Organic Weed Control: Human Scale Design and Management
Saturday, March 28th, 2009. 8:30 am to 1:00 pm.

99 Whitikahu Road,  Gordonton,  Waikato

 Weed management is the top challenge to both large-scale organic farming and the home gardener. Many home gardeners abandon their vegetable patches because they fall behind on weeding and then get overwhelmed. It's a pity because this is completely unnecessary if the garden is designed well in the first place. Planning a garden around weed control may not be exciting, but the result can save hundreds of hours of drudgery. Over the course of eight years I developed a highly effective organic weed management system that also breaks insect pest and disease cycles, builds soil fertility and cuts down on watering needs. The system relies on a four-year rotation in beds from one square meter up to a quarter acre. One person can manage an acre of vegetables using only hand tools!

This workshop is appropriate for beginner through experienced gardeners.

 The workshop includes:

• Overview of the four-year rotation

• Regular, easy weed control

• Understanding No-Till systems

• Plant spacing and successive planting

• The use of mulches and compost

• How to make your own compost

• How to grow your own mulch

• The right tools, their use and care

• How to convert lawn to garden as part of the rotation

• Useful tips for growing tomatoes, capsicum, potatoes, pumpkins,

broccoli, carrots, garlic, onions, and corn

The course is offered on a sliding scale from $40 to $60 based on ability to pay. Pre-registration required. Space is limited. Minimum enrollment required to run.

To register, email: etclimber@yahoo.com

Nelson Lebo is an award-winning environmental educator with 18 years teaching experience. He has been an organic farmer and green builder for the last ten years. He has been trained in Organic Land Care, Ecological Design/Build, Eco-Renovation and holds a Permaculture Design Certificate. Nelson has worked as a design consultant and educator in the USA, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, India and New Zealand. He is currently pursuing a PhD in permaculture education at the University of Waikato.

There is heaps happening in the next couple of weeks so here is a bit of a summary, and don't forget to consult the ecalendar on our website if you need a more comprehensive list.

Tuesday 24 March 7.30
Cafe Scientifique, at the Londoner, Victoria St (between Bryce and London Sts)
The Sustainability of the Waikato River
Presented by the NZ Association for Environmental Education, this is a Seaweek event, there will be three speakers, Wiremu Puke, Alan Campbell and Kevin Collier, speaking about different cultural, ecological and socio-economic views and issues associated with the river, and the impact of our activities. In light of possible reductions in EW funding for some projects this could be timely for discussion.

Thursday 26th March Dawn Patrol - Balloons on the Waikato
Free breakfast for early risers, always a fun start to the day, come along at 6.30 for a free breakfast eaten from a potato plate! Innes Common

Also on the 26th the Community Group Expo - see yesterday's item - book now!

Saturday 28th Earth Hour - Night Glow at the University

This is getting really big this year, 1500 cities from over 80 countries are now on board for Earth Hour.
Activities start at 4pm, lots of entertainment, come and visit the HCC solar lounge and enter great competitions - check out  www.earthhour.org/newzealand/hamilton Enter the competition for the ultimate upgrade for your home! 

Remember to have a look at the Earth Hour website and check out what is happening globally - it is truely amazing, and the message needs to be sent to all governments attending the Copenhagen negotiations in December - now is the time to act.

1st April Environment Waikato LTCCP roadshow
In the Environment Centre at 7pm. It is vital that we get huge numbers of submissions in so please attend this and find out the issues, especially as we have councillors who are keen to take "Environment" out of EW. Things are serious!

RSVP to Katherine - if there are hundreds wanting to come we may need to look at a bigger venue (if only) 839 4452 or email katherine@envirocentre.org.nz

Saturday 4th April is the HCC "Your city expo" for LTCCP as well

At Celebrating Age, South end of Victoria St, 10am to 2.30

Last chance to book!
Registrations for the FREE Environmental Community Group Expo close on the 20^th March. There are a few places left. Don’t miss out.

