For those having second thoughts about attending the AGM – our favourite Grumpy Cookie man has been busy!
Don’t forget – Wednesday, 6:30pm at Market City Tavern!
AGM Venue – finally!!!!!
The AGM Venue – its a long story! But we are now back at Market City Hotel, 280 Bannister Road Canning Vale. Earlier start time of 6:30pm.
Please don’t forget to submit a RSVP so that we can cater for the AGM. Just go to the Members Area, hover on the drop down to see Upcoming Event Registrations and then you will see the RSVP for AGM Catering page. Please, fill in the form and hit the send button.
Helping the Western Swamp Tortoise.
Parks and Wildlife Services produce a wonderful newsletter called Bushnews. The Spring 2020 edition features on page 19 an article about the recent collaboration between ‘The Friends of the Western Swamp Tortoise’ and Track Care.
Ignoring the torrential downpours, our members helped revegetated an extension to the existing Ellen Brook Nature Reserve on Saturday 27 June. Over 4500 plants were planted, including Prickly Moses!
Track Care and the Friends of the Western Swamp Tortoise have another collaborative project near the Moore River National Park, were a suitable habitat for releasing captive bred hatchlings from the very successful Perth Zoo program, is being created. The ISUZU Club has already spent a significant amount of time over the recent long weekend, removing an unbelievable amount of rubbish from this site.
Keep watching for further projects!
Wandoo Wetlands Reccie!
Figure 1: Original sign, intact where access was previously gained 
Figure 2: Newly attempted (and failed) access nearby. 
Figure 3: Donuts, well sort of! 
Figure 4: Not a big job, but we could put another sign out here so people are aware of what was and should be here. 
Figure 5:Missed the turn! 
Figure 6:Signs pulled out. 
Figure 7: Signs returned. 
Figure 8: Another track created around a bush and an existing sign. 
Figure 9:They even killed a frog! 
Figure 10:Bollard missing 
Figure 11:Not any more!
On Saturday August 29 Graham, Tony and John went on a quick trip to the Wandoo Wetlands to see how previous Track Care WA endeavours were travelling.
After a coffee at the Lakes Service Station, we travelled in two vehicles into the conservation area. John travelled with Tony because he would have a better conversation in that car rather than competing with Graham.
The first stop was a quick catch up with the team from the 4WDrive Club of WA at the Wandoo Campground. We went searching (and found) a huge Tiger Snake that the 4WD Club members had just seen before we arrived and discovered a plethora of orchids flowering in the bush around the camping area. What a great site for a camp out! Then it was off to ‘Work’!!
The first work stop was at Turtle Dam where we found that original signage was still in place (Figure 1), but unfortunately people had done ‘donuts’ in the wet mud near the sign and attempted to cross the ditch elsewhere.
Then we went to Piggery Road. For the first time is three years we observed our first backward step. Some Numpty, who obviously cannot drive, had either gone straight into the wetland (Figure 5) or were travelling fast enough that they missed the turn in the track. They used cardboard boxes to eventually get out but left all of that rubbish there. They pulled out our signs (figure 6), possibly to get themselves out or because they were in the way when they finally got out of the bog. But we remedied that by putting them back. They pulled out the bollards and left them out of the holes which ended up as a death trap for the local frogs (Figure 9). We managed to find the pulled out bollard (Figure 10) and replaced them (Figure 11) in several parts of the site. We are now looking at how we can learn from this and create a little better protection.
So, why would Track Care want to close off this road with bollards? We don’t! These are the ‘chicken’ tracks around the main path of the road. The road is very muddy and thought of as a challenge but this is a conservation area that is part of our drinking water catchment. So this rubbish, diesel and other car fluids are leaching into our water. The Numptys who use this area for a challenge need to find another area that is suitable for their kind of ‘play’. Track Care encourages responsible 4W driving, particularly in this type of location. We do not believe you should not test out your 4W drive but we do believe that it should be done in the appropriate area. Perhaps, with enough lobbying we can get an area set aside for this kind of testing of a vehicle’s capabilities.
Track Care will have some projects coming up in this area if you are interested.
Sausage Sizzle Update
Bunnings has again changed their Sausage Sizzle policies in response to COVID 19. Bunnings will only allow bookings up to 4 weeks in advance, so that in a worse case scenario they only have 4 weeks of booking to cancel. Given the backlog of organisations who have already had a Sausage Sizzle cancelled this year, Bunnings has decided to select organisations to be allocate a position in each 4 week period by pulling names from a hat.
