IT makes sense a spot like the Green Depot would spring up in this age of environmental consciousness and what better spot than Bunbury, a small city with a laid back attitude which seems to ooze from the town.
The Green Depot is an urban nursery owned by Kim Rossiter, and together with Kerry Gelmi they run environmentally friendly arts and crafts sessions with an educational recycling message underlying the hour long class.
It’s very green at the Green Depot, plants hanging from the ceiling and various arts projects made from steel, paper, plastic and just about every recycled material the pair can get their hands on.
The entire place has a very Alice in Wonderland meets The Secret Garden type vibe going on, with old couches and a pot plant made of industrial waste, welded together and planted with cacti.
Wednesday was a chance for me to pop in and get my hands dirty in the name of journalism.
I’m an arty sorta guy at the best of times so the experience wasn’t foreign to me, in fact it was right up my ally.
Myself and the entirely female group – an aspect the Green Depot are keen to change – were going to be making terrariums, small jars with their own self sustained plant ecosystem inside.
They’re then sealed off and left to their own devices, creating a microcosmic example of how our own planet functions. Mine now sits on my desk.
We started by filling our jars with rocks, to keep the moisture out, then in layers, sphagnum moss, charcoal, soil and then green moss on top, with a little gem in the middle to add a spiritual touch.
It was a different opportunity, I could see so many practical applications for.
First of all, the class is very therapeutic, focusing on the terrarium put all other issues out of an addled mind and I found myself relaxing.
Then there is the recycling aspect, turning something old into something new was poetic and practical.
The environmental spin also has strong educational applications, primary school science classes, art classes, even society and environment classes could benefit from the practical approach the Green Depot employ.
The promotion of an alternative way of living is clearly the goal at the Green Depot and who better to teach about sustainability than young minds?
The terrarium was one project of many Kim has been teaching using entirely recycled materials for their art projects.
Strange fan like creations hang from the walls of the Green Depot, evidence of a past project made from old Reader’s Digest magazines.
Even the packaging and envelopes Kim uses in the store to post out or wrap products is made from old magazines, recycled into strangely fashionable product packaging.
The entire operation had a fresh and vibrant feel to it, and as Kerry put it, “it’s a new type of social scene.”
Anyone is invited to come along and check out the classes which have different projects going all the time.
I was sitting next to Judy Garman, a dedicated supporter of the Green Depot.
Ms Garman told me the hour long classes were a social gathering as well as a chance to have fun with a new project.
If you are up for a challenge and want to get crafty at the urban nursery, email kim@thegreendepot.com.au to be put on the mailing list or head down to 4/12 Stuart Street.
