Latest articles by Jacqui van Heerden
Taking it to the streets
On the streets in cities across the globe, residents are working with governments to jointly shape their streets in efforts to regenerate their cities.
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Gardening with nature
Gardens, full of trees and plants, offer us a perfect opportunity to reconnect to our true selves and remember our place in the natural world.
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Kensington’s local food system … a celebration
Kensington has built a local food system with the help of individuals, groups, community organisations and volunteers working together with the City of Melbourne and Victorian Government.
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Have we forgotten our role in cooperating with life?
As Vandana Shiva says in her book, The Gift of Food, “If we take care of all the beautiful beings in our ecosystems, in our soils, we will be nourished in return.”
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Look down: what lies beneath our feet can help restore our climate health
History and research teach how nations have risen and fallen by the fertility of their soil as the human population has increased and, therefore, agriculture demands more of soil.
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Permaculture: one of Australia’s noblest exports
Permaculture provides a positive way forward of how humanity can work with nature to deliver its needs of shelter, food, water, energy and life purpose
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The right to repair
Repair saves people money, saves resources, creates jobs, prevents waste, and teaches people.
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A poetic end to 2023
The holiday season is a good time to take a break, connect with the things and people that you love, reflect on the last and the New Year and connect with nature.
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Stinging nettle
In nature plants offer unique and valuable attributes in maintaining health and wellbeing for ecosystems, humans, and other creatures.
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Street trees
As we face increasingly high temperatures in the city, the role of street trees becomes more important as they can reduce daytime temperatures between five and 20 degrees Celsius.
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Why compost at home?
Composting is one of the most powerful actions an individual can take to reduce food waste, address climate change, and build healthy soil.
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Regenerate nature – a hopeful path forward
In the face of environmental challenges, our community is embracing the call to regenerate nature, breathing new life into our local ecosystems.
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Touching the Earth
When last did you put your feet on the earth?
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The Kensington Farm Collective
The Kensington Community Farm Collective was established in 2021 and is run by two local urban farmers who grow food across different sites in Kensington.
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Concrete – the extensive dangers to the planet and human health
Apart from water, concrete due to its benefits of endurance and low cost of production is the most widely used building material on the planet. It provides foundations for modern cities, homes, offices, streets, and pavements.
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A history of composting in Kensington
Kensington community has embraced composting since the establishment of the street composting bins founded by local, Michelle Twyford.
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Investing in local waste programs
The Kensington Community has been successful in receiving a grant from the Victorian State Government’s Circular Economy Communities Fund for a waste program.
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Managing pests using nature – part two
There are many causes for pests. Prevention, through planning and design, I recommend as the first step in managing pests naturally then observation and monitoring and then control.
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Managing pests using nature – part one
Traditionally gardeners have been very active when it comes to pests, with all sorts of creative interventions being undertaken. Recently these methods have seen gardeners turning to applying chemicals in the form of pesticides and herbicides.
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