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Solutions to Plastic Pollution
Our mission is to raise awareness and bring the community together to reflect on how they interact with the local environment. The focus of World Environment Day 2023 is Solutions to Plastic Pollution, we want to provide our community with valuable knowledge on how to combat this significant issue. More importantly, we will provide practical knowledge and tools that people can implement in their daily lives to start reducing their waste and plastic use. Our events cater to the entire community, from children and families to those already interested in sustainability, and those who are just starting out on their sustainability journey. We have a range of events organised, from workshops to immerse yourself in nature, art shows and workshops, and a documentary screening. We look forward to seeing you there!
Take part in Council's events for World Environment Day
Book your tickets below, or view all bookable events.
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Date: 5-7pm, Monday May 29th
Facilitator: Hooked on Nature (Tom)
Location: Hunts Creek Reserve, Carlingford
Description: Discover some of the creatures that rule the night on this nighttime tour through TBC. From bats, to owls, frogs to insects, join us as we demystify the nocturnal animals of Parramatta. This guided tour will help to reduce anxiety of the creepy crawly and misunderstood animals, showcasing how important all species are in our local ecosystem. With the help of spotlights, binoculars, and bat detectors you can be sure to see some of the iconic species of the night, and you can be sure that there will be things that you won’t expect. This tour is suitable for anyone with an interest in nature, ages 5 and up.
Suitable for: Ages 5+. Those interested in biodiversity
Register Now
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Date: 7:30am-2:30pm, Wednesday May 31
Facilitator: Environment and Sustainability Team
Location: Centenary Square Farmers Market
Description: The Environment and Sustainability Team will be hanging out at the farmers market to chat about all things sustainability. With a whole host of events planned for World Environment Day this is your chance to find out what’s on near you and how you can get involved this World Environment Day on June 5th. The theme for this year is Solutions to Plastic Pollution which are vital to restoring our delicate ecosystems. Grab a bite to eat at the Farmers Market and then speak with us to get some tips on how to reduce your impact on the environment.
Suitable for: General public.
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Date: 10:30am-11:30am Thursday June 1st
Facilitator: Adventure Kids
Location: Wentworth Point Community Centre Library
Description: This fun and educational session will get children thinking about recycling and how they can look after the environment. Adventure Kids is a fun and interactive experience that features awesome characters and catchy tunes that will delight the whole family. Discover some easy and accessible changes that you can make at home to reduce your environmental impact like using less plastic or recycling more. Bring the family along for this fun show that’ll leave your kids inspired to look after our planet through simple actions that, when multiplied, make a big difference!
Suitable for: Kids & families.
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Date: 11am-2pm Friday June 2nd
Facilitator: Roving Characters
Location: Parramatta Square
Description: There will be some funky characters wandering around Parramatta Square Friday June 2nd, spreading the word about the importance of disposing of your rubbish correctly. The fantastic Litter Buttlers will be working hard to keep the streets clean from 11am-2pm, so swing on by to see them in action! These Roving Characters know how to get the message across in a fun and enthusiastic way, to make sure you come by to see their wild antics in action!
Suitable for: General public.
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Date: 11am-12pm Saturday June 3rd
Facilitator: The Bower
Location: Newington Community Centre
Description: What better way to get back into cycling and save some money than learning how to repair your bike! Celebrate World Bike Day with us in this informative workshop where you can learn the necessary skills to make repairs to your bike. All the tools and equipment will be provided, you just need yourself, some comfortable clothes, and a willingness to learn! By the end of the session you’ll leave with the confidence and knowledge to repair a flat, do some safety checks, and clean and oil those pesky bike chains.
Suitable for: General public. Those who cycle.
Register Now
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Date: 10:30am-11:30am Saturday June 3rd
Facilitator: Adventure Kids
Location: Parramatta Library at PHIVE
Description: This fun and educational session will get children thinking about recycling and how they can look after the environment. Adventure Kids is a fun and interactive experience that features awesome characters and catchy tunes that will delight the whole family. Discover some easy and accessible changes that you can make at home to reduce your environmental impact like using less plastic or recycling more. Bring the family along for this fun show that’ll leave your kids inspired to look after our planet through simple actions that, when multiplied, make a big difference!
Suitable for: Kids & families.
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Date: 10am-12pm, Sunday June 4th
Facilitator: Julz Strykowski
Location: Parramatta Library at PHIVE
Description: Join Parramatta environmental champion Julia ‘Julz’ Strykowski for a fun creative session to transform waste into one-of-kind art pieces! This is a family friendly event that will be running at PHIVE on Sunday June 4th from 10am-12pm, and everyone involved will take home a unique repurposed-plastic art piece. Unleash your creative potential and learn about the importance of correctly disposing of plastic waste, and that even rubbish can become art! Julz is a passionate champion of environmental causes and was named City of Parramatta 2023 Citizen of the Year. Julz is also involved in numerous other groups including Boomerang Bags Parramatta, PluckFastic, and Friends of Toongabbie Creek, and has a wealth of knowledge to share with us all.
Suitable for: Kids and families
Register now -
Date: Monday June 5th
Facilitator: Dr Sarah Brikke
Location: Mobbs Lane Reserve, Epping
Description: Hosted by Dr Sarah Brikke, this nature immersion session will engage, amuse and educate your children on the beauty and joy of the environment. This session is aimed at 5-9 yr olds but younger children are welcome and will take place at Mobbs Lane Reserve, Epping. The Nature Play Session focuses on getting children back outside and re-introducing them to the magic of nature, something many of us have become disconnected to over the last few years.
