The Darling Range Branch of the Western Australian Naturalists’ Club — The year of 2012 — Chairperson’s Report
It is quite a familiar experience standing up here reporting on the year that was and I think it would be a good opportunity to let someone else take this position in order to put a new slant on things. I am happy to discuss the situation with anyone who may be interested.
Speakers
The year as per usual has been filled with many interesting speakers. We have been blessed by their quality and diversity.
Hirono took us to Japan, an archipelago of 3000 islands with a land mass that is 1/20th of the size of Australia and 70% of the country being mountainous. It lists over 6000 vascular plant species of which 1950 are endemic. In comparison, WA lists a similar number with approximately 5700 species of which 4500 are endemic. Japan’s mammals number 188 species, WA’s number 60. Bird and freshwater fish species in Japan number 665 and 200 respectively, far greater than WA’s counts of 280 and 20. The information was riveting. Thanks too for the delicious experience Hirono provided for us at the end of the talk.
Dr Tony Friend re-introduced us to the plight of small Western Australian mammals with particular emphasis on Dibblers. Tony discussed the varying success rates within Dibbler groups at different release sites on mainland WA using zoo-bred dibblers. Jurien Bay island populations however were faring a little better. Challenging information.
Murray Banks delivered a talk on Fairy Penguins and Penguin Island. While learning of the DEC’s operation and management of the island we also were saddened to learn that the 2011 season had the lowest fledgling success on record since 1987, and the year experienced its highest mortality of chicks and the lowest use of nesting boxes.
Rebecca Hamilton, one of a team of rangers from DEC, introduced us to the hazards and happinesses of working across an area that many of the people of Perth love, use and abuse! Rebecca also explained to us that the hills parks have been renamed using Aboriginal names to reflect aspects of traditional land usages.
Marnie Giroud of the Swan River Trust presented her talk on the issues of the Swan and Canning Rivers. Her depth and breadth of knowledge of her subject identified a profound commitment to working with the community to protect this life blood of ours.
Gerard Saueracker showed us how to get that PERFECT shot even if it does include a 15 kg back pack full of gear and long periods of time in awkward positions. His photos and generosity in sharing his travels and expertise was delightful.
Haematites, Laterites and Duricrusts were presented to us by our own Arthur Conacher. He and Jeanette then followed up the geomorphologic interpretation by leading a walk “forest, rocks, views” near Mundaring Weir.
Relationships Between Soil Fauna and Vegetation — Dr Natasha Pauli illustrated for us some of her findings of the complex interactions among insects, soil and vegetation in a remote part of Honduras; the relationships are legion.
Excursions
The Club’s ability to participate in, or requirements of, long-range excursions are changing. While a very successful expedition was conducted to the Watheroo area in September/October, with many thanks to sterling organiser Twink, the Easter and June LWE trips were cancelled for want of sufficient participants. I am sincerely sorry to those people who wanted to be a part of an expedition but were denied the opportunity due to lack of numbers. It is hard to disappoint. As many of the membership are now retired it is possibly an opportunity to rethink when we conduct our excursions. Perhaps visits that do not occur over the public holiday periods?
Our monthly excursions attendance has been mixed. It is particularly pleasing to be on a well prepared walk where we are able to learn about, commune with and generally enjoy our local environments. Special thanks go to Alan and Rosemary Lonsdale for conducting an escarpment walk and Arthur and Jeanette Conacher for the walk at Mundaring Weir. Eric Mc Crum was wonderful in creating a fascinating shoreline landscape at Sorrento beach in a quite challenging (dare I say barren) beachcomber walk this year.
Tanya Marwood organised a walk with the volunteers from the Kent Street Weir Eco-Education Centre. Twenty-nine species of birds, several of them young or fledglings, were recorded. While we have been here several times before it is always worth a visit to immerse ourselves in part of this essential artery of our city. Another bastion of Perth’s natural history was visited on an extraordinarily hot day in February, the Western Australian Museum. Cool by nature in all connotations of the word was the verdict.
Promotion
Outreach or promotion of the DRB for 2012 was during Science Week in August at the Colours of Science Community Expo located by the Kent Street Weir at the Canning River Eco Centre (CREEC), in Wilson. Thanks to Tanya Marwood, Kevn and Peg Griffiths and Anne and Kevin Stubbs for assisting during the day. Our display was colourful and appropriately located right beside the river – even if a little far away from the rest of the action.
Following the generous bequest of Miss Sue Harper to DRB last year the DRB is intending to launch a poster competition aimed at the younger teenagers in the Darling Range secondary schools. Our aim is to get them to tell a story and create a poster as to why they love the Hills and it nature. A substantial first prize and two second prizes will be awarded and it is envisaged the students will present their project to the DRB on a club evening. Fifteen high schools may be involved. We hope this will be an annual event and generate interest in both the natural history of the scarp and the DRB as a club.
Acknowledgements
This year’s thank yous must go to Marilyn Myers for maintaining our presence in the local newspapers, Margaret McCrum for preparing the teas and Andre and Judy Du Plessis for opening and closing the hall. It is very much appreciated. Very much.
I would also like to commend to you the committee for 2012. They are a terrific group of people who kindly commit to keeping this club running. Susan Stocklmayer and Kevn Griffiths reported on our monthly talks throughout the year. This is an outstanding ask not only for sharing our talks with the greater public (via the newsletter and web site) as they have to concentrate through an entire talk. I speak for myself when I say sometimes it is easy to become carried away with what the speaker is sharing that taking notes can be forsaken. Thank you to you both. Tanya Marwood enthusiastically follows through on all that is asked from her and more. In particular she has established a chat group to generate discussion on all things natural history to the greater audience of Perth. Eric McCrum is a diligent treasurer and our books and finances are carefully kept up to the mark all the time. Throughout the year Mike Griffiths as vice chair, does a mighty job of bringing enthusiasm, cross checking and prompt responding to communications from the secretary – and every one else. He is invaluable. And so too, to our quiet achiever: Arthur Conacher our secretary. Arthur works the hardest of all. He has brought a proper structure to our committee meetings; he is the interface between Main Branch and the WA Nats website and is the efficient communicator to both committee and membership alike. Arthur also has been largely instrumental in developing the Hills Harper Prize project that will be launched in 2013. Thank you Arthur, thank you all.
I would like too, to thank the members of DRB for their generous-hearted nature and friendly spirit that makes every second Friday of the month a pleasure to be a part of. Therefore let us continue to keep our eyes open, our ears attuned, our noses sensing and/or our curiosities receptive to our surrounding natural environment — wherever we may be.
Diana Papenfus