The Green Living Centre successfully pivoted to working online in this challenging year. It was great to engage with our community through webinars, social media, and some face-to-face workshops. We’d like to share with you some of the highlights of our green year. You can also catch up on some of the webinar recordings on Inner West Council’s website.
January – Our first workshop of the year focused on climate action resolutions. People discussed what issues were most important to them, which actions would have the most positive environmental impact, then they developed goals and actions for the year. 
February – We teamed up with Nicole and Evan from Seed 2 Soul for a food waste avoidance workshop. They showed how to turn leftover milk, rice, bread and vegies into tasty Indian-style dishes. 
March – At Whites Creek Valley Park we began our six week organic gardening course in partnership with Steve from Sydney Organic Gardens. Through a mixture of theory and practice, an enthusiastic group learnt how to enrich the soil, sheet mulch in the garden, prune and propagate plants. 
April – A very busy month behind the scenes as we redesigned our program of traditionally face-to-face workshops and events to adapt to the online environment. 
May – We worked with the Australian Energy Foundation to present our first ever webinar. A good crowd tuned in to hear about the benefits of solar and batteries and how to choose the right system for their homes. 
June – We celebrated World Environment Day by showcasing the natural places that residents and Council staff love, how they look after them, and ways that people can care for nature. 
July – For our Plastic Free Living webinar Margaret Mossakowska from Moss House discussed how people can reduce plastic use in their daily lives. She also demonstrated how to make beeswax wraps. 
August – We took Footprints Online, so people could listen, watch and learn from experts. Topics included how to talk about climate, the share economy, sustainable food systems, zero waste cooking and nature-based art. 
September – Kirsty from Parva: Little Things led a webinar on green cleaning and showed us how to safely clean our homes with a natural kit of bicarb soda, vinegar, citrus, essential oils and castile soap. 
October – We reached out to people who are locked out of solar – like renters and people living in apartments. At an information webinar, Kim Mallee & Kristy Walters of the Community Power Agency offered locals the chance to join the Haystacks community energy project. 
November – For National Pollinator Week we welcomed Prof. Dieter Hochuli of Sydney Uni to share his knowledge of local pollinators, and how to attract them to our gardens. 
December – We worked with our Council colleagues and members of the community to produce a series of eco tips for the festive season. Take a step toward zero waste this Christmas with our suggestions on how to use what you have, borrow, choose second hand, make or buy long-lasting locally produced gifts.