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The Greenhouse venue at the Woodford Folk Festival continues to be a mecca for many environmentalists. And it’s where the mainstream merges with the greenstream.

It’s a place where conversions take place, where ordinary festivalgoers with no previous environmental commitment to live sustainably suddenly see that lifestyle changes are necessary if this planet can continue to support us all.

Every year, the crowds grow at the Greenhouse. More people are concerned about climate change, extreme population pressures, our built environment, our forests, our food and the way we grow it, our resources, the greed, self-interest and over-consumption in western society as if there’s no tomorrow and the planet was an infinite resource, the loss of wildlife habitat, carbon emissions and the looming energy crisis, and peak oil.

They are asking how do we get out of this mess while governments and oppositions haven’t got the guts, the gumption or the get-up-and-go to do that for us. They will be asking how they can make a contribution.

At the Greenhouse they will find many answers and be able to meet the people with the brainpower, willpower and inspiration to make a real difference.

In the end, many say, it will be people power that will be the necessary force to turn the tide of self-interest, willful ignorance, complacency or plain numbskull indifference. In our supposedly democratic society, it seems votes are the only basic that politicians seem to understand.

That’s why the messages from the Woodford Greenhouse and several other venues are important and ones to be spread convincingly and with fervour to all corners beyond the festival, during and after the festivities.

At this year’s festival there’s a wealth of knowledge and wisdom on tap. Men and women with no axe to grind other than to save our planet for humankind and countless other species before it’s too late.

Over the six days of the festival there will be more than 60 Greenhouse stage speakers, many of them at the top level of their field of interest, taking part over 40 sessions. Added to that, the Greenhouse is the meeting place for bird and butterfly walks, bushfood walks and home for various information stalls and workshops.

Also, because the Greenhouse venue is not large enough, the Great Green Debate will be held at the Concert stage as will a major panel discussion called ‘Climate Change: the Science and the Politics’, starring Greens senator Christine Milne, Clive Hamilton and Greenhouse stalwart Professor Ian Lowe.

Greenhouse organiser Jillian Rossiter had glowing words for the professor.

“The one person that spreads the word the most and has been responsible for the credibility of the Greenhouse is Professor Ian Lowe.

“He has been part of the Greenhouse program from its beginning in 1992 and has a vast network of connections. He has assisted me enormously.”

Asked about this year’s program, Jillian said she was really proud of the line-up.

“It has variety, going right through the hands-on such as permaculture workshops to the more academic scientists talking about the heavy issues such as climate change,” she said.

Jillian also praised the festival organisers for their foresight back in 1992 when it was the Maleny Folk Festival and the Greenhouse venue was introduced.

“They were just so far ahead of any other festival and they still are,” she said.

Of course, the Woodford Folk Festival is far more than the Greenhouse stage. There are more than 20 venues offering a wide range of entertainment including song, dance, theatre, ceremony, circus, film, folklore, vaudeville, visual arts, the spoken word, indigenous acts, comedy, workshops of all kinds plus a long line-up of spectacular street theatre.

Making this all happen are about 3000 performers at nearly 600 acts over the six days. Added to this are the many food outlets, which include some great restaurant settings, plus a bevy of bars and other drinks outlets. And if you have time for shopping, it’s hard to go by the street stalls stacked with colourful craft and clothing in the village-like festival precinct.

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