World Soils Day - Healthy Soils Healthy Cities - Dialing Down Urban Heat with 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 dialling up the air conditioner or we can do something about it. Come along to Transition Town Vincent’s World Soils Day event on 5th December in Leederville as we explore the theme ‘Healthy Soils, Healthy Cities: Dialling Down Urban Heat using Healthy Soils’.

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 de-paving and restoring healthy soils and creating cooler living spaces. A panel discussion will follow where panelists imagine a future where we are making our yards and courtyards cooler what we can do to make this happen. Before the event there will be a walking tour of our nature precinct featuring our soil hub, food forest, and Black Cockatoo forest.

Guest speakers and panelists include Dr George Crisp (Doctors for the Environment), Professor Lyn Abbott (UWA), Dr Grey Coupland (Murdoch University/Pockets Forests WA), Steve Meerwald (FASERA) and Ian Kininmonth (Transition Town Vincent).and others TBC.

Program:

1-2pm Field walk

2-4pm Presentations by:

• Ian Kininmonth, Transition Town Vincent - Introduction

• City of Vincent - Mitigating Urban Heat through the Enhanced Environment Strategy

• Dr George Crisp - Health Impacts of Urban Heat

• Professor Lyn Abbott - Restoring Healthy Soils 101

• Dr Grey Coupland - Miyawaki Pocket Forests: A Community Approach to Dialing Down Urban Heat

4-5pm Panel Discussion and close

• Dr George Crisp, Medical Practitioner

• Dr George Mercer, Soil Science Society

• Dr Grey Coupland, Murdoch/Pocket Forests WA

• Steve Meerwald, FASERA

5-6pm Drinks* and networking

Bar is open and nibblies provided. 🍷 🧀

Everyone is welcome.