by Basil | Jul 22, 2019 | Green Skills Inc. - Sustainability Non-Profit
Monday 22nd July 2019
Volunteer University Students help plant out landcare sites
A team from Trinity Residential College at the UWA joined in a two day program of tree planting for habitat restoration on a farm near Cranbrook on the 18th and 19th July 2019.
The team of eight, led by College head, Mike Shearer, planted 6500 native trees and shrubs on two sites on the Williamson farm, north of Cranbrook. Trinity College had grown 4000 of these trees as part of their landcare effort.Other trees came through Katanning Landcare, Habitat Nursery in Denmark, and through North Stirling Pallinup NRM.
The team worked with Green Skills’ Basil Schur, and the Gillamii Centre’s Freyer Spencer, on the project. They were able to stay three nights in a spare homestead on the Walsh family farm.
Volunteer team of Uni students from Trinity College planting a habitat restoration site on the Williamson Farm, Cranbrook with Green Skills and Gillamii
Volunteer team of Uni students from Trinity College help clean up planting equipment after a day with Green Skills and Gillamii
Ian Walsh, Cranbrook farmer, speaking to Freya Spencer of Gillamii and some of the team from Trinity College, This tree planting project helps provide a valuable experience for city based uni students, several of whom from overseas. The Walsh family kindly hosted the team in one of their homesteads during the event.
For further information, contact Basil Schur at Denmark Greens Skills on [email protected]
by Basil | Apr 17, 2019 | Green Skills Inc. - Sustainability Non-Profit
In March 2019 , Green Skills completed a State 2 project for the Balijup project aimed to build community capacity in the eco-restoration of the 919ha Balijup property near Tenterden with its Fauna Sanctuary (a 111ha fenced feral predator free exclosure into which Quenda (Southern Brown Bandicoots) and Coomarl (Brush tailed possums) have been successfully established) Green Skills has partnered with Conservation Council of WA Citizen Science team, other groups, property owners and many volunteers in community capability building in terms of eco-restoration, feral animal control, and citizen science community research into native fauna recovery. installation and monitoring of more than 35 Phascogale nesting boxes, research into feral animal baiting and further fauna research and monitoring on Balijup.
The project facilitated improvements to the capacity of both Green Skills and Conservation Council, and their key project staff, to plan and execute fauna and environmental monitoring at Balijup. It also provided hands on practical experience to over 30 volunteers, several of whom were university graduates or current undergraduates very keen to get hands on experience with fauna trapping and environmental monitoring. Green Skills was able to gain a lot more knowledge and technical capability in relation to implementing a Brush tailed Phascogale conservation project. Important progress has been made in developing the foundation for implementing a feral animal control program at Balijup.
The Feb 2019 report is down loadable in a small size file at
https://greenskills.org.au/wp-content/ uploads/2019/03/Balijup-Citizen-ScienceReport-Green-Skills-February-2019-SmallFile.pdf
or high resolution version at
https://greenskills.org.au/wp-content/ uploads/2019/03/Balijup-Citizen-Science-Report-Green-Skills-February-2019-Large-File.pdf
Future proposed priorities for the Balijup Citizen Science progranm t include 1) Ongoing camera monitoring 2) Further cage trapping program events 3) Ongoing monitoring of Southern Heath Monitors within the Sanctuary and relocation of some of these 4) Control of rabbits and Kangaroos within the Sanctuary 5) Ongoing monitoring of the Sanctuary fence and maintenance of the firebreaks 6) Ongoing monitoring and maintenance of the phascogale boxes and development of further research. 7) Ongoing monitoring of the other phascogale nesting boxes on three properties. 8) Other vegetation, bird and wetland monitoring both within the Sanctuary and Balijup property. 9) Further development of a feral baiting program for the whole of Balijup property.
This project is supported by funding from the Western Australian Government’s State Natural Resource Management Program, supported by Royalties for Regions.
