Youth Sustainability Summit

Tuesday 10 September, 1 Nicholas Street

The 2024 theme is 'Change Makers'.

The full-day Summit for Ipswich students in grades 4-6 focuses on sparking sustainability projects at school and home.

A display of students' ideas from the event will be at the Queens Park Environmental Education Centre in early October.

Find out more on the Youth Sustainability Summit page.

Toy Library Pop-Up Play

9:00am - 2:00pm, Monday 23 - Wednesday 25 September, Queens Park Environmental Education Centre

Bring the family and test out some of the 2000-plus toys, games and children's resources in the Brisbane South Toy Library collection. Just drop into the Queens Park Environmental Education Centre during opening hours to experience this sustainable and money-saving initiative.

If there is enough demand from Ipswich families, the Centre may become an ongoing 'click and collect' location for the South Brisbane Toy Library.

Find out more information at Ipswichcitycouncil.eventbrite.com

School holidays at Queens Park

Various dates in September, Queens Park Environmental Education Centre

A range of fun and sustainable activities were held at the Queens Park Environmental Education Centre during the September school holidays, including crochet basics, soap making, paper making and 'pimp my sneaker'.

Find out more information at a Ipswichcitycouncil.eventbrite.com

Learn for Life - Sustainable design for SEQ homes

6.30pm, Tuesday 1 October, 1 Nicholas Street, Ipswich

Homeowner, tenant or about to build? Join building designer Esther James of 4305 Design for a session on reducing environmental impact and lowering living costs in existing dwellings or new builds.

Presented by Ipswich Libraries as part of Sustainable Ipswich.

For more information on Ipswich Libraries events see Ipswichlibraries.com.au

Active and Healthy - bicycle sessions with Ipswich Cycle Club

These sessions are designed to encourage people to learn to ride or get back on the bike. They are delivered by Ipswich Cycling Club trained coaches who are warm, patient and very passionate about getting people back on their bikes.

Riders are to wear enclosed shoes, comfortable clothes, sunscreen and a helmet, and bring a bicycle and waterbottle.

Women on Wheels

• 6:00pm, Wednesday 2 October, Ipswich Cycle Park, Raceview
• This session will provide a safe and comfortable environment for women to either learn how to ride, or to get back on the bike.

Returning Riders

• 10:00am, Saturday 5 October, Ipswich Cycle Park, Raceview
• This session is targeted to adults who are returning to riding after some time away from the bike.

Beginner's cycling class

• 11:00am, Saturday 5 October, Ipswich Cycle Park, Raceview
• This session is for beginner cyclists of all ages, to provide the basics of cycling.

For more information on Active and Health events see Ipswich.qld.gov.au/activehealthy

Saturday stories - Garbage Galore

Saturday 5 October, Redbank Plains Library

A special garbage-themed Story Time in celebration of Sustainable Ipswich! Enjoy listening to illustrator Christian Bocquee as he shares his book The Garbage Trucks are Coming Today!

Explore a real-life garbage truck, meet Water Ranger and Blocka from Urban Utilities, have fun with the First 5 Forever team and more!

For more information on Ipswich Libraries events see Ipswichlibraries.com.au

Sustainable Open Garden Trail

Saturday 5 October, Yamanto, Brassall and Booval

Wander through urban gardens full of inspiration for you to take home. See how low-maintenance native plants can be not only appealing but create bird and bee-friendly backyards.

Find out how you can easily do the same with council's Habitat Gardens program!

• At Booval find a bounty-filled edible garden featuring many native plants
• At Yamanto explore a cottage style garden sourced mainly from council's Free Plant Program
• At Brassall see a 1.5 hectare habitat restoration project supporting Mihi Creek

For more information on Environment events, see Ipswichcitycouncil.eventbrite.com

Learn for Life - Beyond the supermarket

10.15am, Saturday 5 October, Springfield Central Library

Go beyond the supermarket fare and explore the diverse range of edible perennial herbs, fruit and vegetables perfect for SEQ growing conditions with Dr Ketah Silvester, environmental researcher, author and Gardening Australia contributor.

