The huge celebration of local food, sustainability and zero waste is back again in 2024.

In the heart of the city's Royal Botanical Gardens Melbourne, join ABC's Gardening Australia's Costa Georgiadis for an afternoon celebrating sustainable living. The Great Local Picnic features a huge line up of special guests and leading sustainability innovators including Ann Jones, Kate Luckins, Tishiko King, Spencer Hitchen, Anna Matilda, Kirsty Bishop-Fox and more for a big green day out.

Bring your picnic rug and basket with delicious dishes made from homegrown harvests, or pack a locally sourced spread and join the showcase of local food, innovative sustainability and community connection.

Come with your family or group of friends, or register as a community or work group and be part of an inspirational and entertaining day, as we reconnect and unite on our sustainability journeys.

Step into the spotlight on our runway, where you'll channel your inner eco designer with the Fast Fashun team. Transform reclaimed clothes and textile 'waste' into dream fashion statements, and seize the chance to showcase your creations.

You can also bring the kids to join Dirtgirl & Costa the Garden Gnome for a pre-picnic nature walkabout, sharing the love of nature and joy of gardening. Supercharge the mission by dressing up in favourite garden, flower, gnome or animal costumes.

This is a feature event of the National Sustainability Festival 2024.

Featuring:

Costa Georgiadis is a landscape architect, environmental educator and television presenter who has an all-consuming passion for plants and people. He is the much-loved host of one of the ABC’s most iconic and Logie award-winning programs, Gardening Australia.

Mandy Nicholson was born in Healesville and is a member of the Wurundjeri-willam clan of Melbourne with connections to the Dja Dja Wurrung and Ngurai Illam Wurrung language groups of the Central/Eastern Kulin Nation on her father’s side and German on her mother’s. Mandy is the leader/singer of the Djirri Djirri dance group.

Ann Jones is known as the ABC’s ‘nature nerd’. Her sometimes accurate but always funny animal impressions have become a hit with kids and make biology easy for everyone in the family. She can be heard across Australia, the Asia Pacific and also on CBC (Canada) showcasing the best of nature, adventure and scientific research on the program, What the Duck?! The program is conceived, hosted and produced by Ann herself, led by her absurd curiosity for the natural world.

Tishiko King is a proud Kulkalaig woman from the Island of Masig, Kulkalgal Nation of Zenadth Kes, and contributes to the Groundswell Giving team as their new Philanthropy and Engagement Officer. Based in Naarm, Tish is spirited about sharing culture and amplifying social inequality and the rights of First Nations people. Tish brings a diverse perspective of First Nations and environmental justice.

Spencer Hitchen is a 13-year-old dynamo on a mission to safeguard the majestic Glossy Black-Cockatoos from the brink of extinction. His journey began with the inception of Save Sunrise Glossies, dedicated to protecting the local Wallum ecosystem. Six years into his ecological crusade, Spencer has gathered an impressive 84,000 signatures on his petition, to preserve this precious habitat.

Dr Kate Luckins is an expert in the high cost of fashion and food, and why many people who care about the planet have such ”unsustainable” habits (and how to help them fix that). She’s penned the book “Live More with Less: Upgrade your life without costing the Earth” to share her medium-green, imperfect-yet-engaging approach to sustainable living.

‘Nanna’ Anna is a sustainable living and permaculture educator, who appears regularly on ABC Radio and Channel 7's House of Wellness, and writes educational content for various media outlets. As well as reviving traditional methods of gardening, foraging, cooking and preserving, Anna focuses heavily on living a sustainable, low-waste permaculture lifestyle while renting in suburban Australia.

Jenni Bell is a horticulturist at the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, she is the curator of two collections, The Ian Potter Foundation Childrens Garden and The Southern African Collection. Jenni has shown a passion for growing, learning and sharing information about gardening. She has a keen interest in edible plants and role edible plants play in connecting culture and people.

Kirsty Bishop-Fox is a sustainability educator and changemaker, known for empowering people to embrace sustainability in their everyday lives. Her relatable perspective on waste, recycling, and sustainable living breaks down barriers, making environmental consciousness accessible and achievable for all.

Gardens Nature Play - for the kids

Delight your child’s senses at the Great Local Picnic with free nature play experiences led by Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria’s experienced Learning Facilitators. Watch them find joy in connecting with the natural world through a range of nature-inspired activities.

You can find more information about our speakers and program here.

The Great Local Picnic is a FREE public event brought to you by the National Sustainability Festival. Proudly supported by Venue Partner Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne and Principal Event Partner The City of Melbourne.

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