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Teams, organisational activity
Russ serves with a number of organisations active in sustainability education, food issues and international development:
- education and communications team, Sydney Food Fairness Alliance
- media liaison, advisor/consultant, Australian City Farms & Community Gardens Network
- director, Permaculture International Ltd
- consultancy team, TerraCircle Consultancy, South West Pacific
- education team, TransitionSydney.
Ex-director, Manly Food Co-operative
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Consultancies — urban food systems
Consultancy for City of Sydney
Working with City of Sydney’s Community Gardens Coordinator to:
- assist a number of new, community garden core teams to make a start in getting their community garden going
- assist an existing community garden produce a strategic plan of action for their garden’s future and to work with landscape architect, Steve Batley (Sydney Organic Gardens) on a participatory needs and site analysis and production of draft landscape concept plan for the community garden.
Consultancy for Marrickville Council and new community garden team
Two, four hour sessions to take community garden etam through developing a plan of management for their garden.
Guide, City of Sydney tour of community food gardens
ROLE: Guide visitors on a City of Sydney bus tour of community gardens and discuss ideas with them.
CLIENT: City of Sydney.
DATE: 5 May 2010.
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Led discussion and tour of Randwick Community Organic Garden
ROLE: Discuss the Randwick Community Organic Garden and community garden needs in general with bus tour of people interested in community gardening.
CLIENT: Central coast NSW community garden group.
DATE:4 May 2010.
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Guide, City of Sydney tour of community food gardens
ROLE: Guide visitors on a City of Sydney bus tour of community gardens and discuss ideas with them.
CLIENT: City of Sydney.
DATE: 2 May 2010.
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Development of community garden enabling policy, Randwick City Council
ROLE: Consultant to Randwick City Council to develop an enabling policy for community food gardening, 2010.
CLIENT: Randwick City Council.
CONTENT: Production of a policy document; development of an application procedure for the community to obtain Council assistance in starting community gardens; development of an application assessment process within Council.
Included community consultation, Council staff consultation.
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Consultation on community garden development, north coast NSW councils, plus community presentation.
ROLE:
- meet with Coffs Harbour and Bellingen councillors and staff to discuss the development of community gardens
- make a public presentation on community gardens in Bellingen
- attend a meeting of the Coffs coast Local Food Alliance at Coffs Harbour City Council
- conduct a strategic planning process to develop a community garden management plan for the community garden team in Coffs Harbour
- conduct a participatory site analysis and planning session for the community garden crew and the public on the site of the proposed Coffs Harbour community garden.
CLIENT: Coffs Harbour City Council; Coffs Coast Local Food Alliance.
VENUE: Coffs Harbour and Bellingen, NSW mid-north coast.
DATE: April 2010.
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City of Sydney Live Green House event, Town Hall Square
ROLE: To discuss sustainability strategies and ideas as well as regional food systems and community gardens with the public visiting the Live Green House event.
CLIENT: City of Sydney.
VENUE: Town Hall Square, Sydney.
DATE: March 2010.
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Consultation on developing a new community garden on Sydney’s Northern Beaches
ROLE: To consult with Warringah Council staff and community garden start-up group at combined meeting on design and organisational aspects of starting a community food garden.
CLIENT: Warringah Council.
VENUE: Warringah Community Centre.
DATE: September 2009.
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Consultation for Lawson community garden start-up
ROLE: To consult with community garden start-up group in Lawson, Blue Mountains NSW:
- to provide background, context, ideas to community food gardening group
- to discuss group’s intentions
- to visit and comment on possible sites for the community garden.
Consultation made with cooperation of Rob Alsop and Fiona Campbell.
VENUE: Lawson, NSW — Mid-Mountains Neighbourhood Centre.
DATE: September 2009.
ON BEHALF OF: Australian City Farms & Community Gardens Network.
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Policy directions for local government on community food production and starting a community garden
ROLE: Consultancy in partnership with Faith Thomas of Living Schools.
CLIENT: Kogarah Municipal Council.
CONTENT: The brief from Kogarah Municipal council was to:
- development policy directions for council and present these for adoption at a Council meeting
- design and implement a community consultation process to take place in locations throughout the local government area; the purpose was to provide information and gather ideas about the proposed community garden
- form a core group of people interested in becoming the first group of community gardeners
- to write a gardeners’ guide on the use of the community garden.
Recommended was that Council adopt an approach to requests for assistance with community gardening similar to the process recommended in the policy directions. This was like that recommended for Marrickville Council, the idea being that other councils might adopt a structure to replace the existing ad-hoc approach.
In addition to the community consultation process, two participatory site design events were held on the disused bowling club land where the community garden is being built. The output of these processes, which made use of a number of participatory processes such as World Cafe and the design concept cards developed by permaculture and workplace trainer, Robin Clayfield, were a number of concept plans for the site developed by the different design teams. These were handed to council’s landscape architect to produce, in further consultation with the gardener core group, into a plan for the community garden.
