Since 2008, SEE-Change members have been involved in a range of projects that enhance open space and urban waterways, provide food security, community education and connectedness such as the:
City Farm, Turner (The former SEE-Change Executive Officer and other SEE-Change members were active in establishing this site)
Canberra City Farm (Members of SEE-Change’s Board were key to setting up the site adjacent to Jerrrabomberra wetlands and continue to play a role in its governance and operation)
Jerrabomberra wetlands – a project officer (funded through SEE-Change) runs regular working bees at the wetlands
Banksia St, O’Connor wetland (the Inner-North SEE-Change group worked with the ACT Government on the community engagement process for this wetland and were instrumental in organising the community fair on the site in 2009).
Dickson wetland (members of the Inner-North SEE-Change were involved in the community fair at this site and the current SEE-Change project officer volunteered at wetland working bees and for Water atch).
In 2017, SEE-Change received an ACT Environment grant of $43,000 for the Birdscaping CBR: bringing back birds, butterflies and bees. The grant was supported by Professor Kate Auty, the ACT Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment. In her letter of endorsement, the Commissioner said “I regard this proposal as commendable ….. the work will deliver environmental outcomes and the alignment of such opportunities is beneficial to the broad Canberra and ACT community as well as the environment”.
The aim of the project is to revegetate sections of urban open space along Sullivans Creek in O’Connor to attract small insectivorous birds and pollinators into the suburbs. Although Canberra’s urban open space has many mature trees underlain by mown grass it lacks an understorey to support smaller species and favours larger more aggressive birds.
Once the project is completed it will serve as a model for other community groups to continue to revegetate urban open space to create either linear habitat corridors or pockets of vegetation that link our waterways to bushland reserves. We have discussed the possibility of replicating the Birdscaping model upstream at the community run project, the Lyneham Commons.
SEE-Change endorses principles raised in the ACT Government’s February 2018 information paper on the Living Infrastructure Strategy, in particular: “…. Living infrastructure will play a key role as the city adapts to the impacts of climate change.”
This is one of the key challenges that our city faces – dealing with a warming climate and enhancing natural systems within our cities while continuing to develop.
In the rush to redevelop there is a lack of innovation and an emphasis on maximum return on investment. There are exceptions of course, the New Acton redevelopment is a good example of new built form which integrates vertical gardens and some exciting landscape associated with restaurants like Mocan and Green Grout and A Baker.
Along Constitution Avenue, attractive rain gardens have been installed. But these innovations are the exception rather than the rule.
Unfortunately new developments, like the multi-storey Nova apartments on Antill St, Dickson lack street trees to provide summer shade and are composed of built materials that contribute to the urban heat island effect.
A Living Infrastructure Plan should demonstrate how we link home gardens (which comprise a significant proportion of urban/suburban habitat), to our streetscapes, parks, waterways (including our lakes) and nature reserves. The Living Infrastructure plan should be a series of live documents that are updated and adhered to.
In line with our cities leadership shown on renewable energy, SEE-Change advocates that the ACT becomes a partner city with the Biophilic Cities Program. At present there are 15 partner cities worldwide including Fremantle, Portland and Wellington. This platform allows cities to showcase innovations and learnings and can ensure Canberra is a liveable city in a warming climate.
Setting a target to becoming a biophilic city would spur a new way of thinking about urban development by design professionals and students, developers, builders, ACT government and the community.
“Biophilic cities are cities of abundant nature in close proximity to large numbers of urbanites. Biophilic cities value residents innate connection and access to nature through abundant opportunities to be outside and to enjoy the multisensory aspects of nature by protecting and promoting nature within the city.”
SEE-Change has the capacity to lead a transformational change in the relationship between the ACT Government and community to help them deliver the cities living infrastructure strategy.
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Jennifer Stuart has engaged the minds of young children for over 25 years as a preschool director, teacher, and homeschooling parent. She studied Child Development at Brookhaven College and Liberal Arts and Photography at SMU. She was one of the first teachers at the Dallas International School in the early 1990's. She served as Executive Director of the non-profit preschool she founded and operated in the 2000's, The Community School of the Park Cities, which she grew from ten to over seventy enrolled children in the school’s first year. The next few years found her actively involved with The Robert Muller Center for Living Ethics in Fairview where her daughter attended elementary school part time (combined with homeschooling and unschooling). The school's carefree spirit and child focused curriculum would inspire her future. She introduced Farm to Market Workshop in 2014, conducting children's weekend and summer workshops around town. Requests from parents for a more permanent program led to the development of Seed Preschool.
Jennifer has extensive non-profit experience including being part of the founding board of the Dallas Children’s Museum in the mid 1990’s (the museum was later absorbed by the Perot Museum of Nature and Science). Over the years, she has served on other boards and has guided the formation of non-profit organizations. She has also had experience in radio and television media, real estate investment and acquisition, and retail sales, management, and buying. She was part of the founding management team at Gecko Hardware (now Rooster Home and Hardware).
Jennifer practiced a green lifestyle long before it was the trend, in fact it is a way of life. She tends her backyard farm with chickens and a garden of vegetables and native plants. She is an active certified Texas Master Naturalist. She enjoys yoga, knitting, reading, writing, and time with daughter Claire who is a graduate of Booker T Washington High School, now attending Texas A&M University.
The Hinterriß Nature Park House is one of the many jewels in the midst of the fascinating mountain world of the Karwendel Nature Park. Opened in 2009, it houses an impressive museum with an innovative concept that is sure to astonish and delight. Countless entries in the guestbook testify: The nature park house inspires.