Films, films, films- Wednesday, Thursday, Friday - THIS WEEK

There's a feast of films showing at the Daylesford Town Hall ..... two sessions 6.30pm and 8.30pm. If you have missed some of the films shown by HRN that you really wanted to see, here is the opportunity to see:

Energy Descent Action Planning

HRN does most things that are in line with the transition to a simpler lifestyle to encourage the strong development of a cohesive, self reliant and socially just community.

Informed by the rapidly emerging energy descent future after many generations of the 'big is better' view of progress 'fuelled' by energy ascent, it is often hard to imagine what energy descent might look like. Even more challenging is how we might think positively and plan to not only survive but thrive in a future with less energy. This light hearted FAQ helps explain energy descent and action planning. If you have any comments or feedback, we can develop it into a joint paper that may be useful for all of us to send to friends and family.

Transitioning is happening in the Shire in many small and meaningful ways which are the basis for people to really embrace bite sized changes in their lives on an ongoing basis to achieve the larger goal of adapting to, and even enjoying, a lower energy future.

Join some of the things happening around eg SHAre activities, the Community Gardens, the Central Highlands Goat Club, the Daylesford & District Horticulture Society to name just a few or/and start something with your friends/family/playgroup.

Film night # 41 and Words in Winter book launch

Words in Winter is a celebration of some of our local wordsmiths with a few imports to round things off. From Clunes to Trentham, there is something local for everyone so hop on your bike and pedal along to your nearest gig.

In Daylesford, August 12th at 7pm, Melliodora Publishing will launch Permaculture Pioneers, Stories from the New Frontier at the Neighbourhood Centre new classroom. Talk to the editors, some of the authors and the publishers. Get an insight into the people and the process.

And while you are there, watch Anima Mundi, a new film by Warburton filmaker Peter Charles Downey. Discuss the film with Peter, Adam Grubb from Permablitz and our own David Holmgren. Film starts at 8.15pm.

Winter Solstice Dinner Slideshow

Monday 6.30 ....discussion group at Library (first of three)

As a followup to the Transition Towns Training that was held at the town hall in May, and the decision on the part of that group for an 'official' Transition Towns process to begin for the Hepburn Shire, SHARE has set up a Transition Handbook (Rob Hopkins) discussion group.
The group will meet three times only over the next three months on the SECOND MONDAY EVENING of JULY, AUGUST & SEPTEMBER AT the DAYLESFORD LIBRARY from 6.30 to 8pm. Bring along an interested friend. We are studying one section per month, beginning with our HEADS (as per the Handbook)..... Read the relevant section before the night.
If you would like to know more you can email Laurel Freeland on president@share.asn.au or call her on 5309 2664

If you get this email and visit our blog and have not read the Transition Handbook by Rob Hopkins, now is a good time to do it. This book will help you make sense of HRN activities as they are all actively part of the transition process. The book is available from HRN at $27 (if you can't find one to borrow).

Solstice Dinner

What a night we had at our dinner!

The musicians set the ambience for a celebratory evening that 60 of us contributed to in many different ways. Firstly by contributing things we had grown, preserved been gifted or created ourselves including even our drinks; elderberry wine, gorse flower and elderberry soda and elderberry cordial to mix with fresh mineral water collected on the day.

Gary Thomas came up with a brilliant menu that included a few unusual ingredients like acorn meal and flour, dandelion and chickweed for the nine main dishes and three sweets.

We were all rather surprised by the variety of fresh produce that we managed to come up with in mid winter and how creative people are in making things from nature's abundance.

An able handful of cook's assistants helped Gary to bring his menu to life.

The decorations for the room were created mostly for traditional European solstice greenery and many diners also made themselves laurels to wear for the evening.

A solstice ritual with candles gave thanks to the longest night of the year and then the returning light.

Some quirky stories of how particular ingredients of the dinner had been obtained were shared much to our amusement and Gary told of why he wanted to create a dinner of this kind.

 In keeping with the longest period of darkness of the year, the photos too are a little dark but really give you a feel for the evening.

Thanks to each and every one of you for making the evening such a a grand celebration!

The Economics of Happiness

This has to be the icon film of HRN as it fully illustrates how going local really is a choice strategy in leading us all to a more fulfilling, gentler and just society.

Brought to us by Helena Norberg-Hodge whose previous film, Ancient Futures, was seen by many of you in 2008 at an HRN screening. Her ground-breaking work in the Himalayan region of Ladakh is internationally recognized, and earned her ‘Alternative Nobel Prize.’

Screening at the Savoia Hotel in Hepburn Thursday July 14th at 7.30pm



NOT TO BE MISSED!

National Permaculture Day

National Permaculture Day in Daylesford on the 30th April was a joyous celebration of community spirit. Over 300 people attended the day's activities, workshops, open gardens, talks and meals, some of which you can see in this short film by Patrick Jones.

Event Reminders

Hi folks, as usual there's a lot happening in our area right now. Watch this space for news of exciting developments from the Transition Towns Training at the Daylesford Town Hall last weekend. Here's a link   of up-to-date peak oil resources.

We plan to develop a criterion for material put here on our HRN blog but as yet we haven't had the time to do this. Suggestions as to what we include will be discussed at an upcoming meeting / dinner / film, but feel free to discuss here.

Meanwhile here are few local events I'd like to mention:

Solstice dinner with a difference

On Wednesday June 22^nd HRN will celebrate Yule (the winter solstice/longest night of the year) at the Daylesford Town Hall at 7pm.
This year Gary Thomas is going to make up some shared plates from our ingredients.

The challenge is:
                              we, the eaters of this dinner, provide  all the ingredients from our own gardens, gleaned from public spaces, preserved or processed from either of these, or that have been gifted or that received outside the monetary economy.
We are aiming to have an enjoyable celebration where all ingredients and labour are freely given and shared as a foray into a different approach to living in community.
There will be creative effort put into limiting our buying of anything for the dinner, including energy to cook and stay warm. Discussion over dinner will be invited about where things came from, how they were produced, what we were not able to obtain in this way, etc and there will be an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the ‘gifts’.

Join us in this adventure!
If you'd like to attend, please let us know by June 3^rd what ingredients or help you are able to offer for the dinner so the menu can be constructed,  or simply if you would like to come along .... drinks, music, poetry,etc are other possibilities you could offer to freely share.

Hoping to hear from you soon…
the HRN schemers

Also,

If you're booking into the Transition Training weekend (28/29th May) that's great! You will have to book with SHARE, but could you also let us know, so we have some idea of how many of us HRN representatives can attend....Thanks