Tuesday, March 23, 2010

BOSS to boost community awareness on being ‘resourceful’


BOSS was thrilled recently to receive ten thousand dollars from the Queensland Government through their Natural Resources Awareness grant program. The grant forms part of the government’s Toward Q2 Green Strategy.

BOSS President Sharon Murakami, said, “BOSS has been working on the ground with local community, local council and other government agencies for several years to promote and encourage sustainable living.”

“The Natural Resources Awareness grant allows our organisation to further our objectives and provide the community with creative and practical information and skills to live more sustainably.”

Boonah is at the centre of World Heritage sites, National Parks, and prime farming land and those living amongst such natural beauty are increasingly confronted with the challenges of modern living and the impact this puts on our natural environment.

Sharon explains, “Since BOSS was created the organisation has witnessed an increasing awareness and commitment by the local community to live and act more sustainably. However we still have challenges in reducing our collective carbon footprint. For example many of our larger primary producers do not sell locally.

Such local dilemmas formed the basis for the funding submission, such as the importance of promoting and encouraging local produce to be the first choice of the community.

The project involves a series of workshops and field days and the development of information packages which will culminate in a World Environment Day event on Saturday June 5.

Themes will include working with natural produce and products in the garden and in the home, including aquaponics, the myriad uses of food and waste, caring for chooks, creating musical instruments from junk, fabric making using organic material and low energy cooking methods.

The project also includes a component of tree planting to offset carbon impacts, and collation of information regarding local recycling opportunities and locally sourced products.

The overall aim is for the Boonah community to have an increased awareness of what is grown and produced locally, how to limit impacts on landfill by creatively upcycling and freecycling, and how to reduce carbon footprints.

Changing community landfill attitude and behaviour is vital as the Scenic Rim Regional Council recently undertook a carbon audit which highlighted landfill sites are the region’s largest emitters of carbon.

BOSS will work with other community groups particularly those who have a focus on primary produce and the natural environment in developing the project.

Already plans are underway for the program to provide educational workshop support to a new gardening working bee initiative where people will exchange their labour, produce, and helpful gardening advice.

BOSS member Jo Davies who is coordinating the gardening exchange scheme sees the Natural Resources Awareness grant as providing an invaluable opportunity for educational resources to transform an idea into a long-term practical solution to acting locally and living more sustainably.

For more information regarding the upcoming workshops or field trips, or to make general enquiries with BOSS please contact BOSS via email at
boonahboss@hotmail.com or phone 5463 4774.

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