Conservateurs and other Weekenders were flush with excitement this past Saturday as they heard all about the water cycle at Woodfordia from Ben Kele, who not only runs our wastewater treatment plant but also manages to make talking about poos and wees delightfully funny. Woodfordia has a plant like no other in the entire world, thanks to Arris Water and Ben Kele’s innovations, using batch technology to take care of human waste that is so wildly varied in the amounts generated onsite.  

Since Ben began giving these talks to Woodfordians, it’s become clear that finding out what happens after we flush is a number one (and number two?) interest for our dear patrons. What’s more, finding out how we’ve closed the loop on water and significantly reduced our carbon footprint when dealing with our excrement makes us all swell with pride. That’s not to mention the groundbreaking research into drug use analysis using wastewater that helped put Australia at the forefront during the pandemic when it came to testing for viruses in wastewater.  

Instead of trying to recount all the endlessly funny and fascinating details of Ben’s talk, we recommend you listen to the Radio Woodfordia podcast where he and Harley talk about Woodfordia’s revolutionary wastewater treatment plant. And if we’re lucky, he may be part of the Spring Lake Gkula Camping programme, giving a talk or maybe even a walking tour of the plant. Bookings for the camp are open now, and the programme will be released sometime in August.  

Future Conservatree Talks include Paul Songhurst and Brianna Macqueen, two landscape architects providing their perspective on Woodfordia at the end of June, and then Professor Ian Lowe will be speaking in July on the grounds for cautious optimism. Make sure to sign up for the Weekend mailing list so you receive invites to these fabulous weekend working bees, talks and, of course, Folk Club.