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Consultancy on policy directions for local government on community food production
ROLE: The consultation involved the development of policy directions on local food production in community gardens.
CLIENT: Marrickville Council (Sydney Inner West).
CONTENT: The process was one of consultation with staff at Marrickville Council as well as with staff of other councils, plus consultation with people active in community gardening and in researching the practice.
Recommended was a structured process through which Council could systematically approach requests for assistance in community gardening from citizen groups.a
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Member, advisory panel, local government urban sustainability grant
ROLE: Participation in an advisory team on the direction and content of a local government grant for a major sustainability education program.
CONTENT: With Brisbane Food Connect’s Robert Pekin and others, I was on a panel of advisors to discuss content and educational themes for a substantial state government grant application for a Sydney local government. My role included preparation of a discussion paper on food systems education.
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Strategic planning for community garden start-ups
ROLE: Member of team to assist community food garden start-ups.
CLIENT: Australian City Farms & Community Gardens Network.
NOTES: Participatory process to work with participants in community garden start-ups to set direction, objectives, define priorities, roles, needs and produce submissions to local government/landholders for assistance with community gardening.
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Food policy
See above for development of enabling policies for community food gardening for local government: Randwick City Council; Kogarah City Council; Marrickville Council.
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Presentation/panelist at Plains To Plate Food Convergence, February 2010
ROLE: Make presentation to conference on need for food policy and panelist on food policy. Described Sydney Food Fairness Alliances’ Food Summit process and motivation.
VENUE: Plains To Plate Food Convergence, University of South Australia.
ORGANISATION: Friends of the Earth, organiser of the Food Convergence.
NOTES: Participating in the Food Convergence were state and local government, community sector organisations, academics and agencies. Approximately 750 attended the Food Convergence.
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Organising team, Hungry For Change Public Forum 2009
ROLE: Participate in the planning, organisation and running of the Hungry For Change lead-up event to the Food Summit.
VENUE: Customs House, Circular Quay, Sydney CBD.
ORGANISATION: Sydney Food Fairness Alliance.
NOTES: A joint production of five Sydney councils, TransitionSydney and the Sydney Food Fairness Alliance, the Forum was designed to elicit ideas on the city’s food system to present to the October Food Summit, which would start the development of a food policy for NSW.
Keynote speaker was US economist and local economics advocate, Micheal Shuman, from the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies. Micheal spoke of the value of local food systems as components of local economies.
Following his presentation, participants in Hungry For Change made use of the World Cafe participatory technique to develop ideas on Sydney’s food system to pass on to the October Food Summit.
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Organising team, Food Summit 2009
ROLE: Participate in the organisation of th Food Summit in Sydney.
VENUE: Teachers’ Fedration Conference Centre, Surry hills, Sydney.
ORGANISATION: Sydney Food Fairness Alliance.
NOTES: The Food Summit is to issue a declaration of Sydney’s food futures and start the process of developing a food policy.
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Presentations, speaking engagements
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Presentation: Food and the City
ROLE: Deliver a presentation on Food and the City to the What Makes a Good City? symposium.
CLIENT: United Theological College.
VENUE: 10 May 2010
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Presentations, mentor panel — Tasmanian Community Gardening Network annual conference
ROLE:
- make a presentation on food security and another on community gardening
- participate in a mentor’s panel on food security with professor David Adams, Tasmanian Social Inclusion Commissioner developing a policy of food security; Jennifer Alden, CEO Cultivating Community, Melbourne; Sandra Murray, lecturer in nutrition, University of Tasmania.
CLIENT: Tasmanian Community Gardening Network.
VENUE: Devonport, Tasmania.
DATE: April 2010.
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Public presentation on roles and opportunities to do with community gardening
ROLE: Make a public presentation on community gardens in Bellingen memorial hall.
CLIENT: Coffs Harbour City Council; Coffs Coast Food Alliance.
VENUE: Bellingen, NSW mid-north coast.
DATE: April 2010.
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Presentation/panelist at Plains To Plate Food Convergence, February 2010
ROLE: Make presentation to conference on need for food policy and panelist on food policy. Described Sydney Food Fairness Alliances’ Food Summit process and motivation.
VENUE: Plains To Plate Food Convergence, University of South Australia.
ORGANISATION: Friends of the Earth, organiser of the Food Convergence.
NOTES: Participating in the Food Convergence were state and local government, community sector organisations, academics and agencies. Approximately 750 attended the Food Convergence.
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Presentation on community gardens as community service volunteering opportunities to Year 10 students and parents, Ravenswood School for Girls
ROLE: To make a presentation to introduce opportunities in community food gardening as a volunteering option for Year 10 student’s community service program.
