Get Involved

There are many ways that you can get involved at ECOSS.

ECOSS loves and values our wonderful Volunteers.

Opportunities for volunteering exist in the following areas

  • Volunteer in Crops for Community Program. email: allabilities@ecoss.org.au
  • Undertake general maintenance works needed around the property.  Various physical labour jobs, guided by the fantastic Ric Butler. email allabilities@ecoss.org.au
  • Help in the office, many jobs need doing, assisted by Chelsea. chelsea@ecoss.org.au
  • Creative jobs around the place.  ECOSS loves artists!! We need signage, and beautiful sculpture etc… propose your creative project to ECOSS!
  • Festivals ECOSS hosts many events during the year, if you can be of assistance please email Leanne on: ecotopiastalls@gmail.com

Community Garden

Our community garden is a place for everyone to come and get their hands dirty while creating community connections and new friends.  You can propagate seeds for the garden in our nursery. You are welcome to come in and have some fun Tuesday to Friday between 9am and 4pm. If you would like to come and volunteer in the garden and you haven’t before please go to the contact page or drop in and have a chat with us and we will get you started.  Currently we have Interchange Outer East clients volunteering on Wednesdays and Fridays.  They have been wonderful helpers in our garden and have energised the space.  Come along and check it out!

Crops for Community

Educating and empowering volunteers of all abilities to grow food crops for both distribution and sale.

This initiative marries the ECOSS Community Garden volunteers, with the weekly produce Market, local food relief organisations and ECOSS nursery, enabling opportunities for connection, skill building and greater food security in the Yarra Valley.

Social and community benefits

Firstly, this initiative marries the ECOSS Community Garden and all abilities programme with the ECOSS Weekly Market so that 1/3rd of vegetables grown are sold as fresh produce.

Secondly, 1/3rd of ECOSS produce grown through the ‘Crops for Community Programme is donated to the KOHA Community Cafe. Koha Community Cafe is a local community based project. Based on the Lentil As Anything concept, anyone can come and have a meal paying only what they can afford or what they think it is worth. Koha’s aim is to promote inclusion, and community self reliance. A further 1/3rd is donated to the OONAH Indigenous Services Tuckerbag Programme. Oonah currently runs a Tucker Bag Program each Friday during school term to provide stable food relief to anyone in the local community who requires the extra support.

Where possible and practical, some of the produce is prepared and cooked as curries and soups to be sold at various festivals and happenings occurring at ECOSS. Our allabilities team participates in this value adding process learning many skills. These three streams of access provide opportunities for connection and greater food security in the Yarra Ranges and a wonderful engagement for our Crops For Community volunteers.
Involvement in the ‘Crops For Community’ programme allows our volunteers of all abilities to gain skills in:

  • Propagation and seed planting
  • Plant care
  • Pruning
  • Plant ID
  • Harvesting
  • Preparation
  • Cooking
  • Sales and promotion
  • Pest management
  • Composting and worm farming
  • Bed Preparation and soil health

To be involved in ECOSS’s Crops for Community volunteer program please contact
Melanie
Disabilities and Volunteer Project Development Officer
allabilities@ecoss.org.au
John
Crops for Community Coordinator
cropsforcommunity@ecoss.org.au


Project Supporters

Membership

Yarra Valley ECOSS is managed by a Committee of Management elected by the members at each Annual General Meeting of the association. The Committee of Management is supported by a range of working sub-committees, paid part-time staff and volunteers. As a membership-based organisation ECOSS needs a strong base to support its activities and guide its development. If you are interested in helping to develop sustainable living solutions for the Yarra Valley community we encourage you to join up as a financial member.

Membership benefits include:

Opportunities to have your say in the development of ECOSS and to assist with planning and management
* Voting rights at general meetings
* Regular newsletters and email updates
Annual Membership fees are:
  • Individual            $15
  • Individual concession         $10
  • Family                 $25
  • Family concession              $20
  • Organisation/Group              $40
We have an extensive email list and a Facebook page for those wanting to keep in touch and be informed of developments and events, however joining in on these communication tools doesn’t bestow any of the primary membership benefits.

Volunteers & Inclusiveness

ECOSS thrives on the wonderful input from our Volunteers. It would be very difficult for ECOSS to develop and progress the way we do without our Volunteers. From working in the nursery and in our gardens. including the Community Garden, helping with our projects and events to helping in the office our volunteers give a large amount of time.

Volunteer activities rotate with our Seasonal Calendar of Events, and include passive and active roles. We value your skills and would love to create opportunities that interest you. We like to provide co-learning opportunities for skill sharing.

We welcome new Volunteers at any time and believe that there is no such thing as too many volunteers.

Please contact our wonderful Volunteer Coordinator Melanie on: allabilities@ecoss.org.au

All ongoing Volunteers require a Working with Childrens Check- our lovely staff can assist you with your application.

