Artist enlivens compost bin

New compost bin, artist enhanced Paul and the bin, mates Compare the painted bin with its sister - what it used to look like . . . The compost bin painted by Graham Chalcroft is ‘in the house’. It’s a B E A Uty. Thanks so much, Graham. Paul and I put it in place today, near the corner of Rose and Myrtle.  Now we need to name it. Ideas, anyone? May the artists... Read More

Jessica’s Xmas story

Jessica Perini edited the second edition of my book, Sustainable House.  During the editing we became good friends.  Jessica’s professionalism was a delight.  Her editing greatly improved the book.  We discovered a mutual interest in food, gardening and nature, and it was partly through that friendship I discovered the Asylum Seekers Centre in Surry Hills and gave them... Read More

Asylum Seekers Gardeners

Asylum Seekers Centre gardeners and friends L to R: Teresa, Robyn, Stefan, Vera, Michael, Jessica, Figgy the bird, Auntie Fran When the newly planted food forest at the Asylum Seekers Centre in Surry Hills was launched in December a photo was taken of the gardeners standing in the garden at the front, including Auntie Fran who suggested indigenous food and medicine plants, Figgy... Read More

Food facts

One of my Xmas gifts was a terrific booklet, The Guide to Ethical Supermarket Shopping, published by Ethical.org….au – thanks Beth. Using it and other sources I’m adding another topic to my blog, Food facts (that’s its ‘Tag’ – to see all my blogs by topic you may search for them by clicking on a ‘Tag”). One of our greatest powers... Read More

Blue tongue lizard on back deck today!

Blue tongue lizard on back deck today Don’t ask me where it’s come from but today I saw a blue tongue lizard on the back deck. It looks well fed. I don’t think it can get into the chook run, but I’m not sure.  If it did it may eat the eggs, I suppose. I’m amazed. May the lizards be with us, Michael  Read More

Bob through the window

Bob looking through my window Bob and Bert, the chooks in the run outside the kitchen window, love to see what’s happening inside the house. Who knows, some cooking may be underway and some tucker may be about to be thrown through the kitchen window to peck? Lottie, who has the blog, A place a day, took this lovely photo through one of the windows (it’s got raindrops... Read More

Terrific photos of the house

Lottie’s put some terrific photos of the house, chooks, bees and things up on her blog, here: aplaceaday.blogspot.com… Thanks, Lottie, may the photos be with you, Michael  Read More

Coogee community garden on the way

Coogee community gardeners, the design team and Mayor Matson Last Sunday we held a design workshop on the proposed community garden site along Dolphin Street, Coogee, about 400 metres from Coogee Beach. Beth Kalin, an architect in my office, had drawn up some concepts and Nathan Kelly, who is studying the sociology of food, met the Coogee locals on site where some gardening and... Read More

Nuts n tough things in compost . . . do they go?

Elizabeth, who uses the road garden compost bins, emailed me, asking: Can I put these things in the composting bins? avocado seeds pistachio shells (and other nut shells) coffee grounds mango pips olive pips And, I answered, “Yes, all those can go in.” They take a while longer but they decay. And Council’s Helen Bradley, Senior Project Coordinator , Waste... Read More

Waste doco that includes Chippo in Flickerfest

The new short film documentary, Waste Not, will have it’s world premier at the Flickerfest in Sydney in January and the programme guide on the festival web page says: ‘Waste Not Australia Directed By Ruth Hessey What keeps a 21st Century metropolis like Sydney clean and sparkling? Even as we hover on the brink of a monumental eco-catastrophe, an army of truck drivers,... Read More

  • Michael Mobbs

    Michael is a former Environmental Lawyer who is uniquely placed to consult in four main areas:

    • Sustainability Coach and Speaker,
    • Sustainable Urban Farm Design greening, watering and cooling the cityscape, roads, parks, suburbs,
    • Major Projects Consultant Commercial and Industrial,
    • Residential Sustainability Consultant.
    For permission to re-print any articles or to book Michael for a speaking engagement go to Contacts. Please ensure all quotes from Michael's blog include a reference to sustainablehouse.com....au.