NEWSLETTER NEWS
1. FRIENDS' e-News

Friends of Parks Inc produces a newsletter offering Friends news and articles of general interest to Friends, in both hard copy and  viewable on the Friends of Parks' website (click on the 'e-News newsletter' hotlink in the left-hand column).  The aim is to produce e-News bimonthly.  Those requiring mailed-out hard copy are asked to pay a subscription of $10 pa.

Please forward your fully prepared** story, or newsletter/minutes**, with or without photographs, to Dr. Geoffrey Bishop, c/- Volunteer Support Unit, by email ( ), or by postal mail, GPO Box 1047, Adelaide SA 5001.  Geoffrey will co-edit the e-News newsletter with our President David Mitchell.  Hugh Lambert will be attending to layout, file preparation for the printer, and translation to the Friends of Parks' website.

** Fewer resources will be available to perform editorial/proof-reading steps for the e-News, so contributors will be asked to submit material that is in as excellent a state of preparation as possible.

2. DEH's The Link

The LINK is a newsletter that specialises in providing information that will keep the readership informed about issues and happenings of concern between volunteers and DEH.  The LINK will be available only electronically.  People wishing to be notified by email of the release of editions should notify the Volunteer Support Unit, by email ), or postal mail, GPO Box 1047, Adelaide SA 5001.  The internet address of the LINK is www.environment.sa.gov.au/dehaa/volunteer_news.html.

3. OFFICE FOR VOLUNTEERS' State of Volunteering On-Line

The Office for Volunteers’ fortnightly electronic newsletter, The State of Volunteering On-line, can be read by visiting www.ofv.sa.gov.au/newsletter.htm.
For further information or to provide feedback, visit the Office for Volunteers' website at www.ofv.sa.gov.au, phone 08 8463 4490, fax 08 8463 4400 or email .

4. VICTORIAN FRIENDS news and FriendsNET newsletters

Should you wish to check what's going on across the border ... visit http://home.vicnet.net.au/~friends/news.html for Victorian Friends' news and an index to their FriendsNET newsletters (PDF format is used).  Contact for information.

BOARD MATTERS

Descriptions of the roles of the Friends of Parks Inc. Board have recently been added to this website, and can be seen here.  Friends are encouraged to serve on the Board.  Election to vacancies on the Board normally takes place at Friends of Parks Inc. AGMs.

See also Board Structure.

Enquiries can be directed to David Mitchell, President, Friends Of Parks Inc. on 8251 1088 or at

MEETINGS

The AGM on Monday, 5 May, 2008, attended by 64 members, was held Gally's Meeting House at Farrell Flat kindly made available by Garry and Sally Fieldhouse.  The following officers were elected to the Friends of Parks Inc. Board:-

If you wish to attend any ordinary meeting of the Board, you are most welcome, but please let the Secretary know.  Click here to see the composition of the Board, or here to see descriptions of Board roles.

FUNDS/GRANTS

Our Grants Facilitator, Mandy Carter, is happy to assist any groups. Mandy can be contacted on 0407 604 512, or by email at

1. Australian Government’s Grants
    to Voluntary Environment and Heritage Organisations

The 2008-2009 Round of the Australian Government’s Grants to Voluntary Environment and Heritage Organisations (GVEHO) program was advertised in the Weekend Australian on 18 October 2008.

Guidelines and Application Forms are available on the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts website: www.deh.gov.au/programs/gveho. Forms can be downloaded and saved in either PDF or Word format.  Applications close 5pm Friday 28 November 2008.

For further information, please contact the GVEHO Program Team at the below contacts.

GVEHO Program Team
Dept of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
GPO Box 787, CANBERRA ACT 2601
Telephone: (02) 6274 2422
Fax: (02) 6274 1650
Email: gveho@deh.gov.au
Internet: www.deh.gov.au/programs/gveho

2. Office for Volunteer's Community Voices Program

Applications are now open for this year's round of the Office for Volunteer's Community Voices Program.  This is an exciting and innovative initiative designed for volunteer-involving organisations to promote and market themselves in the community.

What is it?:
The program provides a unique opportunity for community groups to work in partnership with Screen Studies students from Flinders University to develop and produce television commercials or short films to promote recruitment, retention and increased volunteer participation in the community.

Who can apply:
Volunteer involving community-based, not for profit, non-government organisations, incorporated under the Associations Incorporations Act 1985 are eligible to apply.

