Tag Archives: slow living

Running with the season

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Late afternoon sunflowers that grow a little weary in the heat.

Coriander goes to seed, and the lettuce? Oh it bolted long ago. Along with the rhubarb who gave up the ghost, and the rainbow chard that’s now a tower of delightfully coloured seed. And pumpkins? Unlike last year where we were swimming in them, this year not even one.

Not the cherry tomatoes though, those tomatoes are still running strong. Although leave them too long and they will sundry right there on the stems in which they grew.

This is our summer.

Hot, windy and dry. So dry.

This season has been a funny one. So many of the plants just seem confused. Rain has been infrequent and barely enough these last six months. Garden space is now reduced to the smallest of small areas just to keep hopes going. There is still hope though, of course there will be a time for things to bounce back and regain their former glorious green. Time for the lilli pilli to regain its shiny leaves and time for far more bread to be baked when the kitchen is just a smidge cooler. The blue banded bees will keep coming, and that in itself is just gentle reminder to keep things simple.

Run with the season, do what we can, and instead spend time feeding that crucial soil in which the garden will grow from. There’s always something to do.

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How’s your garden going?

 

Between the pages

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I come from a long line of dedicated book lovers. My parents encouraged reading as a kid, my grandparents avid consumers of the written word, and in turn my own kids. Even though they are still at a fairly young age (thankfully) they love to eat books for breakfast too.

Whether it’s for knowledge, creativity, escapism, or a quite wind down before bed. However you consume the written word, I’d say it has value.

When people say, ahh but the era of printed books it’s over right, it’s all digital now isn’t it? I can’t agree. I won’t agree. Not in my world anyway. While I’m certainly aware of the print world having changed in recent times, there is something about holding a book in your hands that is in no way comparable to reading a back lit screen.

I am however mindful though of how my books come and go, and what stays on my permanent bookshelf. I utilise my library, borrow from friends and family, sometimes read digitally and also buy second hand. The way I consume books is similar to the way the rest of our life is lived, without crazy excess and I hope fairly thoughtfully.

For others out there still fans of words and pictures on paper, I thought I’d do a quick run down of some of the things that have passed my way lately.

100 Nasty Women of History– Hannah Jewell had me at just reading the back cover. Her writing is intelligent, informed, and importantly current, while weaving in an amazing line up of brilliant women through history.

The Last Thread– Author Michael Sala, is probably my 2017 wordsmith crush. I heard him speak earlier in the year at our city’s writer’s festival and life hasn’t quite been the same since. The Restorers is his other book and I’m still fairly animated from reading that one. The way he builds tension throughout the pages from the very beginning, has you holding your breath, while all you can feel is your own blood pulsing through your finger tips as you turn each page over.

Bystander– Originally published in 1994, this book is pretty much everything you could ever want to know about street photography.

Made to Last- By Vanessa Murray, this book is an beautiful collection of hand made goodness from around the world. This book is really quite incredible. It’s as much as a beautiful collection of inspiring pictures as it is a how to book. Everything in there seems vaguely more achievable when it’s broken down into pictures and instructions. Many makers are in there, such as a milliner, globe maker, metal caster, and furniture maker to name just a few. I’m also lucky enough to have been included within the pages of this beautiful book with a how to on making Firecider.

Slow by Brooke McAlary recently released a book and the publishers kindly sent a copy through to me to have a read. If you are coming at slow living as a complete change of perspective on life than I would say this book is for you. I struggled a bit identifying with it as I had simply never been in that position. For me slow living has been ingrained in some shape or form from the beginning, so didn’t feel I needed a how-to book simplifying things further in a list format. I’m an advocate of simple living, (clearly, otherwise I wouldn’t have written this blog for so long) however this one wasn’t for me. No problem though, I simply passed it on to someone else who I thought might enjoy it, which is what the majority of books should do anyway unless you are going to dip back into it.

