Live: A Word to the Earthwise

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WORD TO THE Earthwise materials. There’s also an allotment area for the community to grow their own veggies or herbs. A typical morning in the garden is spent tending to the many worm Earthwise - with its community centre located at the farms, collecting worm wee to bright pink church as a Uniting Church in the heart of Subiaco to promote sustainable nourish the plants, making compost or collecting coffee grounds from landmark - is a special living practices through reducing consumption, re-using and recycling. local cafes such as Brew-ha three times a week. part of the Subiaco Coordinator Jen Korab said “We have drop-off points for eco-community. Earthwise offered a space to explore, learn, grow and belong. Using people in the community to deposit their food scraps. We get horse local waste products to create a manure from the Riding for the

WORDS | Brooke Hunter permaculture garden, people are Disabled Association in Claremont I f you live in or around the City of Subiaco and haven’t discovered the joys of the Earthwise welcome to wander, touch, smell and taste something fresh. “Whether it’s finding super-cheap bargains in our op-shop, buying and shredded paper from people in the community to assist with feeding worms and making compost piles,” Jen said. community yet, it is probably about low-cost food at our Thursday Earthwise would not be able to time you did. FoodCentre or joining our gardening function without the many volunteers

Creating connections with people, busy bee on Friday mornings, there who work in the permaculture young and old, animals, volunteers, is always something to see and do at garden, Thursday FoodCentre or opteachers and visitors, Earthwise is Earthwise,” she said. shop. The volunteers are an eclectic a space where the Subi community Visitors are welcome to wander group of people from all walks of comes together to make a difference the garden to see how Earthwise life, donating time and energy to to the planet. uses worms, compost and chickens Earthwise and the planet.

Earthwise is a non-funded to make beautiful soil from free “Work at Earthwise ranges

from feeding chickens to general maintenance, and we work to find something that each person enjoys doing,” Jen said.

“Visitors and volunteers alike talk about sensory experiences such as the sights and smells and sounds of being in the garden, of being up to their elbows in compost; or the sight and smell of flowering trees in spring and the sound of kookaburras teaching their offspring to talk.”

Co-founder and volunteer Peg Davies runs tours of Earthwise. Here, adults and children of all ages can experience the wonders of nature, make their own plant pots from newspaper, experience worms up close and personal, make their own compost, visit the friendly chickens and see how compost is made and soil prepared.

Peg also supervises the gardening busy bees that take place on Friday mornings.

“(Peg) is a powerhouse of knowledge with a very kind heart, and we are truly blessed to have her presence here at Earthwise,” Jen said.

Ultimately, Earthwise provides an area that enables the people of Subiaco to have a connection to the earth and to each other.

“The garden was created to foster connections between people and nature while educating volunteers and visitors on sustainability - a job it does with enthusiasm and respect,” Jen said.

“Earthwise provides an opportunity for people to engage with something they enjoy doing in an atmosphere of conviviality, and at the same time contribute to their community and the people in it.

“The earth has only so much room, and permaculture aims to allow future generations to continue working with, rather than against, nature to grow food.

“We all need to take part in being a little wiser with our waste. There is so much of it, and Earthwise is doing its own small part to help.”

What’s on?

Op-shop – open between 9am and 4pm on weekdays and on Saturdays 9am to 12.30pm. Busy Bees – Friday mornings Regular music nights - Informal music jam sessions are held on the third Sunday of the month, 2 to 5pm. Thursday community lunch from 10.30am - pick a wide selection of fresh fruit and vegetables and grab a hot meal at affordable prices. If you would like to get involved and volunteer with Earthwise, contact Jen. Contact:

Address: 315 Bagot Road, Subiaco Website: Earthwise Community (earthwisewa.org.au)

Earthwise Community |

Facebook @earthwiseopshop earthwisecommunity53@gmail.com Ph 0420 429 331