Profiles of SOLN Landcarers
Profiles:
David Churchill has owned farmland in the hills behind Apollo Bay since 1980 but resides in town. After an active interstate and overseas university teaching and research career followed by employment by the State Government at Senior Executive level, he is now involved with a genetic engineering company. Scientific papers on archaeology, botany, meteorology and zoology are published in refereed journals and books. Details are available if requested. Local activities include the following: 2.5 years Hon. Secretary followed by 2 years Hon. Treasurer of the Otway Barham Landcare Group Inc. until 2002. Three years on the Ragwort Management Strategy Committee (with Mick O’Conner). Facilitated the Southern Otway Capability workshops with Melbourne University School of Architecture. The preparation, for recreational and civil use, monthly tide, solar and lunar tables for Apollo Bay has continued since 1992. These are available each month at no cost from the Apollo Bay Sports Store. Statistical analysis of tide levels and Apollo Bay Rainfall – all records. Modelling (mathematical) of timber, water, recreation and wildlife and Mt. Ash growth in the Otways.
Ken Forrester is a multi-skilled plantsman, builder, artist, planner and sheep farmer He began growing trees on his Apollo Bay hillside farm 30 years ago and together with wife Judi established Otway Herbs Nursery, supplying indigenous and timber trees for farms and Parks. He has both logging and saw-milling experience in the Otways, is a foundation member of Apollo Bay Landcare Group and Otway AgroForrestry Network, is a Master Tree Grower, Peer Group Mentor and enthusiastic volunteer.
Peter Gardiner: I have lived in the district for over 10 years. I have always been involved with livestock throughout my working life: being a drover, then a stockman, at abattoirs, an overseer of a beef, sheep and cropping property, years of dairy farming in the Western District and in the Murray Irrigation System, back to stockman at abattoirs and now here in Sugarloaf. I have been involved in Landcare since arriving in the Southern Otway region and I believe Landcare has something for everyone, no matter what your lifestyle is.
Simon Pockley has been managing a small hill farm behind Apollo Bay for 28 years. His passion for the bush and simple living are reflected in his commitment to the values of Landcare and the recently formed Otway Ranges Climate Action (ORCA). He has a background as a craftsman builder/woodworker as well as qualifications in Genetics and Literature, with a PhD in Knowledge Management and Digital Design. He has a wide range of professional experience in the business, cultural, and education sectors, has presented at National and International fora, contributed to several UNESCO Guides to Best Practice as well as various publications on Metadata and Electronic Theses. He is currently studying for accreditation in renewable energy systems and occasionally paints seascapes.
Sherryl Smith, psychologist, artist, inventor, lecturer, moved to Wye River 11 years ago. Motivated by the belief that the Otways were ‘too precious to plunder’ become actively involved in the actions to end clear-fell logging in the Otways and the formation of the Great Otway National Park – and fell in love with the area. A passionate conservationist, animal tragic and bush walker, she is involved in Landcare, Coast Action, Otway Ranges Environment Network, Australian Conservation Foundation, Otway Ranges Climate Action and runs Harrington Park in Wye River. She divides her time between running a company that invents and designs specialist animal products (with frequent trips to China) and environmental causes.
Carole Webley, scientist by training, first came to Apollo Bay in the early eighties. We liked the area so much that when we came to stay in the Bay on our daughter’s 21st we decided to look for some land to buy. We eventually bought ‘Hutt Paddock’ in the Wild Dog Valley in 1991 where Brendan Murnane built us a house. Our first introduction to Landcare was through Paddy O’Connor, the Ragwort Control Coordinator and his son Mick. They alarmed us with tales of hills covered with ragwort, so we spent many summers walking the property pulling ragwort – as well as picking blackberries – and getting used to the sight of snakes. We also got to love the landscape and our knowledge of Otway trees, shrubs and wildlife gradually improved. During this time the Apollo Bay Landcare Group was formed, under the presidency of Roger Hardley, and we attended many pleasant meetings and barbecues at the Tanybryn Hall. I was secretary of the Group between 1995 and 1998, the year SOLN was formed. After some decline in interest we decided to try to re-invigorate the Landcare Group in 2005 and I again became Secretary. Since then the Group has concentrated on developing a vision for and re-vegetating the two beautiful rivers – Wild Dog and Skenes Creek – in our catchment. We now produce a newsletter twice or three times a year and hope to convince more of our landowners to become interested in Landcare and to join the Group. In the meantime we retired and moved permanently to ‘Wildgate’ on the coast, which was a little easier to manage, and have become really interested in planting the gullies and hill with a variety of trees and shrubs native to the area. Over the years we have gained experience in fencing, weed control, tree protection against sheep and other predators and more recently in attempting to establish an orchard and veggie garden in the ‘difficult’ coastal terrain behind our house. We are still learning!!