Ready to get to know, or just meet your neighbours? You can do this while greening your neighbourhood too. Get involved in this new project.
An Australian survey found that about 40% of us don’t know many of our neighbours by name, let alone share our whipper snippers with them. That’s where the new project In Our Street comes in.
The In Our Street project was created by the Port Environment Centre to support people to get to know their neighbours by working on small environmental and community projects. This includes creating a library swap to share books or adding plants to verges along your local streets.
Do you miss knowing everyone on your street?
Julie is a ‘Street Champion’ who lives in an apartment and has taken part in the project.
She says she missed the feeling she had growing up where you ‘knew everyone in your street’ so joined the In Our Street project and worked with her neighbours to improve her local environment.
How to get involved
The program is self-directed, so people can take it up at their own pace.
Starting your own In Our Street projects is easy. Here’s how:
- Get inspired by exploring what other street champions have done in their neighbourhoods.
- Check out the Port Environment Centre's resources.
- Connect with your neighbours.
- Set a goal. What kind of eco-friendly street would you like to live in?
- Start making plans and act towards your project.
- Celebrate the wins along the way!
If you’d like some support, email the Port Environment Centre
or drop in at 27 North Parade in Port Adelaide.
Char from the Port Environment Centre said that there are unofficial street champions everywhere.
"It’s wonderful being able to celebrate amazing, hardworking people who aren’t normally in the spotlight. They’re just quietly transforming their communities from the ground up."
You don’t have to live on a street to get involved, and you don’t need to know your neighbours – yet!
Visit your local environment centre
Get in touch with one of Adelaide’s environment centres for advice on other local environmental programs to join. In metropolitan Adelaide, you can contact the Adelaide Sustainability Centre or the Port Environment Centre.
The Port Environment Centre is a community driven organisation and gathering place supporting the community to care for and connect with the environment. Green Adelaide provides funding for the Port Adelaide Environment Centre and all nine centres in South Australia.
The In Our Street project was started under a partnership project with the City of Port Adelaide Enfield and continues with funding from the Suzanne Elliott Charitable Trust.