by Basil | Jan 27, 2020 | Green Skills Inc. - Sustainability Non-Profit
Bandicoots, Birds and Eco-restoration program at Balijup farm near Cranbrook 16-2- Jan 2020
This Green Skills camp involved four days of Bandicoot and fauna trapping and other environmental monitoring on Balijup, a special property forming part of the Gondwana Link conservation program.
14 participants worked with wildlife biologist Andy McCreery, Alisia Lampropoulos, & Basil Schur of Green Skills and others on a range of citizen science monitoring activities at and near Balijup farm including bandicoot re-trapping,bird surveying ( with Andrew Dickinson), woodland cockatoo hollow survey & Sanctuary fence maintenance. Thanks to Aunty Carol Petterson, Noongar elder, for participating and for the enthusiastic support of the Balijup owners, Alan Hordacre, Anne Vanderbyl and Richard Hordacre.
The 111ha Sanctuary was launched in May 2015 with Bandicoots ( Quenda), re introduced into the enclosure from whiich foxes and cats are excluded.A
This project was supported by the WA Government’s State NRM program and the Koorabup Trust. It also formed part of the Festival of Birds and Biodiversity 2020, supported by Lotterywest, Great Southern Development Commission, BirdLife WA and Green Skills
A Quenda ( Southern Brown Bandicoot) about to be released after capture, tagging and measuring.
100 cage traps were set out in the 111 ha fenced Sanctuary enclosure
Capturing and carefully handling the fauna caught
Group processing and measuring animals before release
University students getting experience handling native fauna
Releasing a Quenda
A Brush tailed Possum about to be released after capture
Brush tailed phascogale – first one caught and photographed at the Balijup Sanctuary. Very exciting !
Sarah and Andrew doing a standard bird survey
Anne Vandberbyl ( one of the Co owners of Balijup) brought out scones, cream and home made jam for the hungry team!
Participants on the Cockatoo nesting hollow survey of the wandoo and Jarrah trees
Setting up a wildlife detecting camera in the Sanctuary
Sanctuary Fence maintenance work
Eco-restoration visit to Green Skills and Greening Australian revegetation sites on the Sandiland farm near Kendenup
Visit to the Green Skills bird hideA fam at Lake Matilda, near Kendenup
Aunty Carol Pettersen, Noongar elder, sharing her knowledge, including about sandalwood nuts as valuable bushtucker food
Spotlighting excercise near Lake Nunijup during the event
Ecorestoration visit to the Martagallup Pony Club lake wetland restoration site and constructed islands.
Group enjoying watermelon brought up by Alan Hordacre and partner Kylie.
The group in the Sanctuary about to embark on a Cockatoo nesting hollow survey of the wandoo and Jarrah treas
by albanymanager | Jan 22, 2020 | Green Skills Inc. - Sustainability Non-Profit
We are into the 3rd week of the January roll out of the Night Markets on Proudlove Parade. Thirty businesses from as far as Kojonup through to Denmark, Mt Barker in addition to Albany have showcased their wares and made the most of the opportunity to trade in the Proudlove Parade precinct on a Thursday night. You can find anything there from hand crafted new and up-cycled gifts, fruit and vegetables, honey jams and preserves, clothes, indigenous art, storage options, plants, soaps and candles, beauty products, garden products, jewellery pottery, beds and bbq’s, book a tour and great dinner choices from a variety of food vendors.
This week sees the inclusion of tarot card readings, music and the launch of the Albany Regional Volunteer Service BBQ trailer. This trailer will ultimately be providing breakfasts for the disadvantaged and homeless in Albany and manned by volunteers.
Next door to the markets at 5pm, the Wave Energy Center is conducting a public lecture on research that will be undertaken within the Bremer, Leeuwin, & Perth submarine canyons over the next month. Led by Dr Julie Trotter from the University of Western Australia and partnered with the philanthropic Schmidt Ocean Institute (SOI), the expedition has the rare opportunity to use deep-sea ROV technology to explore depths to ~4000 m. For the first time, high definition images will be captured and various fauna will be collected for analysis post-cruise, with a specific focus on deep-sea corals. A large seawater analytical programme will also be undertaken to investigate the unique conditions creating these hotspots of biodiversity.
The markets are open from 4pm to 9pm. Email [email protected] or call Anne Sparrow 0498 194 222 if you would like a stall next week.
by albanymanager | Jan 13, 2020 | Green Skills Inc. - Sustainability Non-Profit
Hundreds of locals, visitors and four-legged friends attended the inaugural Proudlove Parade Night Markets. Located under the trees in the car park, the ambience of the markets breathed vibrancy into the night-time of this precinct. A variety of market stalls from local businesses offering back to school and cooking displays from Harvey Norman, up-cycled, local and home-made items and produce, home-wares and storage, food, tour operators offering experiences in our region and food vans with a range of choices for your dinner. Green Skills provided a hands-on opportunity to make bath bombs and created a very low waste event.
Local shopkeepers who formed the Proudlove Parade Town Team supporting the markets with Green Skills Albany and the Albany Chamber of Commerce and Industry, including Yak on York, La Botanic, Barlettas Albany and York St IGA offered specials on dinners, pot plants and more. Next week there will be even more specials on offer including workshops in La Botanic !
This all created a busy Thursday Night Shopping experience with vibrancy that filled both Proudlove Parade and lower Stirling Terrace which increased opportunity for all these local businesses to showcase their wares. The markets will operate initially on Thursday nights all through January. You can still book a stall for the upcoming weeks. Contact the Albany office on 9842 1334 or [email protected]
by albanymanager | Dec 29, 2019 | Green Skills Inc. - Sustainability Non-Profit
Green Skills Albany is proud to be working in partnership with the businesses on Proudlove Parade, the Albany Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the City of Albany on a new activation project for the precinct. As part of the Proudlove Parade Town Team, together with Yak On York, La Botanic, IGA York St and Barletta’s, this Thursday night market is an opportunity for regional, local, small, micro and home-based businesses to trade during the summer holiday period, initially. The markets aim to provide opportunity for a huge range of diverse stalls including arts and crafts, up-cyclers, on-sellers, food producers, cooks and preservers, clothing, hand made items, great food, music and so much more.
Thursday night shopping was very popular when it started in the 1980’s. This project aims to inject some of that popularity back into Proudlove Parade while providing holiday makers with another interesting night activity during their stay in Albany
If you would love to be a part of the markets please contact Anne Sparrow on [email protected] or 0498 194 222.
by | Dec 6, 2019 | Green Skills Inc. - Sustainability Non-Profit
It’s Denmark Arts Market time again. Green Skills will continue the amazing success of our Not Waste education program. The Bin Faeries are a chance to be on the ground talking to our community and making a real difference in waste separation. To augment this Green Skills and Denmark Arts have been helping stall holders to change their practices by providing information on alternatives to single use plastic. This is not the only thing but it is a great step towards waste reduction. Also Plastic Reduction Denmark will continue there wash station and will be trialing plate washing from one stall. These two projects, community education and the changes by stallholders have reduced the landfill by over 90%. We would love to have you as a part of the team and thanks so much to everyone who has already been a part of this community action.
James the Bin Faerie
