1669 MOTTO AUTUMN 2009.cdr - Men of the Trees

A tribute to Charles PeatyCharles PeatyI first met Charles Peaty in Bridgetown in1974. Sallie and I were set on owningsome land in the South West where wecould grow trees and return often forholidays with our two boys; they wereboth then at primary school. Charlesfound us a most idyllic spot, a peninsularon the Blackwood River just South ofNannup. It had been a beef cattle farm,much of it already cleared. It was only amatter of months before Charles had amanagement plan prepared and we werethe proud, if inexperienced owners of apine plantation. We were ever grateful toCharles and his ongoing commitmentfrom that time.I had always had a deep liking for treesand when the opportunity arose to makea film with E F Schumacher on theuneconomic use being made of the Karriforest I asked Charles to come along andbe our forestry advisor. The film wasfinished in 1978, a print of it was seen byRichard St Barbe Baker in England inNovember that year, and the followingMarch I received a telegram telling me StBarbe was coming to Perth and wanted tomeet me. Being a mere filmmaker Inaturally asked Charles to come alongtoo. Surely I would have littleconversation in common with such afamous forester and author as St Barbe.The meeting took place at the home ofSally Janssen, a Bahai who hosted of StBarbes short visit. On the morning of 8March 1979 there gathered Dr Richard StBarbe Baker, Sally Janssen, Alex Wilson, support all afforestation work whetherCharles and Margaret Peaty and me for government or industry and certainly(Barrie Oldfield). As we toasted the health for the honest and hardworking peopleof our Patron, Prince Charles, the WA on the land who needed extra manpowerBranch of Men of the Trees came into at just the time they were otherwise toobeing. Over the coming weeks many busy putting in their crops.discussions and informal meetings tookplace, also the word got around so that by Charles was adamant that we shouldMay a rather larger group could gather learn the right way to do things; theonce more at Sally Janssens home, ground had to be ripped a metre deep toformally declare itself to be Men of The break the hard pan, annual weeds andTrees, and elected Charles as its first rabbits must be exterminated, farmPresident.fences must be sound enough to keep alllivestock off the newly planted trees. AfterFrom then until September 1982 Charles all Charles was a professional forestertook the Society on a headlong program whose livelihood depended upon theof tree plantings, meetings with results of his work. He shared thatexperienced speakers, visits to ALCOAs experience with us all. In 1979 you had torevegetation sites and tree nursery so that be a looney to want to plant trees in thewe should be in no doubt about the wheatbelt. Charles showed us that itimmensity of the task we had taken on. could be done successfully and proved itEnthusiasm spread and membership time and again. Talk to any farmers wife,increased.he would say. She will be the first toappreciate a good windbreak round theCharles always had an eye for the house. And often from these smallspectacular, the newsworthy. Through sample plantings he would be invitedthe railways he arranged for plantings on back to put in several kilometres of 3-rowthe Nullarbor plain at Cook in 1982 and shelter belts across the farm.Rawlinna in 1983. This also involvedplanting in partnership with our new This was the experience and knowledgeSouth Australian members. Ever anxious he readily shared with everyone, not leastto prove that we were not to be seen as Men of the Trees. Charles Peaty was a manjust another long-haired hippy greenie ahead of his time, but not too far. Hisgroup he had us planting pine trees for knowledge was backed by sufficientthe Forests Dept at Chapman Hill in 1980, dynamism to see we carried through ourand trees for ALCOA at their new commitments. And with him we canWagerup site the following year. These share some of the glory for having beenevents may have appeared somewhat first among volunteers revegetating theinsensitive even to our own members at wheatbelt and stayed the course.the time yet they set Men of the Treesapart as a wholly positive society keen to Barrie Oldfield OAMMeeting in 1979 with Dr Richard St Barbe Baker3

