Celebrate community, nature and everything that is unique to the Central Coast at the Community Environment Network’s Love Trees, Love COSS two-day event in September.
With support from the University of Newcastle, the event will start with a community day at the University’s Central Coast Ourimbah Campus on Saturday, September 17.
The free outdoor, COVID-safe event in the ‘Quad’ will include busking, sustainable market stalls and food vans complemented by stalls from community and environmental groups including Central Coast Council, the Australian Conservation Foundation Central Coast, staff and research students from the University of Newcastle’s (UoN) Environmental Science and Management team including both Conservation Science and Coastal and Marine research groups, Jono Mac and Clean4Shore, Central Coast Marine Discovery Centre and the Dyarubbin Peat Island Association.
“Bookings for stalls are coming in thick and fast so if you’re a community group or an environmental group that is interested in participating, contact CEN before September 1,” CEN Chief Executive Officer, Samantha Willis, said.
“As part of our 25th birthday celebration, CEN will be showcasing our projects, programs and campaigns throughout the day including our Wildplant Nursery, Habitat for Wildlife, Land for Wildlife, Friends of COSS, Waterwatch, Wetlands/platypus, Bush Regeneration and Green Teams, Climate Future and the Better Planning Group.
“At various times throughout the day we will have ‘workshop’ style speakers about current environmental issues and campaigns.”
The Saturday event will be open to the public from 10am-3pm.
Love Trees, Love COSS will continue on Sunday, September 18, with a guided COSS Crawl via bus to Coastal Open Space System reserves including Rumbalara, Katandra and Kincumba Mountain.
This event is ticketed at $30 per person which includes morning tea, lunch, cost of bus hire and guided walk and talk.
“The Coastal Open Space System or COSS has been a unique feature of the southern half of the Central Coast since the 1970s,” Willis said.
“It is a unique and beautiful collection of bush reserves that is home to many endangered and threatened species of flora and fauna.
“CEN has been working since 2016 for the Coastal Open Space System to be expanded to the whole Central Coast and we will continue that work.
“Meanwhile we are eager to share COSS with the public.
“The recently released State of the Environment Report was a shocking reminder of how at risk the habitat of many species is due to fire, drought, flood and over-development.
“Our community cannot underestimate the importance of trees so CEN decided our 25th birthday was a great opportunity to celebrate both – our love for trees and for COSS.”
For more information and bookings go to www.cen.org.au/events.
Source:
Media release, Aug 22
Community Environment Network