by Basil | Oct 17, 2019 | Green Skills Inc. - Sustainability Non-Profit
For two days in mid-October, Green Skills held a Citizen Science environmental monitoring event at the Balijup Sanctuary near Tenterden. 19 people participated in the activities, including Conservation lecturer from TAFE South, Sylvia Leighton and 10 of her Cert III students. Projects completed including monitoring of 24 Phascogale nesting boxes (some showing use), Wildlife camera monitoring, a tree hollow survey of the wandoo/Jarrah woodland, Sanctuary fence maintenance, weedy wattle road verge removal, night spotlighting, and a survey of rabbit warrens. Balijup co-owners Anne Vanderbyl and Alan Hordacre were on hand and provided valuable assistance to the activities.
Despite lots of indirect evidence of our elusive native marsupials, none were directly spotted during the two days.
The event was supported by the WA State Government’s State NRM program, the Koorabup Trust, Gillamii Centre, Janicke Environmental Consultants, enthusiastic volunteers and the owners of Balijup Farm.
A four day Bandicoot and fauna survey project is planned from Thursday 15th January 2020 to Monday 20 January 2020. Volunteer participants welcome to join in that event.
For further info on the Balijup Fauna project, contact Basil Schur, Green Skills Project Manager on 0429481019 or [email protected].,au
Volunteer team checking Phascogale nesting boxes at Balijup Fauna Sanctuary, October 2019
Inside a Phascogale nesting box with scats visible. Balijup October 2019
Wandoo and Jarrah woodland tree hollow survey at Balijup
Fence check and upkeep at Balijup Fauns Sanctuary by Conservation TAFE students
Annie Vanderbyl, one of the co owners of Balijup farm, with a photo acknowledging her parents, near entrance of the Balijup Sanctuary.
The Citizen Science Group on the edge of one of the 13 lakes and wetlands on Balijup Farm. October 2019
by Laura | May 6, 2019 | Green Skills Inc. - Sustainability Non-Profit
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.
by Laura | Aug 27, 2018 | Green Skills Inc. - Sustainability Non-Profit
While the eastern states are struggling with drought, Perth has experienced its wettest winter in years.
This is no surprise to Ecojobs staff, who have had to delay planting some wetlands for weeks, waiting for waters to subside.
Our team arrived at Bibra Lake to find the holes prepped for new seedlings had turned into a sea of puddles!
With the return of warm weather, we can finish off the final plantings and start the next phase of natural areas maintenance, weeding.
by Rachel | Aug 9, 2018 | Green Skills Inc. - Sustainability Non-Profit
Sydney Golden Wattle is one of the most invasive woody weeds in the Albany region. Without control it will overwhelm entire tracts of native vegetation. It is in full bloom at the moment and therefore very easy to identify. The Kalgan River Stewards is a local volunteer conservation group, active for the last 10 years, which has been caring for the Kalgan riverbank in the region of the Luke Penn walkway.
The Kalgan River Stewards in association with Green Skills and Montgomery’s Hill Wines are holding a Sydney Golden Wattle busting workshop on the 19th August 2018. Anyone interested in Landcare and keen to remove some of these invasive weeds is welcome to attend.
Program
Meeting time; Sunday 19th August 9.30am
Where to find us; Montgomery’s Hill Wines
45821 South Coast Hwy Kalgan
What to bring; Small hand held saw and shovel if you have one
What to wear; Sturdy jeans and footwear, raincoat if wet
Program; 9.30am Arrive
9.40am Welcome and plan for the morning.
Phil Shilcock, Montgomery’s Hill Wines
9.50am The Kalgan River Stewards, what we do
John Tomlinson
10.00am Control of the Sydney Golden Wattle
Peter Stewart.
Bushcarer’s Group Coordinator City of Albany
10.15am Weed busting
12.15am BBQ Lunch
Tea, Coffee, Wine tasting
1.00-1.30pm Event concludes
Further information contact Jim Leighton mobile 0428429844
RSVP; Please let us know if you are planning to attend by email to
[email protected]
by Basil | Jul 23, 2018 | Green Skills Inc. - Sustainability Non-Profit
Report from WA Landcare Network Forum
By Basil Schur
On Friday 20th July he WA Landcare Network held a members and Stake-holders forum at the Cockburn Wetlands Education Centre. Around 90 people attended the event. The Welcome to Country by Marie Taylor, a Whadjuk Noongar Elder, included some special story telling – and this complemented a latter presentation by Oral McGuire about Noongar enterprise and Caring for Country at Avondale Park, near York.
Marie Taylor, a Whadjuk Noongar Elder, giving the Welcome to Country. at the Forum
While Alannah MacTiernan, Minister for Regional Development, Agriculture and Food, did indicate at at the forum her support for the work of landcare, it was perhaps a missed opportunity to challenge her for the paltry $7m a year the WA Government is allocating to State NRM programs.
Two presentations from Katanning Landcare and Blackwood Basin Group related to landcare groups setting up enterprises ( a nursery in the case of Katanning, and the Perup Nature’s Guest House in the case of the Boyup Brook based Blackwood Basin Group.) Green Skills, with its long history of running community based enterprises (ie Eco Jobs, Denmark Tip Shop), has something to offer other community groups keen to embark on income generation through running enterprises.
I gave a presentation on Bailjup Sanctuary Citizen Science program ( pdf attached), which complemented Dr Nic Dunlop’s presentation on Citizen Science in relation to NRM outcomes.
A rewarding presentation covering social entrepreneurship, and integrated agricultural/biodiversity programs was given by Lachy Ritchie of Odonata ( http://www.odonata.org.au/)
Lots of valuable ideas, and it would be great for Green Skills to potentially be part of an emerging partnership between Odonata and Gondwana Link.
Another useful presentation was by Dr Guy Boggs of the WA Biodiversity Science Institute (https://wabsi.org.au/) – a possible opportunity to get more university students and researchers to link with Green Skiils’projects and programs
At the networking level, I found it useful to connect with folk from the Warren catchments Council, the Conservation Council of WA, the Cockburn Wetland Centre, and reps from a wide range of other groups.
Basil Schur, Projects Manager, Green Skills
A selection of slides from the Balijup presentation…
