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(Last updated May, 2009)
Latest News
Australian Government (formerly Envirofund Round 9) grant
- watch for updates below under this heading.
"Restoring Natural Capital for Community and Landscape Level Benefits"
We were delighted to hear (May 2008) that we won a grant for $29,300 for expanding
the Restoring Natural Capital Workshop program and doing associated on-ground
activites in partnership with City of Ryde, Hunter's Hill Council, the Field of Mars
Environmental Education Centre and with Ryde - Hunter's Hill Flora and Fauna Preservation Society
and the local community. This project is developing
natural capital restoration activities with the community, schools, youth groups and building
strategic community partnerships within the area.
This project is focusing on building (and planting) a Habitat Network throughout Ryde and Hunter's Hill.
A habitat network is a practical way to have many people involved in restoring our natural capital
for the benefit of the people and the environment.
Our first RNC workshop for this project focused on the mid section of Buffalo Creek catchment and was run
August 30 2008. Also in August we put on a display at
Moocooboola Festival which was good fun and we talked to many people about our
"RNC Habitat Network" project and helped identify local weeds.
We have run several community days at the Pamplin block in the Field
of Mars Reserve.The Pamplin block is a grassed area in the middle of good bushland and is
currently infested with rabbits. The first tasks were to
erect rabbit proof fencing and do other site preparation works.
March 2009 we started planting habitat plants selected especially to favour
small birds. These plants are being grown from local provenance seed.
The Field of Mars Environmental Education Centre is directly involved
with this part of the project through National Tree Day and around the Education Centre
with their students on an on-going basis.
Taronga Park Zoo was going to be involved in sustainably using the bamboo which borders some of the grass area
at the Pamplin Block.
Unfortunately their collection vehicle is not appropriate to the terrain.
In October 2008 we finished developing an RNC Habitat network program for
primary schools.
During 4th term 2008 the invitation to participate and the PowerPoint presentation
including script was distributed to 16 local schools.
Some schools during 4th term ran through the presentation with their classes and
assessed habitat sites.
First term of 2009 the teachers from 4 schools did project activities including some habitat planting
and had students participate in a logo drawing competition to help us design a logo
for the Habitat Network. In May 2009 The Hon Maxine McKew will be
presenting the prizes to the winning students at an awards ceremony.
Our first "RNC Habitat Network" workshop for Hunter's Hill was run October 19 2008 with a
follow-on event which was a guided walk and talk along Tarban Creek on November 29th. This walk was
very interesting covering history, discussions of regeneration and also some invasive vine identification.
For National tree Day we also have a big planting day planned at Tarban Creek near Huntleys Cove.
In November 2008 we ran another workshop for Ryde, this time at the top of the Buffalo Creek catchment.
Northern District Times newspaper also promoted this event for us. It is hoped with the help of this group
we will be advancing a community planting day along the top of Buffalo Creek May 30 2009.
From all workshops we have promoted and extended the local council run bushcare groups.
In January 2009 we adapted our schools presentation for wider use within Australia and made it
available free of charge via this website, see Home page for more information.
Early in 2009 we developed a brochure focused on educating people about invasive vines,
encouraging the removal of these vines and the replacement with native habitat plants. Also
with the help of the Tzu Chi Foundation we have translated it into Mandarin and are running a
program with their Foundation. See our home page to download copies of these brochures.
During the workshops it was identified that Ryde and Hunter's Hill need a community
native plant nursery and also community gardens for demonstrating practical uses of
native plants and their integration into sustainable gardens. We are working with the councils towards
developing these practical projects.
We wish to thank Cornucopia (Mars Inc) for growing all of the local provenance habitat plants for
this project.
For more information or to get involved or for a schools presentation for your school contact Bev at
info@iewf.org.
January 2009 - University Alfredo Peréz Guerrero extensión Gualaceo, Ecuador
- new course started
The environmental sciences degree course which is presented as an Enginneering Degree Course in the
Restoration of Natural Capital has started with a full complement of students in January 2009.
This course with it's primary focus on Restoring Natural Capital is the first of it's kind and is
already attracting interest from all over the world.
Our next focus is to work with Ecagenera to establish an Environmental Research Station at
one of the Ecuagenera Reserves. This project will need a lot of financial assistance for everything
from building the centre, specialist teachers, tools, books and student sponsorship. If you can help
with even a small donation - it would be great! For more information please send us an email at
info@iewf.org.
