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Combatting dune erosion at Coogee Beach

Combatting dune erosion at Coogee Beach

Visitors to Coogee Beach will notice Ecojobs staff working in the dunes – not trampling, but using a technique called “brushing”.

This rehabilitation method involves using tree and shrub branches to stabilise dunes. Native branches create a microclimate that protects and shades sand, increases water infiltration, reduces erosion and wind speed, deters traffic, and traps sand. The essential conditions for revegetation.

Ecojobs team members Perry, Mitch and Ben have been working with the City of Cockburn on this coastline protection initiative.

Meet the Team: Mystine Brown

Meet the Team: Mystine Brown

With the start of the 2019/2020 financial year, Green Skills welcomed two new permanent members of staff: Steven Spragg and Mystine Brown.

Mystine has been a longtime Ecojobs casual, since July 2016. She is a versatile member of Ecojobs, from hand-weeding and chemical weed control to  local government Natural Resource Management positions.

Mystine is also a qualified swimming teacher.

A great skill set to have on the team. Welcome Mystine!

Record planting Day for Yellagonga Regional Park

Record planting Day for Yellagonga Regional Park

Perth Ecojobs plants record-breaking number of seedlings in Yellagonga Regional Park, 30 minutes north of the CBD.

Reserve maintenance is always busy in Winter with planting jobs. But the one at Beenyup Swamp (Yellagonga Regional Park) saw a whopping 11,000 seedlings planted!

“It’s our biggest 1-day job to date, and we were all done by 1pm!” said Ecojobs Supervisor Ben Atkinson.  

With Beenyup Swamp being the main source of nutrients entering Lake Joondalup, the newly planted sedges will strip nutrients and improve overall water quality.

This planting event is part of a 2 year DBCA (Dept of Biodiveristy Conservation and Attractions) project to rehabilitate the wetlands of Yellagonga –  Lake Joondalup, Lake Goollelal, Beenyup Swamps and Walluburnup Swamp.

New Hino Truck for Ecojobs Perth

New Hino Truck for Ecojobs Perth

A recent purchase has our Ecojobs staff excited. The new Hino truck arrived in March and the staff have been making the most of a quiet April to get the truck ready to go for the busy months ahead.

Complete with new tool box in the tray, it has also been fitted with a 2200ltr water tank, motor and hose reel – perfect for the upcoming winter planting jobs and ready for tree watering and weed control later in the year.

Perth Ecojobs Manager Kevin Toovey celebrates his 60th Birthday

Perth Ecojobs Manager Kevin Toovey celebrates his 60th Birthday

Kevin started work for Green Skills in the Murdoch office in January 2008 and in the 10+ years he has been with us – except for a year’s stint as a volunteer in Namibia between in 2011-2012 – he has worked to make our social enterprise Ecojobs Environmental Personnel a huge success.

Kevin has worked with hundreds of young Ecojobs casuals over the years to provide them with paid work and help them to develop their skills and networks and increase their chances of getting permanent work in the environmental industry.

He has developed a client base of local government authorities, state government agencies, friends groups and environmental consulting firms across the metropolitan region.  Ecojobs metro income has tripled in the ten years he has worked with us to total nearly $2,000,000 in 2017.

In these days of increasingly stingy project funding that makes it hard to cover organisational operating costs, Ecojobs ensures that Green Skills can fulfil its vision of being a driver of change towards a more sustainable community.

In the early years when Green Skills was a Registered Training Organisation, Kevin also provided accredited training in Conservation and Land Management, Occupational Health & Safety and Home Sustainability Assessment. 

Kevin’s work with Green Skills has been enormously beneficial during the past decade and we acknowledge the very positive contribution he continues to make to Green Skills and wish him a very happy birthday.