How to apply:
Applications can be obtained by phoning the Office for Volunteers on (08) 8463 4490 or by visiting our website at www.ofv.sa.gov.au/communityvoices.htm

Applications for the Community Voices Program close 5 pm, Friday 28 November 2008.

Videos previously produced through this program can be viewed by visiting www.ofv.sa.gov.au and clicking the 'Video Library' link.

NEW FRIENDS GROUP
Friends of Blue Lakes, Cactus and Surrounds were welcomed to membership of Friends of Parks Inc at the Board meeting of 6 December.  Ms Michelle Anderson of Penong and Ms Diana Gledhill of Ceduna are President and Secretary respectively.  Their contact details can be obtained on request to the Volunteer Support Group (ph. 8124 4784).

Welcome to new  group Friends of Nature.
Information may be obtained from email contact at .

SEMINARS/FIELD DAYS/WORKSHOPS/CONFERENCES

1. Workshop: Submission Writing

When: 5:30pm-7:30pm Wednesday 10 December 2008
Where: CCSA Level 1, 175 Flinders St, Adelaide
RSVP: CCSA Reception (8223 5155) by Tuesday 9 December

CCSA would like to invite you to a workshop on submission writing. In particular submission writing in response to draft Natural Resource Management Plans as well as the review of The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (the EPBC Act).

CCSA appreciates this is a very busy time of the year but believes it important to run this workshop as submissions are due on the EPBC Act review by December 19 and the Northern and Yorke region’s draft Natural Resource Management Plan by 22 December. Kangaroo Island, Eyre Peninsula and SA Murray Darling Basin regions draft Plans also follow closely behind and will be out for comment until February/March 2009.

Agenda:
5.30-6.00pm    Submission writing
6.00-6.30pm    NRM Plans
6.30-7.30pm    EPBC Act Review

See  below for background information about the content of this workshop. Please contact Jill Woodlands (NGO NRM Facilitator) if there are any queries.

Julie Pettett, CCSA CEO, looks forward to seeing a representative from your group at this Workshop.

Background on Draft NRM Plans
Seven of the eight NRM Regions are to produce Plans for their region on behalf of all involved in NRM. The Adelaide and Mt Lofty Ranges NRM Board has already released their Plan while the majority of the other Boards aim to have their Plans operational by July 2009. The Northern and Yorke region's Draft NRM Plan is out for comment until 22 December 2008, followed closely by Kangaroo Island, Eyre Peninsula and the SA Murray Darling Basin's Plans with comments due February/March 2009. Community comment on these Plans is a crucial ... therefore we thought it important to discuss key components of submissions and introduce a template for comments.

Background on the EPBC Review
The Commonwealth Government is undertaking a Review of The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (the EPBC Act), which provides the legal framework to protect and manage nationally and internationally important flora, fauna, ecological communities and heritage places. The Review will look at issues such as whether the Act provides an effective regulatory framework to protect Australia's biodiversity. The Review is a statutory requirement and is separate from the recent Senate Inquiry into the operation of the EPBC Act.
The Terms of Reference for the Review can be found at
www.environment.gov.au/minister/garrett/2008/mr20081031b.html
and a Discussion Paper at
www.environment.gov.au/epbc/review/publications/discussion-paper.html.
Submissions are due on 19 December 2008.

2. MANY OPTIONS FROM THE CONSERVATION COUNCIL OF SA,
Visit here here for a listing of some of CCSA's (and others') publicised events, or here for CCSA's home page from which you can look around at their wide ranging undertakings, including view CCSA's E−Bulletins and Newsletters.

NRM - NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

The Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges NRM Board invites visitors to its website at www.amlrnrm.sa.gov.au website, where a wealth of NRM information is to be found, and also to subscribe to its "Echidna Express" newsletter, which you can do by emailing your request to Bill Zissopoulos, Communications and Engagement Adviser, Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges NRM Board, at , whereupon the "Echidna Express" newsletter will be emailed to you as in-line text.  You can also access the "Echidna Express" (including back numbers) at any time by visiting www.amlrnrm.sa.gov.au/goodoil/echidna_express/ and selecting the edition of interest.

 FRIENDS GROUPS INPUT INVITED

CCSA is starting to review its environmental policy and is holding separate workshops with member groups to get input on the five key themes –

·  water
·  biodiversity
·  marine and coastal
·  waste, and
·  urban development and planning.

Would any Friends of Parks Inc member groups that have particular issues they would like included on any of these themes please contact the Board’s CCSA representative, Cathy Potts, as soon as possible on 8565 3304 or email:- .

