The Environmental Sustainability (ES) committee
The Environmental Sustainability (ES) committee was established in mid 2020. It currently comprises nine Club members, and it has had a primarily local focus since its inception. The committee’s key areas of focus are closely aligned with those of the Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group (ESRAG), namely:
- Climate action
- Clean, renewable energy
- Sustainable communities
- Responsible consumption and waste disposal, and
- Maintaining biodiversity
Since 2020, the Environmental Sustainability (ES) Committee has focused on several key initiatives, including:
- "Supporting environmental projects, with a particular focus on local community gardens
- Promoting education about the environment, with a strong focus on supporting environmental programs in local schools. The committee has also sourced a broad range of environment focussed guest speakers for Club meetings
- Promoting good environmental practice in Club projects and activities, and
- Measuring and monitoring the Club’s carbon footprint
Notable projects and activities of the last few years include:
- Multiple working bees aimed at improving the communal garden area at the Wattle Hill estate in Burwood.
- Two ‘Clean up Australia’ rubbish collection working bees.
- Our Club funded a major refurbishment of Blackburn Primary School's kitchen garden area, including the installation of six large new raised wicking beds with a total surface area of more than 19 square metres.
- The volunteer-run Bungalook Native Nursery in Blackburn South has been awarded two Club grants for equipment upgrades. The upgrades have increased the quantity of indigenous tubestock produced for local environmental groups and individuals.
- Funding was provided to refurbish part of the community garden at the Strathdon House and Orchard Precinct in Forest Hill. This project involved replacing a number of existing garden beds with four wheelchair-accessible raised beds. ES committee members were also involved in assembling and installing the new beds.
- Our Club provided a grant to cover the setup costs of a new Repair Café, which is located in the Strathdon House Precinct. The Café was formally opened in August 2023.
The dedication of the Environmental Sustainability (ES) Committee led our Club to make history in 2023—becoming the first in our Rotary District to earn the highest-level Environmental Award.
Working bees aimed at improving the communal garden area at the Wattle Hill estate in Burwood
