Students at Zig Zag Public School participating in the B&B Highway pollinator program
Story and photos by Lis Bastian. Video by Kalani Gacon.
Pollinators are critical for life on earth. As we face a biodiversity crisis in which we’re losing plants and animals at an alarming rate, the Rotary Club of Blackheath and Planting Seeds with their B&B Highway pollinator program, have collaborated to inspire all ages to take action to protect and regenerate habitat and help reverse this decline by supporting pollinators, in particular, to flourish.
Key Points:
- We can all take action to reverse the alarming loss of biodiversity by reducing chemical use and land clearing, and by providing food, water and shelter for pollinators.
- Rotary International has made Protecting the Environment a new area of focus and the Rotary Club of Blackheath has used a global grant from Rotary to increase education about, and habitat for, pollinators.
- Planting Seeds has been supported by Blackheath Rotary to run its B&B Highway program at Zig Zag Public School in Lithgow and Blackheath Public School in the Blue Mountains.
Four years ago, Rotary International made Protecting the Environment a new area of focus and over the past year the Rotary Club of Blackheath has used a Rotary District Grant to fund a Pollinator Education and Action Program.
Initially inspired by Rotarians for Bees, the Blackheath Club has held a Pollinator Forum with the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Initiative (see https://blackheathnews.com/birds-bees-butterflies-bats-pollinators/) , it has built bird boxes with local Men’s Sheds, it has shared seed packs to help the community plant more pollinating plants, and in April this year it funded and volunteered to support B&B Highway programs at Blackheath Public School and Zig Zag Public School in Lithgow.
The B&B Highway Program at Zig Zag Public School in Lithgow (Video: Kalani Gacon)
L-R: Libby Bleakley, Mina Howard and Sherlie McMillan from the Rotary Club of Blackheath volunteering for the B&B program at Blackheath Public School. (Photo: Lis Bastian)
Dr Judy Friedlander is the founder of Planting Seeds. Her PhD focused on how to sell a difficult message, like biodiversity loss, in a way that empowers people to take action to arrest the situation.
B&B Highways, the flagship program for Planting Seeds, are ‘Bed and Breakfasts for Birds, Bees and Biodiversity’. The programs provide both theoretical and practical steps for protecting and regenerating habitat for pollinators to create wildlife corridors in urban and semi-urban environments.
Dr Judy Friedlander (left) explaining how to record insects found in the ‘bug hunt’. (Photo: Lis Bastian)
Halina Pochwyt from Wildplant Rescue, volunteering to show students how to plant natives to increase food and habitat for pollinators in the Blackheath Public School garden. (Photo: Lis Bastian)
Stage three students (years 5 & 6) at Lithgow and Blackheath learnt how they could support pollinators by providing food, water and shelter for them, then took part in a garden bug hunt, before planting habitat for pollinators in their school gardens.
Nicole Lewis, Chief B&B Highway educator, sharing information about pollinators with students at Blackheath Public School. (Photo: Lis Bastian)
One of the insects found by a student during the ‘bug hunt’. (Photo: Lis Bastian)
See the program in action at Lithgow’s Zig Zag Public School here > and find out more about Planting Seeds’ B&B Highway initiative here >
This story has been produced as part of a Bioregional Collaboration for Planetary Health and is supported by the Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (DRRF). The DRRF is jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments.
News From Around The Region
Some of the most popular activities we`ve run over the last year have been our plant-based cooking demonstrations. If you`d like to learn more about how to prepare meals that are cheaper, healthier and better for the planet, Teja Brooks Pribac from PlantInspired will be demonstrating how to use pantry essentials to create delicious and healthy plant-based meals tomorrow: Friday 6 December at Junction 142 in Katoomba. Ph. 0434 691 496
#plantbased #planetaryhealth #planetaryhealthdiet #cookingclass #katoomba #bluemountains
If you`ve heard about how inspiring and fun our Skillshare Saturdays are with our free Upcycling Fashion workshop from 9am to 3pm, our Wildlife Exhibition from 9am to 1pm, and our Bushcare to regenerate the Planetary Health Precinct at 1.30pm, there`s still one more opportunity in 2024 to come along and join in, this Saturday 7 December. Well be having some delicious Christmas nibbles to celebrate the end of a very productive year and all are welcome. The Planetary Health Centre is at 33-39 Acacia St Katoomba. Bookings for Upcycling essential (link in profile). To find out more about joining Bushcare ring 0407 437553 #upcyclingfashion #bushcare #planetaryhealth #learntosew #patternmaking #katoomba #bluemountains #natureconnection #wildlifeexhibition #birdphotos #wires
The inspiring Lyrebird Festival kicks off in the Megalong Valley this evening and runs until Sunday 17th November. Enjoy a weekend of music, art, food, wine, talks and nature walks as The Bowerbird Collective brings together art, science, conservation and world class music performances. All events can be booked separately or together with a Festival pass. Pricing includes a `Pay what you can` option.
The Lyrebird can be heard in the Megalong Valley imitating the calls of hundreds of other species, as well as producing their own thrilling sounds. The festival also includes a very special film screening of The Message of the Lyrebird on Sunday afternoon.