Two new Honorary Life MembersThe two nominees for Honorary Life Membership this year capture theessence of volunteering at its best. Their contribution of consistentquiet achievement, and their humility, sees them serve as role modelsto us all. There are no better examples of community minded folk whojust get on with the job, without fanfare, or the need for personalrecognition. As such, the only people who were surprised by theirnomination were the nominees themselves!Yvonne Healy “Von”Since she commenced as a voly in 1995, Von has brightened ourFridays at St Barbe Grove. Some might think she is a late starter, butthey're wrong, as she starts her Friday by slipping unseen into theboardroom and cleaning the kitchen, before she comes around thecorner to work in the nursery. In the nursery she is meticulous andconsistent, turning her hand to anything asked of her.As well as the regular Friday attendance, Von, along with her husbandMick, has performed a critical role in the nursery by watering everySaturday through the growing season. Without this help we simplywould not have the plants to sell that we do.And although Von will say she is coming out to the nursery to water onSaturday, we notice that the toilets are clean when we arrive at the endof the weekend...and has anybody ever wondered about the perpetualsupply of clean tea towels that miraculously keep appearing in thelunch room? Yes, it's Von again, taking them home and bringing themback again, in her own quiet way.More than these couple of days a week, Von has always been the firstto volunteer for any extra work in need of doing. She has worked onplantings and seed collecting trips, as well as cooking on the BBQ forcatering at the Children's Forest and other plantings. She has alwaysbeen at the nursery to work on the busy bees, and the shire pick ups,and has always helped with the Festivals.Committee roles are notoriously difficult to fill in voluntaryorganisations, but again Von has stepped up, and made time to serveon the Shows Committee.(Ross says) “Von has to be a living Saint and Angel. She shows deepcompassion for the wellbeing of the Mott community. She is the modelvollie. I can't imagine anyone more deserving of Life Membership.”With this nomination Von joins her husband Mick on the life members'board, acknowledging the inseparability of the contribution of thiswonderful couple,.INCOMING BOARD....... Now if you thought I wasn't going to mention Friday'spumpkin scones?........Maurice Hutchins “Maurie”Maurice has been a regular at the St Barbe Nursery since 1995,coming in twice a week. If he misses his regular Monday or Fridaystint due to other commitments he goes out of his way toreschedule for another day so the work still gets done. If he isgoing to miss a day he ensures that we know in advance, andmakes arrangements for someone else to pick up those tasks thathe would normally do. These chores, like the footbaths, andtaking out the rubbish, might otherwise go unnoticed, as Maurieusually has them done before the others arrive.For the rest of his time Maurice will turn his hand to whatever isneeded. He will work in the yard or at the propagation tables,water the nursery or make up cutting mix. He has been themainstay of the pot washing area, chipping away at what iscertainly one of the least glamorous tasks in the nursery, becausein his words, “it needs to be done”.An eminently practical man, Maurie has become a key “Mr Fix-it”around the nursery. Whether it's installing new taps, lookingafter the reticulation system, or using his fencing experience tohold up the shade structures, it's all in a days work. Where he seesa need he will make bits and pieces in his home workshop torepair or improve equipment in the nursery.Far from restricting himself to the regular two days a week,Maurice has also been a regular at the shire pick up weekends,and manning the gate at festival times. He is also a home grower,supplementing the nursery stock with additional cuttings andseedlings. He has taken plants home and looked after them whenspace in the nursery has been at a premium. He has supplied uswith much needed seed and cutting material from his local area,often at critical times. For several years he has worked at home onthe pre-germination treatment of pistachio seeds, a laborioustask of manually removing the husk, for a special order in thenursery.Maurice has an excellent memory, recalling past successes andfailures in the nursery. In sharing this knowledge he helps makesure each year is more successful than the one before. Wegratefully salute Maurice's outstanding and consistentcommitment, and his spirit of quiet achievement.The MOTT Board are all volunteers who do more thanjust meet for Board meetings. They engage, asrelevant, in