Canberra and South East Region Environment Centre

Canberra and South East Region Environment Centre The Canberra and South East Region Environment Centre (CASEREC) is the oldest environmental organisation in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). It formed in 1974 as an umbrella group to represent and provide services for other environment or environment-related groups. In 2005 it changed its trading name to Canberra Environment and Sustainability Resource Centre to better reflect the direction of the environment movement and the work it was undertaking in the community. Member groups of CASEREC over the years have included the Canberra Organic Growers Society, Canberra Ornitholgists Group, Friends of Grasslands, Nature and Society Forum, Zero Waste Australia, South East Forest Alliance, Canberra Bushwalkers, National Park Association of the ACT and Pedal Power. The Centre also has an affiliation with the Conservation Council of the ACT (ConsACT).

In 1978 the ACT government provided CASEREC with premises in community space adjacent to the Austrlaian National University (ANU). In 2007 the ACT government and the ANU combined to redevelop the site and CASEREC was relocated to premises at Acton, on the edge of the ANU campus. The premises houses the largest environment library in the ACT, consisting of over 5000 printed items relating to environment and sustainability and including a vast resource of material on the environmental and development history of the ACT and surrounding region.

From 1980 to 2001 CASEREC published a regular journal, Bogong, which investigated issues of local environmental significance. In 2002-03 the Centre began a new journal, Ecoview, which was discontinued after only three issues. The main work of the Centre now is working with community groups, schools, businesses or individuals to promote sustainability and sustainable practices. Some successful projects have included "The Art of Moving" which used creative media to engage the community on the subject of active transport; "Go Green Get Lean" - a cycle-to-work program; and "Food for Life" which encourages local food production and consumption.

Many prominent environmentalists and academics have been associated with CASEREC in the past, including Professor Steve Dovers(ANU), former ACT MLA Kerrie Tucker, Professor Valerie Brown (ANU), the late Dr Val Plumwood, naturalist and historian Ian Fraser, Dr Robin Tennant-Wood (University of Canberra) and ZeroWaste's Gerry Gillespie.

References

Bogong, 1987-2001 held at the National Library of Australia http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/860080 Ecoview, 2002, held at the ACT Heritage Library Newsletter of the Canberra and South East Region Environment Centre, 1988-1992, held at the National Library of Australia http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/411189

External links

http://www.ecoaction.com.au/