Your
NPA
Celebrating
our
Year of the Volunteer
|
International Year of the Volunteer Special tribute to NPA's volunteers Extended coverage: |
 |
|
Your
NPA
|
| The National Parks Association (NPA) relies almost entirely on volunteers and so, in this four-page special, the Journal celebrates and highlights the many ways that members have contributed to the work of NPA. |
International Year of the Volunteer
More than 1.39 million people in NSW participated in voluntary work of some kind last year, according to a study by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).1 The estimated economic value of this voluntary work is $3billion! The figure excludes those who volunteered for the Olympic Games in Sydney.
NPA has the good fortune of attracting volunteers from a wide range of backgrounds and with a common interest in conservation. Some volunteers may have started for other reasons such as skills training and gained an appreciation and appetite for conservation and bushwalking along the way.
Whichever way, volunteers make the NPA go around. The following volunteer profiles are a tribute to all the volunteers who help the NPA, not just in the International Year of the Volunteer, but every year.
1. ABS, Survey on Volunteering 2000
| Marion Hawley is 'never
home' she told the Journal recently. She has been an active
member of NPA for many years, including holding the position of Blue
Mountains Branch President . She can't do the hard walks anymore but
definitely steps out for bush strolls. Marion has just worked on the
Yatteyattah Nature Reserve submission and recently helped set up an NPA
promotional stand at the ABC Garden Show.
The promo stand (photographed right) was a great success according to NPA Administration Manager, Karen Petley. Hundreds of Journals were distributed and over 10 new members signed up on the day, with other memberships resulting in the weeks after. |
|
Claire Carlton writes:
|
|
In October 2000 I coordinated
another NPA Community Biodiversity Survey in the region north of Corowa
NSW, an hour's drive west of Albury. NPA and Corowa Area Remnant
Enhancement (CARE) decided to hold a joint community biodiversity
survey. The survey involved individuals from all walks of life — many were from the local region and others travelled from as far as Sydney to be involved. Base camp for the survey was in the Lonesome Pine State Forest. This NPA biodiversity survey was unique because surveying was conducted across a range of different land tenures including State Forests, Travelling Stock Reserves and private land. |
|
Welcome to
new Executive Member |
Diversity of volunteering
Anne Sloane writes:
An opportunity to attend an NPA biodiversity camp is one that should not be missed by those with a concern for the environment. I attended my first camp last year when Claire Carlton led a team of 60 volunteers based at Lonesome Pine state forest, north of Corowa.
My overall impressions included:
o
dedicated and knowledgeable team members and leaders, who were confident enough in the NPA process to devote a 4-day weekend to such an event.o
a rare opportunity to learn about almost any aspect of the environment, from experienced amateurs to scientists and professional environmentalists.o
the opportunity to learn on-ground skills, such as observation techniques, survey techniques, data collecting and collating, weather/climate.o
excellent opportunities for networking — a privilege to be learning with and from experts in their fields.o
great opportunity to be brought up to date with latest geographic and research equipment and techniques.o
challenge to work long hours, with huge rewards, such as exploring by night and seeing a different range of fauna in their element.o
relaxed camp atmosphere. Enough 'spare' time to chat informally and learn even more by doing so!o
impressive range of ages from babes to enthusiastic children, keen students and young adults, to primetime professionals, and the wise and knowledgeable seniors.o
my daughter also attended, and NPA confirmed her choice of tertiary study: she’s now doing a Bachelor of Environmental Science degree at La Trobe University!|
If
you want to get involved in a biodiversity survey, |
Special Tribute to NPA's volunteers
 |
Pat Tregenza has been a
member of NPA for 20 years and has volunteered for the last 10 years in
administration and most famously by typing the Walks Program.
"Volunteering keeps me up to date with what the NPA is doing and of course I'm the first to see the whole Walks Program!" Pat said. The photo depicts Karen Petley showing Pat Tregenza the finer points of NPA business. |
Peter James, who has also helped in the NPA office regularly for almost 10 years said that "before I volunteered with NPA I volunteered with the SES and worked in the timber industry. This has shown me both sides of the story."