a number of negotiations with sponsorsand partners, contribute on other MOTT committees,lobby, network, conduct promotional activities onbehalf of MOTT. We thank them and their families fortheir support as this work often takes the Boardmembers into weekends and evenings, after a longdays work.A special thank you must be made to the HonoraryTreasurer and Honorary Finance Manager CoralBuscombe, who continues to look after the books andfinances for all of MOTT. This is a substantial voluntarycommitment.thAt the MOTT AGM that was held on the 28 January2009, the incoming Board members were elected.President Tim Lawrence 3rd year in officeVice President Chris Ferreira Vice President since 1997,Board member since 1991Vice President Christian Marriott Board member since 2007Honorary Treasurer Coral Buscombe Hon Treasurer since 2003,Board member since 1997Honorary Secretary Ian Rawlings Board member since 2003Brian Ellam Member Board member since 2003Ric Gleadell Member Board member since 2006Bill Chambers Member Board member since 2007Brian Wickins Member Board member since 2007Matt Porter Member Board member since 20084

Presentation of a MOTT certificate for outstandingenvironmental consciousness to Bowra & O’DeaWe were very honoured to have Joe O'Dea 1998/99 Fairbridge 2004/05 WandiJr , Managing Director of Bowra & O'Dea , The Fairbridge Memorial Grove was opened in Wandi Memorial Grove is situated withinas the special guest at the January 2009 1998 on the site of the Fairbridge Eco Farm near Magenup Lake Reserve, in the southern suburbsAnnual General Meeting.Pinjarra, which was to be the largest example of of metropolitan Perth. The site was planted insustainable farming and Eco-Village living in 2003 and opened in 2004 with a large variety ofThe Bowra & O'Dea Memorial Groves program is Western Australia - it remains a great example of beautiful species. Although smaller than somein its 12th year of operation. Bowra & O'Dea sustainable living ethics and as such supports of the other Groves, this is a lovely planting andhas provided MOTT with sponsorship valued, to the concept of living and ecologically sound frequently visited.date, at more than HALF A MILLION DOLLARS. Memorials. The Memorial Grove is tended byMemorial Grove sites have been established in Peel branch of MOTT regularly.2005/06 York (Mt Brown Reserve)and around Perth and the Wheatbelt. InYork Memorial Grove is located on the road toaddition to the establishment and management 1999/2000 KulyalingMt Brown Lookout, and has a spectacular viewof the Memorial Grove sites, this sponsorshipKulyaling lies halfway between Brookton and all of its own. The Grove was opened in 2006has supported the Million Trees Program toPingelly on the Great Southern Highway. The and offers friends and family a lovely place fordevelop educational resources and carry outGrove was opened in 2000 in moral support for reflection with picnic facilities and a small Groveenvironmental educational activities. OVER 2the community who experienced a devastating of healthy young trees. This Grove will be infillMILLION TREES HAVE BEEN PLANTED thoughbushfire in the previous year. As such it was a planted to increase the number of trees present.MOTT and schools engaged in these Bowra &memorial not only for Bowra and O'Dea clientsbut also for the community itself.2008/09/10/11/12 BeckenhamO'Dea sponsored MOTT activities.MOTT is working with WAPC, South East2000/01 Guilderton - Mini Pinnacles Regional Centre for Urban Landcare (SERCUL)Men of the Trees / Bowra &The initial planting at Guilderton in 2000 had a and Bowra & O'Dea to support the creation of aO'Dea Memorial Groves low success rate so an infill planting was Memorial Park on Regional Open Space ownedundertaken the following year, when the Grove by the WAPC and bounded by Horley Road,1996/97 Irish Town was opened. There are now well over 3000 trees Kenwick Link and the Roe Highway reserve inIrish Town Memorial Grove was the first Bowrastill standing in this beautiful Grove. There is a the locality of Beckenham by establishing aand O'Dea Grove planted in Western Australia.'dugout' area that is not as well established but Memorial Grove, of approximately 4,000 treesOnly a few kilometres out of Toodyay, the Groveprovides an interesting feature and unique and native plantings, each year for five years atwas planted with 4000 endemic species on acharacter to the Grove with pinnacle like the Beckenham Region Open Spaceproperty belonging to a farmer that neededstructures. commencing