Eco focus picking up speed

EcoDay 2009 was a huge success with over 5000 people flocking to Olympic Park in New Lynn on Sunday 8 March for the event, now in its 7th year.
The free community festival, held in March of each year, included an Eco Expo featuring over 75 stallholders promoting environmentally friendly products and services as well as local, regional and national environmental and advocacy groups.
The Sustainable Living Centre and Trusts EcoHouse, located at the event site, were both open for guided and self-guided tours and there were free bus tours to local ecohomes. A seminar series ran throughout the day with over 300 people participating is sessions ranging from Transition Towns to Permaculture to Renewable Energy.
There was lots of free entertainment for children including environmental storytelling, facepainting, clowns, witches and fairies making EcoDay a great family day out. Food available on the day was all organic and food vendors were required to use biodegradable packaging exclusively. EcoDay is a Zero Waste event and only one rubbish bag was sent to landfill at the end of the day.
The event continues to grow each year and there are plans to make 2010 even bigger and better. Feedback from exhibitors for 2009 has been very positive:
“Everything was very well organised, lots of people with lots of interest. I was so busy dealing with people’s interest and questions that I hardly noticed what else was going on…See you next year.” Johann Bernhardt - Building Biology and Ecology Institute
“Firstly thank you so much for putting on such a professional exhibition. Ecoday is undoubtedly the best ecoshow in New Zealand and most prosperous show we have attended.” Gavin Healy - Good Magazine
The event is delivered by EcoMatters Environment Trust in partnership with Waitakere City Council and with the financial support of The Trusts Charitable Foundation. The media partner for EcoDay is Newstalk ZB.
For further information visit www.ecoday.org.nz