Presented by Ipswich Libraries as part of Sustainable Ipswich.

For more information on Ipswich Libraries events see Ipswichlibraries.com.au

Get Ready Week

8-13 October, across Ipswich

It's time for all Queenslanders to Get Ready for the upcoming severe weather season.

Visit council's Emergency Management team at the Queens Park Environmental Education Centre on Wednesday 9 October or find easy checklists and guides online at Getready.qld.gov.au

eWaste CONNECTION community open day

Saturday 12 October, 83 Oxford Street, North Booval

Go behind the scenes of this Ipswich e-waste recycling initiative. Bring along any donations of electrical items - almost anything with a cable/cord! See the work done by volunteers and participants to recycle about 84 per cent of the material processed on site.

For more information on the Community Open Day see Facebook.com/ewasteconnection

Event recap - November 2021

More than 1,100 local residents were involved across 16 free and low-cost hands-on events to learn easy everyday ways to be more sustainable.

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Youth Sustainability Summit

Wednesday 3^rd November, 2021
Ipswich Civic Centre

A full day forum for Primary School students in Grades 4 & 5. The day has been designed to educate and inform students on sustainability initiatives. Students will turn ideas identified as important within their home or school community into actions.

This event is by invitation to schools in the Ipswich region.

For more information email enviroed@ipswich.qld.gov.au

Plastic Free at Home

Saturday 6^th November, 2021
Queen’s Park Environmental Education Centre, Ipswich

Take a seat with presenters Nicole Lutz (Sustainability blogger and writer for Live for Less, Lunch Lady and Pip Permaculture Magazine) and Sandra Preston-Hatcher (Enviro Award Finalist and Ipswich resident).

Hear their first-hand experience and best tips for living a life with less.

This fun and interactive workshop is for anyone keen to learn simple and out of the box ways to reduce plastic in everyday life.

Learning for Life with Paul Plant

Saturday 6^th November, 2021
Springfield Central Library, Orion Springfield Central

Join well known horticulturalist and radio presenter, Paul Plant, for a presentation that will highlight the impact of climate change on gardens, crops and wildlife. Discover how home gardeners can plan and select plants for a successful future garden.

Presented by Ipswich Libraries.

Clothing Swap with Statement Styling

Thursday 11^th November, 2021
Event Space #3, 1 Nicholas Street, Ipswich City Council Building

Be part of the circular economy at the Sustainable Ipswich Clothing Swap. A clothing swap is where garments are traded and exchanged instead of purchased. They are fantastic way revive and refresh your wardrobe and keep clothes ‘in the loop’ as opposed to op-shops or ultimately landfill.

At the event, participants will get the chance to exchange their unwanted (but great condition) clothing for ones they will use and love.

As you ‘shop’, presenter Emma Willman from Statement Styling will share her tips on saving the environment through fashion and offer styling advise on looking great for less!

Getting Smart about Water with Savour Soil Permaculture

Saturday 13^th November, 2021
Redbank Plains Community Centre, School Rd, Redbank Plains

We use water for everything, from drinking and household use to the use on our gardens.

Join Michael and Victoria from Savour Soil Permaculture as they share ways we can get smarter about how we use water at home and work with our Ipswich climate of low annual rainfall and hot summers. This session will show you how you can do more with less and be strategic with this amazing resource.

Active Kids - Removing Training Wheels

Saturday 13^th November, 2021
Grande Park, Springfield Central

Designed for children who are progressing towards removing their training wheels, this bike riding course will equip your child with basic bike riding skills, will build their confidence to remove their training wheels, increase awareness of surroundings and knowledge to be safe while riding.

The session will be a small group delivered by a skilled team of riding enthusiasts.

Each participant will need to bring their own bike and helmet. Registrations are essential and places are limited.

Healthy Soils with Kate Wall

Saturday 20^th November
Queen’s Park Environmental Education Centre, Ipswich

Looking for ways to make your garden grow better? Want to grow your own food? The secrets to great gardening start in the soil.

