This year’s Bass Coast Sustainability Festival on May 21 from 10am–3pm at the River Garden in Bass, is shaping up to be an informative, entertaining, and inspiring event for all ages.

Organised this year by Bass Coast Landcare Network, a gold coin donation entry will get you lots of free activities to keep the adults and the kids entertained.

The day includes fantastic speakers on the event stage, hands on gardening demonstrations, a new documentary screening, Eco arts workshops and performances, a dedicated kid’s zone with environmentally themed activities and crafts, a chance to browse the latest in sustainable products from exhibitors, and delicious food to keep you going all day long.

The River Garden and the heritage listed Bass Community Hall is an exciting space for the festival, with swales of vegetables, herbs and fruit trees, a nuttery and orchard, all surrounded by the beautiful Bass River.

Activities confirmed so far include a Welcome to Country Smoking Ceremony with the Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation, hands-on no-dig and wicking bed gardening demonstrations with Permaculture guru Ric Coleman, environmentally themed drop-in style kids’ activities and crafts with Sue from Phillip Island Eco-Tours.

There’s also a free screening of the new documentary film “Greenhouse” by Joost in the Bass Hall.

Bookings will open soon for limited space special workshops from the Eco Arts “For our Future” Project to be held in the Hall.

These will include an “Eel Dreaming listening circle” with Uncle Steve Ulula Parker and a “Celebrating Waterways with art, storytelling, and science” workshop with local children’s book author and Climate change and Environment advisor at Westernport Water, Meg Humphrys.

Also, from the Eco Arts Project we will see a fantastic lunchtime Community Concert on the main stage, led by Laura Brearley featuring a collection of “Songs of the Living World” recently published by Community Music Victoria.

Sponsors Bass Coast Community Foundation will be supporting speakers with short presentations on the main stage throughout the day, discussing sustainable agriculture and organic growing.

The main stage will also see presentations by Sustainability Victoria on the latest rebates to save you money, circular economy awareness with Replas, and more to be announced in the coming weeks.

New sponsor this year Ecoliv, will be opening up their Display Centre to the public on the day from 10am–12 noon, which is only 10 minutes away from the Festival at the Gurdies.

Festival visitors can drop by to see a selection of sustainably designed and built modular homes that minimise negative environmental impacts, while maximising comfort, beauty, utility, and wellbeing.

You will be able to connect with various community groups at the Festival including the Energy Innovation Cooperative, Totally Renewable Phillip Island/Tenby Point, the Fixit Café, South Gippsland Beekeepers and Landcare.

You can check out the latest electric cars and bikes, buy some great quality garden tools from Gardenacious, beeswax wraps from Little Bumble Wraps, the Enjo fibre-based cleaning range, eat some delicious paella from the Melbourne Paella company, or grab a coffee, while enjoying the many more speakers, activities, and vendors to be announced in coming weeks.

Pop the date in your diary or calendar and look out for the full program to be published in early May on the Festival website.

There is still space for more stallholders and food vendors, so if you have a product, service or group related to sustainability, or sell delicious food, registration forms are also open at the festival website.

This event is bought to you by the Bass Coast Landcare Network with support from Bass Coast Shire Council, Westernport Water, Bass Coast Community Foundation, Western Port Biosphere, and Ecoliv.

For general information, registration forms and program details head to www.basscoastlandcare.org.au/sustainabilityfestival2023.html or contact Lisa at lisa.wangman@basscoastlandcare.org.au

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