Path: Home > Bega > Community > BEND - Bega Eco-Neighbourhood Developers > About BEND > Education

Education

BEND aspires to inform members and the wider public of anything it has learned that can help others to replicate or advance sound social and environmental outcomes. This is why all our documents and reports are freely available on our Resources page.

We also ran specific courses and workshops locally for the Bega Valley community, which were made possible through a grant from the Mumbulla Foundation and our partnership with the Far South Coast Community College.

: Pyramid Power technicians complete the installation of the 2kW photovoltaic panel array on the newly built Bend shed in April 2010. The shed will soon be mud rendered to demonstrate a wall-building technique using recycled corrugated iron and local earth.

Bend neighbourhood photovoltaic array

As part of its goal to educate the public about sustainable technologies and practices, Bend Neighbourhood is hosting a 2kW photovoltaic panel array on its community shed. Power generated here will run systems within Bend, including pumps for water reticulation to a proposed community garden on Bend land.

The installation of the 2kW solar system on the BEND Community Shed celebrates the community partnership between BEND Neighbourhood Association, Clean Energy For Eternity and Pyramid Power Company. Bend Neighbourhood Association was nominated to receive the 2kW solar electricity installation by the local community through the Pyramid Power ‘Shine On’ Community Bulk Buy solar energy offer. The solar system has been installed at no cost to the community group: it has been funded by Pyramid Power Company, with matching funds from the Department of the Environment, Heritage, Water and the Arts, made possible by community support of the ‘Shine On’ Bulk Buy offer.

A public launch of the system is proposed for 20 June 2010 - stay tuned.

: Permaculture guru John Champagne gives a vision for the future to 'Backyard Food Gardens' participants.

Workshops Held in 2006

'Backyard Food Gardens' with John Champagne

'Composting Toilets that Council Will Approve' with Kym Mogridge

'Backyard Greywater Systems' with Kym Mogridge

'Lawns to Lunches' with Kathleen McCann

and finally 'Consensus Decision Making' with Jenny Spinks was a great climax to our series of workshops.

The course notes of many of these workshops are downloadable from the BEND Resources page.

For more information on these or possible future workshops and courses, you can email brogopg(at)bigpond.net.au or contact
John Champagne on (02) 6492 7306.