Individuals

There is a simple and effective answer to reducing the impact of plastics on our environment – simply stop using so much of it. Local resident Belinda Coates has done just that, employing simple, cheap and effective solutions to cut her plastic waste to almost zero.

Local permaculture expert, Rowe Morrow, has adapted her home to reduce her impact on the environment, cope with climate change, flooding, heat, drought, fire and rising energy and food costs. She provides inspiration and guidance for how we can too.

Aunty Carol Cooper is a humble woman with a big heart and an important message for humanity.

Ken and Carol’s sustainable home in Leura offers insights into eco-friendly building design we can all take inspiration from.

Looking for somewhere to escape the heat? Cool Mountains have you covered with our list of air-conditioned and naturally cooler spaces open to anyone. And they are all mostly free to access.

Setting up a basic system for recycling grey water is cheap, easy and worthwhile. Read about a garden in North Leura and learn from a permaculture designer how it can be done.

Katoomba artist, writer and scholar Teya Brooks Pribac has spent the last two decades learning about the rich, complex lives and contributions of the animals who are our allies in creating a habitable planet. As part of her animal advocacy she's written Enter the Animal and Not Just Another Vegan Cookbook. New work on animal cultures is on the horizon.

After focusing on protecting NSW wilderness areas for more than 30 years, conservationist Keith Muir turns his attention to his own Blue Mountains backyard.

Sara Reilly rehabilitated her rundown garden in the heart of Katoomba into an enticing environment for the local wildlife, including dancing satin bowerbirds. She reveals the slow but richly rewarding process.

Troubled by my weekly packaging waste, I compared leftover packaging from a sample shop at the Blue Mountains Food Co-op with a similar supermarket shop. The results were enlightening.