Mayor Rattenbury has the happy news that The Green Shed (formerly Tiny’s) has handed over $10,000 to The Yellow Van:
Minister for Territory and Municipal Services, Shane Rattenbury, will tomorrow present a cheque for $10,000 to The Yellow Van on behalf of The Green Shed (formerly known as Tiny’s Green Shed).
The $10,000 was raised by The [...]

Territory and Municipal Services have begun work to free Jerrabomberra Creek from the clutches of an invasive willow.
“The ACT Government has committed $55,000 toward the control of exotic and invasive weed species along Jerrabomberra Creek and to revegetate the area with native species,” said Warren Nicholls, Chair of the Jerrabomberra Wetlands Board of Management. “The [...]

Shane Rattenbury has annoucned that SITA Australia has won the contract to handle our garbage:
A new contract has been awarded for the provision of domestic waste and recycling collection services in the ACT, Minister for Territory and Municipal Services, Shane Rattenbury, announced today.
“I’m pleased to announce that SITA Australia (SITA) has been awarded the [...]

SEE-Change just sent us this alarming video to promote their lecture, Our Hungry Future, which is happening tomorrow.
Event: A public lecture by Julian Cribb, Our Hungry Future, followed by a short question and answer session. Our Minister for Territory and Municipal Services, Shane Rattenbury, speak briefly on the government’s food security position.
Where: [...]

Campaign Launch, 10 am today – Friday 17th May, outside Tuggeranong Library
Time Travellers return to Canberra from the year 2020.  They’ve got a message for you:  Our Future is Hungry
Food Security is gaining prominence as an issue of global importance, yet most of us have not considered how threats to food security would impact upon [...]

The National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme has recycled over 3000 tones of e-waste in it’s first year, announced Shane Rattenbury today.
This is a good thing. We produce more and more e-waste every year as a society.
“Since the introduction of the scheme on 15 May 2012, the Canberra community has handed over 3,076 tonnes of [...]

Simon Corbell has announced he’s tweaking the heritage protection rules:
Appeal provisions will no longer apply against a decision by the Council not to provisionally register a place or object. Property owners will still be able to appeal a decision to register their place.
The amendments maintain the independence of the Heritage Council, while also providing [...]

There will be an information day about the lower Ginninderra Creek on Sunday.
It is about all sorts of Landcare stuff but the bit that interests me is Ginninderra Falls National Park and what is happening!

Shane Rattenbury has tweeted the rangers work in Namadgi National Park which has seen snow on this grey day:
First snow in Namadgi today – thanks TAMS rangers @tamsmediaroomfor the great pics. twitter.com/ShaneRattenbur…
— Shane Rattenbury (@ShaneRattenbury) May 15, 2013

This just in which will be of interest to some of you:
Become part of a team of trained Volunteer Interpreters who help visitors at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve and Namadgi National Park to better understand and appreciate the natural world.
Volunteer Interpreters provide information and interpretation to visitors at the Visitor Centres at Namadgi and Tidbinbilla as [...]

In a tale that’s been slowly unfolding over the past few months, we’ve gone from ANU promising to stop investing in one gas company, to refusing to share info on its other investments, to being forced to release those documents under the freedom of information act.
What have the students behind the Fossil Free ANU movement [...]

One has to admire the ingenuity of smokers to find new and exciting ways to dispose of their filthy by-products.
One has to wonder who was the first to stub one out here and then I guess the others just followed the lead.
It’s on Ainslie Avenue just across the road from the Legislative Assembly.
Got an image [...]

Rawhide Kid Part 3 tipped us off that they appear to be dismantling the cranes at the Dam construction site.
You can, of course, watch this whole thing from the DamCam.
I kinda liked the cranes being there, and after they survived being deluged with flood water I feel they had earned their spot.

Dannybear has sent this one in for help from the hivemind:
Hello! wondering if anybody knows what this is?
a yellow thing poked out of it for a second but not long enough to ID, its about 6 inches long, thanks!
dannybear

TAMS are letting you all know they’re busy revegetating and placing woody debris:
“Since European settlement, Canberra’s woodland communities have diminished and become highly fragmented due to urban growth and development, making it difficult for animal populations to move across the landscape,” Mr Iglesias said.
“A project has been underway since 2011 to reconnect these woodland communities [...]

The asbestos on the Mt Stromlo bike path has been there for over 40 years. It is associated with the ruins of what is locally known as the Magnetic Hut (not to be confused with The Magnetic Hut on ANU Campus).
Back in 1973 it was situated in a pine forest. You could see [...]

TAMS are letting the world know about a teeny tiny eastern pygmy possum found at the Blue Range Hut campground off Brindabella Road:
The eastern pygmy possum is listed as vulnerable under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995.
“Our staff were undertaking maintenance work on a dead tree at the Blue Range campground which was posing a [...]