Learn tried and tested ways to create great soil in your garden with gardening writer and consultant Kate Wall.

Kate will discuss a variety of soil improvement methods and will share ways to make home composting simple, adding valuable matter to your soil and keeping waste from landfill.

FREE

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Garage Sale Trail

Two Weekends - 13^th – 14^th November and 20^th – 21^st November
Ipswich, Various Locations



Garage Sale Trail is back for 2021. Reusing old stuff is not only a way to make some extra cash, it’s also a way to help reduce waste that ends up in landfill.

This year will see two big weekends (13-14 and 20-21 November) of garage sales held simultaneously around the nation, with more bargains and more planet-saving fun than ever before.

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Sustainability and Food

Tuesday 23rd November, 2021
Jamie's Ministry of Food, d'Arcy Doyle Place, Ipswich



As a resident you can make a positive impact on the environment by cooking homemade dishes and reducing food wastage at home. In this one hour workshop participants will learn how to make a simple dish, where nothing goes to waste. These workshops will also cover tips and tricks on how to reduce your food waste overall by shopping smarter, seasonally and locally.

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Learn for Life - Welded Fiction

Saturday 27^th November, 2021
1 Nicholas Street, Ipswich City Council building

Join local artist Christopher Trotter to hear about his iconic recycled metal sculptures found across SEQ and beyond.

Chris will share a virtual tour of his workshop as well as how he sources second-hand materials, then collates and arranges unrelated objects before welding them together to create new and perfectly plausible forms.

Presented by Ipswich Libraries.

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Sustainable Open Garden Tour

Saturday 27^th November, 2021
Silkstone



Join us on our first Sustainable Open Garden Tour, delivered by the Habitat Gardens program with Ipswich City Council.

For one day only, local gardener Ian Muil will open his suburban garden to the public and share his passion and knowledge for gardening.

Hear from Ian and his landscape designer, Jonathan Gregory, about how they went about transforming Ian’s front and backyard into a productive haven for plants, animals and insects.

• Session 1 – 8am – 9am
• Session 2 – 9am – 10am
• Session 3 - 10am - 11am

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Learn to Maintain your Bike - Online Workshop

Tuesday 30th November, 2021
Online - Hosted using Teams



Join Bicycle Queensland for an online beginner bike maintenance session. The workshop covers a range of bike maintenance tips that are helpful for people new to riding or people just wanting to refine their skills. Participants will learn about undertaking a bike safety check, drive train care, preparing to ride and route planning and repairing a flat tyre.

Cost - FREE

Event recap

View and download the 2022 Sustainable Ipswich program (PDF, 3.7 MB).

Big Day of Sustainable Inspiration

Saturday 8 October, 1 Nicholas Street, Ipswich

A collection of free talks and activities happened through the day.

• How to save waste and save money: featuring 'This Simple Day' blogger Nicole Lutze and 'Eco Granny' Rose Rush
• How to compost and FOGO like a pro: featuring Jessica Lindsay from Mallow Sustainability
• Recycled material play session: drop in with the kids and see what you can create from an assortment of items

Upcycled Rag Rugs - Presented by Ipswich Libraries

Saturday 8 October, 10am, The Bubble (Children's Event Space), 1 Nicholas Street, Ipswich

Learn techniques to make your own no-sew rag rug with the Sewloist.

Australian Wildlife Week at Queens Park

Various dates, Queens Park Environmental Education Centre

• Tuesday 4 October (World Habitat Day)
• Thursday 6 October
• Wednesday 18 October

Starting from World Habitat Day (4 October)  a series of activities and workshops will be held for all ages at the Queens Park Environmental Education Centre.

Exciting sessions were held with hosts such as Consulting Gardener Kate Wall and Bombax Design's Jonathan Gregory.

Get Ready Week

10-16 October

Council’s Emergency Management team will be visiting shopping centres and library hubs to help the community prepare for severe weather.

They will have lots of resources and tips to make it easy to prepare your home and family.