VENUE: Ravenswood School for Girls, Gordon, Sydney.
DATE: August 2009
ON BEHALF OF: Centre for Volunteering.
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Presentation on community food gardens to Ku-ring-gai Council
ROLE: To make a presentation to introduce the practice and potential of community food gardening and its benefit to citizens and local government.
VENUE: Ku-ring-gai Council chambers.
DATE: August 2009.
ON BEHALF OF: Australian City Farms & Community Gardens Network.
NOTES: The presentation to a public forum on community gardening attracted about 60 people keen to start gardening in part of a park that Council is making available to them. The presentation included use of a Powerpoint of photographs designed to supplement the content of my talk.
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Keynote speaker — Parliament of World Religions
ROLE: Keynote address to introduce an audience of between 250-300 to trends in the global food system and what citizens are doing to address the issues in Sydney.
VENUE: Old Government House, Parramatta.
DATE: July 2009
ON BEHALF OF: Sydney Food Fairness Alliance.
NOTES: The event received support from NSW government departments and brought together people from a diverse range of religions and cultures.
The theme I was asked to address was the global food situation. I structured this chronologically and linked it to topics such as population, climate change, resource depletion (peak oil, the global fresh water resource etc) and then brought it closer to the present time and location with a look at Sydney’s food security prospects, then at what communities are doing about their own food supply.
My paper was circulated before the event and other speakers responded to it, exploring themes relevant to their point of view and role in their communities.
A Powerpoint presentation and the paper were placed on the Columban’s website.
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Panelist – the Power of Community seminar
ROLE: Panelist with Brisbane Food Connect’s Robert Pekin and a representative of the local organic food industry to converse with visiting Cuban agriculturist, Roberto Perez, on his country’s experience in increasing food production during the emergency period following the shortfall in oil deliveries after the Soviet Union collapsed.
VENUE: Byron Bay Community Centre.
NOTES: Roberto explored Cuba’s urban agriculture sector and its role in food production that rose to prominence during the country’s Emergency Period. The role of that sector following Cuba’s oil shortfall crisis and its effects on the island’s food production is explored in the video The Power of Community.
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Presenter – Future of Food conference
ROLE: Deliver presentation on urban food systems and the role of community food gardens in them.
VENUE: Southern Cross University, Lismore NSW.
NOTES: Organised by Southern Cross University an Lismore City Council, the Future of Food conference was held on the University campus in Lismore and was themed around the future of food and the values of local food systems.
Speakers included those from the Department of Primary Industry, Brisbane Food Connect’s Robert Pekin and representatives of the regional organic food industry and others. Attendance was estimated at over 200.
My presentation was on local food systems and the role of community food gardens in a sustainable urban food supply.
Lismore City Council arranged two spots on Lismore radio for me — one with ABC local radio, another with community radio.
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Facilitator, Conversation With Authors, Randwick Ecoliving Fair 2009
ROLE: Lead and engage in conversation authors of new books on sustainability.
CLIENT: Randwick City Council.
NOTES: Authors participating included David Holmgren, Rosemary Morrow, Dr Mark Diesendorf. Other participants included David Arnold, permaculture educator and landscape designer from Violet Town, Victoria.
Conversation leader, Conversation With Innovators, Randwick Ecoliving Fair 2008
ROLE: Engage in conversation and facilitate audience participation in a discussion of their work with innovators in renewable energy science and related fields.
CLIENT: Randwick City Council.
NOTES : The format was the same as that (above) for Conversation With Authors. Rather than authors, however, it was science and other innovators working in the field of renewable energy who were the focus.
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Facilitator, Conversation With Authors, Randwick Ecoliving Fair 2007
ROLE: Lead and engage in conversation authors of new books on sustainability.
CLIENT: Randwick City Council.
NOTES: The idea of Conversation With Authors was to introduce the auhors’ work, why they chose their particular themes to write a book about and how they went about the writing process. The format was that of a structured conversation, then opening the discussion to the audience.
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Presentation to Sydney Environmental Educators’ Network conference
ROLE: Make a presentation on urban food systems and the potential of the permaculture design system approach to food to the annual conference of the Sydney Environmental Educator’s Network
VENUE: Cockatoo Island conference centre, Sydney Harbour.
NOTES: A presentation and discussion about community-based food systems and the role of permaculture design as a means of facilitating them.
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Journalism, editing
Editing/writing of Living Smart Action Guide
PROJECT: Edit existing text and write new material for the Living Smart Action Guide to accompany the Living Smart course.
CLIENT: Randwick City Council.
NOTES: Editing, content development and writing of the Living Smart Action Guide. The Guide is provided to participants in the Randwick City Council Living Smart course, an eight session course in sustainable living that focuses on both the household and participation in community initiatives.