 

Practical Pages- That’s what these ones are. Pip Magazine– an Australian permaculture magazine and next years calendar, followed by Organic Gardener, diary and calendar again. I still write things down on a day to day basis. I have zero interest in writing things in my phone, it would mean yet another screen to look at. I don’t want to do that to find out whether it’s library day for the kids, or a soccer match isn’t on that day. I forget things, I know that. So I write things down and frequently check to see what I’ve forgotten. If I had to do that every time with a screen, pffft. In a nutshell, no.

Give me the lovely pages. Plus they have helpful things in there like recipes and when to plant your seasonal vegetables, (because occasionally, I forget.)

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How about you?

Digital or paper pages- what are you reading?

Do you write on a calendar or keep things on a screen?

 

Documenting Life

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Light catching your son’s dinner. The steam absolutely mesmerizing as you know it will last fleetingly, just as that particular tilt of the afternoon sun will do.

Friends stopping to chat. Really chat.

Seed saving. Slowly wrinkling up, ready for storing, ready for growing another day.

Tiny exhaling pauses in the week.

Surprise coffee and cake spent with people who make you laugh.

Long deep talks with strangers who make you think long after the conversation ends.

Sourdough fruit loaf, which was supposed to be panettone, but when it came to the crunch you simply decide there are other things to do in life and you really… just couldn’t be buggered.

Gardening that makes the crooks of your elbows sweat. Not the regular kind of things you usually take note of, but you are today as it’s a kinda documenting life day.

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Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it- FERRIS BUELLER

 

Out of the garden, grows hope

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When you neglect your garden for a month over an incredibly dry period, the outcome is fairly predictable. Even so, it can still be a bit of a surprise at just how bad on a big scale it can all look.

With weeds running rampant, potted trees standing defiantly dead, and every leafy green edible gone to seed in an attempt at preserving itself for a later date. We did the most logical thing we could, and set to work.

Gathering shovels, hoses and unfailing enthusiasm, it was all bundled together with as many hardworking hours as I could manage to squeeze out of the day, to try to get this city garden back up to the functioning level it should be.

Several weeks later, while it’s still a work in progress, as I look around now, there are slow changes taking shape. No longer a backyard palette of baked brown, there are now green tinges that might just continue. With newly sprouted seedlings, tomatoes emerging from all corners, and two new editions that I’m tickled pink to be looking after.

From the dry overgrown mess that it had been, is growing something that often comes in many forms, and amongst the dedicated gardeners out there it’s also an old favourite… hope.

 

 

Loving Spring

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Loving…

Noticing the tomato plants, poke their head up again, after a brief winters sleep.

Stopping to actually chew food rather than gulp. Who knew that could be so enjoyable.

And adventures.

New adventures. While this space will keep quietly ticking on over, I’ll also be over on insta, hopefully giving a sneaky peak into a few other things that are also happening.

Loving…

The soft scent of spring in the air, the air not as cold. Growing surprise jasmine that along with wild freesias, completely infiltrates the house with its soft fragrance.

New blossoms growing from sleepy branches.

And bees, so many bees. Get the morning light right, stand still and watch the whole garden come alive with tiny buzz of busy insects.

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[“Often life’s pleasures pass us by simply because we don’t take a moment to focus on them… Make a point of noticing everyday something that uplifts your spirit or tickles your heart… Stop to breathe in the joy of this moment and then tell someone about it. Share your joy and revel in it. When your joy is savoured, and then shared, it is magnified…” ROBIN GRILLE]

When wild daydreams sneak in

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There is a soft scent of wild freesias in the air here at home. Not heady and over powering like a rose, or perhaps a lily. Instead, a soft subtle scent catching your senses. Giving a contented pause to thoughts with that long inhalation, and even a little slowing of the day.

With daydreams on pause lately, lists have been written, tasks getting crossed off and plans for a family adventure are nearing. Those wild daydreams are simply being relocated to another time slot.

