Earthcare News
May 2001
I do what I can, where I
am
Planting At Canterbury Rd
Saturday 23rd
June 10am- 3pm
Meeting at Harold Street
A vigorous work out for those who wish, or
a sedate reaquaintance with nature if that’s your want, the choice is yours.
Delicious lunch and refreshments
provided
Please bring gloves and
favourite tools (some tools provided)
Butterflies and Caterpillars
In the City of Port Phillip
Top
shelf chocolate biscuits, tea, coffee, wine and cheese will accompany the
event.
Friends of Sandringham Railway Reserve
The good news is that a grant for $13,800 from the Natural Heritage
Trust has been approved. This money is for works in Stonnington, Port Phillip
and Glen Eira. Plants have been ordered for this year’s planting schedule and
weed eradication has been started.
Planting date Location & Meeting place Melways
Sunday, 20’th May 10 am Riddell Pde Footbridge 67
G5
Saturday, 26’th May 10am Alma Rail Dandy Rd end 58
E8
Sunday, 27’th May
2 pm Rippon Gve Pde
Footbridge 67 F3
Saturday, 2’nd June 10am Alma Rail Dandy Rd end 58
E8
Sunday, 17’th June 10 am Grosvenor St Underpass 58
D12
Saturday, 30’th June 10am Alma Rail Dandy Rd end 58
E8
Sunday, 15’th July 10 am Riddell Pde Footbridge 67
G5
Saturday, 28’th July 10am Alma Rail Dandy Rd end 58
E8
Sunday, 19’th Aug 10 am Riddell Pde Footbridge 67
G5
Sunday, 16’th Sept 10 am Riddell Pde Footbridge 67
G5
An update on the St Kilda Foreshore
developments
There have had some promising developments
in regards to the St. Kilda foreshore.
Earthcare got an article in the Emerald HIll times, May edition. Around the same time and Zoe Hogg and
Josephine Samuel-King (Earthcare's own
dynamic duo) had a meeting with councillor Carolyn Hutchins and David Harper
(the foreshore Co-odinator). This
meeting lasted 70 minutes. Most of that
times was spent with Carolyn and David listening and responding to concerns
about the proposal that were outlined in the last newsletter. Carolyn appeared to be very supportive of
most of our concerns. We haven't
finished yet but at least they were listening and open to incorporating our
ideas.
Rakali Watch Team leader (volunteer) needed. Duties included organising time and dates around
the tides (it wont work the other way round as Napoleon found out???),
informing Earthcare Secretary for the newsletter, planning study, and
motivating a small group. Qualifications unnessesary, although they maybe
useful. Help us to increase the knowledge base on these fascinating creatures.
Further details contact Zoe 0402 164 482 or Alison
9532 4138
Whats On
20th
May, Friends of Sandy Rail, planting Riddell Pde Elsternwick 10am -12pm Rob
9537 2599
20th
May, Friends Port Melb. Foreshore, planting. Perc White Reserve 9.30am-12pm
Janet 9645 2269
20th
May, Friends of Westgate Park, 11am Melways ref 56 F1 . Free vegie bbq
25th
May, Greening Aust. Administrative Assistance for Community Groups. Sol Green
Rec. Centre cnr Montague & Coventry Sts. Sth Melb. 10-4pm Cost $15 Kate
9450 5304
26th
May, Richard Franklin & his films, 4pm-6.30pm National Theatre Cost $10 For
local Primary Schools
27th
May, Friends of Sandy Rail planting Rippon Gve footbridge. 2pm Rob 9537 2599
31st May Earthcare meeting featuring Rob Anderson On
Butterflies, Ecocentre 7.30pm
2nd
June, Alma Rail Planting, Alma Park East 10am-12noon Jo-Anne 9533 8708
3rd
June, Skinc. Classes, Koorie History and local plants, 2-5pm The EcoCentre
3rd
June, Silent Forest forum, Zoo 9am-5pm Ph:9285 9343 www.zoo.org.au
3rd
June, Penguin Research, Meeting at start of St Kilda Pier, 7.00pm Details
Angela 9527 8334
7th
June, Earthcare Committee Meeting, all welcome. The EcoCentre 7.30pm
16th
June, Friends Port Melb. Fshore, planting. Perc White Res. 9.30am-12pm Janet
9645 2269
17th
June, Friends of Sandy Rail Planting, Grosvenor St Bridge, 10am-12noon
17th
June, Friends Westgate Park, 11am check noticeboard Todd Rd Carpark for
location.
23rd June, Canterbury Rd planting. Meeting Harold St.
