OUR PARTNERS

MANLY FOOD CO-OP

Manly Food Co-op knows that you want to minimise your environmental impact but find it hard to buy your groceries without a whole lot of packaging.

Our grocery store offers a wide range of organic fresh produce and zero-waste pantry and household goods. Shop at the Co-op and you won’t worry about how to recycle difficult packaging ever again

JOHN SEED

John Seed is founder of the Rainforest Information Centre . John is an accomplished bard, songwriter, and film-maker.
In 1995 he received the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in 1995, for services to conservation.

He co-authored "Thinking Like a Mountain - Towards a Council of All Beings" and has written and lectured extensively on deep ecology.

He has been conducting Deep Ecology workshops around the world for 35 years to help us strengthen our felt sense of connection with the living Earth.

NARARA ECOVILLAGE

Narara Ecovillage (NEV) is a thriving, intergenerational community of 200 members on the Central Coast of NSW, dedicated to sustainable living. Permaculture principles guide land management, with the Scribbly Gum Food Forest and the Triple Span vegetable garden providing fresh organic produce.

The village’s final development phase, designed by a landscape architect, incorporates food and bush tucker trees. NEV is powered by solar energy with a large community battery and operates its own energy and water companies.

Extensive shared pathways support food forests and green spaces, while local businesses—including a coffee cart, pantry, and nursery—foster self-sufficiency and connection.

BARINGA-BUSH SEAFORTH

The Baringa Bush Community Garden Group is a not-for-profit residents’ initiative, to create a community garden and hub in North Seaforth - open to all.
Conceived in 2011 the garden enjoyed local and state governments support and was officially opened in 2013.
Local residents work together to grow organic fruit and vegetables, to showcase urban farming, to run a community-scale composting program, to remove invasive weeds and to regenerate the surrounding native bush. The garden is not fenced and is entirely volunteer-run, self-funded and insured.
To learn more and become a member, you can approach them on site (Sunday working bees are best), or contact them through their Facebook page.

CURLY COMMUNITY GARDEN

Curly Community Garden aspires to bring together members of the community to build friendships and grow food organically and sustainably. All garden plots are communal and new members are always welcome.

The vision for the garden is to create an area that is community focused, environmentally sustainable, educational, a friendly, peaceful, natural environment

Michael Mobbs

Michael Mobbs is a Sydney-based author and environmental consultant with a background in environmental law. After graduating with a law degree in 1975, he worked in the field for 19 years, which sparked his passion for sustainability.

He served as an Independent Alderman on the City of Sydney Council (1985–1987) and transformed his Chippendale home into a model of sustainable living.

Mobbs frequently offers public tours of his home and is actively involved in Sydney's urban food movement, including the Chippendale verge gardens. In 2009, he was named one of Sydney’s 100 most influential people.

MANLY LAGOON FRIENDS

Manly Lagoon Friends is a community-led environmental organisation founded in 2022 by residents of Manly, a coastal suburb in Sydney’s Northern Beaches. The group is dedicated to the protection, regeneration, and sustainable management of the Manly Lagoon environment, including its catchment creeks—Manly Creek, Burnt Bridge Creek, and Brookvale Creek—as well as surrounding public lands and Queenscliff Beach.

The organisation works closely with local councils, community members, and key stakeholders to drive strategic and sustainable environmental actions. Through advocacy, education, and community engagement, Manly Lagoon Friends aims to raise awareness of the lagoon’s ecological value and promote initiatives that preserve and enhance this vital coastal ecosystem.

NEW LEAF NURSERY

New Leaf Nursery is a hidden gem nestled in Ingleside on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Independently owned and family operated, this sustainably focused nursery is a creative wonderland designed to inspire the whole family.

With a strong emphasis on permaculture and hands-on learning, visitors here will find backyard chickens, herbs, veggie seedlings, edible trees, exotic and native plants and everything needed for a thriving garden.

WATERUPS

WaterUps is an Australian company founded in 2015, that is now the world leader in sub-irrigation technology, and exporting to over 25 countries.

WaterUps provides innovative in-ground and raised bed wicking systems that enable efficient, low-maintenance food growing.

Designed for home, school, and community gardens, WaterUps® products use recycled materials to deliver sustainable sub-irrigation.

They help grow healthier plants, conserve water, and support food security in urban and rural environments alike.

balgowlah community garden

Balgowlah Community Garden, was established in 2011 through a partnership between Manly Council and the Cancer Council NSW to encourage healthy living, community involvement, and the consumption of fresh produce.

Fast forward to now, the garden has transitioned to an independent, member-run community, with a volunteer Management Committee overseeing its activities. The garden remains dedicated to fostering personal and communal growth. The garden features a mix of leased plots and communal beds, allowing for individual experimentation and shared gardening. Members of the garden engage in regular garden working bees, fundraisers and the caring of four egg-laying chickens. The garden welcomes individuals from all backgrounds and gardening experience levels, promoting sustainable practices and community engagement.