Yesterday I visited CERES Community Environment Park in East Brunswick. CERES’ aim is to promote and demonstrate working practices that focus on the reduction of organic and inorganic waste, consumption of fossil fuels, the use of town water and the improvement of biodiversity through green technology, and innovative design. The site embodies environmentally sustainable design principles which are working demonstrations, or experimental demonstrations, aiming to support cutting edge initiatives. Some of the demonstrations that fall under the category of experimental, are the electric vehicle conversion program, aquaponics, and biogas plant. These are all ongoing research projects which I have gone into more detail below.
The bike kitchen
Education Programs
CERES’ belief is that education lies at the heart of change and encourages and promotes awareness of sustainable measures through educational programs directed at both children and adults. CERES has become one of the biggest sustainability education providers in Victoria. School aged children can come on excursions around the site to learn about how they can live sustainably at home and what environmental problems we have to tackle now, and in the future. As a future educator, I think programs like these are incredibly important and educating children on the crucial importance of sustainable living while they are young is the only way that the required changes in our attitude and behaviour can be achieved.
Organic produce being grown
Reed bed water catchment
Aquaponics
At CERES an aquaponics system is part of a project that aims to integrate aquaponics into urban farming that will provide communities with sustainable means to grow cost-efficient, organic produce. Aquaponics works through a system of pipes that pump and circulate waste water from a freshwater fish tank to water-filled garden beds. The waste water is rich in nutrients from the fish waste so their is no need for fossil fuel based fertilisers. The aquaponics system at CERES is constructed of sustainably sourced, and recycled materials.
Mud brick oven (I built one just like this in primary school)
Book loan room (constructed from mud brick)
Having lunch at the CERES cafe
The organic market
Solar Electric Vehicle Charge Station
The solar electric vehicle charge station is the third charge station in Australia of its kind. It was completed in 2012. The solar panels are angled to maximise the sun’s rays which turn into solar power. The station works through a ChargePoint which is compatible with all standard electric vehicles on the market today. It takes about 5 hours to fully charge from flat but costs a mere $3 to travel around 100km which seems tiny in comparison to the equivalent petrol price of $15-$17 which I would pay in my relatively economic car now.
Solar panels and rainwater tank
Solar panels
Buildings
Some of the buildings that I saw at CERES included:
The Learning Centre
This building incorporates sustainable design features such as double glazed windows, and a double insulated ceiling. All timber in the building is Forest Stewardship Council certified, or recycled, and the paints used are low in toxic Volatile Organic Compounds which are extremely harmful to the environment. Water efficiency is managed through tank to toilet flushing, and waste water from the hand basins is fed back into toilet cisterns.
Van Raay Centre
The Van Raay Centre demonstrates some of the best sustainable practices through environmentally friendly design and construction. These include, sustainable transport due to its central location and accessibility to public transport and walking and cycling tracks, use of natural new building materials such as hemp and wood, recycling and reuse of materials, fantastic energy efficiency through working with environmental and energy consultants to meet greenhouse gas targets outlines for the buildings, passive solar design which maximises the sun’s warmth, light and ventilation and cuts out any need for cooling/heating systems. Efficient water usage is achieved through water efficient fittings and fixtures, grey water management systems, rainwater collection, landscape irrigation, and stormwater management through a reed bed retention and treatment system for the water run-off from the car park and general site. Lighting is limited as rooms and offices make use of natural light, and environmentally friendly landscape design makes use of passive heating and cooling principles as well as being sensitive to ecological and cultural features of the area.
Talking to the staff, in particular Sarah who worked at the reception desk was extremely inspiring. She was very helpful and gave me lots of information sheets which is where I sourced the information on CERES as well as exploring the site in person. I plan to go back to the organic market when it is open and buy some fresh produce and free range eggs for our household.
Me giving Hazel the free range laying chook a cuddle!
(All the information on CERES was retrieved from the website, and information brochures from the site).
