Nature Shake is back for its second year, and the event is promising plenty of fun hands-on nature and garden activities celebrating our local environment.
Held on Saturday 6 September at the beautiful grounds of the Wollongong Botanic Garden, the all-ages event offers outdoor arts and dance experiences, composting activities, rainforest games, cultural weaving, nature play activities, native plant displays and the inaugural 'Golden gumboot' tossing competition!
The Gong's Golden gumboot tossing competition will take place from 12:30 – 3:30pm, giving visitors the chance to be the very first Best Gumboot Tosser in the Gong, with various age categories and prizes to be won.
Wollongong Botanic Garden Education and Outreach Specialist Sam Crosby said fostering a deeper connection with nature and the environment creates a more sustainable future for Wollongong.
"On the Friday we'll host around 300 students from local primary schools for a series of curriculum-linked taster activities. Then, come Saturday, everyone can come along for a free community day with hands-on activities for all ages," Sam said.
"There'll be a few different nature-play activities, electrifying pancakes, bird bingo by the pond, opportunities to engage in bush tucker, and waste and biodiversity games.
"We'll also showcase important work that we and other agencies undertake to care for our local environment."
Nature Shake is a free public event put on by Wollongong City Council. All activities are family friendly and will be available to the public from 12 – 4pm.
Activities include:
· Beneath the Canopy – a Rainforest Experience - Garden and Greening Staff
· Blue Light Bingo - Waste Team
· Botanic Art Sale / Friends in the Garden (FIG) Volunteering Stall
· Budding Bookworms - Friends of Wollongong Botanic Garden
· Buzzing about Native Bees Stall - Australian Native Bee Association
· Clean-up Activities and Games - Rise n' Shine
· Electric Pancakes - Electrify Wollongong
· Feature Match + Bird Spotting Games - Illawarra Birders
· Garden Discovery Buggy Tours - Friends of Wollongong Botanic Garden
· Gunya Shelter Building Workshop - Gadungal Marring
· Loose Parts Play - Junkyard Rascals
· Native Edible Plants Display - Garden for Life
· Nature Activities - Guardians of the Grassy Woodlands
· Nature Playtime - Folkplay
· Poem Forest Writing - Red Room Poetry
· Seed Bombs - Green Connect Farm
· Silent Disco - Healthy Cities
· Tree Drawing Workshop - Janine Bailey of Art of Trees
· Warrigal (Dingo) Pup Weaving - Amethyst Downing
Visit the Garden's website to map your route by road, footpath and public transport. Be sure to bring a picnic and enjoy the fun!
This event is presented by Wollongong City Council and Wollongong Botanic Garden and supported by the BlueScope WIN Community Partners Program.
