January
/ February 2003
I
do what I can, where I am.
Koorie
Plant Management workshop with Dr Beth Gott
Saturday 1st March 11am-2pm
Earthcare is fortunate to offer this special event-
Dr Beth Gott will conduct a koorie plant use and plant management workshop at Johnson Reserve. Beth's talk was one of the highlights of 2002 and this will be a unique opportunity to look at how plants were and are used and managed for food and other uses.
Johnson Reserve is at the
Junction of Cowderoy st, Cantebury Rd and Longmore St, West St Kilda
RETHINKING EARTHCARE
Earthcare has been a high profile environment group within the city of
Port
Phillip since 1989.Since then the people who live within the CoPP and the
people support this group have changed their way of life and their ability to
maintain long term commitment to Earthcare.
We need to rethink and restructure the type of membership and the activities
that we can maintain. Come along to the renewed EcoCentre corner of Blessington
and Herbert Streets St Kilda on Thursday January 30th 7.30pm.Share some
refreshments and help us with this task.
If you cannot attend the meeting feel free to email ideas to zoemh@bigpond.com or call Zoe on 0402 164
482. We would appreciate it if you could let us know if you are coming.
January Earthcare Meeting
Thursday 30th 7.30pm at the EcoCentre
What’s
On January / February/ March
30th Jan Earthcare
Meeting 7.30pm at recently refurbished EcoCentre at the corner of Blessington
and Herbert Sts, St Kilda
2nd Feb Penguin
Research, meet at start of St Kilda Pier, Bookings and exact time Angela 9527
8334
19th Feb Parks Community meeting, Albert Road Drive South, Albert Park (enter via Cecil Street [MSAC] entrance 7.30pm Mel Ref 2K 6E
22nd Feb Friends
of Port Melbourne Foreshore working Bee at Perc White Reserve Mel 56 F3 Details
Janet 9645 2269 9.30am–12noon
23rd Feb Planting
Corroboree Tree Project. 10am to 2pm Sunday On site at Junction Oval, St Kilda Melway Map 58 B8 Some may wish to stay for
lunch, if so bring lunch. John Addie,
9682 2323
27th Feb No
Earthcare meeting planned
1st March Earthcare’s
Koorie Plant use Workshop featuring Dr Beth Gott, 11am-2pm at Johnson Reserve
at the Junction of Cowderoyst, Cantebury Rd and Longmore St. melways 57 k7
2nd Mar Clean
up Aust. Day at St Kilda Pier and Breakwater 10am-12noon
2nd Mar Penguin
Research, meet at start of St Kilda Pier, Bookings and exact time Angela 9527
8334
23rd Mar Friends
of Port Melbourne Foreshore working Bee at Perk White Reserve Mel 56 F3 Details
Janet 9645 2269 9.30am–12noon
23rd Mar Planting
Corroboree Tree Project. 10am to 2pm Sunday On site at Junction Oval, St Kilda
Melway Map 58 B8 Some may wish to stay for lunch, if so bring lunch. John Addie, 9682 2323
27th Mar Earthcare’s
AGM 7.30pm at the EcoCentre, at the corner of Blessington and Herbert Sts, St
Kilda
A
MELLOW YEAR AHEAD FOR EARTHCARE?
As
the sun was setting over Port Phillip Bay it cast a beautiful golden, peachy
pink light over the blue grey of the West Beach salt marsh. This was the setting and the tone of the
Earthcare Christmas party last year-relaxed, peaceful and mellow. The energy
and inspiration for the following year was with the Earthcare projects.
At
the meeting Earthcare decided on a few changes to the way we work. We want a
meeting structure that is more sustainable.
We hope this will mean there is more energy left for projects and better
attendance at the meetings. Hence we
are trailing the following changes:
Earthcare meetings:
·
Earthcare
meetings are to be held on the last Thursday of every second month. The first will be at the end of January,
then March (AGM), May, July, September, and November.
·
The Earthcare
committee meetings will be held at the beginning of the meetings, with all
members open to participate. Any extra
committee meetings will be organised for the alternate months on an as needed
basis.
·
Speakers to
be organised for two or three meetings per year. Effort can then be put into publicizing these meetings to attract
a wider audience.
Planting/ working bee days:
·
Earthcare
planting days will generally occur the weekend after the Earthcare meetings,
every 2nd month during the planting season. The dates that we have worked out so far are
as follows. Please put them in your
calendar:
Hands on plant day with Beth Got: Saturday March the 1st,
11-2pm
Ecohouse Garden April 5th 11-3pm (Saturday +/-
Sunday 6th): to be confirmed
Grosvenor St., (working bee with Sandy Rail) 11-2pm, Saturday
June 14th
National tree day: 11-2pm 27th Sunday July at Point
Ormond
PROJECTS FOR THE YEAR:
PENGUIN
STUDY-to continue on a monthly basis (twice monthly in season)
RAKALI
SURVEY: -Andrew, Zoe and Ed to organize, possibly fortnightly surveys, Contact:
Ph:0402 164 482
BIRD
REPORT: …possibility of getting David Eades to give another talk and turn the
report by David Eades into a small publication. Contact: Andrew or Jo SK Ph: 9534 5751
HISTORY
OF EARTCHARE-Zoe and Ed to look into editing the 40 page document already
written
SEA
STAR ERADICATION-to continue work with Matt Green who is doing a three month
commercial divers course
SEA
GRASS REPORT, now out of date c/o the Sea star invasion-Zoe to apply for a
grant to redo it in light of the new threats to the ecosystem.