'A bit like David and Goliath'
John Macris writes:
| I caught the volunteering bug in
about 1994, not long after joining NPA, the Colong Foundation and a campaign
group called the Kowmung Committee. I can identify with people who are drawn to voluntary conservation because of the ‘collective vibe’ — taking on the latest Goliath as a committed team of Davids has its own subtle rewards. Maybe a bit more unusually, I’m increasingly driven to do things that feed an appetite for knowledge about nature in my home State and elsewhere, something I’ve had since childhood. That’s probably why I find myself chairing the NPA Reserves Committee these days. One last plus to mention — as a volunteer you don’t often get sacked! |
|
|
Volunteers leading the way
Richard Thompson writes: Are our NPA walks leaders volunteers in the sense of hard work for a good cause? Some might argue that the good cause that they support is having a terrific time! Well, I can't deny that leading walks does result in great days, weekends, and whole weeks. But, I have never doubted that our leaders rank high amongst NPA volunteers. Leaders give up significant periods of their time arranging walks and answering phone calls from potential walkers. Then they have considerable responsibility for the safety and welfare of their group, not to mention their key role in making the activity enjoyable for all. Is the result of their effort just a good time for themselves and others? No, I have long argued that the NPA bushwalking program is very effective in supporting the NPA ‘s conservation role. The important things that our leaders bring to the NPA include: ž educating people: is there a better way to convince people about the importance of national parks than by taking people into them? Our leaders do this week-after-week and this just has to have a long-term impact on community support for conservation. ž recruiting active people: bushwalking has been the traditional source of active people in the conservation movement. It is almost impossible to go bushwalking without becoming convinced about the need for more national parks. So many of the people taken on walks by our leaders become active in the NPA and elsewhere. ž demonstrating support for national parks: politicians tend to count potential votes — something to do with getting re-elected. A strong walks program, with thousands of person-days spent in our national parks, must indicate that there are many votes in supporting national parks. ž membership and money: it 's evident that bushwalking brings a large number of members to the NPA. Even if many of these don't get actively involved, they support NPA through their membership.Our leaders are pretty important people to the NPA. And from my experience with the Walks Program, they are really nice people too! So, on your next walk, buy your leader a cup of coffee (or a meal) after the walk. It is definitely well deserved! HAVE A WILL? Several people have contacted NPA to say that they have put NPA in their will. Do you have a will? Thought of helping NPA to continue its work with a bequest? Contact Andrew Cox for confidential advice today on [02] 9299 0000 |
| Frank Davis writes:
Jean Blackman (pictured right) was introduced to the Australian bush via an NPWS walk some twelve years ago. It seems that it was love at first 'site' for since then she has been a prolific NPA walks leader (she recently led sixteen walks in one Program). From Bateau Bay to Blackheath to Bass Point and all points between she has led hundreds of walks and introduced thousands to the grandeur of our local bushland. While I have walked in the
four corners of our continent, scores of places in Sydney area have been
revealed to me on her walks. Jean has recently undergone knee surgery.
Her |
|
 |
Andre Rhyne , pictured left has been volunteering with NPA until he finishes his teaching degree. Andre said that he took up volunteering late last year to get some office experience. "I contacted Volunteering NSW and they gave me three places to try. I found the staff at NPA to be the most informal and friendly and have been coming to the office once a week since then, updating the member database," he said. |
|
Volunteering sells well John Clarke (pictured right) writes: Having joined the NPA many
years ago to take part in the bushwalking program I soon came to realise
that the development of agriculture, forestry industries and urban
sprawl made areas for bushwalking very precious. |
|
 |
David Zhong (pictured
below) has a biology degree from his native China but has mainly worked in
basic office work since coming to Australia several years ago. He is
hoping to hone his computer skills as a volunteer assisting the Membership
Development Officer, Michelle Johnston, with the NPA database.
|
Ron Doughton from Milton Branch writes:
|
I've been involved in NPA for over 20 years, both as a bushwalking leader and as an active conservationist. Together with a group of volunteers in Milton Branch, I've been actively involved in obtaining park declarations for Eurobodalla NP, Jervis Bay NP, and Cudmirrah NP, Conjola NP, Meroo NP, and expanding Murramarang NP. The declarations were obtained by creating major submissions for government detailing the assets and values of the parks involved, and detailing how people would benefit from the new parks as opposed to plundering the resources for some individual gain. The Milton branch as a whole raised the monies needed for each submission. The Murramarang proposal cost the branch over $1000 in printing costs. We produced 80 full-colour, soft-covered, 74 paged proposals, which were targeted at specific politicians, high profile public figures and key public servants. We also obtained help and cooperation from other conservation groups and freely state that without this cooperation and public support, nothing positive would have happened in every situation. |
We contribute to the park service by assisting with the maintenance and improvement of the Mt Bushwalker track in Morton NP. The NPWS has recognised our efforts with a bronze plaque dedicated to the NPA at the interpretation shelter at the track head. All volunteers in Milton Branch do so to help other park users enjoy the areas we use and like so much. |
Join the other
NPA volunteers by
|
|
|
National
Parks Association - Home Page |
|
