Mount Alexander Sustainability Group

02/06/2026

Be part of informing Mount Alexander Shire Council's Biodiversity Strategy, attend the online community workshop this Thursday 🦎

🐝 Online community workshop this Thursday 🐝

𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 about the plants, animals and natural systems that keep our landscapes healthy and our community thriving. 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 and 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲 our Biodiversity Strategy.

Thursday 4 June, 6.00pm to 7.30pm

Register at www.shape.mountalexander.vic.gov.au/strong-nature-stronger-future/register-online-biodiversity-strategy-community-workshop

29/05/2026

🌿 Guildford Biyal (Red Gum) Honouring Day 🌿

Join the community in gathering around the ancient Guildford Biyal for a special day of celebration, reflection and connection on Djandak.

After a limb fell from the Biyal in 2024, what could have been a moment of loss became an opportunity to honour the tree, care for Country, and bring people together. Salvaged timber from the fallen limb has now been transformed into a beautiful Reconciliation Seat by Djaara Elder Rick Nelson, local craftsman Pete McCurley and DJAARA Timbers.

On Sunday 31 May, the Seat will return home to the Biyal, carried in a community Honouring Avenue procession before being installed overlooking the tree for future generations to gather, reflect and connect.

📍 13 Fryers St, Guildford
📅 Sunday 31 May
⏰ 11am–2pm
🔥 Smoking Ceremony begins at 11:30am (arrive early)

The day will include:
✨ Welcome to Country
✨ Djaara Women’s Dancers
✨ Live music
✨ First Nations stalls
✨ Free BBQ

Bring the family, a picnic rug and your keep cup ☕
Bike riders welcome and carpooling encouraged.

If you have photos or memories of the Guildford Big Tree, share them using and tag .

We look forward to gathering together in good spirit beneath the Biyal.

29/05/2026

🌱 Calling all local food businesses, growers, makers and hospitality folk in Mount Alexander! 🌱

Food Futures is putting together a mini resource guide to help local businesses become more sustainable and regenerative — and they want to hear from you.

This project will explore ways businesses can share resources like time, materials and waste streams, while uncovering practical opportunities to collaborate, connect and trial new ideas together.

If you’re passionate about creating a stronger, more sustainable local food system, get involved and be part of the conversation. 💚

📅 Respond to the survey by Sunday 7 June: https://tinyurl.com/db46fhks

26/05/2026

♻️ 4,323 kilos saved from landfill — and counting! 🔧💚

Since 2017, the Castlemaine & Surrounds Repair Cafe has helped keep an incredible 4.3 tonnes of waste out of landfill, one repaired item at a time. Every successful repair is weighed and added to the growing total — proving that small community actions really do make a big difference.

🛠️ Next Repair Cafe
📅 Sunday 31 May
🕙 10am – 1pm
📍 Castlemaine Community House

Bring along your:
🔌 Broken household appliances (lamps, toasters, vacuums etc.)
🧵 Sewing and clothing repairs
🪵 Small wooden items
💍 Jewellery and fiddly treasures for repair or re-beading
🚲 Bikes for basic maintenance advice
🔪 Knives for sharpening

✨ Join the Mending Circle to learn:
🧶 Crochet
🪡 Hand sewing
🧵 Knitting
🧦 Darning
…and get overlocker advice too!

☕ Stay with your repairer, enjoy a cuppa and connect with the community while your item is assessed and repaired.

A few things to know before you come:
✔️ Please clean items before bringing them
✔️ Bring all components and parts
✔️ One item at a time due to queues
✔️ Last item may be accepted by 12:15pm if busy
✔️ A gold coin donation is appreciated

📞 For more information call Chris on 5470 5508

Together, we’re repairing more than objects — we’re building skills, connection and a culture of reuse. 💚

If it's busy the last item may be at 12.15. Stay with the repairer and have a cuppa. It's one item at a time and a queue so try to be early. A gold coin donation is appreciated. For further info call Chris on 54705508.

25/05/2026

Community groups and organisations are frequently asking "how do we engage with young people, and sincerely connect with their motivations, world views and attention?".

Be where young people are. Be where they speak. Listen.

Blown away today by groups of La Trobe University students completing the Industry Solutions unit, as they gave pitches to meet industry briefs they'd been working on for 12 weeks. Just awesome. The ideas, the presentations, creativity and courage.

Thank you La Trobe for this opportunity, and students for your committement.

Best wishes going out to Team MASG to get through to the pitch finals! Just quietly, it's in the bag I reckon 😉

23/05/2026

GRANT OPPORTUNITY!

Trees for Bees!

The Wheen Bee foundation has grants of up to $500 to support the planting of bee-friendly trees in extended gardens, community-owned land, school grounds, sporting club precincts and urban corridors.

How awesome 🐝

Friends of Campbells Creek Landcare Group Connecting Country Friends of the Box-Ironbark Forests

22/05/2026

It's been a really terrific National Volunteer Week, so many activities, events and connections this week, celebrating the awesomeness of our volunteers across all groups, organisations and clubs.

We thoroughly enjoyed connecting with our MASG volunteers on Tuesday evening, a beautiful moment to catch up and get to know each other a bit more over a delicious meal.

HUGE thanks goes out to all who volunteer with MASG, whether as an occasional Wash Against Waste dish fairy, a regular Repair Cafe supporter, a committed committe members, a shining Bright Spark mentor, event supporter, or in one of those crucial behind the scenes roles providing IT and admin support. Thank You 🌱

22/05/2026

Enjoyable morning connecting with community developing a shared vision of local biodiversity, to inform development of Mount Alexander Shire Council's Biodiversity Strategy.

Great to be part of the conversation, and witness to the energised and informed support our community brings. Looking forward to tracking the process and the resulting strategy.

To add your voice to the biodiversity strategy you can attend an upcoming session and/or complete the online survey, visit: https://shape.mountalexander.vic.gov.au/strong-nature-stronger-future

Mount Alexander Shire Council

21/05/2026

Bright Sparks Program in action at the The Old Church on the Hill !

Our community is so fortunate to have committed and keen volunteers, ready to support their community to access all the info, tools and resources about home energy efficiency, electrification and reducing energy bills.

Thanks vollies, and thank you Old Church on the Hill for hosting the Bright Sparks Program in your lovely space 🌞

Bright Sparks Program is at the Old Church on the Hilll, 1:30-2:30pm, fortnightly, straight after community lunch. Come for the lunch, stay for the chat!

Bendigo Sustainability Group - BSG Sustainability Victoria

20/05/2026

Bright Spark Vollie Bek will be in at Castlemaine Library tomorrow, 5-6pm ⚡️

Bring your bills and your questions about home electrifications programs and rebates!

Bendigo Sustainability Group - BSG Sustainability Victoria