by GreenSkills | Jun 9, 2017 | Green Skills Inc. - Sustainability Non-Profit
Green Skills has protected and revegetated the Denmark Wetland, on Atkinson Rd and created a Wetlands Education Centre.
Some of the initiatives undertaken:
- Collaboration with artists to create a bird hide ‘Ornitarium’;
- Ongoing revegetation with local schools and other groups;
- Construction of a boardwalk into the paperbark swamp;
- Installation of dieback hygiene facility; and
- Installation of new interpretative and directional signage.
The Wetlands continue to be a site for community art projects through Denmark’s Brave New Works festival.
by GreenSkills | Jun 9, 2017 | Green Skills Inc. - Sustainability Non-Profit
Green Skills partnered with Karrak Consulting in developing and delivering a pilot leadership program for the southern regions of Western Australia in 2015 funded through the WA Department of Regional Development.
16 regional emerging leaders from across different sectors of local communities signed up for the 4 x 3.5 day weekend workshops in York in June, Denmark in July, Dryandra in September and Donnelly River in October.
Participants engaged in private coaching, group action learning, phone sessions and working on their own community projects between the weekend gatherings.
Feedback from the majority of the participants was outstanding and many of them are more fully engaged in initiatives in their own communities with greater confidence in themselves and how to engage others.
by GreenSkills | Jun 9, 2017 | Green Skills Inc. - Sustainability Non-Profit
Green Skills Inc has been engaged by the Torbay Catchment Group to undertake the community engagement plan for the review of the 2008 Torbay Watershed Plan. Green Skills Inc will work with the Torbay Catchment Group and the community of the Torbay catchment to:
- Involve the community through a range of mechanisms to ensure maximum efficiency in community engagement and opportunity for informing/feedback for issues and concerns (workshops & surveys).
- Inform the community of progress on the Torbay Restoration Plan, current context, new information and seek input into revision of catchment restoration plan.
- Consult the community to build community awareness and understanding, to identify/engage with new community and strengthen Torbay Catchment Group’s connection to community
- Identify gaps or emerging issues for inclusion in restoration plan review.
- Collaborate with the community by developing partnerships to formulate options and provide recommendations.
- Empower the community to implement and be a part of managing behaviour change.
The outcomes of the community engagement process will inform the content of the revised Torbay Restoration Plan. The Torbay Restoration Plan 2017 – 2027 will be released to the community in December 2017.
by GreenSkills | Jun 9, 2017 | Green Skills Inc. - Sustainability Non-Profit
Green Skills was contracted by the City of Albany in January 2016 to coordinate and collate stakeholder and community input to the development of the City of Albany Natural Reserves Strategy and Action Plan 2016 – 2020. Engagement activities included:
- Meetings with individual staff members and councillors
- Facilitation of staff workshops
- Meetings with project team and key organizational stakeholders
- Collation of a 105 member stakeholder list and communications inviting submissions and involvement with workshops and on line or paper based surveys
- Wide ranging call for input through websites, Facebook pages, local media and static displays
- Facilitation of five stakeholder and community presentations and workshops attended by approximately 90 people
- Running of onsite surveys at Cosy Corner and Cape Riche with 69 respondents
- Running a general survey with 39 online responses through Survey Monkey and an additional 6 paper based response
- Call for detailed submissions.
All input was summarized in the Draft Report on Community Engagement, prepared by Green Skills.
Overall the community input from workshops reflected the love and appreciation that locals and visitors have for the region and for some specific natural reserves that are visited regularly often up to several times a week.
All contract conditions and timelines were met on schedule, numerous successful community engagement workshops run, and draft engagement plan document successfully completed and submitted to City of Albany for council adoption.
by GreenSkills | Jun 9, 2017 | Green Skills Inc. - Sustainability Non-Profit
The Denmark Tip Shop and Recycling Centre was established by Green Skills in 2001, at the Denmark Waste Transfer Station with the approval of the Shire of Denmark.
The Tip Shop diverts materials from landfill to reduce resource consumption. It is based on the understanding a large percentage of that material can be reused without any processing.
In its first year of operation, the Tip Shop diverted 100 cubic meters from landfill. Since that time, the Tip Shop has become a major feature of the Denmark town and community. The Tip Shop has diverted more than 3,000 cubic metres of materials from landfill to date.
Toxic substances, such as car batteries are collected and recycled for their lead content. Aluminium and copper are also recycled. Materials collected and sold at the Tip Shop include household and garden furniture, books, clothes, toys, tools, crockery, and building materials.
The Tip Shop provides a social as well as environmental service to the local community through supporting lower income families and individuals. Finances generated through sales at the Tip Shop have enabled the Recycling Centre to become self sustaining and able to employ five people on a part time basis, and run a volunteering and disability employment program.
Improvements are happening all the time at the Tip Shop. In 2016 and 2017 new sheds have been built, the car park bitumised and a new tractor and truck acquired.
