Have you ever wondered if you can eat the seaweed washed up on our beaches? Or been curious about which plants can be safely foraged? Geraldton's upcoming Wild Food Expo on Saturday 9 July will be answering all of your questions! More event details can be found at the bottom of this page.
Scinapse, the Mid-West's science engagement hub, are no strangers to reducing their environmental footprint. They started 2022 with a bang, delivering multiple Sustainable Living workshops at Pollinators’ City Hive. In collaboration with The Geraldton Project, and local creatives, a series of ‘Sustainable Creative Labs’ were run, focusing on diverting waste from landfill through recycling, repurposing and behavioural changes.
While all Creative Labs have been received well, one particular lab has caught the attention of not just the locals, but also the ABC. The lab that fielded the most requests for a repeat workshop was ‘Foraged Edible Seaweed’, led by local Wendy Watters. The locals are in luck, Wendy will be at the upcoming Wild Food Expo, giving attendees a taste of the seaweed from their shores.
Also known as ‘Wild Woman Wendy’, the inspiration behind the workshop came from a simple beach walk, dampened by dodging seaweed. Wild Woman Wendy asked herself the question, "Can I eat that?". Like any good scientist, Wendy developed her hypothesis that "Locally foraged seaweed can nutritiously supplement my family's diet". After much research Wendy now shares her findings with the hungry public.
ABC Country invited Wendy along for an interview, you can hear more here. A Big Country - Country Breakfast - ABC Radio National or read more on ABC Midwest and Wheatbelt article here. Can you eat seaweed from the beach? Let us count the ways - ABC News
Geraldton isn't just focused on food. A citizen science pilot project is being run, where participants weigh the materials being repurposed. Scinapse are aiming to divert one ton of waste before October 2022. As Geraldton has limited recycling services and facilities, waste management is a priority for many waste-conscious locals who do not have the convenience of curb-side recycling.
Join Scinapse, one of Inspiring WA's STEM grant recipients, on Saturday 9 July for their Wild and Naked Food Expo from 10am - 2pm at Lower Hall, Queen Elizabeth II Centre in Geraldton. For more information and to read about the other exhibitors, check out their page. Tickets are available at the door for $5.00, no need to pre-book!
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