There is a growing body of research that shows how important direct exposure to nature is for childhood development and the benefits of nature to the physical and mental health of both children and adults. Instilling a sense of connection with our environment is a fantastic way to help the entire family appreciate and protect their local environment. Nature Play allows children to immerse themselves in unstructured play outdoors, supporting their development and building their resilience and creativity.
This session will help to boost their imagination through collaborative play and can help develop greater resistance to stress and illness. It has been proven that children who regularly participate in nature play-based activities have a much lesser tendency to engage in bullying behaviour, and this can help them build a higher sense of self-worth. Book in now as places are limited!
Suitable for: Kids & families
Register now -
Date: 10:30am – 12pm & 12:30pm – 2pm Monday 5 and Tuesday 6 June
Facilitator: Emily Besser
Location: PHIVE, Level 3
Description: As part of World Environment Day at PHIVE we invite you to join us for ‘Shared Cities: Hopeful Futures’: free collage workshops with artist Emily Besser. Supported by poetic and visual prompts, participants will be provided with images to create one or more collage works that touch on their personal experiences of the metropolis and nature. These workshops are an invitation to playfully consider our shared urban and nature environments while experimenting with repurposed materials.
Suitable for: People aged 16+
Register now
Artwork by Emily Besser -
Date: 11:00AM-01:00PM Tuesday June 6th
Facilitator: Sue Lambert
Location: Parramatta Library at PHIVE 5 Parramatta Square, Parramatta NSW 2150
Description: Can you swap your liquid soap to bar soap next time you need to replenish your hand wash? Can you try a bamboo toothbrush instead of a plastic one for a change? Can you choose your apples from the loose pile instead of the pre-packaged area? Come and explore all the simple things we could do to help reduce plastic waste and make our homes and community a healthy place. Our facilitator, Sue Lambert, is a whole and natural foods chef in Sydney with a passion for sustainability and health.
Suitable for: ages 18yrs +.
Register now -
Date: 7:30am-2:30pm Wednesday June 7th
Facilitator: Heritage and Bushcare Teams
Location: Centenary Square
Description: Are you looking for a new plant to brighten up your backyard? What better choice than an Australian Native plant! Our Bushcare and Heritage teams will be giving away 500 free native plants from the City of Parramatta at the Farmers Market on Wednesday June 5th, 7:30-2:30. We’ll also have our team available to chat about how you can make your life more sustainable and positively contribute to conservation efforts like Bushcare. Plants are limited to 2 per person.
Suitable for: General public.
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Event Name: Black Sun, Blood Moon
Date: 7:00-9:30pm Wednesday June 7
Company: Critical Stages Touring Production
Location: Riverside Theatres
Description:
Riverside Theatres Presents Black Sun/ Blood Moon
A Critical Stages Touring Production
Written & Directed by Chris Bendall
From Writer/Director Chris Bendall comes a fantastic new story about the power of every person to find their voice, and save the world.
Two intertwining stories – one magical, the other all too real – bring two unlikely heroes to the stage in a new work inspired by the Fridays for Future student-led protests of 2019. Black Sun / Blood Moon follows Maddy, a ten-year-old climate champion, and Katie, the underachieving assistant of a climate denying politician, as they set out to save the planet.
When Paul unwittingly inspires his young daughter Maddy to take part in a school climate strike, their lives are turned upside down irrevocably. Maddy’s journey will put her at increasing risk as she takes her message to the powers that be, while Katie will find herself on the back of eagles and dolphins as she attempts to fulfill a fantastical quest from the future.
Suitable for: ages 12+
Book now
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Date: 7pm, Thursday, June 8
Location: Riverside Theatres
Description:
Over the last three decades, coral cover on the Great Barrier Reef has halved. More than a third of fish stocks in our waters are now over-exploited or have status “unknown”. And this year alone, 50 million plastic bags will enter the litter stream from Australia, making our country the second largest waste producer, per capita.
Featuring passionate advocates for ocean preservation, Blue is a provocative mix of scientific essay, investigative journalism and arresting imagery. Tackling themes of habitat destruction, species loss and pollution, Blue takes us into the ocean realm where we witness ocean change first hand. And as we learn of the ecological crimes occurring worldwide, we also uncover the shocking truths happening on our own Australian shorelines.
Blue comes at a time when we are making critical decisions, which will decide the legacy we leave for generations to come. Australia has the opportunity to be seen as a marine conservation leader. We have the greatest tropical reefs and potentially the biggest network of marine sanctuaries on the Planet. 90% of the creatures here occur nowhere else in the world. But can we step up to the plate and save our oceans?
Suitable for: People interested in conservation, the ocean and documentaries
Book now
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Date: 10-11:30am, Saturday June 10th
Facilitator: Hooked on Nature (Tom)
Location: Lake Parramatta
Description: The workshop focuses on the habitat requirements of frogs, and how to use simple techniques to create frog hotels using repurposed household items. There is an educational focus on amphibian conservation that addresses broader ecological threats and actions people can take to help.
All materials to help create the frog hotels will be supplied.
Suitable for adults and young adults aged 14 years and older (14-17 year old children must be supervised by an adult). Please note, this activity is not suited to young children. All participants must be registered to attend.
This is a COVID-safe event - please do not attend if you have any symptoms of Covid or have tested positive to COVID.
Suitable for: People interested in conservation/environmental issues
Book now
