Reforestation Day September 6th - Celebrating Urban Agriculture

Melbourne leads way with Reforestation Day, Sept 6th!

Together as a proud city on September 6th, Melbournians are urged to collectively plant and grow any fruit or vegetables in their home, garden, workplace, school or community groups.
The campaign titled “Reforestation Day” is the wonderful idea planted by the not for profit group, Future Canvas. 

“Reforestation Day” is a fun project which aims to inspire and educate Melbournians about what “everyday sustainable living” is – and how easy it is – through the act of gardening! “With Victoria being labeled the Garden State, we hope the rest of Australia will take on the challenge as passionately as what Melbourne will. But Melbourne will definitely lead by example you would think!” Emily Ballantyne-Brodie, Future Canvas spokesperson. “From Fitzroy to Fountain Gate and Toorak to Thomastown, we want Melbournians to have a bit of fun, but also be proud of whatever it is they grow!”

Future Canvas’ environmentally friendly head office in Docklands is also working with large well known and smaller organisations in the gardening, business and creative spheres to create the area’s first community garden.

Future Canvas is looking for volunteers and sponsors to join a growing team of supporters! For more information visit www.futurecanvas.org.
For more information please contact Emily Ballantyne-Brodie on 0403937195.

Reforestation

Hi all,

Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and relaxing holiday period. Below is a Reforestation Project update, volunteer information and up and coming meeting times.

Reforestation Update
Over the next few months there is going to be some exciting developments for Future Canvas' Reforestation Project. We will be designing and constructing an urban agriculture garden in the Docklands next to our shared waterfront warehouse in Shed 4, Docklands. This garden is going to be a very urban - urban agriculture garden. The garden space is 50metres x 6 metres; enough to fit a cafe, greenhouse and beautiful community garden allotments for Docklands residents.

We are also working towards Reforestation Day which will occur in the first week of Spring 2009. Reforestation Day is where people all around Metropolitan Melbourne design and create their own urban agriculture project where they plant their own food and create their own gardens in their community or at home.

Volunteers?
We would like as many people as possible to come and participate in the Reforestation Project. We will need assistance with designing and constructing the garden, furthering stakeholder relationships, communications, website, making short films etc. Hugo Leemhuis is the volunteer manager for Future Canvas. If you would like to volunteer for Reforestation please contact him via this email address: hugoleemhuis@hotmail.com

Meeting Times
Our meetings over the coming weeks will be important to attend if you wish to be involved in the Reforestation Project this year. We will be meeting at our new office space in the Docklands;

Shed 4, Dock 4 (basically the end of Collins Street!). Map 2E 7D.

Here are the Reforestation meeting dates for the coming few months:

Thursday 22nd January, 6pm - 8pm.
Thursday 5th February, 6pm - 8pm.
Thursday 19th February, 6pm - 8pm.
Thursday 5th March, 6pm - 8pm.
Thursday 19th March, 6pm - 8pm.

Attached is the agenda for the first meeting on the 22nd of January.

Look forward seeing you at our first meeting for the year!


Emily and Ash.