Merrivale Community Association (MCA) is ready to run the third annual Sustainable Scarecrow Trail this November.
As part of their “Totally Wild” project, the scarecrows will be built alongside beach clean-up walks and education workshops focussing on the environmental impacts of marine debris.
MCA member Brenda O’Connor said the Scarecrow trail will be on display from November 5, 2022, between 4-6pm.
“Essentially it is about bringing the community together and the community being active in environmentally sustainable projects,” Ms O’Connor said.
A grant from South West Community Foundation, and funding partner the Fletcher Jones Family Foundation, assisted MCA with the ‘behind-the-scenes’ facilitation to establish this year’s project, Ms O’Connor said.
“We have been able to purchase a cage, which has been installed at the Merrivale Football Oval and is housing all of the marine debris which has been captured in the last couple of months,” she said.
“The funding is also helping with some marketing, publicity, printing signs and newsletters, and helping to facilitate some of the workshops.”
Ms O’Connor said it was fantastic knowing the grant from SWCF was raised in the community.
“It reinforces the value of ‘grassroots’, community helping community and supporting each other locally rather than relying on funding bodies further afield,” she said. “It is bringing communities together which wouldn’t happen without this funding.”
SWCF Chair David McIntyre said the Totally Wild program and the Sustainable Scarecrow trail brought together a range of key areas for the Foundation.
“The MCA program includes building connections in the local community especially between residents and the school, helping to build capacity and knowledge in the community, and using an environmental problem to create works of art,” Mr McIntyre said.
“This is almost the perfect type of project SWCF wants to be funding, and knowing the workshops are free to the community is just brilliant.”
The free MCA ‘Totally Wild’ workshops start at the W.A. Fary Pavilion (Merrivale Football Oval) on Merrivale Drive from Sunday 23 October. Register via the MCA Facebook group or email merrivaleca@gmail.com.
Workshops include:
Sunday 23 October, 10am-noon, Levy’s Beach Clean-up with Colleen Hughson
Monday 24 October, 4-5.30pm, Marine Debris workshop with Colleen Hughson
Wednesday 26 October, 4-5.30pm, Sustainable Scarecrow Making workshop
Sunday 20 October, 10am-noon, Levy’s Beach Clean-up with Colleen Hughson
Monday 31 October, 4-5.30pm, Marine Debris workshop with Colleen Hughson