Tickets available here: https://bit.ly/3AON8In
(or at link in profile)
#megalongvalley #lyrebirds #lyrebirdfestival #bowerbirdcollective #bluemountains #planetaryhealth
In April 2021 Blue Mountains City Council became the first local government in Australia to adopt a motion to integrate Rights of Nature principles into its operations and practices. Today the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Initiative, the Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute and lawyer Kingsley Liu, had the great pleasure of workshopping further ways to implement Rights of Nature with this inspiring group of Law students from the University of New South Wales.
#rightsofnature #UNSW #lawstudents #planetaryhealth #bluemountains
At our World Animal Day event we launched the Community Supporting Community Program with a plant based cheese degustation. Teja Brooks Pribac from PlantInspired is now offering interactive classes in which you can have fun learning new techniques for using vegetables to create delicious meals that are good for your health and the health of the planet. Small groups: 6-8 people. $65.50pp. Bookings essential.
Classes currently on offer:
Plant-based cheese making & demo
Saturday 9 Nov, 1-3pm. Lawson NSW: https://www.facebook.com/events/1274663973560691
[DATE CHANGE!] The Tastemaster: how to turn your average vegetable into a mouthwatering masterpiece
Sunday 17 November, 11am-2pm. Katoomba: https://www.facebook.com/events/517611447925601
End of year special: plant-based cooking essentials 2-class bundle
Saturday 30 November, Sunday 1 December, 11am-2pm. Katoomba NSW: https://www.facebook.com/events/1116156823213312
Cooking with seitan
Saturday 7 December, 11am-2pm. Katoomba NSW. https://www.facebook.com/events/1553960262666738
PlantInspired is also offering interactive plant-based cooking classes and demos for individual clients, private groups and businesses. Choose from a range of preset classes or get in touch to tailor your own.
All profits utilised to help vulnerable members of the community through the Community Supporting Community program. Check the website for more info: www.plantinspired.com.au (link in profile)
#plantinspired #plantbasedcooking #vegan #community #planetaryhealth
Skillshare Saturdays literally offer a `breath of fresh air` at the Planetary Health Centre on the first Saturday of the month! At our free Upcycling Fashion workshop this month you can learn more about all types of zips and how to do basic pockets and pocket flaps. You can bring your own sewing machine or use one of ours. And at Bushcare in the afternoon, you can immerse yourself in the bush at the Planetary Health Precinct as you help restore habitat and protect biodiversity (while meeting some great people and enjoying time in nature). Bookings essential for Upcycling Fashion at Eventbrite here: https://bit.ly/4dZWUoM (link in profile)
If you`d like to join our Bushcare Group contact Karen Hising at khising@bmcc.nsw.gov.au or call the Bushcare Office on 4780 5623
#upcyclingfashion #skillshare #planetaryhealth #bushcare #community #togetherwecan #zerowaste #regeneration #circulareconomy
As 190 countries gather for the @cop16colombia UN Biodiversity Summit, to focus on how we can protect the world’s flora and fauna, we’d like to thank all those local individuals and organisations dedicated to the same goal who came together for World Animal Day at the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre on Saturday 5 October. They offered ways for everyone to learn more and take action. From the Blue Mountains Bird Observers, who led over 40 people on a guided Breakfast with the Birds walk, to many others who offered information stalls, talks, workshops, a Wild Life exhibition, live music, plant-based food and hands-on Bushcare. We also launched the Community Plant Based Cooking Project with the first class to be held on Saturday 9 November at @roseyravelstonbooks in Lawson. Places are limited. Learn more here: https://plantinspired.com.au/
#worldanimalday #biodiversity #plantbased #planetaryhealth #bluemountains #katoomba
Did you know that old lino, window putty, and adhesive can contain asbestos? Yesterday the Asbestos & Hazardous Materials Management Conference kicked off with a pre-conference workshop at the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre. It included hands-on `spot the asbestos` and asbestos sampling sessions. This year`s theme is `Working together for a safe and healthy future`. #asbestos #hazardousmaterials #conference #planetaryhealth #bluemountains #katoomba
Delicious plant based and gluten free pastries courtesy of Clean Cravings at World Animal Day today at the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre. Such a lovely day! #planetaryhealth #worldanimalday
Paul Nagle and other members of the Blue Mountains Bird Observers leading 40 people on a Guided Breakfast with the Birds as part of World Animal Day at the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Precinct. It`s a stunning day. Lots more to come at 33-39 Acacia St Katoomba.
A huge thank you to Josh Logan from Logan Signs, Lithgow, for installing our Circular Water Signage in time for our World Animal Day Celebration today at the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre (33-39 Acacia St Katoomba). We have a full program of events with lots of information on how to prepare for the summer ahead and how to create urban areas that help us share our home respectfully with all species. It will be a fun family day too with storytime, craft and live music for kids! (Link in profile) #worldanimalday #planetaryhealth #familyday #katoomba #bluemountains
And our Wild Life exhibition is now up for World Animal Day tomorrow at the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre. Photographs by Warren Hinder, Merryl Watkins, Holly Kent and Tracy Burgess. Check out all the other events from stalls, talks, possum box demo, kid`s craft and animal storytime, plant based food and live music to Bushcare. @33-39 Acacia St Katoomba Link in profile. #planetaryhealth #worldanimalday #katoomba
