Explore Your Backyard is an online festival celebrating and nurturing the connection to Country and water during National Water Week, 18-24 October 2021.
You are invited to join our live webinars, on-demand workshops and accss resouces designed to get you outside, using water efficiently in the garden and improving neighbourhood biodiversity.
Put your gardening gloves on, fill up that watering can, and Explore Your Backyard during National Water Week!
Activities and Events
More information and links to come! To keep up with the action and up-coming events follow the Explore Your Backyard Facebook page.
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Our amazing photo competition winners have been choosen! Thank you to all who submitted a photo of how you save water in your backyard. Click here to view the winning entries. |
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Sunday 17 October at 4 pm |
Don't miss the Explore Your Backyard online festival special guest, Costa the Garden Gnome! What will happen when Costa the Garden Gnome and Coliban Water's Managing Director, Damien Wells, sit down for a Sunday afternoon chat? They'll discuss gardening and water, of course! Plus, they will be launching our fantastic online festival for National Water Week. |
| Wednesday 20 October at 12.30 pm |
Bee and Butterfly Encounter Join Sam from Labcoat Learning for an up-close look at bees and butterflies! Learn why bees and butterflies are great for our gardens. Plus, find out about the importance of water for invertebrates and how you can help. |
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Thursday 21 October at 12.30 pm |
*This event requires bookings. Join Dr Holly Parsons from Birdlife Australia, and explore the wonderful world of birds. Holly is the Urban Bird Program Manager and will share tips on how to identify the birds that visit your backyard or nearby parkland. Holly also has useful ideas to help you provide habitat and resources for our feathered friends. |
On demand videos and resources
Rodney Carter and Rueben Berg on Cultural Values in Waterways
Filmed at VicWater's 2021 conference, Rodney Carter and Rueben Berg speak about First Nation's cultural values in waterways. Rodney is a descendant of Dja Dja Wurrung and Yorta Yorta people and Ruben is a proud Gunditjmara man from Melbourne. They offer suggestions that not only work to preserve our waterways but provide a broader perspective on how we can all keep working towards reconciliation. Secondary & adult
Join Wadawurrung Traditional Owners and Central Highland Water staff to see how a modern scar tree is created. (3 min video, on demand) Secondary & adult
School and pre-school aged children will love these animated experiment videos with Wally the Water Scientist. Created by Goulburn Valley Water, each experiment is supported with a worksheet. Primary & kindergarten with adult support.
Wally & The Water Cycle
Learn about the water cycle and how to make your own in a bag. worksheet
Wally & Rain Gauges
Learn what a rain gauge is and how to make your own. worksheet
Wally & Walking Water
Learn how water moves and discover primary/secondary colours. worksheet
Wally & The State of Water
Did you know that water behaves differently when its temperature changes? worksheet
Mulching your garden can save up to 70% of water from evaporating. Find out about different mulches and help your garden thrive in this 4-minute video from North East Water. Primary, secondary, adults
Outdoor water use accounts for 25-50% of the average home’s water consumption. Gardens are an area where huge amounts of water are wasted. Visit Smart Approved WaterMark’s website to read about ways you can save water. Secondary & adult
Nature study & nature play activity matrix
Build greater awareness, appreciation and understanding of the natural world! The matrix combines Bloom's Taxonomy and Multiple Intelligences to provide students with tasks that are accessible and appealing. Primary & kindergarten with adult support.
The ins and outs of a bug hotel
Explore the benefits of insects in helping to pollinate plants, and learn how to make a bug hotel to encourage more insects into your garden. Barwon Water shows you how. Primary with adult help, all ages.
How to plant native grasses and shrubs
Learn how to select and plant native and indigenous plants in your garden to improve the biodiversity of insects and native fauna that visit your patch. Primary.
Upcycle a jar into a rain gauge
A perfect rainy-day activity from East Gippsland Water. Make a rain gauge from a jar and measure how much rain you collect.
Providing Water for Wildlife
Healesville Sanctuary Vet Kath will show you the best way to leave water out for local wildlife during the summer months. More tips on helping wildlife in summer. Primary, all ages.
Water Wise Chatterbox
Download and print this origami chatterbox to help teach children about the importance of using water wisely! Primary
Going Green when we Clean
Discover some simple recipes for cleaning products to use around the home. Many store-bought cleaners contain harsh chemicals, you'll also discover some of the impacts that these chemicals can have on the environment. Recipes available. All ages, children with adult help.
Willow control in our waterways
Find out the benefits in removing willows from our waterways. Secondary and adult.
Growing indigenous plants around waterways and on cleared farmland improves raw water quality. Find out more in this short video made by Bass Coast Landcare Network & Westernport Water. Secondary and adult.
