World Environment Day - Sunday 5 June

This Sunday is World Environment Day! The day was started by the UN Environment Program back in ’72 to help make people more aware of the environment. The theme for this year’s World Environment Day is forests – they play a vital role in our climate, and they also provide essential habitat for plants and animals across the world! Here’s some ideas on what you could do this weekend to celebrate World Environment Day:

• Take a walk in one of our local nature reserves or bushland areas – The Penrith area is lucky to boast some great bushland areas including Castlereagh Nature Reserve, Agnes Banks Nature Reserve and Mulgoa Nature Reserve. The bonus is they’re fairly flat so they’re great for a leisurely stroll! For more information on these areas, click here.

• Visit the Blue Mountains National Park – The Blue Mountains are arguably up there with the most stunning landscapes in this country, and they’re located right on our doorstep! They play such a critical role in conserving biodiversity that they were added to the World Heritage List in 2000. Why not check out some of the amazing lookouts, or if you’re feeling more adventurous what about a bushwalk to the valley floor or a mountain bike ride? For more information click here.

• Drop in to Taronga Zoo – Zoos play a critical role in raising awareness about the threats to animals across the world, as well as working to breed species which are threatened in their native habitats. It’s also a great day out with the kids, and it offers some of the best views of Sydney Harbour around. My tip is to check out the fantastic free flight bird show. For more info on the zoo click here.

To find more information on World Environment Day visit www.unep.org/wed

Call For Support of Graffiti Action Day - Clean! Paint! or Plant!

Dear Keep Australia Beautiful NSW Supporters,

If you or any of your friends/neighbours have any illegal graffiti vandalism (like tagging) near you then this is your last chance to register for graffiti action day on 15th May. On Sunday 15th May people from across the State are banding together to clean off unsightly and unwanted graffiti vandalism in their local communities.

Form a group with your friends and or neighbours and email us at graffitiactionday@kabnsw.org.au with your site and we will contact you with all the information you need. We will supply all of the safe removal products and safety equipment for free and you can learn how to use the products on YouTube. Or you can decide to paint or plant to cover or protect walls and fences.

It doesn’t matter if you have a small area or a huge area to clean, we want to hear from you and help you get rid of it. If you are unable to do it on Sunday May 15 then a day very close to that date is fine.

Please email us at graffitiactionday@kabnsw.org.au

Kind regards,
Phil Kelly

Keep Australia Beautiful NSW
Graffiti Action Day Program Manager

Western Sydney Carpool

We would like to invite you to the Launch of the Western Sydney Carpool

The Western Sydney Carpool is an initiative of Transport NSW and is funded by the NSW Government. It aims to lessen the impact of commuter traffic by reducing the number of single passenger vehicles on our roads.

When: Friday 13th May

Where: The Nepean Room, Civic Centre

Time: 10.00 am

Come along and find out about this exciting new service

Morning Tea will be provided

Register before the launch at www.wscarpool.org and be in the running to win a $100 Woolworths Gift Card

The benefits of carpooling are wide ranging. By carpooling you can:

• Save money on fuel and tolls
• Play your part in reducing congestion on our roads
• Reduce wear and tear on your car by using it less often
• Enjoy priority parking at selected locations (Council will provide two dedicated spots in front of the
Civic Centre)
• Reduce your carbon footprint
• Meet new people
• Stress less by sitting back and enjoying a ride to work

A secure website will ‘match’ commuters with similar travel arrangements. Registration to participate is free. All you need to do is log on to the system, create a personal profile and then allow the system to search for others with similar travelling needs, living within a 15 kilometre radius of your home.

For more information about the scheme contact Council’s Transportation Planner:

Walter Sinnaduari on Ext. 7221

FREE Sustainable Living Community Workshops

Council is offering FREE home sustainability workshops for local residents. These are a great opportunity for you to learn more about how you can reduce your impact on the environment, and to save some money around the home. Booking is essential as places are limited. To RSVP please contact Council on 02 4732 7750 or ahewson@penrithcity.nsw.gov.au

Living with less chemicals
Are you concerned with how many chemicals you use in your home? Find out how to replace them with some clean and green alternatives.
Sat 7 May, 1.30pm-3.30pm
Penrith Library Theatrette

Veggie garden in a box
Ever wanted to start a veggie garden but weren’t sure where to start? A veggie garden in a box is an easy and cheap way to get started, without all the maintenance of big veggie patch. They’re also perfect for those in townhouses or units.
Sun 8 May, 10.00am-12.00pm
Penrith Library Theatrette

Home sustainability basics
Want to make your home more sustainable, but not sure where to start? Let us help you! This workshop covers everything from the easy actions like energy efficient items through to bigger things like solar and rainwater tanks. For renters it even covers how to approach your landlord about these changes.
Sat 14 May, 10.00am-12.00pm
St Marys Community Centre

Native gardening
Native gardens provide habitat for local birds and animals, and they don’t use much water either! Learn hints and tips to make your native garden both beautiful and healthy.
Sun 15 May, 10.00am-12.00pm
Penrith Library Theatrette

