001 Native bird homes
002 Lizard & frog havens
003 Whilybird gensets
004 Toad-buster holidays
005 Planting future trees of significance
006 Fairford St Drain revegetation
007 Explaining car greenhouse gas emissions
008 BPG signage around Town where active
009 Biodiversity small area trial sponsorship
010 Rid Mary Crescent Reserve of Typha
011 I would Clean Up the Swan River
012 Let's pick a RIVER BEACH & enter challenge
013 Clean up the dam at end of Minera St, Noranda
014 Putting big bags in bores
015 Making chlorophyll chemically.
016 Re-do the 1986 boat survey
017 Eastablish a demonstration garden or do a makeover
018 Map riverbank location and condition
019 Re-install interpretive signage at Sandy Beach (See 008)
020 Fund a dieback survey for Success Hill & Jubilee Reserves
021 BIC Park, Swan Districts Oval & Old Perth Rd watching brief
022 Lobbying to amelorate all contaminated sites in Bassendean
023 A photo competition
024 A web page competition on the BPG website
025 Local flora AND fauna encouragement on private land
026 Sponsor a forest in Africa ($100)
027 Smart communities (education) program
028 Vermiculite tubes
029 Get our own low cost GPS
030 Memorial wall to celebrate distribution of ashes

My idea:

Use a simple vacuum forming machine to make
a low cost, 2 piece nesting box. Estimated cost
including the camouflage painting, around $5 each.

Cut the opening to suit small, medium and larger birds.
There maybe dimensions that encourage a particular
native species or groups of species.

Mount on tree trunks and branches with a couple of
cable ties, taking care not to ring bark the tree.

For $1000, you could make and erect around 200 units
to promote bird life in a native tree setting.

Don Yates
villagegreen@iinet.net.au

Convince at least one travel agent that marketing
and selling 'Cane Toad-killing holidays' to the Kimberly
is a good idea (naturally - willing persons is a massively
under-utilised resource in this area).

The 'holiday' would need to be properly planned and
co-ordinated, whereby accommodation and supplies
such as food and drink are both guaranteed and
conveniently located. Get the newsletter!

Andy (aj)
imageset@freenet.de

The $1000 could subsidise a couple of people to go
and have a 'toad-buster' holiday, or something like that?!

With the bicentenial for WA in about 20 years,
why not consider planting 20 significant trees,
(1 per decade) with the $1000.

donyates@iinet.net.au


Other notes on significant trees - City of Melbourne

John Forrest's Tree.
This tree was on the banks of a branch of the
Neales River under which John Forrest camped in 1874
after his successful expedition from Geraldton in WA
to the Overland Telegraph line. When the railway line
was extended from Oodnadatta to Alice Springs it was
suggested by many people that it should be protected.

Fairford Street
(Troy St Branch Drain) Revegetation

LOCATION:
Between
Fairford & Scaddan Streets, Bassendean, adjacent to Broadway Arboretum.
006

Bassendean Preservation Group
continues to sell the $3 per tree sponsorship in the community,
in numbers, based on the type
of car and distance travelled
by the person buying the
BPG unofficial greenhouse
gas offset.


Hyundai Getz example.
Requires about 20 trees / year
if travelling around 20,000km
Suggested offset $3/tree x 20 trees
is $60 per year to pay for
planting of 20 trees.


Working it out:

Average travel: 20,000 km / year

150gms of CO2 /km
(from sticker on windscreen)

CO2 generated
3 tonnes = 20,000 km x 0.15kg/km

Suggested number of trees for offset
18 trees = 6 trees/tonne x 3 tonnes

Rounding this up, say
20 trees are planted.

Carbon Neutral charge $3 per tree
or about $60 per year.


Approx numbers:

Commodore
20,000 km, 3.6L / 6cyl : 30 trees
20,000 km, 6.0L / V8 : : 40 trees

Falcon
20,000 km, 4.0L / 6cyl: 29 trees
20,000 km, 5.4L / V8 :: 41 trees

Toyota
20,000 km, Prius ::::::::: 13 trees
20,000 km, Corolla::::::: 21 trees
20,000 km, Hilux D/cab 37 trees

Background notes from
Carbon Neutral
or how they do it.

One effective way to combat
greenhouse gas emissions is to plant trees.
Trees absorb carbon dioxide
while they grow and trap it for years.

It will take around six mallee trees
to absorb one tonne of CO2
with up to 50% of the absorption occurring
within the first 10 years.
(It is estimated that the trees should live
100 years to achieve the full absorption).