To book online: http://www.envirocentre.org.nz/projects_and_events/45/ or complete and return the attached form.
If you have already booked to attend please remember to send your refundable $20 deposit to the Environment Centre, P.O Box 19104 Hamilton to secure your place.

 Cheers, Rachael
E: rachael@envirocentre.org.nz
P: 021 261 5759
A: P.O Box 19104 Hamilton

Registration form.doc

Community Expo Final.pdf

Free Seminar this evening in the Environment Centre at 7.30

Find out how you can use this system in your staff room, office or home. Great for getting rid of the meat/fish/dairy items that cannot go in a worm bin or compost bin, and producing a useful fertiliser/soil activator for the garden.

Put an end to smelly rubbish bags going to landfill and contributing to greenhouse gas production.

Find out how Bokashi is being used world wide from an international expert and what is happening locally.

Enquiries phone Katherine 839 4452

Building Green The Sustainable Advantage

7th April
Reception Lounge Hamilton City Council
1pm - 5pm (Networking 5-6pm)
$40 per person or 3 tickets for $100
Registration events@chamberofcommerce.co.nz
RSVP by 26 March
Enquiries waikato@sustainable.org.nz

brought to you by the SBN, Eco Design Advisor HCC, supported by Wintec and Waikato Chamber of Commerce.

Building Green Flyer.pdf

 2009 Sustainable Urban Design Workshops

The following workshops kick start the 2009 Sustainable Urban Design series.
These are presented by Council's Eco-Design Advisor and held at RS5 Rukura Satellite Campus, University of Waikato, 21 Ruakura Road, HAMILTON.

Green Home Introduction

Whether you are building or renovating, this workshop will give you an introduction to the general concepts of 'green house building' looking at environmental impacts, hte goals that you want to achieve and the economics of energy efficiency.
Date: Tuesday 10 March 7pm
Fee: $5
Course No: CEST69C

Renovate An Existing Property
Discover the benefits of renovating your home to increase the value of your asset while at the same time reducing your outgoing monthly energy costs. The workshop will consider priorities of heat loss, and access the priorities in renovating to increase comfort and energy conservation.

Date: Tuesday 17 March 7pm
Fee: $5
Course No: CEST70C

Fine Tuning A New House For Energy Efficiency
Even if you have recently built your new dream home, there are plenty of things you can still do to improve the energy efficiency of the building. Learn how to reduce your electricity bills while increasing the value of your property.

Date: Tuesday 24 March 7pm
Fee: $5
Course No: CEST71C

How To Buy A Better Home
You will be given advice on how to choose a property that can be easily brought up to modern standards of comfort and energy efficiency, and what features to look for in a house that will make it cheap to operate.

Date: Tuesday 31 March 7pm
Fee: $5
Course No: CEST68C
For more information or to register for any of the above workshops please contact the University of Waikato Centre for Continuing Education on 858 5209.

Healthy Food from Garden to Plate to Garden

Growing organic food and recycling food waste efficiently back to the soil using a technology called EM & Bokashi Composting

As part of the New Zealand Nature Farming Society tour, the Environment Centre is hosting four speakers on Bokashi in the Environment Centre, 7.30pm 16th March.
RSVP to Katherine 839 4452 or email back.

Ø      What is EM? EM stands for Effective Microorganisms and consists of mixed cultures of beneficial and natural occurring microorganisms. EM is a global technology used in more than 140 countries.

Ø      What is Bokashi?  Bokashi consists of plant by-products that are combined with EM to produce a fermented compost-like additive. It acts as a ‘house’ for EM continuing to inoculate the application point. Bokashi is used in the home double bucket composting system called, Bokashi Compost-Zing system.

Ø      What is Nature Farming?  Also known as Kyusei Nature Farming. This is a form of organic farming developed by a Japanese philosopher, Mokichi Okado 1882-1955. Okado described the dangers of the green revolution and chemical farming prior to this era.

