Catherine Clover sifts through the city’s white noise separating sounds. She hones in on rain playing on upturned buckets, the rhythm of cicada song and, say, the noise of Melbourne Town Hall’s elevator. Given the lead, these little compositions say ‘home’ to anyone who has lived in Melbourne – pinning down that sense of being home that you can never quite put your finger on. The soundscapes are often paired with photos. So, you can see tiny pieces of leaf litter gathered in the cracks of broken concrete while listening to the chirrup of birds chime in with the city thrum.

It’s lovely stuff that might inspire a liberation of ears from being plugged with headphones while travelling around town.

We can train pigeons to 'home', so maybe...

They’re illegal, carry out their deeds at night to avoid detection and are active in a growing number of cities around the world. They’re Guerrilla Gardeners. Their crime? Attacking ugly patches of public land with hand-trowels and flowering annuals in covert greening campaigns. Typical targets include roundabouts, verges and other neglected areas, which are beautified with plants. Richard Reynolds’ website has a global noticeboard of activities plus a how-to guide for beginners.

For the more timid green-thumbs among us (less guerrilla, more…pansy), there’s Permablitz. These little groups raid suburban backyards (with the residents’ consent) and turn lawns into edible gardens. Permablitz (as in permaculture meets backyard blitz) also has a noticeboard with upcoming events.

From Monday it’s National Volunteer Week (12-18 May), which honours volunteers. Der, you might say. But previously it operated as a kind of recruitment drive. Volunteers are now so prevalent that the week's focus has shifted to say 'thanks'.

Those matchmakers at Good Company - who introduce professionals to short-term projects with charities - are hosting an Exchange of Ideas and Inspiration forum. Tony Wilson and Emma Race will be telling stories of recent successful volunteering outcomes before being joined by Peter Batchelor (Minister for Community Development).

Beer Deluxe, Federation Square
13 May, 6-8pm
RSVP

The main shortfall of The Doodle Notebook is its secondary title: 'How to Waste Time in the Office'. It suggests that making something out of nothing is only worthwhile when it’s on someone else’s time. But it’s delightful anytime. And it’s been dying out since walkabout phones were invented. There’s an online Doodle gallery here, but nothing beats pushing a pen around a piece of paper. Except maybe sculptures made from belly-button fluff.


Mandy Ord

Melbourne is staunchly slow. So slow that while the rest of the world gathers for Pangea Day on May 10, we’ll turn up the next day. On May 11 at 4am, Cinema Nova is screening four hours of feel-good shorts simultaneously with cities around the world. It’s a global community event that is bound to be memorable. Even if only for the novelty of watching free movies at 4am.

Being green is easy – despite what Kermit says. It just takes some creativity. The inventors of Green Hanger – the environmentally conscious coathanger – come from good stock, associated with Rose Street Artists Market among other things. Who’d have thought that we had such a huge appetite for wire coathangers – albeit shortlived? Some 77 million end up as landfill each year. Made from recycled cardboard, the Green Hanger is a good-looking, mindful alternative.