Gill Basnett, at very short notice, gave us a truly wonderful insight into Gouldian Finches and Fire regimes in the Kimberley, a topic she was well qualified to handle having done extensive ecological fieldwork in central Kimberley. Gouldians live in the largest savannah in the world and one which has ...

On Friday 9th February 2013, Hills’ community member and secretary of the Darling Range Branch (DRB) of the WA Naturalists’ Club, Dr Arthur Conacher (retired UWA geographer), presented a talk titled “Researching the salt problem in the Southwest of WA.” Arthur has mentored and supervised several students researching aspects of ...

Our guest speaker for the final meeting of 2012 was our Treasurer, Eric McCrum, who presented us with a slide show and talk entitled “The night sky”. By way of introduction we were reminded that, as a natural science, star gazing would have been one of the earliest sources of ...

DRB October 2012 Excursion: Darling Scarp On a warm Spring day 21 members and guests of the Darling Range Branch explored the wildflowers of the Darling Scarp south of the Lions Lookout in Lesmurdie. Situated at the top of the Welshpool Rd East hill near the intersection with Crystal Brook ...

Guest speaker Marnie Giroud, from the Swan River Trust, presented a talk entitled the ‘Natural history of the Swan/Avon and its management’ to our DRB naturalists group. Marnie brought along information sheets and booklets, that relate to fish life, species identification and water quality in the Swan River and Swan-Canning ...

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 ...

DRB naturalists and guests were presented with a talk on ‘Little Penguins’ by Murray Banks, DEC (Department of Environment and Conservation) Ranger on Penguin Island. Murray, a ranger for the past 23 years, has had sole responsibility for management on Penguin Island since 1995. For those among the audience who ...

Ten people thoroughly enjoyed the tour through the Environment Centre and the wetland west of the Centre. Under the wonderful guidance of Joan [from the Centre], we walked through the tall Sugar Gums [Eucalyptus cladocalyx], and Flooded Gums [E. rudis], west of the car park, to see the value of ...

Nineteen people shared the discoveries on the Sorrento Beach on Sunday 22nd July 2012. Although cloudy, with north-west winds, the weather was fine throughout. Using the hand-out sheet, the group walked three areas of dune plants, recording both the male and female plants of the Beach Spinifex [Spinifex longifolia], Westringia ...

Rebecca Hamilton, one of a team of rangers from DEC (the Department of Environment and Conservation) working in our local National Parks, presented us with a talk entitled ‘The Parks of the Hills and How We Range Them’. Rebecca introduced us to the eight parks in which she has responsibilities. ...