Students to run first ever sustainability festival at ErinEarth

ErinEarth is set to host its first student-run festival to celebrate the spring season.

The Students for Sustainability Festival will be on Saturday (16 September) from 9:30 am to 2 pm at ErinEarth.

Local students will be involved in running the festivals and showcasing their work and ideas around sustainable living.

Kildare Catholic College has created stormwater quality improvement devices and constructed artificial wetlands. The device is designed to remove pollutants and silts from the water and purify it as it goes through the landscape. ErinEarth had asked the students for their ideas for the water quality models to be placed in the extra land in the garden.

Ladysmith Public School is set to showcase its vegetable garden, worm farm and composting.

Students from Riverina Anglican College are volunteering for the Duke of Edinburgh Award as part of their outdoor service, while Sturt Primary School students are involved in their vegetable garden at school and other wellbeing projects.

ErinEarth administration and communications officer Michelle Burton said that while students have always volunteered at different ErinEarth events and festivals, this is the first time they will actually run a festival themselves.

“It’s primarily focused on the students to come to ErinEarth and help, volunteer and run the festival,” Michelle said. “It’s pretty exciting.”

“They [students] were happy to return and give back to ErinEarth and help us run the festival.

“It’s great to see them be passionate and be involved because young people are our future.”

Michelle said it’s vital to get the young people in the community involved and help them reconnect with the environment and nature.

“It’s about inspiring awe, wonder and curiosity about our environment, and by doing that, they learn how to care for things better because they understand it better.”

She said the festival is the third weekend event of the year and an opportunity for people to check out the garden.

“Spring is our favourite time in the garden, and it’s a wonderful time for ErinEarth,” Michelle said.

“The dragonflies have returned, frogs are calling and laying eggs, the birds are visiting all the flowers and keeping the insects under control.

“The wetland is brimming with water, ready for all the new tadpoles, and the volunteers have made a heart start on the veggies for the summer veggie garden and planted some new natives in the woodland area.”

The festival will include live music by the 16-year-old Rory Phillips, homemade morning tea snack boxes, coffee and tea, and a barbecue with ErinEarth’s famous veggie burgers and garden coleslaw.

There will be children’s activities to make pollinators like butterflies and bees out of natural materials to be hung up around the garden.

The Students for Sustainability Festival will be held at ErinEarth, 1 Kiladare Street, Turvey Park, from 9:30 am to 2 pm. Entry to the festival is free.

For more information, visit the ErinEarth website.