CERES is 25

CERES is 25

CERES Story

CERES was a seed in the minds of people, long before anything existed on the ground…

CERES site 1981

CERES, the Centre for Education and Research in Environmental Strategies, began with a dream. This dream was of a place that would demonstrate practices of environmental sustainability and social equity, built on principles of community participation and cultural richness.

The CERES site was formerly a blue stone quarry and a rubbish tip. In the 1970’s, in response to emerging social and economic issues, local community members gathered to envisage transforming the site into a community model of a more socially just and sustainable society. The people approached the Local Brunswick Council and in 1983 were granted long term stewardship of the land. It was a desolate and damaged environment, with not even a single tree. Countless community people; newly arrived migrants, long term unemployed people, young people and volunteers were inspired to rehabilitate the land as the first step towards creating this dream. A permaculture plan for the site guided the early projects, which included revegetation, building, landscaping and community garden construction.

After many years of dedication to the vision, plus plenty of hard work, this land gradually became fertile once again, the gardens bloomed and the orchards were laden with fruit.

CERES had begun.

CERES in 2008

CERES has grown beyond the 10 acre site – increasing its environmental stewardship and embracing its responsibility and role in local and global communities. For example:

Merri Creek Market Garden
CERES now also manages a 2.5 acre organically certified market garden along the Merri Creek near Harding Street, Coburg. Produce grown at the Harding Street gardens supplies the twice weekly CERES Market, CERES Cafe and a number of food cooperatives. Visit the Organic Farm and Market .

CERES Global
CERES Global is working with and learning from local, national and international communities in India, Indonesia and East Timor that support human development in an environmentally sustainable manner.

CERES Education
CERES on-site excursionsare flourishing and now CERES runs education programs in school settings, including AuSSi – Australian Sustainable Schools initiative Victoria.

CERES Centre
CERES is building CERES Centre - a new green Centre on site, to cater for its growth, to meet community need and to act as a lighthouse for CERES Global initiatives. Stage One of the CERES Centre was opened on March 7th, 2007 and works for Stage Two have just begun.

The CERES Centre includes a multi purpose group of buildings in gardens around a central piazza, with cascading landscaping onto the CERES site. The buildings comprise a reception/ orientation centre, a nursery, a hall - used for performing arts and sustainability forums, a large café, an exhibition space and a many diverse community workshop spaces including a community kitchen. It will also be the headquarters of CERES staff and volunteers.

CERES is still seeking funding for the final stage of the project, for more information contact the Project Coordinator: Cathy Nixon ph: +61 (3) 9387 2609.

CERES Centre