The United Nations Association of Australia Katoomba branch opened its doors to the public on Easter Monday with a tour of their edible garden and an update on the work being carried out under the UNAA's environmental program. I went along with my family to get some "green" inspiration.

The property which sits just a short walk from Katoomba railway station runs on solar power - anyone who has endeavored to see the Three Sisters will appreciate what a task that is, Katoomba is better known for fog than sun! Rainwater is collected and filtered for use throughout the property and the gardens are an example of Permaculture heaven. The property is being renovated and tended to by Franklin Scarf, a life member of the UNAA and someone who's mission is to prove that you can live sustainably on an average sized domestic block.

As well as his work with the UNAA Franklin set up the Earth Repair Foundation in 1987 and has been working tirelessly over twenty years to develop an "Earth Repair Charter". This charter lays invites you to imagine that we are in the year 2018, a time when the military has been transformed and military budgets are spent on permaculture and sustainable food production rather than weapons. A time when greenhouse emissions are decreasing, medicinal gardens thriving and the worlds religions and political ideologies are living in harmony.

The Earth Repair Charter's Global Solution Strategy was developed through close consultation with the UNAA and has received backing from many eminent global citizens such as Dr Keith Suter, H.H The Dali Lama and David Suzuki. The doccument is thought provoking and inspiring opening up the opportunity for a truly harmonious future. A future to be proud of

After a walk around and a chat it was time for a revitalising drink of the green power juce! Althought I watched Franklin as he passionately created this concoction I could not for the life of me tell you what was in there. We had all manor of leafy greens, handful after handful of fresh nuts and seeds along with some iced water, flaked coconut and some apple juice - organic of course! After a quick whizz around in the blender the juice was ready to taste. I dug in, eager to find out if it tasted as green as it looked! Verdict - WOW. This is worth sharing! What a refreshing brew and made with ingredients picked just minutes ago from the garden. Much better than poppey's power packed spinage tins!

With the day drawing to a close we took some photo's and gathered up some information to read on the journey home. I am sure that the UNAA will enjoy their Katoomba residence, what better place than the Blue Mountains to imagine a greener future......

Amanda Foxon-Hill

To find out more about the UNAA you can click through to their website here. For more information on the Earth Repair Foundation follow this link.