And yet, after a mornings walk, coming home with a surprise bunch of incredible smelling freesias I had found scattered through the gully. It was impossible to not let the mind wander. Those wild daydreams had found a way to briefly sneak in again.

Nostalgic thoughts, and forward thinking thoughts. Daydreams that had been cast aside for another day, they were all still there, they just needed a little dusting off.

Wild freesias remind me of my mother. Collecting them from the sides of cold wind-swept hill tops. As kids, we would collect them in haphazard bunches. No concern for the length of stem, the amount of other gathered foliage, or perhaps leaving a little for another time. Grab it in large bunches, and then run back down the hill with the prized bunches in freezing cold hands. It would get you a guaranteed smile of love and affection. With eyes half closed, she would drink the soft delicate scent in. Perhaps for her too, that smell would take her away to another place, a place where dusted off daydreams roamed.

While commercially grown freesias are far easier to obtain, it’s not something I ever buy. It just wouldn’t be the same. Sure with the similar green stems and an assortment of coloured flowers, I could pretend they might be. But that soft scented evocative smell isn’t there at all, and that means those wild daydreams?

Well they just aren’t attached.

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Unshackling ideas and the art of daydreaming

 

Educating your ears

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The last couple of months it’s been all about the podcasts. And I mean ALL about the podcasts. Sure I’d listened to some here and there before but not quite at the rate I’m flying through them at the moment, (on reflection, it’s probably something to do with having three kids at school for the first time, yes ever- my ears are ready!)

Now, if I missed something interesting on the radio, I can catch up. If I have a particular subject I’d like to get to know a whole lot better there are generally oodles to choose from.

While there are some fantastic podcasts to choose from there are some eye crossing ones that simply don’t work for me and generally I’ll find the stop button fairly quickly. I’m all for giving most things a fair crack, but there is no point in listening to something that doesn’t resonate, I value that time and want to make sure I’m using it wisely. Educating my ears has been very enjoyable.

A few favourites in the last few months.

Conversations with Richard Fidler: so many varied topics in here.

A Small Voice: interviews with photographers.

Magic Lessons with Elizabeth Gilbert: creativity and all her shades.

Chat 10 Looks 3: Annabel Crabb and Leigh Sales talk about art, books, politics and everything in between in an intelligent and funny way.

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What are some of your favourite podcasts to listen to at the moment?

Contemplating Cumquat Marmalade

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Making a large batch of cumquat marmalade is a perfect time for deep contemplation. Not so much of the fruit themselves, but using the opportunity to completely dissolve into the task of cutting the flesh open, separating the pips, and cooking it up.

It’s a long labour of love if you have cumquats like mine, with small balls of juicy tart fruit that are filled with those pectin producing seeds. You need them out, but you also need them to set your marmalade. Cut, separate, simmer, stir stir stir, test, and bottle. While there’s not a lot of room for nodding off here, you do still need to pay attention, there’s also room for having a good think.

And so the wonderful dissolving process begins.

With hands busy, the task of making marmalade that tastes like sunshine in a jar begins, and with that, like many creative and repetitive tasks- the mind is set free.

To wonder at will, delving deep into ideas that often few other tasks in any given day allow. You need these kind of activities now and then. Busy hands creating something, but also time to slow it all on down, contemplate the intricacies of life, ponder on the importance of speaking up, our moral values as a society (or maybe just how good that sunshiney marmalade is going to taste with a few squares of dark chocolate tonight.)

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This cumquat tree was originally planted as a Tree of Life.

The marmalade was loosely based around this recipe.

Conversations with Community…Travelling Slow with Frances Antonia

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fran

Today, a special post as it’s Part III of Conversations with Community. A series focussed on some of the amazing women within our community doing some truly inspiring things. These are people quietly changing things up, following untraveled paths, living creative lives, and connecting in different ways that are often ignored in our culture of time racing.

