Around 80 people attended the presentation dinner for the Rotary Club of Burnside’s 2021 Volunteer of the Parks Awards, and Leadership in Conservation, on Wednesday, 18 May.
The Parks Awards set out to recognise both paid service and volunteer activities of those looking after our National Parks and are an annual event organised by the Rotary Club of Burnside.
Bob Cooper, past District Governor, opened proceedings and welcomed all while President of the awards selection committee, David Dewar, introduced the guests and read the apologies.
The award have been presented since 1983 (formerly Ranger of the Year) and in 1988, the Volunteer of the Parks award was introduced. Twelve nominations had been received for both categories. Given that the presentation was taking place during National Volunteer Week (16-22 May), it was a fitting way for our volunteers to recognise others in the community. Bob added that although there could only be one winner in each category, all nominees were actually winners, being nominated by their peers and volunteers.
Click here to read more about our nominees and winners
GOOD News
The inaugural Environment Day Awards were announced at Beaumont House on Sunday 11 April with the Rotary Club of Burnside receiving an award on the day for being “Unsung Heros” on the environmental front.
The awards celebrate initiatives and activities that Burnside community members are implementing, across four award categories in the City.
Climate Change Challenge award winners, and Burnside residents, Dr Susan Marsden and Michael Szwarcbord said that they feel strongly about the threats to us all from the climate crisis.
“Everything we can all do, large and small, is really important,” Dr Marsden said.
The award winners each received a wooden bowl made by Burnside resident and local wood turner, Flora Rumbelow, as their award ‘trophy’. Most of the trophies were turned from a section of a fallen Red Gum branch. One trophy was made from an Olive tree branch taken as part of a regular pruning program at Beaumont House.
In the early 1990s David Harvey a member of the Rotary Club of Burnside, initiated an environmental project in conjunction with the Burnside Council to revegetate a disused quarry and council rubbish dump within Chambers Gully Park. During the 2020 lockdown, small groups constructed 22 new habitat boxes for birds and possums.
story courtesy Environment Champions | FOCUS On Burnside – the news hub | engage.burnside
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