Cultural Diversity is important to ECOSS.  We welcome all genders, rainbow people, all abilities and all cultures to work together in peace at ECOSS.

ECOSS pays respects to the traditional owners of this land- the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation, and elders Past and Present.

Corporate Volunteering & Wellbeing Program

ECOSS welcomes corporate groups of all ages and abilities to come and discover the riches of ECOSS and enjoy facilitated team building and skill building sessions and our unique Wellbeing Program. 

We are a Community Hub, including Community Garden, Food Forest, Native Nursery, Co-farming area, Pollination Place, and many more projects around the site. 

Come and be inspired by the beautiful grounds while learning about sustainability and simple practical ways you can reduce your ecological footprint and help us with the many tasks needed such as Bed preparation, Composting, Weeding, Mulching and Pruning.

  • Choose one or more sessions to put together a program from 1 hour to half or full day experiences
  • Activities are held on site in the inspiring permaculture designed Yarra Valley ECOSS Community Environment Park. 
  • Each session is fully facilitated by a specialist educator in their field and takes approximately 1 hour. 
  • Sessions offer unique, practical, creative and hands on sessions where participants are engaged and inspired while learning
  • The cost of each session is given in the activity description.

Volunteer Program:

ECOSS Farming

ECOSS is undertaking various innovative farming techniques, growing produce for donations and sale in the Co-farming area ‘Pollination Place’ at the rear of the beautiful property. 

Volunteering in this space offers interesting education opportunities including the Food Forest, BioChar, Community Viticulture, Garlic growing, land management, composting, organic farming and more. 

Community Gardening

ECOSS Community Garden is a beautiful space at the centre of the ECOSS site. Volunteering in this space supports our Crops for Community program, and includes propagating plants in the Native Nursery, Composting, Weeding, Harvesting produce for donation to our 2 food relief agencies- Oonah Indigenous Tuckerbag Program, and Koha Community Cafe.  Activities are seasonal in this space. 

Community Garden, Crops for Community

Native Nursery

Volunteering in the Native Nursery offers deep educational experiences, led by a senior Horticulturist. Activities include propagating plants, seed saving, nursery management. 

Native Nursery, Pollination Place

UpCycles

We collect discarded bicycles and parts and work with community members of all abilities to refurbish the bicycles for both charity and sale at ECOSS. The Upcycles space provides a hub and community space for people to gather to reduce landfill, whilst increasing connectedness, promoting fitness and positive mental health.

Volunteer activities rotate with our Seasonal Calendar of Events, and include passive and active roles. We value your skills and would love to create opportunities that interest you. We like to provide co-learning opportunities for skill sharing.

UpCycles

Wellbeing Program:

Hands on Clay Pottery

Enjoy making your own creation under the guidance of the artists at Community Pottery Studio Yarra Valley.

  • Includes all materials, clay and access to a fully equipped studio
  • Firing is possible for an additional cost or take home un-fired
  • Includes instruction and creative guidance

The Pottery Studio

African Drumming Workshop

Kofi Kunkpe is an Ewe master drummer & multi-instrumentalist from the Volta Region of Ghana. A multi-skilled, celebrated performer and teacher, creating custom made programs or performances to suit your needs.

With extensive background teaching people of all ages and abilities, Kofi offers drum, dance, singing and African Culture workshops for large or small groups.

These one hour sessions are facilitated by Kofi and participants have the opportunity to learn and play in a practical and dynamic environment.

Mental Health and Well-Being, Team Building Workshops in the Circus Dome

Challenging groups in a fun and comedic environment to work together. Learning unique new skills to problem solve physical challenges, to directly affect participants abilities to manage challenges in social and work environments. 

We will develop a program appropriate for the abilities and interests of your team. 

With a range of Sports challenges, Public speaking, Dance, and Circus Skills such as Juggling, Plate spinning, Hula hooping, Aerial Yoga, Stilt Walking and Acro balance. 

Research shows juggling improves productivity, develops plasticity, releases endorphins and lowers stress levels. When used in the workplace it can give a reboot of energy and focus. 

Try something unique! All sessions held in the Dreaming Space Dome.

Dreaming Space Dome, Colocators

Meeting Spaces for Hire & Catering Options:

We also have meeting spaces available and options of catering or BYO.

ECOSS Facilities & Equipment Hire

Please contact our wonderful Volunteer Coordinator for more information and to make a booking:

Melanie Daymond on: allabilities@ecoss.org.au

Cultural Diversity is important to ECOSS.  We welcome all genders, rainbow people, all abilities and all cultures to work together in peace at ECOSS.

ECOSS pays respects to the traditional owners of this land- the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation, and elders Past and Present.

Jobs @ ECOSS

There are currently no positions available.

Please consider becoming a volunteer to learn what we do and how you may become a part of the ECOSS team.

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