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Diplomático Rum and Morena launch 'A Taste of Venezuela’ menu | Image: Diplomático Rum

Feel-Good Friday: 12 July – Planting Trees and Defending Seas


It’s Friday and the sun is shining brightly on Sydney. The weather has taken a turn for the better, just in time for the weekend, and the entire Man of Many team is counting down the hours to 5pm. To speed up the process, we’ve put our feelers out and had a dig for the most positive stories we can find this week. From charitable endeavours to environmental activism, we’re sending you some of our best Feel-Good Friday vibes.

NAIDOC Week events are set to land in Sydney | Image: The Rocks
NAIDOC Week events are set to land in Sydney | Image: The Rocks

NAIDOC Week Events Kick Off in Sydney

Few events on the Australian cultural calendar are as important as NAIDOC Week. The annual acknowledgement of the contribution of Indigenous and First Nations Australians is a poignant statement of identity and this year’s event is shaping up as one of the biggest in recent memory.

From Sunday 7 July to Sunday 14 July, Barangaroo, The Rocks, and Darling Harbour will be transformed, celebrating NAIDOC Week’s theme of ‘Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud & Proud’, honouring the enduring strength and vitality of First Nations culture. The three harbourside precincts will host a range of free events to celebrate the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. From interactive dance workshops and storytelling sessions to art tours and even a possum skin cloak-making, the week promises to bring the traditions of the world’s oldest community firmly to the forefront of the cultural discourse.

Davines has announced its annual Become An Ocean Keeper Sustainability Campaign | Image: Davines
Davines has announced its annual Become An Ocean Keeper Sustainability Campaign | Image: Davines

Davines Defends the Ocean

Haircare brand Davines has announced its annual Become An Ocean Keeper Sustainability Campaign. This campaign continues the label’s partnership with Sea Shepherd, an Australian non-profit organisation on a mission to defend, conserve, and protect marine wildlife. Until the 31st July, Davines will donate $2 for every sale of its Essential Refill Pouches in support of Sea Shepherd’s ongoing efforts to protect the ocean from plastic pollution and debris.

Diplomático Rum and Morena launch 'A Taste of Venezuela’ menu | Image: Diplomático Rum
Diplomático Rum and Morena launch ‘A Taste of Venezuela’ menu | Image: Diplomático Rum

Diplomático Gives Sydney ‘A Taste of Venezuela’

To celebrate World Rum Day later this month, iconic rum brand Diplomático is teaming up with the culinary masters behind Sydney’s newest Latin American dining experience, Morena. Together, the two flavour hounds are launching an exclusive ‘Taste of Venezuela’ menu, created as a homage to Diplomático rum’s heritage.

The new four-course offering will be available exclusively for one month from Monday 15 July and features nine mouth-watering dishes. We’re talking indulgent MBS 5+ Black Opal wagyu girello drizzled with a Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva jus, rum-doused free-range chicken and a unqiue Latin American flan that pairs coconut flavours with a rum-infused burnt caramel sauce.

Best of all, ‘A Taste of Venezuela’ aptly aligns with Maestro Ronero (Rum Master), Nelson Hernandez’ inaugural visit down under. Diplomático rum and Morena’s ‘Taste of Venezuela’ chef’s selection menu will be available from Monday 15 July to Monday 12 August, for $150 per person.

Pana Organic partners with the Somers/Hastings Koala Habitat Project for a new tree-planting initiative | Image: Pana Organic
Pana Organic partners with the Somers/Hastings Koala Habitat Project for a new tree-planting initiative | Image: Pana Organic

Pana Organic’s Tree Planting Initiative

Our favourite sweets merchant, Pana Organic, has teamed up with Fifteen Trees and the Somers/Hastings Koala Habitat Project for a new tree-planting initiative on the Mornington Peninsula. Coordinated by the Mornington Peninsula Koala Conservation (MPKC), the project sees partners plant trees in existing koala corridors, thereby encouraging koalas out of urban areas and away from the many threats they face. The initiative comes after recent research from Deakin University suggested that the koala population has been negatively impacted by the highly fragmented nature of habitat in the local area.

‘To achieve our goals, we need funding to purchase trees for the wildlife corridors. All money received goes directly towards bringing our project and goals to life, Dirk Jensan, coordinator at The Mornington Peninsula Koala Conservation said. “Thank you to Pana Organics and Fifteen Trees for your assistance in purchasing trees on our behalf and, indeed, for coming out to plant too.”

The tree planting event will run on July 28 on the traditional lands of the Boon Wurrung / Bunurong people of the Kulin Nation. Over 70 per cent of landholders are expected to participate in the revegetation project, which is also backed by Mornington Peninsula Shire, Parks Victoria and the Department of Defence.