The National Parks Association of NSW (NPA) has warmly welcomed a 57,000 hectare addition to NSW’s reserve network. The new park, purchased by the Mutawintji Board of Management, joins Mutawintji Nature Reserve, National Park and Historic Site to create a complex of conservation lands of over 132,000 hectares.
Dr John Benson
This article was published online on 19 September 2017 in the blog Pearls and Irritations
The New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) was the first of its type in Australia. Established by a Liberal government, its lyrebird emblem became world-renowned. But the Service is not valued by the present Government and now faces grave uncertainty.
The Environmental Liaison Office (ELO) provides a link to NSW Parliament for hundreds of community groups across NSW. It aims to ensure that the shared concerns and priorities of environment groups are communicated consistently to Government, and provides a mechanism for the views of Government to be communicated to and considered by NSW environment groups.
Kevin Evans, Chief Executive Officer, National Parks Association of NSW
This will be my final edition of Nature NSW as I have decided to step down after 7 years as CEO. My partner and I recently purchased a rural property at Gleniffer in the idyllic Bellinger Valley and we are looking forward to spending more time there to restore the conservation values of our land and work with the progressive community there.
Cynthia Burton, Conservation Volunteer, Canberra Bushwalking Club
Three Canberra Bushwalking Club (CBC) volunteers were part of a 35 strong, multi-agency, helicopter-assisted, survey team that recently discovered a second significant infestation of the aggressive alpine invader, Mouse-ear Hawkweed (MEHW) (Hieracium pilosella or Pilosella officinarum), on the Main Range of Kosciuszko National Park (KNP). The infestation area was found on a ridge roughly in between the turn-off points to go to Mt Twynam or Watson’s Crags, adjacent to the old 4WD track. The site has been cordoned off and treated, with further monitoring and survey work in adjacent areas to take place in future.
Janine Kitson, Member of the National Parks Association of NSW
Based on the NPA course presented to the WEA, Sydney on 15 October, 2016
With special thanks to Anne McLeod, author of The Summit of Her Ambition, The spirited life of Marie Byles 2016
US writer, Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring is claimed to have heralded in the modern environment movement. Australia’s Marie Byles is recognised as NSW’s first practicing woman solicitor as well as a leading woman bushwalker, mountain climber and conservationist. This NPA/WEA, Sydney course compared these two outstanding conservationists – an American and an Australian – and explored how these two indomitable and fearless women contributed so much to the development of the modern environment movement.
