Wheels within Wheels

I love collaborating and creating events with other like-minded odd balls. And bikes are one of my 'things'.


In recent times I've been enjoying some adventures with Patrick Verdon, the Story Peddler. In mid winter, we toured around the Hamilton region with his gorgeous tent as part of the Woolly West Festival.



And just the other day Patrick pitched it in Dandenong Park, and again, it was my good fortune to be invited to fill it with stories. Bike, tent, books, comics, storytelling: I'm happy!  
 

I love working in the Greater Dandenong area, this is a wonderful community to be invited into; I would call it a 'capacious heartspace'.

Raising awareness about migratory shore birds: the work is never done!

A fine morning spent in the company of remarkable people including the Hobsons Bay Conservation Rangers (Libby and Andrew), Birdlife Australia (Sean and Caroline) and The Connies (tram conductors, performers, educators, ecologists and nature lovers).
 
The Curlew, sculptured by John Kean in our back room, was ceremoniously passed over to Birdlife's Caroline Wilson for educational and outreach programs. The event 'Dogs Breakfast' is an annual social gathering organised by Council, to awaken the responsibility we all have, especially dog owners to the continuing survival of migratory shore birds.

Sean Dooley from BirdLife Australia gave a moving talk about the plight of our shore birds. He spoke at length about how common these birds and other migratory species were in Hobsons Bay (where I live) as recently as the the 80s. The statistics are heart-breaking and the decline is happening before our eyes. Yesterday this life size sculpture of a Curlew was formally handed over to BirdLife Australia, to use in their outreach and educational programs. Currently there is one Curlew in our vicinity, where once there were thousands. Its beyond sad.

It takes a team!