Website just being reworked and restored first. Sorry for any inconvenience caused.
Chris, one of our community founders, Is now managing Gunnebah, a residential health retreat that focuses on drug and alcohol addiction rehab. Gunnebah is similar in some ways to Bellbunya - it's also a former retreat centre but based half an hour from the Gold Coast airport in northern New South Wales. Guests and volunteers at Gunnebah participate in the practical life of a rural property whilst guests will also be working on an intensive process of personal growth and healing, facilitated by Gunnebah's professional staff - psychologist, yoga instructor, group fitness trainer, chef, dietician, community development worker, permaculturist.
A few years back Chris was also volunteering at the Palawan Sustainable Community, a new sustainable community and organic farm In Palawan, the Philippines. Apart from plenty of digging and weeding, he also made their website.
Dr Marcus Bussey of Futures Evocative leads "Weaving Words of Wisdom" at Bellbunya. This is not only a personal development workshop for those who participate but also a fundraiser for building strong learning environments in disadvantaged areas of the world. We are delighted to be a part of this project.
Our friends at The Archer have an ongoing program of retreats and also provide spiritual direction. They are into deep ecology and the new story.
Crystal Waters Eco Village is a permaculture village about 45 minutes from us. We like to go along to music nights and market days there when we can.
Thank-you
Thank-you to The Volunteer Small Equipment Grants Program for a range of equipment in use at Bellbunya.
Thank-you to Ion Staunton for DIY Termite Traps that are helping us get control of the termites here.
Links
Avaaz (international) and Getup (Australia) are campaigning for a better world with online petitions on key environmental, social justice and human rights issues. It is very quick and easy to sign a petition.
Bank of Ideas is for those interested in Asset Based Community Development. Lots of useful tools and resources, plus a monthly newsletter packed with the latest innovations etc.
The Change Agency is an Australian independent social movement education initiative. They work with community organisers and activists in the Australia Pacific region to help people win social and environmental change and they have a really interesting bimonthly newsletter.
The Happy Planet Index measures a combination of experienced wellbeing, life expectancy and ecological footprint. The 2012 HPI report ranks 151 countries of which Costa Rica comes first and Australia 76th!
Brisbane Snake Catchers has lots of pictures to help with snake identification.
The New Internationalist is a cooperatively-run, independent monthly not-for-profit magazine that reports on action for social justice plus a lot more that you don't see in the mainstream media. It has a great arts review section and lively discussion through Letters to the Editors.
Ecological Footprint and EMERGY are different ways to understand our impact on the planet. Although the Footprint is more commonly used (and less complex), if you're interested in getting into the nitty-gritty of this it's worthwhile investigating EMERGY (capitalised to distinguish it from energy, and worked out by H.T.Odum of ecology fame in the 1970s). These two links are of course just portals into your exploration!