Outdoor pools opening for warmer weather
The Spring/Summer season kicks off at our Leisure Centres this weekend. The outdoor pools at Katoomba Sports & Aquatic Centre open Saturday (29 September) just in time for the school holidays. Lawson Swim Centre opens one week later on Saturday, 6 October, with a FREE open day (including FREE entry from 10am to 2pm). This Spring/Summer season, Lawson Pool is being converted into an outdoor living room – complete with sun lounges and umbrellas. There’s also a fun, new spray feature in the toddlers’ pool. Blackheath Pool opens as usual in the first week of November. Click for more information
Share your fauna observations with us
We need you to share your sightings of our local wildlife, so we can better understand what species are found in our bushland reserves, towns and villages. We’re asking for fauna observations to be sent via letter, email, Facebook, or phone until June 2019 as part of the Blue Mountains Fauna Project. There are over 6,500 hectares of bushland reserves in our local government area and these could be home to more than 300 species of vertebrate fauna (animals with backbones). Click to get more information on the Blue Mountains Fauna Projectand follow @BMFaunaProject on social media. Blue Mountains Bushcare is also running a series of community walks and talks, surveys and spotlights during Spring. Details can be found at https://www.bushcarebluemountains.org.au/events/.
Supporting small business success
October is Small Business Month. We’re supporting small business development by providing a series of FREE workshops in 2018. Next up is a FREE workshop on Low Cost Online Marketing, being held on 23 October at the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre. Start-ups, and even established small businesses that don’t have much cashflow, will benefit from this training session. You can market your business for very cost, so join us to receive 100-plus marketing ideas. Click for more information and to register
School holiday fun at our centres
We have activities galore on offer at our facilities this school holidays! There’s a series of Kids Flix on at the Theatre, as well as the hilarious musical (based on the popular picture book by Jackie French and Bruce Whatley) Josephine Wants to Dance. Blue Mountains Library has activities at Katoomba, Springwood and Blaxland branches, including Frankenstein Toys, Australian Animal Sand Art, 3D PaperCraft and Binary Code Jewellery workshops. The Cultural Centre is offering Junior Silk Screen Printing and an Imaginary Friends Art Workshop. Meanwhile, Katoomba and Springwood Leisure Centres have Bubble Soccer, Tumbling Fun and Futsal Clinics. Click for more information
New loo at Wentworth Falls Lake now open
The new toilet block at Wentworth Falls Lake is now open. The facility includes 1 unisex accessible toilet cubicle, 4 female cubicles (1 ambulant), 2 male cubicles (1 ambulant), plus 4 urinals. The toilet block, large enough to cater for visiting school and community groups, features a brickwork pattern inspired by the markings on the body of the Blue Mountains Water Skink. The Giant Dragonfly is also represented in a motif on the adjacent gate design, which is based on original artwork by Darug man Chris Tobin. The building is part of a broad upgrade project which includes a new boardwalk and viewing platform, interpretive signage, car park and landscaping works. Click for more information
Celebrating our local swamps
Scores of people attended our annual Swampfest, on 23 September. Pictured are Bushcare officer Nathan Summers rallying a group for a Family Nature Walk, the ‘Swamp Sisters’ from Katoomba High School, Billy Moseley in front of the St Canices stall and our Environment Communication & Engagement officer Emma Kennedy demonstrating where water goes after it leaves our homes. Swampfest is all about discovering what makes our local swamps special – including the swamp critters. Click for more information