PUBLIC/FRIENDS CONSULTATION OR INTEREST INVITED

1. Linking with Nature the Trail Strategy for Protected Areas 2008-2012

The following information has been received on 6 November 2008 from from Chris Halstead, DEH's Visitor Management Branch.

Linking with Nature the Trail Strategy for Protected Areas 2008-2012 was released this week by the Minister for Environment and Conservation. It provides a clear future direction for the management of the trail network within South Australian parks. The strategy (850KB, PDF) aims to encourage use, whilst conserving, protecting and linking to South Australia's unique environment.

Visit www.environment.sa.gov.au/parks/visitor/latest.html for a link to the above-mentioned strategy PDF document.  A limited number of hard copies of the strategy document is available.

For further information, or to request a strategy document hard copy, contact:

Chris Halstead
     email: halstead.chris@saugov.sa.gov.au
     phone: (08) 8463 4809

2. The status of DEH management plans can be viewed at, and downloaded from: www.parks.sa.gov.au/parks/management/managementplans/index.htm

HELP REQUESTED

1. Flinders Ranges Landscape Survey

The Department for Environment and Heritage has commissioned Dr. Andrew Lothian, Scenic Solutions, to undertake a study to measure and map the scenic values the Flinders Ranges.

The outcome of this project will assist State and Local governments in their planning, management and protection of the region. This is an ambitious project for which assistance is sought.

A selection of photographs, which are representative of the Flinders Ranges have been placed in a survey on the Internet accessible via www.scenicsolutions.com.au/survey .

You are invited to participate in rating the scenic quality of the scenes. No qualifications or experience are required to participate and the responses will be anonymous. You need to be over 18 years of age to participate. Instructions on what you need to do are provided at  www.scenicsolutions.com.au/survey. The survey will end by Christmas.

The total data download incurred in examining the 147 pictures you are asked to judge amounts to a 6.2MB (average picture size 42KB) if you use broadband, or 3.8MB (average picture size 26KB) if you use dial-up.

If you have any questions about the project you can contact Andrew on 0439 872 226 or by email: lothian.andrew@gmail.com. Your assistance in this project will be much appreciated.

Information on Scenic Solutions is available at www.scenicsolutions.com.au

2. Metropolitan Adelaide Coastline Conservation Assessment
These words of appeal from Ellen Krahnert, Coastal Research Officer, Coastal Management, DEH

"I am currently working on a project for the Metropolitan Adelaide Coastline Conservation Assessment where I am collating existing fauna (reptile, bird and mammal) records from Sellicks Beach to Port Parham.  The coastline has been defined as 500 metres from the low tide line but extends further out to include areas of significance e.g. Aldinga Scrub. Much of the records we have are from the Biological Database of SA, however there are gaps in the data where records have not been included in the database. I would appreciate any records that you have collected/recorded (past or recent) or anecdotal observations which may assist in improving what we already have."

If you can assist in any way, contact Ellen by email:
or ph: 8463 4859 or mob: 0431 928 715 or fax: 8124 4920.

3. 2008 Scientific Expedition Group Annual Survey
This year the survey is being organised with the Biological Survey group, and is to the Marqualpie unit of the Coongie Lakes Regional Reserve. These surveys are run annually by SEG, are intended to involve about 20 volunteers (who have to pay for food and travel), and if possible include young people (subsidised) as a training and learning experience in science and adventure.

Some details of the expedition are at www.communitywebs.org/ScientificExpeditionGroup/ .

Further information from:

Phil Cole
SEG Committee
(and Department for Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation
Ph. 08 8463 6892 mobile 0418 856 665)

VOLUNTEER POLICE-CHECKS

Police checks are mandatory for any person aiming to volunteer to perform activities which are of benefit to the community, which involve personal unsupervised contact with vulnerable groups.
The steps for Friends to follow to obtain a police check free of charge are described in this document.

TRAINING COURSES

1. Keep an eye on VolunteeringSA's website at http://www.volunteeringsa.org.au/training/ for free training opportunities that are available in the greater Adelaide metropolitan area.

2. Likewise keep an eye on Gluepot Reserve's varied and active program of training (see current brochure)

3.  You are invited to attend training on Safe Chemical Handling for Volunteers
Volunteers handling chemicals need to have attended training on safe chemical handling.  This is available from trainers Dave Georg, Smith & Georg Pty Ltd., and Peter Watton, Trees for Life:

NB: Unfortunately the course mentioned below has had to be deferred.  A new date will be chosen and notified shortly.

·  Saturday 23 August, 10.00 am – 1.30 pm
    Natural Resource Centre, Morialta Conservation Park.

