By Jodie Symonds
IT WON’T be an everyday market at the Yarra Valley ECOSS’ Annual Spring Fest, with refugees being the main focus.
Held on Sunday 25 September at Yarra Valley ECOSS in Wesburn, the Annual Spring Fest will have an array of activities and interactive attractions to educate visitors about the rising number of environmental refugees.
Officer Manager at ECOSS, Chelsea McNab said the inspiration for this year’s theme was personal.
“I just asked myself ‘what can I do to help with refugee education?’” Ms McNab said.
“Look at the Kiribati Island (located in the South Pacific) – it can’t grow any food because of the high salinity and it is only 750 metres wide and four metres above sea level.
“It’s slowly sinking and the people need to go somewhere.”
She said the event is about educating people about refugees coming from places like Kiribati.
The spring fest will feature speakers including Sister Colleen Jackson, a psychologist who has worked with refugees, specialising in torture.
“People think there are only war refugees but that isn’t the case,” Ms McNab said.
“It’s something new and you don’t find these at any old market.”
She said the event will showcase earth-bag and green furniture school groups had been building.
“In Kathmandu last year, the only buildings that survived were the earth bags,” she said.
Paper lotus flowers, storytelling by Melbourne storyteller Simon Oates and a geodesic dome are just some of the activities on offer for the kids to enjoy.
Tickets cost $5 per person or $10 per family.
To help volunteer or for any information, email info@ecoss.org.au.
