It was during the hectic days of planning for a School Strike 4 Climate rally in Sept 2019 that we realised that there needed to be something regular, something to look forward to, where people could gather to hear some positive stories about local initiatives. The climate change story can be rather dire, and has the effect of switching people off. With real life proof of change in the air, that has a local context, we'd hopefully bring more locals into the fold and inspire more action.

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The first Climate Action Picnic was held at Buckley Park Farm in Fish Creek on November 23, 2019. It was a lovely sunny day and the area was ringed with marquees: homemade honey from Blessings of the Bees, Bird Life Australia, CSIRO, Energy Innovation Co-op, Farmers for Climate Action and the sustainability group from the Foster hospital were just some of those there on the day to tell their stories. It was a diverse set of solutions to a big problem that touches every part of our lives. A lineup of expert speakers gave their time while children were entertained with low-impact art materials and artists to assist.

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The Climate Calamity Choir gave their first performance and it was a real highlight to see musicians give their time with fabulous songs and sounds as they moved amongst the crowd. You can still join Jane Coker and her choir as they are always working on increasing their repertoire for future actions - all the while increasing their sense of connection in these pandemic times. 

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Let's hope we can lay out our picnic rugs again soon. If you'd like to be part of the lineup or would like to help on the day (and there will be a day!), let us know.