World Soils Day - Healthy Soils for Healthy Cities - Dialing Down Urban Heat using Healthy Soils

Does it seem that Perth is getting hotter, drier and less liveable? This has a fair bit to do with the fact that we are clearing trees and other vegetation, turning healthy soil into sand by removing carbon and covering it with heat absorbing bitumen and concrete. We could keep dialing up the air conditioner or we could dial down urban heat using a circular, regenerative approach which also creates a healthier, more liveable and sustainable urban environment. To find out more come along to Transition Town Vincent’s World Soils Day event on 5th December in Leederville as we explore the theme ‘Healthy Soils for Healthy Cities: Dialing Down Urban Heat using Healthy Soils’.

Guest speakers will explore the health and liveability impacts of urban heat and provide insights into what can and is being done to reduce urban heat by doing things such as restoring healthy soils and biodiversity, de-paving and creating cooler living spaces. We will then go on a short walking tour of our Nature Precinct where you will see our soil hub, community food forest and Black Cockatoo pocket forest (stage 1) and proposed stage 2 Black Cockatoo pocket forest which is also a de-paving demonstration. A workshop will follow where participants will reimagine a healthy soils related future by considering a from What Is to What If question. Following the event there will be chance to network while eating some baked goods from Miller + Baker who use regen wheat supplied by Regen farmers and Australian's of the Year, Ian and Di Haggerty.

Guest speakers for the afternoon include Mayor Alison Xamon (City of Vincent), Dr George Crisp (Doctors for the Environment), Professor Lyn Abbott (UWA), Dr Grey Coupland (Murdoch University/Pockets Forests WA), Steve Meerwald (FASERA), Mark Taylor (Miller + Baker), Ciaran Stewart (Turf manager, Leederville Tennis Club) and Ian Kininmonth (Transition Town Vincent) and others TBC.

Program:

2-3pm Presentations by:

• Mayor Alison Xamon, City of Vincent - Mitigating Urban Heat through the Enhanced Environment Strategy

• Dr George Crisp, Doctors for the Environment - Health Impacts of Urban Heat

• Professor Lyn Abbott, UWA - Restoring Sand to Healthy Soils to Mitigate Urban Heat

• Dr Grey Coupland, Murdoch University/Pocket Forests WA - Miyawaki Pocket Forests: School Education Programs Around Soil Management and Urban Heat

• Ian Kininmonth, Transition Town Vincent - My Healthy Soils Project: What Residents and the Community Are Doing to Dial Down Urban Heat

3-4pm Walking tour*

The walking tour will cover around 500 metres of our Nature Precinct and include our soil hub, community food forest, Black Cockatoo pocket forest stage 1 (existing) and stage 2 (includes de-paving demonstration). and  will include short informal discussions with a number of guests as follows:

• Professor Nanthi Bolan, UWA – Soil health and carbon storage in community gardens in Perth.

• Professor Lyn Abbott, UWA – Permeable reactive barriers. A novel method for managing water and nutrients in community and home gardens.

• Steve Meerwald, FASERA biochar – The role of biochar in mitigating climate change and creating healthy soils.  

• Dr Grey Coupland, Murdoch University – Healthy soils and the Black Cockatoo pocket forest

• Mark Taylor, Miller + Baker – Healthy soils = healthy food

• Ciaran Stewart, Leederville Tennis Club – Turf management with liquid organic fertiliser

*Please bring a hat, suitable walking attire and a drink bottle.

4-5pm

An interactive workshop where participants consider a From What Is to What If question and envision a new urban future where carbon depleted sand is transformed into carbon rich, healthy soil creating a cooler, more water efficient and liveable environment.

5-6pm Drinks*** and networking

***Bar will be open and baked goods from Miller + Baker who use regen wheat supplied by Regen farmers and 2025 Australian's of the Year, Ian and Di Haggerty. . 🍷 🧀

Everyone is welcome.

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#SustainableAgriculture