Please RSVP  asap (places are limited) to:

Pam Smith
Volunteer Support Unit
GPO Box 1047
ADELAIDE SA 5001
Phone: 8124 4784 Fax: 8124 4850
Email:

MEMBERSHIP FEES

Membership fees are due on 1st January each year.  They are: 

Full Member Group - $10/year; 
Affiliated Member Group - $15/year
Individual member - $10/year.

Please send your cheque to:
     Mr. Kevin Osborn
     Treasurer, Friends of Parks Inc
     1 Pacific Avenue
     ROSTREVOR  SA  5073

IF ANY GROUP FAILS TO PAY ITS MEMBERSHIP FEE, IT WILL NOT BE COVERED BY THE CONSTITUTION'S THE INSURANCE ARRANGEMENTS, OR BE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR GRANTS, OR OTHER ASPECTS OF OUR GROUP SCHEME OF FRIENDS.

RECRUITMENT

A brochure has been prepared and was funded by Friends grant monies.

WEBSITE 

The Department's website at  www.environment.sa.gov.au/parks/friends.html has a link to the Friends of Parks website at www.communitywebs.org/FriendsofParks/ 

Groups are invited to send information to Friends webmaster, Hugh Lambert ) or to the Friends of Parks Inc Secretariat ( ), that they would like included, especially about events which they would like publicised.  The webmaster also welcomes being notified of needed corrections.

FRIENDS GROUPS EVENTS

None notified

FRIENDS OF PARKS GROUPS   (DATES TO REMEMBER)

Membership subscription renewals are due on 1 January each year.

FRIENDS OF PARKS GROUPS SPECIAL INTEREST 

1. Bridal Creeper Issues
The eighth edition of The Bridal Creeper Vol 3 No 2, the newsletter of the National Asparagus Weeds Management committee can now be downloaded from the bridal creeper webpage at

        http://www.weeds.org.au/WoNS/bridalcreeper/

Scroll down the page, past the Best Practice Control Manual,  the Plant Protection Quarterly Special Asparagus Edition and the Proceedings of the 15th Australian Weeds Conference. The newest newsletter is the last in the newsletter section.

2. Chilean Needle Grass National Best Practice Management Manual now available
Chilean needle grass is a Weed of National Signfiicance.  It is now widespread and well established in parts of Victoria, NSW and the ACT and has naturalised in localised areas of South Australia, Queensland and Tasmania, though Chilean needle grass has not yet been reported in Western Australia or the Northern Territory.

Today, a best practice Management Manual has been released at the following website: http://www.weeds.org.au/WoNS/Chileanneedlegrass/.  It is suggested that this is very useful information for groups such as our regional NRM bodies.

3. Bitou bush and boneseed management
For those concerned with management of boneseed and bitou bush - the Proceedings of the National Bitou bush and Boneseed Forum are now available for free download on the WONS website (www.weeds.org.au/WoNS).  A link to the recently published Plant Protection Quarterly Journal – solely dedicated to bitou bush and boneseed management - is www.weeds.org.au/WoNS/bitoubush/

4. Natural History Society of SA Inc
.... invites your participation in working bees - aka 'Volunteer Days' - variously at the Moorunde, Malrus, Nardoo, and Lake Short reserves all adjacent to the Portee station near Blanchetown, at which the main activities are weeding, fence and track repair, with some campfire activities after dark, and always with the opportunity for wildlife spotting.  For enquiries contact Peter Clements on 0417 881 658 or Head Ranger Glen Taylor on 8298 2441.

5. Society for Underwater Historical Research (SUHR)
…advises the availability of the following publications (in Adobe 5 PDF format):

1. South Australian Shipwrecks 1802-1989: A Database by Peter Christopher (242 pages)
2. The Morgan Project Volume 1 by Brian Marfleet (120 pages)
3. The Morgan Project Volume 2 by Brian Marfleet (74 pages)

The Shipwreck Database which was originally published in 1990 is the result of 15 years research by SUHR members and others to compile a list of shipwrecking events in SA from sources such as newspapers, government & private records.

The Morgan Project was carried out between 1978 and 1983 at Morgan on the River Murray to collect material from the riverbed adjoining the town.  Initially to prepare material for a display for Morgan's centenary celebration in 1978, the project was extended to collect artefacts for a future museum. As an archaeological undertaking, it was probably unique in being conducted in conditions of zero visibility!