Introduction to permaculture
Permaculture works with nature’s natural systems and cycles to achieve a low impact lifestyle. In this workshop you’ll learn about permaculture and how to incorporate it’s principals into your life.
Sat 21 May, 10.00am-12.00pm
St Mary’s Community Centre

Composting
Composting is a great way to recycle your own food and garden organic waste and produce rich healthy compost which your garden will love. In this workshop you’ll learn all the hints and tips necessary to create and maintain your own compost system.
Sun 22 May, 10.00am-12.00pm
Penrith Library Theatrette

Worm farming
Ever thought about creating a worm farm, but weren’t sure where to start? This workshop is for you! Learn all the secrets of worm farming, and in no time you’ll be making your own dynamite fertilisers for your garden.
Sun 29 May, 10.00am-12.00pm
Penrith Library Theatrette

Eco renovating and building
Are you building or renovating? Why not take the opportunity to make your home more sustainable in the process! This workshop will cover some of the ideas and principles you can incorporate into your home to make it more sustainable.
Sat 4 Jun, 9.30am-12.30pm
Penrith Library Theatrette

Plant a Tree and Remember Mum

This special community event welcomes people of all ages to nurture the environment and remember their mum with a commemorative planting.

WHEN: 9am – 12 noon
Mother’s Day – Sunday, 8 May 2011
WHERE: Manning Street Kingswood

Access is via Peppermint Crescent and Bringelly Road. Approximately 1 ½ kms from the Great Western Highway and Kingswood railway station.

You can either just turn up on the day or register by calling (02) 4732 8088 or email parks@penrithcity.nsw.gov.au to ensure we have enough plants for everyone.

Participation is free of charge

Support the environment and remember mum with a celebratory tree planting

Penrith’s Tale of the Garage Sale Trail

A number of households across Penrith participated in the first national Garage Sale Trail on Sunday April 10. There was a great mix of items for sale, with everything from vintage motorbikes, furniture, clothes, golf buggies and kids toys! The day had a great community atmosphere, with many people taking the opportunity to catch up with friends and neighbours as they perused the bargains on offer.

Personally I picked up a bunch of records and a very funky ‘70s ceramic lamp base in mint condition, and I still had enough change from $50 to grab some lunch on the way home – got to love that!

Here’s some pictures from the day.

Penrith Residents Clean Up!

E-Waste Collection Day
At the recent e-waste collection day held in Jamison Park, Penrith City Council collected 72 tonnes of electronic waste from households. More than 1000 cars came through on the day to drop their e-waste off to be recycled, and enough electronic waste was collected to fill 12 backyard swimming pools!

Chemical Clean Out
The Chemical Clean Out, hosted by Penrith City Council at Jamison Park, resulted in over 900 households having cleaned out their chemical clutter the right way. 35 tonnes of chemical waste was collected on the day, which has been collected for safe disposal and recycling. The event, held annually, will be next held in Penrith in February 2012.

Clean Up Australia Day
The residents of Penrith turned out in their hundreds to help clean up our environment at this years Clean Up Australia Day. Over 3000kgs of litter was collected from 53 different sites within Penrith City on Sunday 6 March. Cigarette butts were the most collected item, closely followed by drink containers and chip/snack packets.

Corner interactive: tell your story of St Marys

CuriousWorks invites residents of St Marys and surrounding suburbs to video storytelling workshops to weave together the stories of St Marys.

Join us and learn the skills required to produce high quality digital stories that will build dynamic perceptions of local people and places, past and present. No experience necessary, just a pioneering spirit.

The videos produced will be showcased in a public-interactive installation under the evening sky at St Marys Corner, where local residents can gather and interact with large-scale projections carrying stories of their neighbourhood.

Workshop Dates:
Wed 13th April, 3.30 - 7.30pm, St Marys Corner (Meeting Room 1)
Wed 27th April, 3.30 - 7.30pm, St Marys Senior High School
Wed 4th May, 3.30 - 7.30pm, St Marys Senior High School

Outdoor Screening Date:
Thurs 12th May 5.30pm - 7.30pm St Marys Corner Piazza

Workshops are Free!

Apply now, drop us an email at mark@curiousworks.com.au

Heritage Festival - Amazing Stories from Unexpected Places

Heritage festival is on and we have two events in the Library as part of this year’s festival:

Amazing Stories from Unexpected Places: Finding gems in Penrith Council archives - There will be two workshops on finding and utilising local government records for local and family history research. In these workshops, we will be revealing some of those amazing stories through the historical archives held in the Library’s Research Room.

When: Wednesday 6th April 6pm—8pm Thursday 14th April 10am—12pm

Where: Penrith City Library, Research Room

No charge
Tickets are limited.

Ebooks now available at the library!

NEW today!

The library has now added eBooks to its Overdrive Download service. There is a range of both fiction and nonfiction titles for you to select from.

Browse – Checkout – Download.

Enjoy immediately or transfer to your iPod, eBook reader, such as iPad or Kobo, and other compatible devices.

Locate directly at http://penrith.lib.overdrive.com

OR via the Overdrive link on the Library Catalogue: http://opac.penrithcity.nsw.gov.au

To checkout you will need to have your Penrith City Library card membership number together with your PIN [i.e. full date of birth – 8 characters – no dashes]

The popular audio download service will still be continued.