October 2008, New Green Waste brochures featuring IEWF photos
The Bureau of Rural Sciences has recently produced a pair of brochures to promote best
practice processing of green waste, to minimise weed spread.
The brochures, one produced for local governments and the other for home gardeners (features IEWF photos),
can be downloaded from:
http://affashop.gov.au/product.asp?prodid=14069
and
http://affashop.gov.au/product.asp?prodid=14070
Google Grants Program
In July 2008, IEWF was selected to participate in the Google Grants program on the basis
that our organisation had the potential to benefit from free Google AdWords advertising.
Thank you Google!
Try entering some relevant key words in Google to see our ads. Let us know what you think
should have worked and why you think those key words are relevant.
Know Your Gardens Natives and Gardening Australia
The NSW Government through
it's Environmental Trust extended the reach of our
Know Your Gardens Natives project by assisting with a reprint of the "Your Hidden Native Garden"
booklets and providing
25,000 copies to be distributed with the July 2008 Gardening Australia magazine.
We hope you all got your copy!
Restoring Natural Capital Workshops - Ecuador May 2008
RNC Alliance members from France, USA and Australia met up in Ecuador and ran
workshops in Cuenca and Gualaceo and lectured at the university in Yantzaza.
Many interesting discussions took place with
various government and
non government people regarding starting an RNC youth project and lending support to
other projects. We were delighted to be shown around the Gualaceo catchment, Cajas National Park
and the proposed Botanic Gardens site in Cuenca. There are many wonderful projects underway
in this exceptional part of the world.
We are continuing to work with
University Alfredo Peréz Guerrero extensión Gualaceo to push forward the launch
of what will become the RNC centre for excellence. The new course is due to start
in January 2009.
Restoring Natural Capital presentation for orchid growers
March 2008 an introductory RNC presentation was run for Berowra Orchid Society.
And in July 2008 a revised presentation was run for Orchid S.P.E.C.I.E.S. (NSW).
This presentation looks at why RNC and how it relates to orchid growers.
Catchment Connections Project & Restoring Natural Capital Workshops
We have been invited to participate in the Catchment Connections Project being
undertaken by Ryde, Hunter's Hill and Hornsby Councils. We have already run a demonstration RNC
Workshop for this project. This workshop will lead into a bush friendly neighbours program
and link into our Habitat Network from our grant detailed above.
Restoring Natural Capital Workshops
Our RNC Workshop launched in November 2007 and now being run
in Australia and Ecuador. Workshop materials are available in English and Spanish. Shorter presentations and
workshops are also available - see our Workshops page.
The RNC Workshop is free and runs for a full day or can run over 2 days if you
have the time. The workshop is
designed to look at local landscape issues
(relating to water, soils, people, culture, production systems, flora, fauna and the
natural environment), to
build (and build upon) local community groups and to develop strategic
landscape restoration projects planned and run (with guidance) by the community.
This workshop is recommended to Councils, CMAs, Landcare groups and any community
organisation to run for their local communities. We also run introductory presentations for clubs and community groups.
IEWF accepted as a signatory to the ACFID Code of Conduct, October 2007
As a not for profit NGO we have a commitment to restoring degraded ecosystems for the
benefit of man and the environment. As our projects focus on working with communities we
felt that it was important to adopt a code of conduct which highlights the importance of community,
culture and human wellbeing. We are therefore honoured to be accepted by the
ACFID Code of Conduct committee.
Guest lecturer at University of Sydney, August 2007
For the third year running Bev Debrincat gave a guest lecture
at University of Sydney as an introduction for 1st year students enrolled in a variety of courses related to
agriculture, veterinary sciences and the environment. The lecture cover plant identification, the use of modern key systems
and introuduced the concepts of Restoring Natural Capital.
CITES sponsorship for co-ordinator of University Alfredo Peréz Guerrero extensión Gualaceo, Ecuador (UNAP)
environmental sciences course
IEWF provided $1000USD sponsorship for Mariana Mites (a lecturer and co-ordinator with UNAP)
to attend the CITES conference as the elected member of the Scientific Committee for
Flora For South America and the Carrabean held in the Hague, The Netherlands,
from June 3rd to June 15th 2007. This was and is a great honour for the university and for Mariana.
CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora)
is an international agreement between governments. Its aim is to ensure that the international
trade of specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.
Green Circles Project
Grant funding for the Green Circles Project is being sought with the Natural Resources Advisory
Council. Ryde City Council (RCC) is leading the way and they are
being supported by Ryde Environmental Education Network,
Field of Mars Education Centre, Ryde - Hunter's Hill Flora & Fauna Preservation Society and
IEWF.