in 2008.revegetation and regeneration. The grove hasbeen maintained both by Men Of The Trees and 2002/03 Byford Failed Memorial Groves summaryby the farmer over the years and is now a The Byford Memorial Grove was planted toveritable forest of green.revegetate an area that was previously cleared There are many intended Memorial Groves thatas a rifle range. The area was severely eroded were not successful and did not open as a grove1997/98 Nambling and the soil of very poor quality. The planting for various reasons. They are as follows:Nambling Memorial Grove was opened in 1998has greened a large expanse of land and hasas a revegetation and regeneration project on a2001/02 Hester Parkhad several infill plantings since the initial one in2003/04 Guilderton 2seriously salt affected area outside of Dowerin.2002. This Grove provides a nice beginning to a 2004/05/06 Carmel/KalamundaThis planting was possibly the most difficult duelocal bushwalk track and is frequently visited by 2006/07 Stuart Parkto a severe salt scald nearby and the degradeda large mob of kangaroos.2007/08 Coomberdalestate of the soil. Although the success rate waslow, several replantings and infills werecompleted over the two years to follow and theGrove is now a beautiful Grove..Photograph by Cheyne Tillier-DalyCourtesy of Carbon NeutralCorporate volunteers at Kokeby5

Trees and the global financial turmoilMany of Richard St Barbe Bakers writingstake on the status of prophecy when seenin context. For instance, over fifty years agohe was writing of an impending globalshortage of accessible fresh water, he wasdescribing the effects of atmosphericpollution on the health of great trees, andhe understood desert ecology through many years of study andtravel across and around the Sahara.A story which he relates and is particularly apt for our time is onetold by elders of the Kikuyu people as a warning to their children. Itconcerns an evil king who, being jealous of the devotion hissubjects gave to the Great White Spirit decided to build a palace sohigh that he could sit as their God on a throne above the clouds1.He condemned all his subjects to this task. They were made to cutthe forest to provide the wood needed. They were obliged toneglect their farms and their stock whilst their tyrant king drovethem to the work. The forests were cut for miles around, thepalace grew bigger whilst the people grew weaker throughneglect of their land and the lack of food.Eventually the builders could not find any more forest to cut. Soone night they discussed among themselves a plan. They wouldsilently enter under the great palace and, unnoticed by the guards,remove some of the big timbers from the foundations. Undercover of darkness they smuggled these out and unseen, andcarried them some distance away and out of sight. And so thefollowing day they returned carrying these same great baulks oflumber which were hauled to the top and used to build yetanother floor above. The deception worked. The next night theydid the same thing, they removed more of the timbers from underthe palace, carried them silently away, so that next day they couldbring them back to continue building the great tower.This ruse continued until the great day when all was complete andthe official opening took place. All the people were summonedfrom every quarter of the kingdom. The king mounted to the verytop to take his seat on the throne, as god most high, to beworshipped as such by his subjects. At the sound of the mightydrum the people were to abase themselves. But the thunder ofMwininyagas drum beat louder. A mighty thunderclap heralded agreat storm. The winds of the denuded lands got up. They blewwith great force. The tower began to rock. All will be well, thoughtthe king because the foundations are strong. Then suddenly, withan ear-splitting crash, the whole edifice collapsed. In the midst ofthe devastation the king and his throne were buried in the ruins ofhis own folly.It does not take a great deal of imagination to interpret theprophecy of this story in the underlying cause of the current worldfinancial crisis. St Barbe wrote this up for us all to read and take toheart. Yet he was simply relating one of the great stories handeddown over many generations from the store of wisdom in theAfrican cultural heritage he admired so much.In 1979 when St Barbe was paid a fee of $300 for an ABCbroadcast he asked that the money be used to buy land on which2to plant trees . That seems to me to be as wise a purpose as any.Barrie