Green Skills’ Balijup, Biodiversity and wetland conservation activities have also received support from the Parks and Wildlife Service of the WA Department of Conservation, Biodiversity and Attractions, Bush Heritage Australia, The University of WA (Albany), and Conservation Council of WA. The Feb 2019 citizen science event formed part of the South Coast Festival of Birds & Biodiversity, which was supported by Lotterywest, BirdLife Australia and Green Skills.
Balijup Citizen Science Report-February 2019
by Basil | Apr 17, 2019 | Green Skills Inc. - Sustainability Non-Profit
Whale Shark, star of SunSmart Albany Kite Fiesta
A whale shark, blue whale, frilled lizard and many other creatures and box kites, filled Albany’s skies last Sunday 24 March 2019. This brought joy to the many hundreds of people including children, adults and the young of heart who came down to join in the fun.
Thanks to Healthway for sponsoring this SunSmart event, to Michael and Jan Alvares of Kite Kinetcs, the City of Albany, to the McCullan clan (Kristi, John, Evi, Shanit), Basil Schur,David McNamara, Rachel Pontin, Anne Sparrow and everyone else at Green Skills for helping making this event happen.
by Basil | Apr 17, 2019 | Green Skills Inc. - Sustainability Non-Profit
The South Coast Festival of Birds and Biodiversity 2019 concluded on the 10 April co-ordinated by Green Skills and BirdLife Australia.
Over 30 events comprised this Festival with a hundreds of participants, young and old. Here are pics from some of the events- Lots of fun and learning and a strong focus on conservation.
A Big Thank you to Lotterywest, BirdLife Australia, Albany Bird Group, UWA Albany, City of Albany, Denmark Bird Group, Parks and Wildlife Service (Dept of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions) , Gondwana Link Ltd, Bush Heritage Australia, South Coast NRM, and the many other groups and individuals who helped make this Festival happen
Here are some pics from some of the exciting events that happened
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by Basil | Jan 23, 2019 | Green Skills Inc. - Sustainability Non-Profit
On Monday 21 January, Green Skills, in conjunction with the Shire of Katanning’s Art Gallery held a Gondwana Connections art exhibition opening and eco restoration event at which 34 people attended.This event forms part of the South Coast Festival of Birds & Biodiversity.
This exhibition opening included a Welcome to Country by a Katanning Noongar Elder, Gabrielle Hansen as well as presentations by Aunty Carol Pettersen, and Basil Schur of Green Skills. Gallery manager James Wood was MC for the event. A short film featuring Balijup and its eco-restoration and art programs was shown.
The exhibition looks stunning and well worth a visit ! It is up until mid March 2019
The principal artists represented in the exhibition include Joey Williams, Audrey and Errol Eades,The Women’s Group facilitated by Carol Pettersen, Lynne and Ken Tinley, Nikki Green, Janine McCrum, Robyn Lees, Helmie van Melle, Christine Harrison, Rosemary Turle, Jacqui Gale and Karlee Bertola. Nikki Green and Janine McCrum set up the exhibition. Key support has come from Poornarti Aboriginal Tours, Eugene Eades and the Eades family, Friends of Nowanup, the City of Albany’s Vancouver Art Centre, and Community Arts Network WA, the Denmark CRC.
This project has been supported by funding from the Western Australian Government’s State Natural Resource Management Program, supported by Royalties for Regions. In addition this event has been supported by the Shire of Katanning, Lotterywest, The Koorabup Trust, and Gondwana Link. This event also forms part of the 2019 South Coast Festival of Birds and Biodiversity. Thjis Festival is supported by Lotterywest, BirdLife Australia, Green Skills, UWA Albany and many other groups and individuals.
Katanning Gallery Manager James Wood setting up the Gondwana Connections Exhibition
Gondwana Connections Exhibition
Minang Elder Carol Pettersen speaking at the event
Green Skills’s Basil Schur presenting at the event