Today is someone that I first met through instagram. Someone that I felt I had an instant connection to, while also muttering damn it, why didn’t we meet when we were actually living in the same city? However we didn’t, and despite the distance of a planet between us now, I still feel a connection as this woman lives like she means it and that, is something I hold very dear.

Please take a little extra time to get know Frances Antonia

Fran thank you for dropping by for chat before you embark on the next chapter of your slow travel adventures. Before we go any further though, super important question first up… tea coffee and favourite thing to eat for brunch? (What shall I bring and where would we go?)

Coffee! I’m not a tea drinker, I gave it up, hoping that fares well now that we are living in Ireland. Could we eat at yours? A garden abundant with tomatoes, your lady baker sourdough and if you added an egg any which way (I’m not fussy) my perfect brunch. I’m a one-on-one kind of brunch date. We’d need to make time to eat because there is soooo much to debrief, never confuse a few introverts on the same page as quiet types.

In December 2016 you and your family of 6, packed up a life in Sydney, Australia to embark on an adventure that many people yearn to do, but few have the courage to see through. One suitcase each, six passports, and plans that are being made on the road. How long have you been planning this trip and how did you know it was time to get it started?

I read Janice Macleod’s Paris Letters while holidaying and the crazy idea of getting down to one suitcase each really struck a chord with me, with that came the dream of travelling Europe in a camper. Deep down I’ve always had that dream. I’m not sure I believed for a minute that we’d actually get down to a suitcase each nor take an extended trip travelling in Europe (2 adults, 4 kids) but I am a dreamer. Luckily I’m also a do’er, a ‘dreamy do’er’ (love these words, found that phrase on the onegirl instagram account).

At that time we were living in Sydney having moved from Melbourne for my husband’s work. Sydney was a hard adjustment for me. I found the pace in Sydney anxiety causing and at times I felt like I was suffocating. I actually for the first time in my life had panic attacks. I’m not someone who lives well with stress or busy but I am good at changing things up that aren’t working. Inward I went with the idea of one suitcase each and a dream to create a life where we could live more freely and travel more. I delved into the stories of those who were living a more minimalist lifestyle. I devoured the words of people like Joshua Becker, Sarah Wilson, Brooke McAlary and The Minimalists.

The purging began, Europe was still a pipe dream (mostly mine), my husband couldn’t see how it could happen. The more we decluttered the more life started changing. I started blogging and connecting with a pretty awesome tribe of slow living people, a whole new world was opening up. We became more about moments over things and I continued to take time out for solitude for me personally and my children. Simplifying wasn’t only about possessions but also about food, waste, commitments, finances…slowly the calm returned as did clarity.

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I found my (20 year old) hiking boots in the back of my cupboard, I put them back on and we started hiking regularly. It was life changing to disconnect from the consumerist society we lived in and back to what was real. We became road tripping campers on weekends and during school holidays, no longer just annual family summer camp trips. Fellow travellers and hikers are excellent people to surround yourself with, smiling storytellers.

I started taking the kids camping on my own during school holidays and on one particular camping trip in Byron Bay my husband flew up for the weekend. We had a straight honest conversation while walking barefoot along the beach under the moon and decided we were done with the Sydney life, he had caught up to where I was (thankfully)…there was just no way we could have the family balance and life we wanted if we stayed living and working in Sydney. It just wasn’t worth the sacrifice.

We started to plan, we’d use his long service and annual leave, keep our Melbourne home rented, we’d sell the car and all our possessions and we’d save to make an extended family trip a reality. We’d buy ourselves some time out. We liked the idea of slow travel, basing ourselves with locals and taking our time to explore areas. We also knew that if we could keep the costs low we could travel longer. I’d read a book called On The Road With Kids by John Ahern and we investigated the motorhome option he and his family used on their life changing year in Europe. Basically, you buy a camper with an agreed buy back option. If we stay in free camper spots and utilise networks like French Passion our accommodation spend would be affordable (cheaper than renting in Sydney) and we could also cook for ourselves. Although there will be meals eaten out, it’s the mediterranean.

