An invitation to a day of collaboration, connection and community building

The Community Environment Network (CEN) will hold its Annual Forum at the Ourimbah Campus of Newcastle University on Sunday. March 21, with the theme, The Future is Local.

CEN Chair, Hale Adasal, said the Central Coast has been home to a courageous and resilient environmental community for almost 75 years.

“The Central Coast’s magnificent environment is one of the main reasons why over 350,000 people choose to live here,” Adasal said.

“The Coast is literally home to hundreds of thousands of people who love our beaches, lagoons and wetlands, our bushland and national parks, so it is no surprise that we are approaching the 75th anniversary of an organised local environmental movement in 2022.

“We know our community cares about global challenges like climate change, threats to biodiversity, and harnessing alternative energy, but those big issues can be daunting if you try to face them in isolation.

“That is why each year we invite CEN members, supporters and the broader community to come together for a day of collaboration, connection and community building.”

“The 2021 CEN Forum program is full of opportunities to reconnect after over 12 months of isolation and uncertainty”, Adasal said.

Highlights will include panel discussions about what the future holds for today’s youth, renewable energy, the benefits of ecotourism for the local economy and the importance of our wetlands.

Discussions will feature distinguished panellists including: Tim Selwyn of Girra Girra Aboriginal Experiences, who will discuss the potential for cultural and ecotourism to support the local economy; Richard Weller, who will speak on global climate change; De Brierly Newton from the Nature Conservation Council; CEN youth representatives; and CEN stalwarts, John Asquith and Mike Campbell.

“Please come along for the day if you are passionate about the environment and want to belong to a dynamic, supportive and growing local community actively engaged in building the Central Coast’s future environmental resilience,” Adasal said.

The Forum will open at 9am for a 9:30am start and the cost is a flat $10.

Source:
Media release, Mar 10
Community Environment Network