The above publications can be ordered by email to suhrpublications@hotmail.com or phone/fax to +61 8 8242 0987. The cost for distribution within Australia is $5 per CD, $7.50 per CD for distribution within Asia-Pacific region and $10 per CD for distribution to the rest of the world.  The cost includes 1 CD and P&P. (you can order all 3 publications on one CD or on separate CDs).

The 1990 paperback edition of the Shipwrecks Database is still available and can be purchased from the following museums - Port Victoria Maritime Museum (PO Box 197, PORT VICTORIA SA 2202) and the Port Elliot National Trust Branch Museum (PO Box 260, PORT ELLIOT SA 5212).

Also SUHR announces, on behalf of Gifford Chapman, the availability of the new revised edition of Kangaroo Island Shipwrecks (2007 edition, 317 pages).  To order, please contact Gifford at PO Box 311, KINGSCOTE, SA 5223 or by phone on +61 8 8553 0090 or 0427 799 463.
SUHR advises it does not hold any copies of this book.

6. Fox DNA Project 
... objective - to contribute to protecting agriculture, the environment and public safety from the impact of pest animals and plants by advancing the future biocontrol of foxes, thereby assisting towards conservation goals. Visit www.foxDNA.animals.uwa.edu.au, and press release for further details.

If you can't undertake the requested actions yourself, can you spread the word to those who might be able to do so?  The requested actions are:-

To provide Dr Oliver Berry (contact details below) with fox DNA samples gathered from fox road-kill - especially in remote areas - or by trapping/shooting foxes and DNA-sampling them - over as wide an area as possible in South Australia. The project is in fact Australia-wide, and is being conducted from the University of West Australia, but our concern would be to provide the sample contributions from SA.

For details on where to obtain collection kits (reply-paid), how to collect samples and where to send them, in the first instance please contact Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Visit www.foxDNA.animals.uwa.edu.au
to see latest results of the Fox DNA project

Dr Oliver Berry, 
Population Genetics Laboratory
School of Animal Biology (MO92)
The University of Western Australia
Crawley  WA  6009
(Ph. 08 6488 4509,   email: )

Should there be any communication difficulty, please alternatively communicate with Dr David Peacock, Pest Animal Project Officer in the Animal and Plant Control Group of the Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation.
(ph. 08 8303 9504, email )

GENERAL INTEREST

 1. The book "Attracting Butterflies to your Garden - What to plant and conserve in the Adelaide region" is now available from members of Butterfly Conservation SA, the Museum Shop and some book stores at $29.95 rrp.  For ordering information contact .

2. "ICE" - Click here for a simple emergency - possibly life-saving - precaution recommendation offered by the NSW Ambulance Service.

3. Volunteering SA - Visit www.volunteeringsa.org.au for an appreciation of the broader aims of this organisation, including a link to Volunteering SA's e-newsletter and a summary of training opportunities.

FOR FRIENDS WHO MAY BE BIRD-WATCHERS

It is likely that there are many Friends who are bird-watchers and are greatly concerned about threats to bird life.  The following items which have been sent to VSU are passed on for the information of such Friends, to pursue as they deem fit. Friends of Parks Inc accepts no responsibility this information.

1. "www.birdcinema.com" - Video Sharing for Bird Watchers -
The creators of the www.birdcinema.com  wish to bring their site to your attention, claiming that the site would be a great place for you to share your conservation experiences with bird watchers, that www.birdcinema.com is also a great place where you can place your videos and pictures, and that Birdcinema is also a great place for to educate and promote conservation.

 2. Birds Australia Membership have brought to Friends of Parks' attention the potential threat to the survival of migratory birds, including those from Australia, posed by proposed development of a "way-station" area for migratory birds in South Korea.  To learn more, visit www.birdskorea.org/saemref.asp.

BUSHWALKS

If you'd like suggestions for bushwalks in either the Barossa region or the Flinders/Gammons region, visit the Walking Trails Support Group's website at www.walkingtrailssuppportgroup.org.au where you will find downloadable trail notes, trail maps and pictures for 22 bushwalks/tracks (10 in the Barossa, 12 in the Flinders/Gammons area).

OF POSSIBLE INTEREST TO FRIENDS GROUPS WEBMASTERS

In early June, our Friends of Parks webmaster, Hugh Lambert, attended a course on "Writing for the Web", in which the issues of planning, creation, and evaluating for effective web content were covered. Hugh found the course helpful and informative.
A course summary document was supplied as part of the course. It is thought that this document could be of interest, and be circulated (a four week loan is suggested), to webmasters of other Friends groups.
Any interested Friends group webmaster should contact Hugh ( ) to arrange a loan of this document.