We actually have 11 passports Brydie! A change in the law a few years ago allowed me to claim Dutch citizenship for the kids and I (mum is Dutch) so I jumped on that. Certainly having EU citizenship has allowed us to create a year of different experiences. When Greg resigned from work he was offered the opportunity to work from home. We debated that long and hard but felt that if we took that option our European adventure had a whole new realm of possibility. We would have an opportunity to create a lifestyle that suited so we took ‘work from home’ literally and creatively.

With my EU citizenship and Greg’s ability to work from home we decided to settle for winter in Ireland and live the country life. We have a family connection here and have gratefully been able to rent a furnished cottage from them. Australians can be in Ireland for 90 days but for sure our red passports have made it smoother. The kids are attending the local school and our adrenal systems are calm as we live in this community where everyone waves, the air is fresh, there’s not a billboard in sight and the quiet is simply blissful.

At the end of the school term we have 4 months of long service and holidays up our sleeve to camper our way across the mediterranean. After that we are open, with an ability to work from home, adventurous spirits  and pockets full of optimism we plan to stay longer in Europe to create a family chapter here. I think this quote from William Faukener resonates

“You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.”

Was it hard getting rid of a lot of your things? How did you decide what would stay and what would go?

Tús maith, leath na hoibre A good start is half the work. Gaelic proverb I’ve learnt here.

We didn’t quite get down to a suitcase each. We have about 6 cubic metres of possessions left (2 pieces of furniture, the kids keepsakes, A LOT of lego, some artwork, our kitchenware and of course some special things). That for us is a comfortable minimalism and it has meant that we were able to shift it here to store comfortably until we decide where we will settle next (a tiny corner of a shed is all we need).

I found decluttering the easiest and least overwhelming part of embracing a more minimalist life. By nature I’m suited to a slower more minimalist life. It was a 2 year process and it took time, I had to always be mindful of the others in my house to make sure they came with me on the journey. I’ve never been particularly attached to things, well most things..I found the Pat Rafter US Open final videos hard to declutter (so I didn’t). I don’t miss anything and no one has asked for anything they used to own.

I started with things that we didn’t need, didn’t love and the those things that belonged to a part of my life that no longer existed. I started shelf by shelf, cupboard by cupboard. As a shelf or storage unit emptied I sold or donated it. All the excess plastic in the kitchen, the window sill full of tea light holders and dust collectors, the second TV, the Wii, toys the children had grown out of, bathroom cupboards, medicine cabinets, the stuff we were hanging onto just-in-case and any excess furniture, prints or ornaments that were taking up space. I sold all my (past life) high heeled boots, I never wore them and they were completely impractical as a pram pushing mum in hilly Sydney. I found those hiking boots I talked about earlier behind the boots and shoes…that’s how the magic happens, when you let go of what you don’t need.

The less toys there were to clean the less overwhelming the kids spaces were and the more creative they became. There were times when I needed to bring in the big guns, I do remember googling how to declutter books. Joshua Becker came to the rescue there, he’s written well about it. It was an ongoing process and I just continued to go with it as the momentum built.

The boundaries kept shifting. I would complete one room and then after a few weeks I could go back again and I’d be ready to move out more. We started getting down to what we needed, one back-pack each not three, slowly curating wardrobes that only took a shelf each. Did we really need cushions and rugs?? Nope. Another little trick I used was to think of Colleen from 365 things, every day declutter something. In 365 days that will be 365 things.

We moved house at one point and that was a great way to declutter a whole lot more, we moved with only the furniture we needed…it only took 1 day to unpack when we moved. I knew then that I had come a long way and was getting somewhere. We had moved to Sydney with 1.5 shipping containers a year earlier. Moving to a smaller house where all four kids shared a room (11, 9, 6 and 3 at the time) allowed us to save significantly more and give the kids some green space. I had to commute for the school run, that was hard but the sacrifice was worth it, it was a means to get to this point.

