CERES is an environmental education centre, urban farm and social enterprise hub spread across four locations, linked by the Merri and Darebin Creeks on Wurundjeri Country, Melbourne.
The vision at CERES is for people to fall in love with the Earth again. Around half a million visitors per year enjoy the original CERES park in Brunswick East and another million people engage through CERES’ other locations, school outreach programs and online services.
The School of Nature and Climate
The CERES School of Nature and Climate is the evolution of CERES’ long-standing education programs into a focused response to the climate and ecological crisis we are facing. CERES education offerings are designed to reconnect people to each other and the Earth, developing the practical skills, knowledge, leadership qualities and community resilience that will be needed in the coming decades.
Local social enterprises
Meanwhile CERES social enterprises, such as Merri Café, The Grocery, Joe’s Market Garden, Fair Wood and Tamil Feasts to name a few, put this learning into practice.
These initiatives are part of the movement away from globalisation and toward localisation, especially in our food systems. Local food economies reduce energy use and carbon emissions, reduce packaging, processing and refrigeration, increase diversity, increase food security and create employment. CERES demonstrates how a local food economy can make an entire community healthier and more resilient.
CERES walking the talk
CERES is striving to reduce the environmental impact of its own operations. The whole-of-organisation sustainable resource management plan and carbon tracking system captures data so that the organisation’s carbon footprint can be measured and monitored.
CERES is on track to achieve zero net emissions by 2025. A key element in reaching this goal has been a number of solar projects, including instillations on the café, grocery store, classroom and the on-site all electric Eco House.
CERES also supports sustainability successes in the wider community. By working with schools across Melbourne through the ResourceSmart Schools program, CERES staff have helped save 8,272 tonnes of greenhouse gases from our atmosphere, 22,376 m3 waste from landfill, 32,351 reams of paper and 144,823 KL of water saved – and planted 11,474 trees.
And there’s so much more!
Sustainability initiatives at CERES are endless! From new water sensor technologies and interactive nature play spaces to high-efficiency composting systems, indigenous plant nursery and community festivals, CERES really does have an opportunity to suit everyone.
Visit CERES and find out more about their range of programs and activities.
