Transition Town Workshops - Leichhardt NSW

If you are interested in learning more about Transition Towns or getting involved in one and you will be around Leichardt in NSW in November, here our a couple of events you might want to get to...

'Facilitating Transition' Workshop - Nov 14 & 15
Permaculture Sydney South is proud to organise this innovative workshop

The workshop is designed to give you the information and resources to start your transition journey. It provides you with the skills to facilitate engagement in your community for an energy descent future.

It covers:
• The history of Transition Towns and the Australian Initiatives
• Some of the early successful steps in beginning a Transition Initiative
• Replicable successful steps and action around Australia
• Examining your special context to find the best fit actions
• The place for transition in a dynamic community
• A set of tools that can work for the Head, the Heart and the Hands of Transition
• Some planned early actions for your community in transition

When: Sat 14 & Sun 15 November, 8.30am-5pm
Where: Leichhardt School of Arts, 1A Marion St Leichhardt
For Whom: These workshops are for people who would like to gain an understanding of
Transition Towns and would like to facilitate engagement processes in their local community.
Investment: $200 for Permaculture members, otherwise $230.
Bookings: Contact Vicki vicki.f@hotmail.com or call Matt 0438 580 730

Facilitator: Janet Millington is the co-founder and coordinator of Transition Sunshine
Coast. The Sunshine Coast became Australia’s first Transition Initiative in September 2007.
Janet has written and delivered an energy descent action planning course, run a community education centre focusing on climate change and peak oil and now, delivering Australia’s very first community-driven energy descent action plan. Janet is a well-known educator, Permaculture teacher, school gardens expert and author.

and...

Invitation to a presentation by Janet Millington on Permaculture Solutions to Climate Change and Peak Oil - Tuesday November 17

How can we get permanency in our culture when so much of our natural environment is changing and our natural resources are depleting?

For more than 30 years, permaculture has been providing solutions to the very problems it pre-empted back then.

Janet Millington, permaculture practitioner, author and teacher, led with Sonya Wallace, the first transition initiative in Australia to an energy descent future for the Sunshine Coast.

Learn from Janet how permaculture can help you transition your home, family and community from oil dependency to local resilience in response to climate change and peak oil.

Meet Janet and join your local Permaculture group

When: Tues 17 November 2009. doors open 6pm for supper, 7pm-9pm.
Where: Leichhardt Town Hall, cnr Norton and Marion St.
Cost: Free for Permaculture Sydney South members, otherwise $10.
RSVP: Thursday 12 November 2009 via email to Vicki vicki.f@hotmail.com
Membership: Phone Peter 0412679215 or email Vicki.

Cheers,
Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast
Transition Town Eudlo
Think Green Consultancy

Transition Town trainer, facilitator and consultant

Transitioning Far North Queensland

We've just returned from Far North Queensland where we had a whirl wind tour talking to communities about how they might move into transitioning from oil dependency to local resilience.

Our first gig was at the Malanda Pub - a beautiful old timber building.


We stayed with locals and this was the view from my bedroom window in the morning.

That was after the fog cleared - we were up among the clouds...

This is a photo of the home...

We held a two day workshop at Kuranda which resulted in a brand new transition initiative - Transition Far North Queensland.

BELOW: here is a photo of some of the things we worked through - domains of action and zones of influence

This was in the heart of World Heritage Rainforest - right next to the Great Barrier Reef - the effects of climate change will have a significant impact on these areas.

One the positive side, their unique biosphere allows them to grow around 85% of all the world's crops.

And here is the happy group of people who have taken on the task of networking with people across the Tablelands and beyond to bring together their own version of Transition Towns, suited to their particular challenges and opportunities. (Ying, Kym, Brett and Anne)

Here are their outcomes from the weekend.

We look forward to seeing what this dynamic group achieves in the future

Cheers,
Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast
Transition Town Eudlo

Transition Town trainer, facilitator and consultant

Victorian action

Transition Sunshine Coast were invited to Victoria recently to present at a conference on urban sustainability, peak oil and transition towns. The Municipal Association of Victoria (their local government association representing all Victorian councils) is moving forward with some very ambitious plans there in regard to Transition Towns and Energy Descent Action Planning.

I was lucky enough to catch up with David Holmgren (co-originator of Permaculture) at the Victorian conference. David delivered a presentation on his Future Scenarios. It's well worth a visit to his website http://www.futurescenarios.org/ to see his views on what might develop out of climate change and peak oil combined impacts.

In coming weeks we'll be visiting councils and community groups in Far North Queensland, the Northern Territory and mid-west Queensland to deliver presentations on Transition Initiatives and Energy Descent Action Planning.

If you would like us to visit your local area, please get in touch transitiontowns at yahoo dot com dot au

Cheers,
Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast
Transition Town Eudlo

Transition Town trainer, facilitator and consultant