Randwick’s is the first NSW iteration of the Living Smart course, which was developed by the Murdoch University behavioural psychology school and gained the support of City of Fremantle and the Meeting Place community education centre. The course focuses on behavioural change.
The course, which features guest speakers, and the manual are independently evaluated by an external, professional evaluator so as timely and useful changes can be made.
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Authoring, editing international development training manuals and other productions
PROJECT:
1. Production of AusAUD-funded training manuals for rural livelihoods small business and development following the intercommuncal conflict in the Solomon Islnds.
2. Evaluation of Kastom Garden Project and production of a history of the project.
3. Editing of rural situational analyses of remote regions of the Solomon Islands.
4. Production of training manuals on village food production and other topics in competency-based format for trainers in the maritime South Pacific
5. Editing, design of Community Support Program of Solomon Islands for Kastom Gaden Association, Honiara.
CLIENT: Work was done through the TerraCircle consultancy for Kastom Gaden Association, Solomon Islands; Secretariat or the Pacific Community; Solomon Islands Planting Materials Network and others.
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Editor — Lettuce Express, Macarthur Cente for Sustainable Living
PROJECT: Edit/produce copy and photographs, design and lay out a quarterly journal.
CLIENT: Macarthur Centre for Sustainable Living.
NOTES: The role included story selection, copy editing, photography and processing of supplied photographs, design and layout or the Macarthur Centre for Sustainable Living’s quarterly print and online magazine (now defunct).
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Editor — Community Harvest
PROJECT: Produce and edit copy and photographs, design and lay out of journal.
CLIENT: Australian City Farms & Community Gardens Network.
NOTES: Community Harvest reports news and ideas for community food gardens and other community food initiatives.
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Editor — website
PROJECT: Maintain, produce and edit online content.
CLIENT: Australian City Farms & Community Gardens Network.
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Sustainability education
Organising team, Sydney visit of US economist and local economic systems advocate, Michael Shuman
ROLE: Assist in the organisation and running of events for Michael Shuman’s Sydney visit.
VENUES: Customs House Hungry For Change public forum; Eastern Suburbs Council’s Business Breakfast with Michael Shuman; seminar for sustainability educators on introducing economics into sustainability education.
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Educator — Sustainable gardening
ROLE: Course content delivery, Randwick City Council Sustainable Gardening course.
VENUE: Randwick Community Centre and training garden (for practical activities).
NOTES: The course is targeted to home and community gardeners as a means of getting them started in food production.
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Organic gardening educator — Eastern Suburbs Evening College
ROLE: Delivery of course content.
VENUE: Two Sydney eastern Suburbs schools for evening classes. Two community food gardens for practical content.
NOTES: The course was targeted to home and community gardeners as a means of getting them started in food production.
Co-taught with Fiona Campbell, the goal of the course was for participants to gain sufficient skills to design, construct, plant and harvest from their own backyard, balcony or container garden or community garden allotment.
The course consisted of a number of evening meetings which covered theory and the types of practical activities that can be done in the classroom, such as the analysis of participant’s garden soil and plant identification. Practical sessions were held in a community garden.
The organic cultivation of non-food plants, such as native species, was also covered.
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TerraCircle Inc, regional development consultancy
Editorial work with TerraCircle Inc regional development consultants can be viewed here.
Additional is work in the Solomon Islands in village food security, community development and project evaluation and — for APACE (Appropriate Technology for Community and Environment) — project management of:
- Solomon Island Kastom Garden Program
- CanCare Lae non-ferrous metals recycling and small business development project in Lae, Papau New Guinea.
APACE projects were funded by the Australian department of Foreign Affair’s AusAID agency.
More: www.terracircle.org.au
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Permaculture design system education
Organiser/educator — Permaculture Design Course
This included working with sustainability educator, Fiona Campbell, to design and organise the Permaculture Design Course that was offered through the Randwick Community Centre, the NSW Central Coast and Coastal Environment Centre on the Northern Beaches.
The permaculture urban systems course was held part time, over 110 hours, and evolved an urban focus fitting the needs of people living in a metropolitan city. A team of teachers was assembled to bring their own insight and expertise. Content on project management and effective working in groups was introduced as these were seen as weak points in the implementation or projects using the permaculture design system.
A LETS (Local Exchange and Trading System) was operated over the duration of the course and participants formed teams to prepare minimum packaging-waste, mainly local food lunches.
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Permaculture educator — adult evening college
The course was on introductory permaculture, in which participants gained ideas of how to make use of the permaculture design system in their lives and on their property.
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Educator — permaculture design, TAFE
For several years in the 1990s I taught the permaculture design elective in the TAFE landscape design and horticulture courses at Ryde College of TAFE.
These semester-length courses focused on developing basic permaculture design skills for food producing gardens and culminated with students working in design teams to develop a design for an area of land.
