Welcome to the Conservation Council Yellow Box newsletter, our monthly update on the latest news, campaigns and events relating to the environment in the ACT. Most Canberrans are well into their second month of ‘staying at home’ due to COVID-19, and many are discovering the pleasures of slowing down, outside exercise and being in nature. While the lockdown obviously hasn't been easy for all in the community, the numbers of families and households on our streets on foot or on their bikes has been noticeable.The recent headline “Bikes are the new toilet paper” alluded to the fact that bike sales have gone through the roof. (You really couldn’t even begin to imagine a headline like three months ago!) Not only are we spending more time out on our streets and in our nature reserves, but in some places, nature itself is taking a breather from our incessant human presence - around the world we have seen examples of cities where wildlife has moved into urban areas due to the quiet streets. It does make one wonder what is the best way out of this? Do we come out living the way we did before, and prioritising the same things we used to? Are there aspects of our lives that we prefer now, and that we want to incorporate into our post-COVID lives? And what things can we do that are of benefit for the environment? For example, now that you’ve figured out how to work from home, could you do this once or twice a week? And if everyone was able to do this, what would this mean for our local greenhouse emissions, given that 60% of the ACT’s direct emissions are now generated from transport? Have you planted a vegetable garden while you've been confined to home, and set up your home compost, diverting your organic waste from landfill? Have you realised that the short drive you used to take to the shops is only a 10 minute bike ride, and is easier now that you’ve got your cycling gear organised? Did you dig around in your wardrobe while you were at home and realise that you can reinvent and reinvigorate it, putting off that non-essential fast fashion shopping trip? And importantly, did you go walking in one of our beautiful nature reserves, realise how much you valued living near our beautiful grasslands and woodlands and wonder how you can get involved in protecting them? There are so many ways in which we can take this opportunity to reset our lives to align better with our values, and our desire to live more lightly on this small green-blue planet of ours. The ACT Government has, in rolling out COVID stimulus packages, given consideration to the environment. The Conservation Council was pleased to see 26 new positions that will focus on bushfire recovery at Namadgi, including six indigenous ranger positions. Urban tree planting will be fast-tracked this autumn, with 4000 trees going in across Canberra, and boosting the overall commitment of 17,000 trees by 2500. 10 additional positions will undertake tree maintenance work and nearly $10m has also been allocated to fast-track general maintenance across the city, including improvements in pedestrian crossings, mulching and replacing aged bollards with ones made from recycled materials - things that we know support active travel and plastic recycling! Sadly the Federal Government isn't quite thinking about the same green stimulus ideas, promoting instead a "gas-led economic recovery to COVID" which not only would drive greenhouse emissions up, but seems a crazy investment at a time when we should be supporting industries of the future, not the past. You can read more about why it's a bad idea here. The Conservation Council team has been making the most of working from home, reviewing policies and getting to work on our new 5 year strategic plan. We have really missed seeing all of you in the office, and in person, but we hope you will join us for our Online Nature Trivia this coming Friday night 8th May from 7pm - an opportunity to bring people ‘together’ and have some fun. There will be nature-themed and general questions, including some with a local perspective, so gather your team – you can enter as an individual, a home team, or an e-team - and register on our website. There are some small but delicious prizes on offer! Take care all, stay well.
Warm wishes, Helen Oakey Executive Director |