Geographic Community, Social Connection, Sustainability And Resilience

Do you think people feel lonely and isolated in their community? Do you worry about the impacts of climate change in your community? Are you interested in how the development of geographic community can make our suburbs more sustainable and resilient?

Come and spend some time with Shani Graham from Ecoburbia, and hear her ideas about the development of geographic community. She will deliver the talk she recently presented at TEDxPerth about the local community of 350 houses around her– the “West Beacy Bunch”.

As well as discussing some of the lessons these stories have for your own situation you will have a chance to share some ways you could improve the community feel of your own geographic community.

You are guaranteed to leave with the skills and inspiration to develop the community where you live.

About Shani and Tim of Ecoburbia

Shani Graham and her partner Tim are from Ecoburbia, a business aimed at creating more sustainable and resilient communities. Their work ranges from presenting workshops on good solar house design at local councils, to inspiring corporate executives to introduce a worm farm to the office kitchen. They are aware that developing community is essential to this work, and so make sure there is lots of interaction, fun and play in whatever they are doing.

Shani and Tim’s business Ecoburbia won a Fremantle Chamber of Commerce award in 2011, and a West Australian Best Small Business Environmental award the same year. Shani was the Fremantle Citizen of the Year in 2011. The next year they were honoured to win the Australia wide Banksia Award for Excellence in Small Business.

Discovering that awards made very little difference to her life, Shani stopped applying for them and is content milking goats, talking to her neighbours and tending to her garden.

PermacultureWest members’ tickets are discounted to $5 and non-members are $10. To become a member and avail of the discounted tickets, go here.