TAMS are warning us that new European Wasp queens are breeding right now:
“The tell-tale sign of a nest is a steady stream of wasps flying in and out of a hole leading to where the nest is hidden away. Wasp nests are usually located underground or are built into the structure of the house such [...]

Got a great environment idea that just needs some government money to fly? Simon Corbell wants to hear from you:
Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development, Simon Corbell, today called for applications for the 2013-14 ACT Environment Grant program.
“The grants will provide $176,000 to the ACT community to carry out on-ground environmental projects,” Mr Corbell [...]

This little gem has been tweeted in to us.
@the_riotact One of this m/gs better #recycling efforts in #Canberra. R we really this lazy??? #Tipfeestoohigh #Fail twitter.com/SpyCBA/status/…
— CBA Spy (@SpyCBA) April 23, 2013

(We really prefer you email them in to images@the-riotact.com , emails form a task queue, if we’re afk when a tweet comes in it [...]

[ 1 June, 2013; 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm. ] World Environment Day Dinner – 1 June 2013

Celebrate World Environment Day with a four-course feast and live entertainment at the Conservation Council’s annual fundraising dinner.

‘Think, Eat, Save’ is the United Nations theme this year, and ‘Eat’ will be emphasised as you feast on some of the tastiest local food around fresh from the sustainable kitchen [...]

There is nothing quite as rewarding as the feeling of sourcing your electricity free from the sun.
And if you live on a farm not connected to the electricity grid, installing an off grid solar system is usually the cheapest, most effective and most sustainable way to secure your power needs – and protect [...]

A Labour of Love— Celebrating Landcare in the ACT is a new book being released as a part of the Canberra and Region Heritage Festival. It’s launching today
Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development, Simon Corbell, has today joined local Landcare volunteers in celebrating the useful contribution they make in conserving our beautiful natural landscapes.
“The [...]

The Bureau has changed its website. Cue screams.
But they are warning that all the regions surrounding the ACT are getting wild weather coming up from Bass Strait.
A low currently east of Bass Strait will deepen and move northwards in the vicinity of NSW coast today. A trough associated with the low will trigger gale [...]

The Australia Institute is inviting us to a conversation between Richard Denniss and Bob Brown.
Since the last time Bob Brown spoke to Politics in the Pub he has resigned from Parliament, created the Bob Brown Foundation which aims to help front-line environmentalists, as well as led a Sea Shepherd anti-whaling mission.
In an election year [...]

TAMS are letting us know they’ve hired a helicopter to pull the dumped cars out of the Cotter River:
Nine abandoned vehicles will be removed from the Cotter River in the vicinity of Vanity’s Crossing today, Wednesday 17 April 2013, in an effort clean up the site and protect the ACT’s water supply, Brett McNamara, Operations [...]

The Canberra Archaeological Society has been active in local archaeology and heritage protection for most of its 50 years.
At this presentation, Helen Cook will start with a panoramic view of Canberra Archaeological Society involvement in identifying, recording, excavating, conserving and promoting cultural heritage in Gungahlin, including embarrassing photos, the ghosts of history past and [...]

The Canberra Times has the bombshell news that John Mackay is quitting amidst the extraordinary scenes brought on by the under reporting of Mark Sullivans salary to run Actew Water.
When we get official statements we’ll add them in here.

UPDATE 15/04/13 16:27: Katy Gallagher and Andrew Barr’s statement is now available:
Outcomes from the meeting are detailed [...]

The NCA has tweeted the happy news that Yarralumla Bay is once again open to the public:
Yarralumla Bay is now open to all users.The area was temporarily closed on 25 March 2013 following a sewage leak at Yarralumla Bay #Canberra
— NCA (@nca_media) April 15, 2013

TAMS have the sad news that they’re taking action against the burgeoning peacock population in the Inner South:
To help address a growing number of complaints from residents, as well as protect surrounding parkland, a program will be undertaken to relocate up to 20 peacocks that are located in Narrabundah, Territory and Municipal Services announced today.
There [...]

TAMS are letting us know that the Tidbinbilla Pioneers Association are celebrating thirty years (think Daughters of the American Revolution but for settlers in the Tidbinbilla region) as an association.
Meanwhile Mayor Rattenbury is letting us know there’s a Tidbinbilla Extravaganza on this Sunday:
Minister for Territory and Municipal Services, Shane Rattenbury, is encouraging Canberrans to head [...]

TAMS have the gobsmacking news that maintenance pays off in the medium term!
Despite one of the warmest and windiest summers on record, including Canberra’s hottest ever January, about one percent (216) of the 21,500 young trees in our streets and parklands have been lost as a result of environmental stress in the last five months, [...]