Oldfield1 African Drums, pages 18-20, first published 19422Personal correspondence, 9 June 1979Changing the MOTT LogoIn 2007, when Sandra Krempl first began working with us, the Board had receivedsome requests to modernise the MOTT logo. Sandra was asked by the Board toinvestigate this. Bob Summerville was recommended by some Board members as agraphic designer who had done a lot of work with the environmental industry. Sandraorganised for Bob to present a workshop to all branches. Potential logos wereconsidered at the annual planning day in May 2008. The preferred contemporary logowas selected. It was this logo that was presented to the AGM.At the AGM three members volunteered to speak for the Old logo. They were KenCroft, Doug Love and Barrie Oldfield. Three members volunteered to speak for the newdesign. They were Tim Lawrence, Leo Kerr and Erin Keeffe. The vote taken from thosein attendance was a draw. However, when proxies were counted, the old logoemerged as the winner.Proposed new design6

Men Of The Trees extends a hearty thank you to all our members and volunteersacross all our branches. Your contribution and support makes a huge difference to our Society,Western Australia and beyond.Top photograph by Cheyne Tillier-DalyCourtesy of Carbon Neutral, Corporate volunteers at KokebyAll otherphotographs by Angela TillierCourtesy of Carbon Neutral,Western Power planting7

AMHERST RDFestival of Trees 2009You need the Trees of LifeC E L E B R A T I N G 3 0 Y E A R S O F M E N O F T H E T R E E S I N W E S T E R N A U S T R A L I ASomething for everyone whether you have a biggarden, a courtyard, or you are a small landholder,or someone who loves trees, the naturalenvironment, living sustainably.The teams from the Men of The Trees,Great Gardens, Heavenly Hectares,will be there conducting workshops.Get tips from the experts on how to grow nativeplants, reduce water and fertiliser use, improve soil,beat pests and disease, attract birds, grow fruit andvegetables.There will be workshops that are perfect for smalllandholders struggling to manage the home,garden, hobby orchard and the rest of the property.Find out about how you can get involved ingrowing and planting trees , wildlife conservation,heritage conservation, sustainability, carbonoffsettingMeet a network of people and large and smallorganisations working with Landcare, Trees,Sustainability and CommunitySUNDAY 29 March 200910am to 4 pmSt Barbe GroveMen Of The TreesWestern AustraliaMOTT Raffle will be drawn at 2.30pmGUILDFORDGREATIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISWANTO PERTHEASTERNSTREETHIGHWAYHELENABUSHMEAD ROADMORRISONMIDLANDHAZELMERELot 2 Stirling Crescent(Cnr. of Amherst Rd) HazelmereGREATNORTHERNHWYSTIRLING CRESCENTROADTo BellevueRIVERST BARBEGROVETREE NURSERYProgram Includes:THE MAGIC OF NATIVE PLANTSGreat GardensCHILDREN’S FORESTWhiteman Park / MOTTRENOVATING AND IMPROVING LAWNGreat GardensDEVELOPING SUSTAINABLE HOBBY FARMSHeavenly HectaresTHE WORLD SIGNIFICANCE OF THE BURRUP ROCK ARTFriends of Australian Rock ArtTOUR OF ST BARBE GROVE NURSERYWith Wayne O’Sullivan, SBG Nursery - MOTTOFFICAL OPENING:Celebrating 30 years of Men of The Trees inWestern AustraliaSpecial Guests: Past and current Presidentsof MOTT (WA)HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED IN PLANTING TREESErin Keefe Revegetation Team - MOTTTHE FINE ART OF FAST COMPOSTINGWith Barrie Oldfield / Swan TAFENATURAL RESONANCE STUDY GROUP PRESENTATIONNatural Resonance Study GroupUNDERSTANDING AND IMPROVING YOUR SOILSGreat GardensTHE GREAT WILDERNESS WOODLANDSJessica Chapman / Wilderness SocietyCAROBSWith Henry Esbenshade, Carobs AustraliaFANTASTIC TREES FROM AROUND THE WORLDTed Johnson / Swan TAFEEXPERT FRUIT AND NUT GROWINGGreat GardensBLESSING OF THE TREESA community activity - exploring what trees mean to us/MOTTSTALLHOLDERS FOOD STALLSMen of The Trees BranchesCarbon Neutral LtdSt Barbe Food StallGreat Gardens / Heavenly HectaresJan Griffen - Foot Rub ENTERTAINMENTAustralia Alpaca AssociationCarobs AustraliaBenazir Belly DancersEnvironmental Defenders Office Traditional African DancersFriends of Australian Rock Art Ben and NinaJigsaw Educational toysNatural Resonance Study GroupPerth Sun FairThis is a MOTT WA eventWhiteman Parkput together with the helpSilvery gibbon ProjectSwan Wood Turnersof Great Gardens, HeavenlyRic’s NurseryHectares, Swan TAFEThe Wilderness Societyand Whiteman ParkSwan TAFECheck out MOTT website:www.menofthetrees.com.auor call 9250 1888 for updates10.00 11.00 12.00 1.00 2.00 3.00