On Sunday September 14, we’ll join over 100 households across Australia opening their doors and sharing their story about how they’ve made their homes and lives more sustainable.   Come and say hi and see for yourself what we’ve done to change our typical house and lawn in Unanderra into a healthy, efficient home with an abundant food garden.

To raise the funds to keep this fantastic annual event run by the Australia and New Zealand Solar Energy Society happening, entry is $5 per person or $10 per family per house, children free.   Check out http://www.solarhouseday.com/  for more details and info on other houses opening in Blackbutt and Kiama. Hope to see you on the day!

Our local Councils have just launched 'Sustainability Begins at Home,' with heaps of fun activities and workshops set to happen over the next 2 years, an 'online challenge,' a really exciting 'Super Challenge' and a funky, informative website.

Households joining the 'Super Challenge' will set their own action plan to become more sustainble - and will receive $200 of eco helpful freebies (e.g. compost bins, fruit trees), support along the way, and entry into a draw for a solar hot water system!

Only 200 households are able to take part and applications close August 1st - so check out http://www.sustainableillawarra.com.au/ and go to the 'Super Challenge' page to get your Expression of Interest in!

Well you know where we’ll be this Friday morning – picking up more cheap local native plants at the ‘Greenplan’ sale at the Wollongong Botanic Garden Nursery. Most of the plants on our verge (the area between our front fence and the road) we picked up for a great price at the last ‘Greenplan’ sale day. The diverse range of trees, shrubs and grasses we planted out are thriving, and include blueberry ash, indigofera, native mints, and kangaroo grasses. This Friday we’ll pick up more bleeding hearts and acacias to plant throughout the garden as ‘support plants’, helping to improve the soil, create habitat and play a number of other important roles.

The Greenplan Leap Year Sale is on this Friday 29th February from 7:30am to 2:30pm. It’s only for Wollongong Council residents, so don’t forget to take a current rates notice along. And it’s a limit of 50 plants per property. Contact the nursery on 4225 2636 or botanicgarden@wollongong.nsw.gov.au for more details.