Stay tuned and hopefully we will be allocated a position sometime this year.
Hema Maps and Track Care WA
Earlier this month, Graham met with Ian, Pierre and Bryce from Hema Maps to increase awareness within Hema Maps of what Track Care has done, is doing and can do. Discussion centred around travel and collecting data, points of Interest and Dieback in WA.
HEMA Maps has developed a new program for collecting line and point of interest data while traveling. The synergy between HEMA and Track Care revolves around the places we go, the work we do and the information we have.
Track Care have been asked to be alpha testers on the new software. This will involve collecting data for HEMA maps to use with their maps. All data would be collected where possible and the cleansed data would be available for Track Care to use.
This would mean that the data Track Care uses to determine distances and time on work at various sites would have two uses: recording the travel hours for our work and supplying pathway information for Hema Maps. The synergy between Hema Maps and Track Care ‘roaming’ is huge and we are sure the relationship will be mutually beneficial.
Canning Corona Lockdown
Canning Corona Lockdown
By Jan Barrie Global Gypsies Tours
April 2020
Oh! To be out on the Canning!
Challenging dunes & corrugations,
Painted skies & starry nights
Instead I’m in bloody isolation!
Oh! To be round the campfire,
The flames make our camp look magic
But no! I’m stuck with domestic chores
Disaster for a Canning tragic!
Oh! To taste a warm damper
With a camp oven bubbling away.
Instead I’m washing my flipping hands
Fifty times a day!
Oh! To visit 51 wells
Following Canning & his crew.
But me, I’m counting days indoors –
I’m up to thirty-bloody-two!
Normally the track would be humming,
Four wheel drives pass in two’s & threes,
Sounds of engines, tyres pumping & two-ways,
But right now there’s just quiet desert peace.
One day when it’s ok to travel
We’ll be back on the great CSR
Treading lightly as we count our blessings –
Health AND nature! How lucky we are!
Big Boys Toys
A big thank you to our volunteers!
This was the first year that Track Care WA was represented at the Big Boys Toys Expo and a very positive experience it proved to be judging by the number of visitors to our display. Thank you to our volunteers who staffed our display over the weekend.
Just in case you missed the event, The Big Boys Toys Expo is a dynamic family event, featuring interactive and innovative stands and entertainment, attended by huge crowds.
Essentially a Family Show, Big Boys Toys Expo brings fun and entertainment to every region it attends, with an array of exhibitors showcasing Cars, Fishing Gear, Caravans, Camping Gear, Motors, Bikes, Jetskis, Boats, Skateboards and Sporting gear – all mixed with some major entertainment and displays of cars both new and old, sprinkled with exciting “toys” for the old and young, men and women (and lots of kids too).
Ginger Slice Man
Any person able to inspire my husband of over 35 years to voluntarily venture into the kitchen without so much as an iota of trepidation, eagerly determined to expand his culinary skills beyond vegemite toast, is a truly extraordinary individual. Bill Clarke or ‘Ginger Slice Man’ as he is affectionately known in my family, achieved just that!
Track Care WA is a volunteer organisation that has been going strong for over 28 years and although Bill has only been a member of Track Care WA for a few years, his generosity and determination to make a difference to our community is well renowned and regarded. So, apart from Bill, no one was at all surprised that he was acknowledged at the recent Jurien 2020 Tending the Tracks Alliance event as the Volunteer of the Year.
Bill is the sort of guy who shares his time and talents, without seeking accolades, for the sheer joy of helping and giving back. Bill is always prepared to be involved: from clean ups at Yeagarup, the Mundaring Power Line Track and the Karara Block; to helping to establish the new Wanagarren Nature Reserve Track and participating in all Tending the Tracks Alliance events over the last 12 months. Not only does Bill get his hands dirty to get jobs done, but he also fills the bellies of other volunteers with delicious morsels that he bakes specially – delectable biscuits, heavenly slices and seriously, the most scrumptious sausage rolls in WA! A true master chef!
As a lad, Bill grew up in Cunderdin and maybe that explains his affinity with and desire to care for the land. According to his daughter Tracey, he is just a great guy whose passion is to bring joy to the lives of other people and to give back to the world. A sentiment that all Track Care WA members and Tending the Tracks Alliance volunteers would whole heartily agree.