10am-3pm Zoe 0402 164 482
28th
June, Earthcare Meeting Featuring Skinc Nursery. 7.30pm The EcoCentre
30th June, Alma Rail Planting, Alma Park East 10am-12noon Jo-Anne 9533 8708
Despite
the inclusiveness, by definition of biodiversity, its study traditionally has
tried to ignore the role of humans or has simply regarded their impact as detrimental,
notes Arizona State University urban ecologist Ann Kinzig. She charges that
information about human behaviours and decisions, both helpful and destructive,
is rarely canvassed in the studies of disappearing species in degraded
habitats. The concern of scientists and other citizens must become part of the
ecological framework, she urges.
That
which is valued by scientists is monitored and that which is valued by the public is perceived, Kinzig explains.
Anything that receives attention from both factions can flourish, but when both
groups ignore something, it can become a source of “future surprises”. She
declares,”to be effective, we have to understand why people do what they do,
give them palatable alternatives” Such options concern researchers as well as
the public. “In the natural sciences, there’s an increasing recognition that
biodiversity research needs the involvement of the humanities and the social
sciences, and not just more interdisciplinary work, within the natural
sciences.”
From
a panel session helping to explain why the Biodiversity Observation year has so
far received sparse publicity.
www.the-scientist.com/yr2001/may/bunk_p1_010514.html
Have you ever wondered why there is a dragonfly next
to a newsletter from Seirei no Kai in the Earthcare newsletter?
Seirei no Kai (Seirei means dragonfly) are an
environmental group in our sister city of Obu in Japan. They are particularly concerned
with water quality and use a dragonfly shaped floating platform of water
hyacinth to purify Shinike pond. Another of their activities is to make bamboo
charcoal for water clarity.
A folder has been created about Seirei no Kai and it
will be in the EcoCentre library. The folder contains newsletters, photographs,
leaflets and information about the creation of a water wheel and the bamboo
charcoal burners.
An excerpt from Seirei no Kai Bulletin no. 20010324
Completion of Waterwheel draws nearer…
Relocation
to Shinike completed.
It
is always easy to plan something. However, in getting things off the ground and
actually producing something real, there are usually various unforeseen
problems that surface. But in the face of our determination and will to see the
job completed, the only obstacles that we encountered were minor ones.
The gathering of each member’s own
individual knowledge and expertise, along with the assistance of many
collaborators, all combined to take the form of the waterwheel. Even if the
waterwheel should collapse or be destroyed, the process by which it came to be
will not be forgotten.
Let’s praise those involved. The
Group Leader and the supportive members who put in so much effort, gave up day
after day of holidays for this day. Although at present the waterwheel is
covered by a blue tarpaulin, someday it will become a symbol of the
purification of Shinike, and we will continue to play a small part in granting
hope to the children who walk to and from school around the pond. Let’s now
concentrate on completing the pump and water purification facilities as soon as
we can.
Earthcare
Diary dates May/June 1991
May 26 Plant at Elwood School
June 2 St Kilda West Beach Restoration, weed control and planting
June 9 Elwood T Tree reserve planting and weed pull
June 16 St Kilda Breakwater plant grasses and ground covers
June 23 Elwood canal planting
June 30 St Kilda West Beach weeding
All projects start at noon and go to 3pm. Late arrivals are difficult to fit into the flow of things but would be helpful in packing up tools etc.
Billy tea available
Position vacant for damper cook with a history of no fatalities. Remuneration in the form of a warm inner glow.
May 2001 only 3 people turned up for the Canterbury road planting and weeding.
The indigenous vegetation sites set up by the pioneers of Earthcare are
badly in need of volunteer weeders and planters. Please make an effort to come
to Canterbury Road Urban Forest at Harold St.on Saturday 23rd June
10am-3pm. We still require a damper cook.
Seirei (Dragonfly)
Seirei no
Kai. Bulletin no. 20010324
1. Water Purification Facility Progress – Installation
of the waterwheel was completed on February 24; operation of the final test
plant is scheduled to take place in early April.
2. Results of Survey and New Activities – Some 61.9% of
the distributed surveys were returned, representing 54.8% of our total
membership. 88% of respondents were looking forward to new kinds of activities.
The pros and cons of undertaking new activities were discussed, with all
attendees acknowledging that new activities should be promoted by the
Preparatory Committee as proposed and deliberated at the Annual General
Meeting.
3. The Annual General Meeting will be combined with the
regular meeting of April 7. Information about the AGM will be sent to members
on postcards.
4. March’s working day is the 11th, and will
be spent mainly on preparation for the installation of the water purification
facility.
1. The waterwheel pipes and bearing cover were installed
over March 3 and 4 as the final work to be carried out on the wheel.
2. On March 11 bamboo charcoal production was carried
out; PET bottles, to be used as an aid to water purification, were also cut in
to the appropriate shape and placed in containers ready for use, although
numbers are still short at this stage.
1. April 7, 7:30 pm – Annual General Meeting
2. April 8, 9:00 am – Installation work on purification
and pumping facilities. If time permits, maintenance work on dragonfly fish
preserve will be carried out.