Week of celebrations planned for Nakunbalook

Nakunbalook Environmental and Cultural Education Centre will open in style this month, with a week of free events culminating in a community open day on Saturday 20 August.

On Monday 15 August, join Council's Manager Natural Environment and Parks Tim Rowe for a guided walk around Lake Guyatt to learn about the history and future plans for the area, meeting at Nakunbalook at 2pm.

On Thursday 18 August, Gunaikurnai Land and Water Aboriginal Corporation’s (GLaWAC) General Manager of Culture Grattan Mullett will speak about the work the organisation does, and how its projects connect community with Country. The discussion, taking place from 1pm, will be a sneak peek for the community to see the inside of Nakunbalook.

Later Thursday, a free screening of the short film Regenerating Australia, followed by presentations from local environmental leaders, will take place from 6.30pm at Nakunbalook. Attendees will hear about the work that Council’s Open Space Planner Liam Cole, EcoGipps’ LouLou Gebbie and Gippsland Climate Change Network’s Esther Lloyd are doing around Wellington Shire.

On Friday 19 August, Friends of Sale Botanic Gardens will host a walking tour of the 160-year-old Gardens site, beginning at 10am at the Guthridge Parade entrance. From 12.30pm, Seed Community Garden will hold a free ‘Propagating Native Plants’ workshop with experienced horticulturist Fred Hellriegel. The day will conclude with a free yoga session inside Nakunbalook from 4.30pm. Bookings are essential for the workshop and yoga session.

There will be plenty to see and do at the Nakunbalook community open day on Saturday 20 August from 10am until 1pm.

A number of community groups and environmental agencies will be onsite, including Friends of Sale Botanic Gardens, Sale and District Field Naturalists, Gippsland Apiarist Association, Landcare, Parks Victoria and more.

GLaWAC will display some important Indigenous artefacts and explain their joint management process, overseeing 10 of Gippsland’s unique parks and reserves. Bug Blitz’s John Caldow will lead a survey of invertebrates around the Lake Guyatt area and introduce some incredible creatures, and there will be an exhibition on the area’s history titled ‘A History of Lake Guyatt’, featuring materials from a number of local archives.

Gippsland Climate Change Network’s will display its Energy Trailer to showcase the future of energy in homes and vehicles. Ramahyuck District Aboriginal Corporation and Gippsland Art Gallery will host art activities across the day, while the Stratford Singers provide the soundtrack for the morning.

There will be plenty of sausages, veggie burgers and wood fired pizza courtesy of the Seed Community Garden, and people who bring reusable coffee cups will get a discount from The Bean Pedlar.

And finally, there will be a worm farm giveaway (valued at $400) and plenty of prizes handed out during the day.

To explore the entire list of free community events happening throughout the week, visit the events page at salebotanicgardens.com.au

Nakunbalook Environmental and Cultural Education Centre is a joint project between Wellington Shire Council and GLaWAC, located in the Lake Guyatt-Guthridge precinct.

The building will play host to events and learning programs with a focus on sustainability and culture, such as Wellington Shire Council's Sustainable Living Education Program, community group meetings, workshops, citizen science pop-up labs and Aboriginal cultural experiences.