(Biodiversity of plantings with lower
carbon capture and shorter lives may require
a higher number of plantings
to absorb one tonne.)

Trees also help to combat salinity,
reduce soil erosion, clean underground
water systems and provide habitat
for wildlife.

For only $19 per tonne or around $3 per tree,
Carbon Neutral will help you to offset your
carbon dioxide emissions by planting
native trees on your behalf.

Carbon Neutral operates a deductible
gift fund so most donations made to
Carbon Neutral
are fully tax deductible.

1. I would like to have the water and sludge at the bottom of the River,
   tested for toxins and dangerous substances.
   
   
2. I want to have warning signs placed along the river’s edge where the water
   is unsafe to swim or fish.
   
   
3. I want to take the samples from the water and soil  in various locations
   along the Swan, 
    
4. Plant plants that grow along the river’s edge and help remove salt from the water.

The reason for my concern is that my Dog became sick, vomiting and listless
after swimming in the river at Ashfield; this happened more than once. 
I have lived and worked in the Guildford area for 11 years, and during this time
there have been many Toxic spills and algae blooms in the River.

If the River Water can make my healthy dog sick,,,

What is happening to the birds and fish that rely on the River?
People fish in the River.

Let's pick a local
RIVER BEACH
and enter the challenge
012

Entry forms
now available.

This is a need to clean up a small dam
that is situated at the end of Minerva street Noranda.
It is home to many water fowl,  frogs and other life. 
It is going stagnant,  it has a terrible stench.
It needs to be cleaned,  and filtered with running water.  

While it is in a lovely Park that is maintained by the shire.
the dam is neglected,  It could be and should be preserved cleaned
and maintained to make it liveable to all the water fowl and their hatchlings.

Heather Pritchard

I would like to put the $1000 prize money towards
creating a bag big enough to fit into an old bore. 

Bore water is running out.

Firstly removing the old pump, then putting the water holding bag into the old well.
The water should come from the roof of the house or shed via a drainage pipe.
It would hold a substantial amount of water for use in the garden.
The water would be retrieved by a bucket,  just like the good old days.

Turning the old bore in the back yard into an old fashioned well,
by bricking it up to four foot .
It would be a lovely feature and a useful water saving avenue.
For Safety you would  put a wire lid bolted and padlocked,
so you could not fall into it.

Heather Pritchard

The way forward is research:

How can we make mountains of chlorophyll chemically, and introduce it into algae or better still make it into a living organism. A good example is yeast: when dried it is dead when you add a little water it becomes alive and grows. HOW?????

Also "white" lichens which grow on volcanic rock turn "green" spontaneously after a while?
Food for thought.

Greetings Trudi

Background:

Chlorophyll is one of the most important chelates in nature. It is capable of channelling the energy of sunlight into chemical energy through the process of photosynthesis. In photosynthesis, the energy absorbed by chlorophyll transforms carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates and oxygen. (And this is another reason for the importance of trees,
it is called breathing!)

CO2 + H2O (CH2O) + O2

We should get a survey done of the foreshore by a licensed surveyor or similar and document exactly where the foreshore is now.  Some locals assert that over the last few decades the shore has retreated by up to 5m, but no effort has gone into verifying this.  Perhaps old land titles might help?

When looking at the riverbanks from a boat, at low tide, you can see that the banks are undercut often about 0.5m but in some cases up to 1-2m.  Currently there is no easy way to determine the extent of undercutting – and if you survey at high tide it all looks fine.  We need a ground penetrating radar or similar so we can determine bank condition and find some way of categorising what we find.  (This suggestion may not be particularly realistic?? Nah, speak with survey companies!)

The foreshore is now part of the gazetted riverparks.
The above project may require working with the Swan River Trust
and sharing costs with SRT, or obtaining the majority of funds from the SRT.

In 1988 the Bassendean Bicentenary Committee installed signage at Sandy Beach
to explain the importance of the area etc.  The sign survived for about 10 years, but then disappeared (probably vandalised). 

It would not take much effort to find the artwork for the sign, update it, and put the information up again. It could perhaps be a poster attached to the toilet block.

There was a request to theTown of Bassendean in October 2008 about such a signage policy:

Examples of missing signs: 20 years of the Bassendean Preservation Group improving
the biodiversity of Ashfield Flats

Suggested next steps: Instead of the Town saying that it does not have the design
expertise or the budget, may I suggest that the Town writes to 2 or 3 organisations like the
Bassendean Preservation Group, inviting them to come up with a vandal-resistant sign design,
(say with 10 mm fire resistant Lexan covering), that could be adopted throughout the Town.

