Victorian Community Gardens Gathering 2024
A day of Fun, Connection, Learning and Food!
We will provide delicious home made morning tea, wood-fired pizzas and foraged foods lunch, afternoon tea. You’re welcome to enjoy networking with local wine afterwards.
Limited number of free tickets available @ 2 for one – please email info@ecoss.org.au- first in best dressed.
Please book your ticket today, on the day you’ll have a Welcome to Country Ceremony at 9am, Workshops including BioChar, Governance, Eco Vineyard, Tours of ECOSS and a cooking demonstration by Fine dining Chef Michael Lewis.
Aunty Kim Wandin
Aunty Kim Wandin is a Wurundjeri Elder of the Woiwurrung language group. She has lived and worked on Country in Healesville, Victoria, her entire life. Her traditional basket-making has been handed down to her from her grandmother, her great-grandmother and her ancestors. Aunty Kim’s work represents a significant cultural position within the south-east of Victoria as part of an important group of arts practitioners. Her work adheres to and references traditional cultural practices. As a leading Aboriginal artist, Aunty Kim explores contemporary genres that both enhance and complement her basketry and fibre pieces. Her work speaks of space, texture and light, while referencing notions of movement. As an Elder, she advocates for strengthening culture and sharing her knowledge.
Aunty Kim will offer us a Welcome to Country Ceremony at 9am.
Michael Lewis – Executive Chef
Chef Michael Lewis has always had a strong affinity with food and nature, which has led him to countless esteemed destinations globally. Beginning his career in Sydney, Michael climbed the ranks at Jonah’s before moving abroad to Singapore and China to further his culinary expertise.
Most recently Michael galvanised his passion for Italian cuisine through working in Piemonte, Italy, before returning to Sydney to run the SALA Kitchen.
Michael will be offering a Foraged food demonstration and cooking up a storm as part of our lunch.
Bjorn Low
Bjorn took a leap of faith after 10 years of working in the digital marketing industry to explore a more sustainable lifestyle. His decision led him to a soul-searching journey across the United Kingdom, Spain, and Japan, where he learned to grow food in organic agricultural farms.
When Bjorn returned home, he found underutilised spaces and incorporated urban farms into Singapore’s cityscape. In 2012, he co-founded Edible Garden City with the goal of improving sustainability in local food production. It began with one restaurant garden for chefs that was driven by the global farm- to-table movement. Edible City has now built more than 260 urban gardens across Singapore. The gardens also serve as an inclusive community hub, providing green spaces for people to learn and connect with nature.
Bjorn Low will be speaking to us about Community Viticulture with Dr Mary Cole.
Joerg Werdin
Joerg Werdin will be talking to us about using Biochar in gardening.
Currently working at Yarra Ranges Council, prior to starting his PhD, Joerg worked as a technician/research assistant for the green infrastructure research group since 2013. Before coming to Australia, he was a R&D engineer in Germany for green roof systems and vertical gardens since 2007.
During this time, he spent two years as a Marie Curie Research Fellow at the University of Sheffield/UK, investigating the hydrological behaviour of green roof systems. Before Joerg’s research career he trained and worked as a landscape architect and gardener in Germany.
Oscar Danvers
Oscar lives and breathes vegetable gardens. It is his life’s mission to reconnect people with the food they eat. Oscar has built vegetable gardens all across Victoria. He has a Bachelor Degree in Sustainable Community Development, focusing on urban agriculture and community gardens. Oscar is currently studying a Masters Degree in Sustainable Agriculture focusing on urban agriculture. Making urban agriculture into a mainstream industry is his life mission.
Susan Laukens
Cr Laukens is a registered nurse. She has lived in Knoxfield for over 13 years with her husband and 2 daughters.
Cr Laukens has provided health care for our community for 26 years. She’s also been an active volunteer for many years.
Susan will be talking about Governance.