Find out more on the Emergency Management page.

Rosewood Native Plant Sale and Enviro Day

Saturday 15 October, Rosewood Showgrounds

Interact with local environment groups at this massive annual event focusing on fantastic native plants.

Find out more on Facebook - Native Plant Queensland Ipswich Branch

Youth Sustainability Summit

19 October, Ipswich Civic Centre

The theme for 2022 is Working Together for a Brighter Future. The full day summit is for primary school students in Grades 4, 5 & 6 and focuses on helping to spark sustainability projects at home and at school.

For more information see the Youth Sustainability Summit page.

Ride2Work Day

Wednesday 19 October

Join Australia’s biggest celebration of commuter riding at National Ride2Work Day.

This is your chance to give it a go – and get in your daily exercise while you’re at it!

Find out more at ride2work.com.au

Urban Heat Island Effect – Virtual Reality Simulation (Ipswich)

Wednesday 19 October, Tulmur Place, Ipswich Central

With the use of VR goggles you can see how small changes in the environment, such as planting trees, can help reduce the impacts of heat on our homes and streets.

Council is proud to partner with Griffith University and Sunshine Coast University on this project.

Aussie Backyard Bird Count

17-23 October

Taking part in the Aussie Backyard Bird Count is easy! Just spend 20 minutes in your favourite outdoor space and tell us about the birds you see during that period. See aussiebirdcount.org.au

Bicycle Rider Confidence & Maintenance Workshops

Thursday 20 October

Ipswich Cycle Park, 65 Briggs Road, Raceview

This workshops is perfect for anyone looking to dust off their bicycle and gain confidence in riding. Covering all basics this course will assist in enhancing those skills to make participants confident on bike paths and bikeways.

Bees wax cloth wraps workshops

Saturday 22 October, Ripley Town Centre

Craft your own natural bees wax cloth wraps for sustainable food storage and learn how to care for your wraps. Take home new skills and your creation. Learn more about the importance of bees to our environment and local ecosystems.

For workshop details see ripleytowncentre.com.au/events

Plant Swap and Community Garden Basics

Saturday 22 October, Leichhardt - One Mile Community Centre (community garden area)

Join Ipswich Plant Swap and exchange garden goodies with like-minded people.

From 11am join Savour Soil Permaculture to learn about local food system and food security, preparing your soil and garden planning.

Gardening with Native Plants - presented by Ipswich Libraries

Saturday 22 October, Rosewood

Rosewood Library, 10am-11.15am

Springfield Central Library 1.15pm - 2.30pm

Join Chuwar's Mountain Man to learn about using native plants in your garden.

Registrations essential - https://www.ipswichlibraries.com.au/whats-on/adults/

Urban Heat Island Effect – Virtual Reality Simulation (Ripley)

Saturday 29 October, Ripley Town Centre

With the use of VR goggles you can see how small changes in the environment such as planting trees can help reduce the impacts of heat on our homes and streets.

Council is proud to partner with Griffith University and Sunshine Coast University on this project.

Great Southern Bioblitz with Springfield Lakes Nature Care

28-31 October

Join an international period of intense biological surveying. The event attempts to record all living species within designated areas across the southern hemisphere.

Join the Ipswich survey by downloading citizen science app iNaturalist.

Sustainable Open Garden Trail

Sunday 6 November

Join a trail of four different Ipswich gardens full of inspiration for you to take home. See how low-maintenance native plants can be not only appealing but create bird and bee-friendly backyards.

This event is brought to you by council's Enviroplan-funded Habitat Gardens program.

2023 Program of Events

Read the program booklet   (PDF, 2.8 MB)for a whole range of ways to participate in sustainability.

Sustainable Ipswich is made possible with the support of our partner

Sustainable Open Garden Trail

• Saturday 7 October, 9am - 12pm, various locations

Wander through urban Habitat Gardens full of inspiration for you to take home. See how low-maintenance native plants can be not only appealing but create bee and bird-friendly backyards. Chat to the homeowners and discover how you can have a beautiful, sustainable habitat garden too. Pre-registration required.