The things we kept had to be things we used, things we found beautiful and LOVED, nothing is doubled up and of course there are some sentimental keepsakes. I have a box of baby things but not their entire babyhood. We don’t keep old school books, just some writing and art work. Our entire CD collection is now digitised and also our paperwork. I have a couple of display folders with the important documents otherwise it’s all on a hard drive (and backed up).

I understand this is far less than most people would consider living without but without paring back this much this trip would not have been possible for us. We knew we needed to let go of everything to free ourselves to move our family without ties and honestly just to feel like we weren’t locked in. The stories I could tell you about the people who bought our stuff are a whole other conversation, so many interesting people. One day when we are settling down again, I’ll be one of those people buying from someone who is off on an adventure.

While travelling, what do you think will be a priority for you and your family?

There are so many awesome things about travelling as a family, I guess briefly in no particular order:

Time: Uninterrupted family time. Time to really get to know each of our children, to indulge their learning passions, to teach and learn from them while creating memories that will last a lifetime.

Slow travel: A very loose and flexible plan of where we will go. Meeting locals, enjoying customs, creativity and language. We don’t want to be bound by an itinerary, if we love it we’ll stay.

Adventure: We want to climb mountains, explore forests, swim in rivers, watch the sun rise and set, and wonder at a skies full of stars.

Food: We love food and the stories behind the food we eat. We want to experience local seasonal food, shop in markets, meet the farmers and be adventurous with our palettes. We are excited about sharing this with our children.

Growth: As our children grow we want to be there to help develop the life skills they need to ‘adult’ and as adults we are all still growing.

Values: Living with our values, voluntary simplicity, having a crack, kindness and a growing responsibility for our footprint.

It is not too different from how we try to approach our everyday life, we don’t always get it right but we keep at it.

Have you travelled a lot previously?

I do blame thank my parents somewhat for my gypsy soul. They were migrants who loved the Australian landscape so my childhood memories are filled with adventure, exploration and camping trips. Every holiday the station wagon was packed to the rafters and we were road tripping.

If there was a mountain to climb we climbed it, a wave to take we were on it, a pier to jump off we jumped!…I’m sure you get the picture. I also attend a Girl Guide World Jamboree in Indonesia when I was 12, there were people from all over the world and it was an awesome experience in my young life. My eyes were wide open and probably the seeds of wanderlust were firmly planted there. I glad my mum said yes when I saw the flyer and asked if I could go, I worked hard to fundraise for that trip and it was a door I’ll always be grateful I stept into.

My gap year was spent working in the Whitsundays which I know you know is an amazing adventure. A place of great natural beauty and of course many other young people from all over the world only to happy to explore and (drink) in the experience, I also enjoyed the solitude of hiking the Islands. I enjoyed travelling in my 20’s mostly Europe and Asia and my husband (then boyfriend) and I lived in Perth for a bit and also spent 3 years living in Amsterdam in our early 30’s. I think we’ve actually been plotting how to get back to Europe ever since, we feel at home in European culture.

You’ve just spent three months in rural Ireland and are now getting ready for the next chapter of your travels in a motor home in Europe. What are some of the things you are looking forward to when travelling on the road?

I feel like I have talked a lot!

So in a nutshell…sharing this adventure with my family, having my eyes and mind blown with wonder, conversations over food, meeting community on the road, home being where we park it, waking up with wild rivers and mountains at our doorstep, basically every single moment of this delicious chapter that we are so fortunate to have been able to create.

I never take a day for granted.

Fran, I truly can not wait to hear more about your wonderful trip as it slowly unfolds. To you and your dear family, travel well.

