38th annual Sunshine Coast environment and community celebrates World Environment Day

Now in its 38th year, the Sunshine Coast Environment Council (SCEC) once again hosts the annual World Environment Day (WED) Festival on Sunday, 4th June at Cotton Tree.

It’s a free family friendly party in the park to celebrate all we love about the region’s environment and community spirit. WED has been the celebratory cornerstone for inspiring an ecologically responsible lifestyle and active participation in environmentalism on the Sunshine Coast since 1979.
Festival goers will be treated to the bangin’ beats of Coast favourite OKA who are headlining the event plus a fabulous line-up of performers. Byron Bay act Sapote, The Andrea Kirwin Band, Dan Horne, The Strangest Dreamers and Sam Hay Music will weave fabulous grooves to create the perfect mood to take in the beauty of the majestic Maroochy River.

Whether you’re enjoying the entertainment from the comfort of a picnic blanket, the dancefloor or from the Stone & Wood Jetty Bar, there are multiple ways to experience Cotton Tree’s famed foreshore ambience.
The Festival will have an enhanced focus on the region’s wonderful community groups, providing participants with ample opportunity to get involved in their area of interest or to discover a new interest! “We’ll have groups there representing all facets of the environment” said Event organiser and SCEC Coordinator, Leah Hays.
“Community gardens, the renewables sector, permaculture, coast care, marine conservation, wildlife rescue, sustainable development, ethical consumerism, creative industries, and even surfing. There is an opportunity for everyone!” Festival favourites such as live street art, an electric car display, wildlife shows, craft, speakers program and a sustainable fashion show continue as features to inform and entertain.
This year’s event has adopted the theme “The power of choice is in our hands.” Ms Hays explained. “We chose this theme as it embodies one of the key reasons why we hold this unique award-winning Festival year after year as a beacon of the United Nations international World Environment Day celebrations.
It is time to take back our power as people, and realise that we have the power to create change by simply looking at the choices we make in our everyday lives”
“We can create cleaner oceans by consuming less plastic, we can encourage a broad scale switch to renewable energy by divesting money from banks that invest in fossil fuels and we can create a brighter future for our children by simply getting them outside enjoying nature. Humans are both the problem and the solution – it’s our choice as to which one we are.”
A traditional Welcome to Country will open the Festival, followed by addresses from Mayor Mark Jamieson and Mayor Tony Wellington. A jam packed speakers program runs throughout the day including environmental experts speaking about everything from the local food revolution, latest research in the renewables field and how to take part in your own backyard bush care. New to WED this year is a dedicated renewables exhibit showcasing environmental innovation and technology in the business sector.
Children will be treated to a host of entertaining and educational craft and musical workshops in the Children’s Forest, ranging from flower crown making and marigold planting, to bush critter art and a drumming circle.
“It’s more important than ever to be informed about what is happening around us both locally and globally. We don’t always need to hold a sign to be an activist, we just simply need to be ourselves, discover what we’re passionate about and use this to create a better world.” Miss Hays concluded.
If you breathe air, drink water, swim in the ocean, and eat food from the Earth – then World Environment Day is about and for you!
For further information visit the World Environment Day Festival website www.wed.org.au or follow on Facebook