WATER
QUALITY TESTING-To continue to monitor Cowderoy Creek with Nicki Furkert
2003
hold great promise for new ideas, new active members and new committee
members. Earthcare relies on its
membership to be a truly local, grass roots organization. Membership gives you access to the bimonthly
newsletter access to the meetings, talks and projects and proper insurance
cover when you volunteer at the working bees and while participating on
projects.
Please
consider joining the committee, and taking up an executive position. It is a great way to contribute to the local
natural environment and becoming an integral part of the local community. The meetings are generally fun, efficient
and amazingly free of egos. The
commitment is not huge. The committee
meetings will be held a maximum of 5-6 times per year. Generally members will find they will have a
small amount of work outside these meetings also.
THE ECOHOUSE: VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO ASSIST THIS DREAM BECOMING
A REALITY
Over
three years ago, Earthcare members envisaged the transformation of the “house
where we had been meeting into a model sustainable “Ecohouse”. It has been an inspiring and at times
painful process to see this dream become a reality. The Ecohouse working group, (made up mostly of Earthcare
volunteers) put in literally thousands of hours to develop the dream. Over the last year, Neil Blake and Peter
Barker have worked tirelessly to see it become a reality. We are now up to the final stages of the
building retrofitting. There is a great
need for volunteers to help out at this point.
We
are still to secure funding for the garden aspect of the project, but trust
that like the rest of the project, what seems impossible will actually
happen. This is where Earthcare
volunteers may be in an ideal position to assist. If we can secure a small amount of funding for the landscape the
rest may be able to be done by volunteers.
Once
the physical retrofitting is complete.
The next challenge will be to develop educational and inspirational
material (e.g. the web-site, guided and self-guided audiovisual tours) so that
the project can have a wide and long lasting impact for the environment.
Please
contact, Neil Blake: Ph: 92096491, or Peter Barker, email: ecohouse@vicnet.net.au Ph: 92096811
(located at the lunchroom in the St. Kilda botanic gardens) or myself (Jo Samuel-King-mjsk@vicnet.net.au)
if you would like to assist in any way or have your name down for working bees.
THE
LOCAL NATURAL HERITAGE CHARTER
Earthcare,
Friends of Port Melbourne Foreshore and The City of Port Phillip signed a
charter that committed us to “work in partnership to plan, maintain, protect
and enhance local Natural Heritage Areas”.
This was the fruit of over a year of dialogue and a real win for all
parties and the local environment.
It
acknowledged the existence and importance of the wild areas in the City of Port
Phillip in terms of their value as Natural Heritage. Natural Heritage is a concept that has been developed on a
National level to best encapsulate the importance of what remains of our
indigenous vegetation in terms of their heritage and biodiversity values.
It
commits all parties to plan for, maintain and protect these areas. It clearly spells out who is responsible for
what. For example the City of Port
Phillip as the landholder takes primary responsibility for planning policy
development and maintenance of these areas.
An area that had previously been a little grey and a cause of much
anguish for Earthcare members.
It
commits all parties to work together.
This is an excellent framework for future joint projects and an exciting
aspect of the charter.
It
has practical outcomes. One is a yearly
joint Natural Heritage Activities calendar.
This will be widely advertised, so as to involve the community caring
for the local natural environment.
The
charter will be on display at the EcoCentre at the next Earthcare meeting and
at the AGM in March.
Dear Earthcare,
I have decided not to restand to the position of president but would hope to be nominated as a non-executive member, for this coming year.
I have found that I am running out of steam and I
think It's be better to have a rest, rather than drag the rest of Earthcare
down with me. I trust someone with a little more time and energy
will be inspired to take up this role. It has been lots and lots of
fun. Earthcare is a fantastic organisation that deserves a president who
can build upon its previous great hard work. Fond regards, Jo Samuel-
King
To nominate for a position on the committee at
Earthcare’s upcoming AGM (March) please contact Zoe zoemh@bigpond.com or Phone
0402 164 482
All positions
are available
Your Membership is Due.
To
help Earthcare commit to the Environment we need a strong membership. All
memberships are up for renewal, unless you have recently paid for the year 03 (
if you are unsure email Alison at aliart@optusnet.com.au.or
phone 9532 4138) Only $15 for students
/ concession cardholder, $20 singles, $30 for family, $40 for corporate.
Please
send your cheque or money order to PO Box 287 Elwood, 3184 or pay in person at
the next Earthcare meeting.
Please note Earthcare News is now bi-
monthly