The same letter may mention that such signage could carry say up to 20% by area in advertising,
to pay for such signs. The Town's commitment would be graffiti removal if it happens
and management of the 'self-help' sign program.

Town's response:

I agree the story of the Town is important to building a sense of place and belonging. 
A cultural heritage trail is one that I (Graeme Haggart Acting CEO) have promoted –
Indigenous & European history alike.  In terms of signage – we have a style guide that prescribes
signage style that we are working toward over time.  I support engagement of volunteer groups in the process – and agree the signage program is of merit – but I would not like us to stray from the style guide – its about branding as well.

See also 008

It would be good to get a professional assessment of the dieback status of these two reserves
and advice on how it should be managed.  Dieback treatment is inexpensive and the BPG has
a dieback treatment kit.  It can be done just after the tree planting season, and the outcomes publicised in the local paper.

There is also a Dieback information sign that could be installed at any reserves
with a possible dieback issue, as part of the education program.
BPG should continue to lobby the Town of Bassendean to purchase and erect
this appropriate signage. Questions have been asked at Council meetings
for such signage to be installed. The survey could assist in speeding up the
process of getting the sign acquisition and installation program underway.

The BIC Park is a C Class Reserve. Swan Districts Oval is a B Class Reserve.
Old Perth Road is about to be changed to a higher density R Inner City Code.
Each area has its own issues from a BPG perspective. The BIC Park for example
was covered by a clay cap over Hays Swamp in a work-for-the-dole program in the 1930's.
There could be trapped methane gas like in Wyong in NSW and Cranbourne in Victoria.
In both cases, home construction was stopped because of the methane gas instability.

In the Bassendean situation, before the destruction of the tennis courts etc, the actual
situation in BIC PARK and the Swan Districts Oval should be checked.
(The trapped methane gas could be converted to green electricity in a silent fuel cell that
could generate money for Bassendean).

As far as Old Perth Road developments are considered, the environment should be
considered up front and not regarded as an 'after thought'.

As well as naturally occuring class 1 and class 2 acid sulphate soils, there has been considerable
contamination of the ground and ground water. The CSBP has used a lime injection system for
some time to reduce the effects of the contamination.

It is possible that the lime injection equipment could be relocated within Bassendean, to a site like
the Rail Heritage WA area in Railway Parade where the acid sulphase soil contamination is attacking the rails and rolling stock. (2009 is the 50th anniversary year of the museum).

The Bassendean Preservation Group could be instrumental in linking up CSBP with Rail Heritage WA.

A kit of seeds, notes and even some hands-on assistance / guidance could be assembled to
expand the area of native growth on private property, (in back or front yards etc), so that the
environmental links are strengthened by the series of 'small patch or oasis' nodes that support
local flora and fauna.

These small patches could also be included on suitable maps and made available on the web.
Lobbying of developers and the Council should be part of the program to explain the importance
of the program.

A survey of the flora and fauna improvements should also be included, year by year.

Consider a mix of vermiculite and other water wetting/holding agents that can be injected
into holes near future and past tree plantings undertaken by BPG to improve the chances
of survival of BPG plantings. Depending on how the material flows, use a gravity tank, inverted
funnel and large diameter hose, (with rubber stopper), all mounted on the BPG trolley to move
the rig between trees.

The dollars could be spent hiring a suitable electric hammer drill and purchasing appropriate
auger bits to drill the holes if the ground was seen as being 'terracotta' in nature!

Initially, the concept would be to spend $100 to $200 to trial the procedure with 'every second
tree', and if it appears to be successful, coming back and doing a similar or improved
procedure with those plantings that were 'missed out' in the first year.

Every now and again, the family of deceased persons are asked to follow the wishes of a will
and distribute ashes in the air, on a beach and even a river. Once done, there is usually no
record of such a person.

The idea is to establish a simple memorial sign where such events could be recorded.

With the sign, could be a website that includes a page with details of the person,
written by the family or even the person him or herself before the event. (It could even include
a powerpoint, PDF download and/or short video clip).

The intention would be that the Bassendean Preservation Group could arrange for the
simple memorial plaque to be erected, maintained and added to over the years.
The website would also be under the control of BPG.
Annually, or more frequently if thought appropriate, a DVD could be lodged at the
Bassendean Memorial Library as part of the local collection with detail of what was
on the website.

The cost to set up the memorial plaque would be around $200.
A donation of around $50-$100 would be the indicative fee to add a small panel
to the plaque and maintain the website. Any surplus funds could be used to sponsor
tree growing in Bassendean or some other similar project each year.