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If you would like to follow more of Fran’s journey, she writes for She Went Wild also hangs out, inspiring the masses on Instagram @Frances.Antonia and her blog Gentle Intention.

conversations-with-community

Conversations with Community– a series focussed on some of the amazing women within our community doing truly inspiring things. These are some of the people quietly changing things up, following untravelled paths, creative living, and connecting in different ways too often ignored in our culture of time racing.

Go on, take a few extra minutes to meet some of these inspiring, wonderful women here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Slowing it down with Elvis

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nostaligia festival 03 || cityhippyfarmgirlnostalgia festival || cityhippyfarmgirlnostalgia festival 02 || cityhippyfarmgilnostalgia festival 01 || cityhippyfarmgirlnostalgia festival 04 || cityhippyfarmgirl

Sometimes fast sneaks up. The calendar is suddenly full, the kitchen benches cluttered and conversation hasty as doors are closed and opened simultaneously. That’s alright though, it really is. Ebb and flow right.

For me, it’s important to balance all that out with a few days of slowing it down some.

There’s a long chat holding the boy’s hand. A walk in soft rain with a reluctant whippet. A short coffee somewhere different. Chuckles with friends. Lots of chuckles…chuckles are good for the soul. Taking the time to listen to stories with strangers, and hanging out with the family, somewhere different.

That somewhere different was the Nostalgia Festival in Kurri Kurri. A place where time has slowed right on down, Elvis is still the king, (and cars had a turning circle of half a football field.)

 

 

Bee B&B Hotels in School

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Weleda Bee B&B Hotel || cityhippyfarmgirl

While there are many benefits to encouraging native bees within the home, and the surrounding area. Setting up a hive or an insect hotel in a public space and school is in many ways even better. Why? Because you are encouraging that conversation to continue, the education to spread and that beautiful enthusiasm to snow ball, running further than just your immediate household.

And who better to do that than our pint-sized enthusiastic future generations. Welcome to keeping and encouraging native bees at school.

Whether it’s an inner city funky-vibe school or a relaxed red-dirt outback playground, you are pretty much guaranteed to find room for a bee hotel.

 

bee hotel- best for your solitary native bees

bee hive- for your social native and honey bees 

 

While you can easily set up a bee hotel yourself within your school (or home.) The organic skin care company Weleda has recently started an initiative to get primary schools set up with a ‘bee B&B hotel’.

The project is aimed at teaching our primary school kids, the super important stuff like biodiversity, the role of pollinators, and with a starring role…our native solitary bees.  Doing this by building their own Bee B&B Hotel.

One dollar (A$1) from every product sold goes towards funding the project (until June), and with 70 schools involved already, they are looking at expanding that to further schools over the next few months, (this initiative is free.)

The company offered to send me one to make up with my kiddo’s, and help spread the word. While I’ve made an insect hotel before and also have a native bee hive, I’ve also got a soft spot for our native pollinators, and love nothing better than trying to encourage that amongst others…especially school kids!

 

Weled infographic 2016_V7

“Primary schools across the country are building a nationwide network of bee hotels to help conserve our native bees, improve education about the importance of biodiversity and ultimately, increase Australia’s food security.

The Weleda Bee B&B Hotel initiative has now launched with more than 70 schools on board, and registrations are now open for more schools to get involved.

The project gives schools an opportunity to turn their kitchen garden into a place for native solitary bees to take shelter and rear their young. The ‘bed’ is the bee hotel and the ‘breakfast’ is the school garden.”

bee hotel 1 || cityhippyfarmgirlbee hotel || cityhippyfarmgirl

If you would like to build you own, give it a go, and get creative. There are oodles of designs out there to play with. I whole heartedly believe that every school should have one or several of these. It’s incredibly multi-faceted in terms of education, while providing a practical use as well.

If you have a school that you would like to be involved…have a click here Bee Hotel Weleda

If you would like to read a bit further on native bees in general, jump back here.

Bee B&B Hotel || cityhippyfarmgirl