Past President Peter Panek opened the meeting at 6.30 pm on 17 May 2021 in the absence of President Anthony McGrath who is flying back from a Tasmanian golfing sojourn.

 

John Thornton led the singing of Advance Australia Fair.

 

We welcome  Mr  Bruce Ivers and his daughter Georgi who are from Trees4Australia and our Guest Speakers tonight.

Also, Jill Elias, visiting us again.

 

With apologies and LOA plus 3 guests, it is anticipated 40 people in attendance tonight.

 

 

Neil Wilkie advised that his daughter had received approval from the UK in July to visit her ‘elderly’ parents.

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Kent advised that we have 35 members plus 3 guests at our meeting.

 

 

A meeting had been held, but nothing to report.       

 

Seeking accommodation ‘down south’ for a raffle. The MyHome project has an issue with land issues.

 

Day one of the Science and Engineering Challenge completed with Duncraig SHS the day’s winner.

 

Footy Tipping Round 9 - Antonio Gatta

Leader - John Bolto

 

The wine table, but Steve Halbert paid on behalf of the table and donated the bottle to others.

Win Jones and David Miller for a seamless transition at the John Fawcett Foundation.

Steve Halbert for the Rabbitohs being beaten 50-0.

Peter Robertson for his life-size images on bus stops.

Richard Goreham for ‘low flying’, and Peter Marfleet for dobbing him in.

Peter Panek for being a ‘happy clapper’ at Wildcats games.

Jon Steward introduced Bruce & Georgi Ivers.

 

Bruce has been involved in landcare work for 25 years, the last 12 running Trees4Australia. He grew up on a farm near Kojonup and ran the family farm for 10 years. He returned to study at the Curtin Graduate School of Business, graduating with a Master of Leadership and Management degree. As a break from study, he joined Men of the Trees, a farm tree help scheme and started growing native seedlings in his backyard for planting on the farm.

 

Georgi does freelance creativity, working mainly in theatre and video. She’s a regular teaching artist and assistant director with the WA Youth Theatre Company. She also assists with her family business, Trees4Australia, which involves taking schoolkids tree planting on degraded land in rural WA.

 

An introductory video was shown which promoted the theme ‘Real activities that make a real difference.’

Salinity is killing our landscape, costing $500 million per year in lost production. Coastal erosion is not self-repairing. Riverbank erosion caused by boat bow waves has been slowed by reducing boat speed limits. Friends of Point Walter Reserve and Ardross Primary School have planted 3500 rushes.

 

Young Australians are showing signs of eco-anxiety – worried about their future.

Kids are taken to country sites to inspire them to tackle large scale environmental issues. Also to metropolitan sites such as Blue Gum Lake in Mt Pleasant.

Seedlings are purchased from a farm at Tincurrin. It homes 4 million seedlings which cost $2 to $4 each to purchase.

Bruce demonstrated a mechanical tree planter that reduces back strain.

 

They promote a ‘two knowledges bush walk’ where Noongar and Western Science views are explored – cultural significance of sites, and the plants and wildlife.

Kids get to see the result of their labours. Photos were shown of a case study near Pingelly. Forest Hills Primary see the results at Blue Gum Lake.

Melville Rotary and Katanning Rotary have combined for a planting project.

Rotary’s seventh area of focus is Environment.

 

Bruce spoke of future projects, highlighting the costs, particularly of seedlings and buses for transport.

 

Questions were taken from Bob Davis, Kim Smith and Peter Robertson.

 

PP   Peter thanked Bruce & Georgi for their interesting & thought-provoking talk.