LOCKED down as the coronavirus threat intensifies, Bendigo sustainability campaigner Chris Weir is knocking over 30 projects in as many days.
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Day two was spent setting up Bluetooth water timers and Mr Weir has big plans for the rest of his backyard as he self-isolates as a precaution.
"I've tended to let these projects slip but they were all there and I've now got the time," he said.
"If I really focus on it I think I can do a task a day. I just want to get outside in my own little patch and do something."
Mr Weir is urging others to turn to their gardens in coming weeks - and not just because they will probably be stuck at home anyway.
Bendigo's climate will likely resemble Shepparton's by 2030 on current CSIRO climate predictions.
It could be more like Wagga Wagga's by 2050 and similar Forbes' - a NSW town 600km away - by 2090.
That climate model assumes a slight increase in the amount of rain by 2030, followed by a decline as average temperatures surge 4.83 degrees celcius by 2090.
Gardeners will need to adapt to hotter and drier summers in central Victoria this decade, Mr Weir said.
"I'm now moving away from built-up garden beds," Mr Weir said.
"I didn't have a very good season so I think I need to go towards something of a more controlled environment in the backyard."
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Mr Weir is experimenting with Vegepods, which are transportable, self watering garden beds originally developed in New Zealand before spreading to Australia.
He hopes his new Bluetooth watering system will reduce the amount of liquid being poured onto his pods.
Mr Weir encouraged people who wanted to get into their garden but were not sure where to start to join a few social media groups.
"My Energy Efficient Home is a good Facebook Group, and there's also one through Gardening Australia," he said.
"They are becoming really good resources for ideas and feedback."
People wondering what they can do with their nature strips can contact Bendigo's Vyonne McLelland-Howe, who is transforming hers into a "carbon sink".
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