leading up to a major United Nations conference in Copenhagen late this year. The New Zealand Government is working actively to secure an effective global agreement.

 As part of these efforts, we intend to publicly state New Zealand’s 2020 emissions target policy in August. We wish to hear your views so they can be taken into account when setting New Zealand's 2020 emissions target policy. To assist in that process, the Minister for Climate Change Issues the Hon Dr Nick Smith is holding a series of public meetings around the country this month.

 You can have your say on New Zealand’s 2020 emissions target policy by:

· attending one of the meetings being held around the country - Hamilton, Waikato Room, Sky City Hamilton, Monday 13th July, 7.30 - 9pm

· submitting questions for the Minister for Climate Change Issues’ online video conference to be held from 7.30pm on Monday 20 July at www.r2.co.nz/20090720. Questions can be submitted in advance at 2020target@mfe.govt.nz

· emailing or writing to the Minister with your views at nick.smith@ministers.govt.nz or Hon Dr Nick Smith, Minister for Climate Change Issues, PO Box 10362, WELLINGTON 6143.

We are producing an information brochure to help you understand the challenges associated with setting a 2020 emissions target. A link to the brochure will be emailed to you in the next few days.

Get in quick! Act now!
To help us gauge numbers coming to the public meetings, please register your interest at the following link:

 http://www.climatechange.govt.nz/survey/x09nz2020register.htm

 Please forward this email onto anyone you think will be interested.