The Speakers will be:

Dr. Ravi Sangakkara completed his PhD in NZ in the 1980’s at Massey University; he now holds a chair in Crop Science at the University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka. Ravi specializes in crop agronomy and food production systems. Ravi has extensive international publications in the field of crop agronomy and serves on editorial boards for a number of international science journals. In addition to his very busy teaching and research programme in agronomy, Ravi has developed a broad technical expertise in EM technology, including many research projects evaluating EM, Bokashi and Nature Farming techniques around the world.
On a voluntary basis, Ravi heads a technical group based in Thailand (called APNAN), which provides technical expertise to EM projects all over the world. In this capacity he has provided technical expertise and scientific guidance to our NZ group (NZNFS) developing EM, and Bokashi projects over the past decade.

Ravi will address NZ audiences and share his knowledge of projects around the world successfully integrating EM technology, including the use of Bokashi in food production systems based on organic management using Nature Farming techniques.

 Mike Daly was raised on a farm in Canterbury. After studying agricultural science at Lincoln University in the mid 70’s he began a 20 year career in agricultural research working for MAF, AgResearch and HortResearch, specialising in sustainable farming methods and in particular organic farming techniques. While attending an international conference on organic farming in Brazil in 1992, he heard a presentation on EM and was invited to research this technology in NZ. After three years of research he considered the technology had great promise and set up a Trust (NZNFS) to develop EM and Bokashi in NZ.

Mike will talk about the scope of EM use in NZ and focus on growing food organically using this unique technology

Neville Burt was raised on the West Coast of the South Island, studied  earth sciences  at Canterbury University in the early 70’s and after 16 years in the transport industry then made a career change into horticulture. He developed an early interest in organic production and liked to experiment with new ideas and products. This interest led to finding about EM Technology and he set about developing products using this technology with a focus on Bokashi. Neville started a company called Bokashi NZ in 2003, and began making Bokashi for the kitchen composting system that recycles food waste from the kitchen to the garden. The Bokashi Compost-Zing system as it is called, is gaining rapid acceptance throughout NZ after thorough testing and promotion in Christchurch by the Christchurch City Council, and a number of pilot trials in other regions throughout NZ, including Blenheim and Waiheke Island.
Neville will talk about householders recycling food waste quickly and efficiently in the home garden, and also larger commercial applications, such as restaurant’s recycling food waste to gardens.

Glenda Andrew-Neal resides on Waiheke Island and has worked as a community educator in Waste Minimisation for nearly 6 years for the Waste Resource Trust. Glenda travelled to Thailand for her training in Bokashi and EM technology in 2005. She is very passionate about composting and is achieving good results on Waiheke Island through an educational programme diverting organic waste from landfill using the Bokashi system. This was achieved through regular Create Your Own Eden composting courses, networking with local schools and the business sector. Glenda has been instrumental in diverting food waste from local restaurants using large scale Bokashi bins.

 Glenda will demonstrate how this has been achieved on Waiheke through a variety of examples, including a local community garden. She believes that now more than ever we should work together for the good of our environment, live more sustainably and encourage local food production using organic principals.

To everyone, and your friends,

WISE Management Services have kindly agreed to host the next Hamilton Green Drinks which is this Friday, 5.30pm.
Please RSVP to the Environment Centre if you are coming as they would like to know numbers for catering. Come and support Green Drinks, and if you would like to host the next one please contact Katherine at the Environment Centre.
As usual bring your own alcoholic drink. Juice and nibbles will be provided.

So come along to Kakariki House, 293 Grey Street, Hamilton East. There will be a tour of the four star rated building to show off the green features which have been incorporated in the conversion process from the old Mitre 10 building, as well as the opportunity to network and generally put the world to rights.
The four-star rating signifies that the building now meets internationally recognised standards for energy, water, materials and emissions. 

The Auckland-based council says there are several other buildings in Hamilton part-way through the accreditation process. However Kakariki House  - which translates as green house - is only the seventh green building nation-wide to be certified.