Border teacher Belinda McGrath has helped organise this year’s Albury Earth Hour event at the Albury Botanic Gardens. Picture: TARA GOONAN
ALBURY’S first Earth Hour event was the idea of a passionate Border greenie that’s now got the support of a business hoping to make it bigger and better.
The World Wide Fund for Nature initiative, when lights are turned off for one hour to highlight climate change, started in Sydney in 2007 and now takes place in almost 7000 cities in 152 countries.
Albury never had an official event until teacher Belinda McGrath moved to the Border from Sydney two years ago.
The English and Drama teacher at Murray High School and James Fallon High School rang the Albury Council to express interest in starting an Earth Hour event.
“I’ve always been an environmentalist,” Ms McGrath said.
“I’ve been that way since uni, I’ve had that connection to nature.”
That phone call spawned Hume Building Society’s involvement and with its backing, Saturday will mark the second Earth Hour event in the Albury Botanic Gardens.
Hume Building Society’s Melissa Sweetland said residents can bring rugs, food and drinks and enjoy music from the Murray Conservatorium and Murray High students from 7pm.
At 8.30pm, lights will be switched off.
“It’s important people celebrate sustainability and really understand what it means to individuals,” Ms Sweetland said.
“It’s not something that’s happening to everyone else, it’s happening to all of us.”
Gold coin donations will go to the nature fund.
Editorial — page 16