This is a sustainability education project which involves interactive
school natural resource management workshops based on educating the three levels of community members
found in schools: teachers, parents and students.
For more information
contact Sarah Kinsela at skinsela@ryde.nsw.gov.au
or Bev at
info@iewf.org
Local News Article
View Bev's Garden, Northern District Times, 28 February, 2007.
University Alfredo Peréz Guerrero extensión Gualaceo, Ecuador
During 2006 and in 2007 IEWF has been assisting with the establishment of an Environmental
Sciences degree course at this brand new university in the Andes, Ecuador.
Two of our Directors, by invitation, are Founding Members of this university.
It has been our pleasure to be involved in the opening of the university and we are
helping facilitate the introduction of the Environmental Sciences course which should commence
in October 2008.
In the interim an environmental research station is being established. If you are a
qualified builder, ecologist, bush regenerator, restorationist or environmental scientist who would like to
experience the Andes forests first hand and be involved in establishing a
research station please contact
Bev at
info@iewf.org
Through the involvement of the
RNC Alliance
and the collaboration of a number of special people in Ecuador, the USA and Europe
a very innovative course has been put together for the Environmental Science Course,
which will provide
many interesting and practical career choices for the students completing this course.
This university will sponsor many students who would normally be unable to afford to attend university
in Ecuador. It will also provide a more accessible university for students to the east of the Andes.
This project will need a lot of financial assistance for everything from specialist teachers, tools, books,
accommodation and student sponsorship. If you can help with even a small donation - it would be great!
For more information please send us an email.
RNC Alliance
IEWF is now the co-ordinator for the Pacific region for the
RNC Alliance, which is
a world-wide voluntary alliance working towards restoring natural capital for the benefit
of the environment and communities.
Visit the RNC Alliance website at
www.rncalliance.org
Know Your Garden's Natives
Discover those hidden treasures in your garden - find out how by visiting
www.knowyourgardensnatives.org.
In February 2005 the NSW Government through it's Environmental Trust gave us a grant for
$AUD24,997
to develop this exciting education project in
the urban environment. The aim is to get the wider community involved in seeking out
those remnant native treasures that may be hiding in corners of their backyards.
Why not get involved in looking for those hidden natives in your backyard?
When you find them you can email us photos and a short story (a couple of paragraphs max)
about your garden and we will include it on our website (at our descretion).
Identification & Educational Projects
Our first project with the University of Sydney, Faculty of
Agriculture,
Food and Natural Resources, led by Dr Daniel Tan, has completed its
first key for 30 common
environmental weeds of the natural area at Lansdowne Farm
in Cobbitty.
The first year students 2004 took part in this key building project by constructing
Fact Sheets
for specific weeds some of which are used in this Local Area Weed
Key for the farm.
Two students 1 from University of Sydney and 1 from Baptist
University in Hong Kong built this key.
It went live on 1 August 2005.
An extension of this project is the Web Weed Lookup, which is constantly evolving and
features weed fact sheets for Cobbitty, Ryde and other areas.
An educational identification project is being undertaken by Dingo Creek Rainforest Nursery
in Littoral Rainforest pockets near Crescent Head, NSW.
Thank you Dingo Creek Rainforest
Nursery.
Another project is for Black Head Lagoon, NSW and is being undertaken by Taree
TAFE Conservation
and Land Management Certificate 2 and 3 students. It involves the identification and observation
of plants in the area. Thank you
Kim.
The Field of Mars Environmental Education
Centre
located within the Field Of Mars Wildlife Refuge is working on a project to improve students
skills in the art of observation.
Thank you Steve.
TAFE NSW – Northern
Sydney Institute –
Ryde College – Environment is working on an identification project in Blue Gum High Forest
near
Ryde Hospital which is known as Florence’s Forest project.
Thank you Frank.
Sustainability
One of our Directors was a community representative on City of Ryde's
Community Environmental Strategies Committee for 4 years looking at sustainable solutions for
Ryde Local Government Area and is currently on it's Bushland and Environs Committee.
Conservation Projects
An on-going conservation project which we have been involved is the
"For Rest" project
. This is a classic example of bush regeneration
of a natural area at its best!
Environmental Register
As of 13 February 2007 we are offically on the Register of Environmental Organisations.
All donations to IEWF are tax deductible.
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