Living Lightly is a collection of local stories about sustainable living.
The column commenced in 2012 and until 2023 was published in the Border Mail newspaper each week.
The content is community sourced – groups, organisations and individuals have written and contributed each of these informative and entertaining articles – all overseen by a local volunteer coordinator.
We are currently considering a monthly schedule for articles, stay tuned as we explore this option.
Here you can browse and search previous articles or subscribe to receive an email each time an article is published.
The Living Lightly coordinator is always keen to receive articles! Use the link below to find out how you can submit an article for the column.
With a big thank you to all the Living Lightly authors for contributing to this wonderful collection of articles.
By Gill Baker, Wangaratta Sustainability There is a particular type of potato that is much prized by the French Fries industry, it’s reliable size, shape and frying properties ensure perfection when serving ‘fries with that’. However, inherent in this very popularity is a dark side. It’s grown in huge monocultures all
By Halve Waste I’ve discovered a new reusable cup. It doesn’t hold hot or cold drinks, nor does it go in the dishwasher. This cup brings a smile to my face when I walk down this aisle at the supermarket. No longer do I need to purchase the other two disposable
By Lubosh Hanuska, Organiser of Tiny Houses Albury Wodonga and President of SOAP House Design Inc. The Tiny House movement is now a global phenomenon. However, small dwellings are nothing new. Without embarking on the journey across the globe listing all the small homes people live in let’s be honest with
By Stacey Rich, PhD candidate at La Trobe University One loaf of bread changed the direction of my life. That’s not the whole truth. It was a loaf of bread and a jar of jam. The bread and the jam were both made by me, with yeast caught from the air in
By Lauriston Muirhead, Wodonga Albury Towards Climate Health (WATCH) We don’t think about roofs much, or should that be rooves? See! We’re not even sure how to spell them! When did you last think about, or even look at, your roof? Chances are that it was because something went wrong such
By Alan Hewett, Trust For Nature Covenanter In our family growing up we were expected to eat everything on our plates at meal times. The idea of wasting food was anathema. Today in our household I still feel guilty if I leave a morsel. Any food scraps are composted or
By Claire Greenhalgh, Director of the Sustainable Activity Centre We have seven chickens and love to give any spare eggs to friends and family. Often, we have more than we need in our humble home of four, so we gladly share. Frequently it’s done with an exchange of some other item while
By Andrew Baker, Wodonga Albury Towards Climate Health (WATCH) Building. I said I would never do it. Instead I preferred to avoid it and all the stress that goes with it. But, after finding the perfect block to raise our young family, here we are. Though in planning for our house
By Roger Findlay, Gerogery Quite recently we had a three week holiday on the south island of New Zealand visiting some of the finest places on the planet. We had a good look at the quality of food in the supermarkets, paddocks and allotments. On return we had expected the
By Tess Middleton, Fin Free Albury Wodonga There are two words dominating the news at the moment, and I don’t mean Trump and Clinton. I am talking about shark nets. Spring is here again and as sure as the season arrives, so does the debate on shark nets. Shark nets and drum
By Janien Ferguson, AlburyCity Learning Outreach Officer Bruce Pascoe, a man of proud Tasmanian, Bunurong and Yuin heritage, has written a new book that will astonish and surprise, causing you to re-evaluate what you thought you knew about Aboriginal culture before European colonisation. A prolific writer and meticulous researcher, Pascoe’s
By Gill Baker, Wangaratta Sustainability Long Necked Turtles (also called Eastern Snake Necked Turtles or ‘stinkers’, are often seen crossing our wetland lined road. In the absence of a Turtle Crossing Supervisor they are surely taking their lives in their little webbed feet. Fortunately, on this quiet country road it is