Creatorspace - Illustrate like a Fashion Designer

• Saturday 7 October, 9.30am - 11.30am, 1 Nicholas Street, Ipswich Central

Eco-designer Kim Bailey will teach you the practical skills of fashion illustration whilst sharing her passion for thoughtful and ethical design. Presented by Ipswich Libraries in support of Sustainable Ipswich Month.

Story time at the park: Presented by Ipswich Libraries First Five Forever

It's free to drop into Queens Park Environmental Education Centre and nurture your child's love of language and stories with an environmental theme.

• Friday 6 October, 9.30am

Get Ready Week

• 10-16 October 2023, various locations

It's time for all Queenslanders to Get Ready for the upcoming severe weather season.

Council's Emergency Management Team will be visiting shopping centre, library and community hubs to help the community prepare for severe weather.

Find the list of pop up sites at Ipswich First.

For information on how to Get Ready for severe weather, go to getready.qld.gov.au

Oz Harvest Sustainable Eating Demonstration

• Please note this event has been cancelled

Join the Oz Harvest chef for a workshop that will boost your confidence and motivation in making healthy, budget friendly food choices while learning practical tips on reducing food waste. Cost is $5 per participant.

Youth Sustainability Summit

• Wednesday 11 October, Ipswich Civic Centre

The theme for the 7th annual summit is 'Impact'. The full-day summit is for primary school students in grades 4-6, and focuses on helping to spark sustainability projects at home and school.

Pre-registration is required - schools interested in participating in future events can email enviroed@ipswich.qld.gov.au

Learn for Life: Sustainable Homes with Esther James

• Thursday 12 October, 6.30pm, 1 Nicholas Street

Ipswich based residential building designer, Esther James will share practical ideas to reduce the environmental impact of your home and lower living costs.

Presented by Ipswich Libraries in support of Sustainable Ipswich Month.

Ride to work day

• Wednesday 18 October

Join Australia's biggest celebration of commuter riding on National Ride2Work Day. More than 50 per cent of car trips are less than 5km. Give the planet - and yourself - a boost and ride instead!

Find out more at ride2work.com.au

Look back at previous Sustainable Ipswich events

Find a recap of the previous programs below.

Learn for life: Worm farming from home

• Saturday 21 October, 9.30am - 11am, Rosewood Library

Learn how to start, feed and care for a worm farm plus DIY from household items.

Presented by Ipswich Libraries in support of Sustainable Ipswich Month.

Ipswich Sustainable Living Festival

Saturday 21 October, 9am - 1pm, Tulmur Place, Ipswich Central

Tulmur Place will be a hive of activity with a collection of free sustainability speakers and activities for the whole family.

Come along and discover highlights such as performances from Urban Utilities Water Warriors, and Art for Earthlings' Holey bin Amoley, guest presenter ABC presenter and experienced sustainable gardener Phil Dudman, Quibble Market and repair cafe, mobile nursery and practical demonstrations.

Take a look at the Festival program (PDF, 1.2 MB)

More event information at Ipswichcitycouncil.eventbrite.com

Native Plant Sale and Enviro Day

• Saturday 28 October, 9am, Rosewood Showgrounds

Interact with local environment groups at this massive annual event focused on fantastic native plants. Free entry, but bring your own boxes and bags for all your plant purchases. It is the 10th year the event has been held!

See the Native Plants Queensland - Ipswich Branch  Facebook page for more information.

Tales and Trails

• October and November

Presented by Ipswich Libraries First 5 Forever.

Encourage literacy, learning and discovery with the outdoor self-guided reading experiences.

Special Tales and Trails in our conservation areas highlight an environmental theme - find new trails at Denmark Hill Conservation Reserve in Ipswich and at Hardings Paddock day use area in the Flinders-Goolman Conservation Estate in Purga.

For a limited time only! A new trail for the book Hotel for Bees can be explored in Tulmur Place, Ipswich Central, during October and November.