Director’s Note — March
Autumn is on our doorstep, and with the university year now underway, we’ve welcomed a steady stream of uni students coming in to redeem their 20% discount on refurbished bikes at the Recyclery — this small but meaningful incentive supports more people to choose cycling for everyday travel.
We’ve also seen strong interest in our free six-week bike mechanics workshops, which begin again in late March. These workshops are about more than fixing punctures and tuning gears — they build confidence, practical skills and community connection. If you’ve been meaning to learn how to maintain your bike (or just want to feel more self-reliant), come to a Bike Kitchen drop-in session any Thursday evening (5–8 pm) at the Recyclery, or sign up for a future workshop.
Community bike mechanic, Cohen, right, sharing bike fixes with our bike kitchen attendees
Beyond bikes, we have a frog pond workshop coming up this weekend. And our weekly community garden sessions, with CEC’s permaculture guru Bianca, continue on Thursdays — 5, 12, 19 and 26 March (9:30–11:00 am) — these are open to everyone interested in seasonal gardening, food growing and habitat building in the Gungaderra Community Garden.
Looking back slightly, February was a significant month for broader climate engagement. I was pleased to participate in a climate roundtable hosted by independent MLA Thomas Emerson, contributing to discussions about climate adaptation and the need to recognise ecological limits. Meanwhile, our President, Julie Boulton, spoke at Politics in the Pub, facilitated by Greens MLA Andrew Braddock, to share her expertise on the environmental impacts of the fashion industry and avenues for change.
Looking ahead, we’ll be out and about later this month at the Celebrate Gungahlin Festival — please come and say hello if you’re there. And, soon, we’re excited to launch a new monthly series of evening talks in collaboration with our friends at the Conservation Council of the ACT and SEE Change. These will create space for grounded, solutions-focused conversation and connection around environment and climate issues. More details to come.
Finally, a heartfelt thank you to Tina, our Project Officer, who is stepping back from her ongoing role. We deeply appreciate her dedication and care, and we’re pleased she will remain involved with the Centre in a casual capacity.
It’s not all change, however, this year we’ve also welcomed a number of new faces to our board; their ideas and energy are already shaping what we do in wonderful ways.
Thank you for being engaged with our work — whether you join us in the garden, at a workshop, in the Recyclery, or at a community event. These practical gatherings are where ideas turn into action.
Warm regards,
Jennifer
Director
director@canberraenvironment.org