about ceres
CERES is an environmental education centre, community garden, urban farm and social enterprise hub spread across four locations, linked by the Merri and Darebin Creeks on Wurundjeri Country, Naarm (Melbourne).
Our vision is for people to fall in love with the Earth again and to that end, our work spans environmental, social, economic, spiritual and cultural dimensions.
We receive around half a million visits per year to our original park in Brunswick East, and reach nearly another million through our other locations, school outreach programs and online services.
The CERES School of Nature and Climate is the evolution of our education programs into a focused response to the climate and ecological crisis we are facing.
Our environmental education offerings at Brunswick East, in schools and online, are designed to reconnect people to each other and the Earth, developing the practical skills, knowledge, leadership qualities and community resilience that will be needed in the coming decades.
View a map of our Brunswick East park here.
contact
VISITOR CENTRE
Opening hours:
Monday – Sunday
9.00am – 12.30pm
Call
(03) 9389 0100
Email
ceres@ceres.org.au
about ceres
CERES is an environmental education centre, community garden, urban farm and social enterprise hub spread across four locations, linked by the Merri and Darebin Creeks on Wurundjeri Country, Naarm (Melbourne).
Our vision is for people to fall in love with the Earth again and to that end, our work spans environmental, social, economic, spiritual and cultural dimensions.
We receive around half a million visits per year to our original park in Brunswick East, and reach nearly another million through our other locations, school outreach programs and online services.
The CERES School of Nature and Climate is the evolution of our education programs into a focused response to the climate and ecological crisis we are facing.
Our environmental education offerings at Brunswick East, in schools and online, are designed to reconnect people to each other and the Earth, developing the practical skills, knowledge, leadership qualities and community resilience that will be needed in the coming decades.
View a map of our Brunswick East park here.
contact
VISITOR CENTRE
Opening hours:
Monday – Sunday
9.00am – 12.30pm
Call
(03) 9389 0100
Email
ceres@ceres.org.au
For thousands of years the Wurundjeri people lived on the land where CERES (pronounced ‘series’) now stands. The Merri Creek was a focus of their lifestyle, a place to swim and play and a vital source of food.
Following the European invasion, the Victorian gold rush and the growth of Melbourne city, the site was quarried for bluestone then turned into a landfill site for household and construction waste. As industry moved in the water became polluted and the trees and wildlife disappeared.
In 1982, a small group of people in the local area approached the then-Brunswick (now Moreland) Council about making use of the land to grow vegetables and make compost as part of a “work-for-the-dole” program. Explorations in alternative technology quickly followed, and shortly afterwards, invitations for school kids to learn about these emerging programs in green technology, recycling and organic farming.
Along with Merri Creek Management Committee and Friends of Merri Creek, CERES and volunteers planted hundreds of trees and shrubs and lobbied governments to clean up the creek. In 1994, after 12 years of remediation work, kingfishers returned to nest along the banks of the creek, having been absent for many years.
Now, CERES is an award-winning community place that is visited by people from around the world who want to understand how this place has come to be, and how they can take some of the ingredients back to their own places. We think the key ingredient is love for each other and the Earth.
Click here to find out more about our history.
The Wurundjeri Woiwurrung people took care of these lands and waters long before colonisation. We recognise indigenous sovereignty, and our efforts to cultivate ecological regeneration are interwoven with this work. We also acknowledge that CERES is not working for a better world alone, and that we benefit from the work of previous generations as well as people working alongside us now.
We want to give to the Earth what she gives to us, and to offer the same kindness, reverence, respect, and love that sustains life. We have a responsibility to share what we have and look after each other, following the example of the Earth who is always generous.
We seek to be a place of unity and invite all cultures, nationalities, abilities, world-views and thought systems. We work to make space for multiple voices, and recognise that there is strength and joy in diversity.
Engaging the whole person – head, heart and hands – lies at the roots of our approach to education. We strive to equip people to think differently, take local action and be resilient and responsive global citizens. We aim to demonstrate what we stand for and share our learnings transparently and accessibly.
Climate and ecological crisis is an urgent and imminent threat to life. Despite that, we have hope that change is possible. This hope is grounded in the knowledge that local, practical, community-based action, on a global scale, is where change starts.
It is our belief and experience that love for the Earth and each other is the motivating force that enables real change. Love can be fierce, urgent and transformative, and inspires us to keep going when the situation seems hopeless. Some of us use different words to describe this force.
Our Theory of Change (PDF) explains how we are bringing about the change we wish to see in the world. It is for anyone looking to engage more deeply with CERES, or work with us to make a bigger impact.
We are a home for nature and people
We care for our places and foster experiences of belonging through our Staff and Volunteers, Members, Board, Site Groups, Places, and Venue Operations.
We are a school for discovery and learning
We facilitate discovery and learning for all ages through our School of Nature and Climate, which includes Student Programs, Teacher Programs, and Adult Learning Programs.
We are a farm with our hands in the earth
We support a more regenerative food system through Honey Lane Farm, Joe’s Market Garden, Microgreens, Community Garden, and our growers and suppliers.
We are a market for purposeful trade
We are building a market for purposeful trade through our Nursery, Fair Food, Grocery, Bakery, Merri Cafe, Fair Wood, Consulting, and by supporting SENVIC.
We are a story of change and hope
We share stories of change and hope through our Communications, Events, Consulting and Partnerships.