( Teacher Tim Francey, and Year 7 representatives)

Why Plant Trees

Trees provide an extraordinary range of environmental benefits. Science has shown that trees perform a vital function in:

·         Controlling salinity by regulating surface and underground water tables

·         Water purification

·         Improving soils (and protecting their release of carbon)

·         Reducing wind erosion

·         Providing wildlife habitat

·         Protecting and rehabilitating biodiversity

·         Aiding bird migration

·         Supporting downstream fisheries and recreation

·         Providing shelter for livestock

·         Generating renewable energy

·         Beautifying the landscape

It is perhaps their least acclaimed role as cleaners of the atmosphere that is re-elevating their status as environmental saviours. Trees clean the atmosphere by absorbing carbon dioxide emissions, converting the carbon to wood through the process of photosynthesis, and storing it within their roots, stems, branches and leaves. Trees are approximately 50% stored carbon.

Trees therefore offer humanity an opportunity to neutralize the harmful emissions we generate when we drive our cars, fly in planes and power our homes and factories.

The role of trees has been ratified by the world’s governing scientific authority on climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), as a formal mechanism for the offsetting of greenhouse gases.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service have a fact sheet called Native Shelterbelts  which emphasises the advantages of using Australian native trees as a superior habitat for wildlife. The Central West Catchments Management Authority  has been established by the New South Wales Government as an independent, statutory authority to engage communities in the management of natural resources within their catchments. They have various incentive programs that may assist in developing a tree planting plan that will improve health and management of natural resources within our catchments such as controlling erosion, fencing off streams etc.

Major sources of rubbish image taken from Clean Up Australia’s 2006 Rubbish report.

“Sadly, these rubbish items continue to turn up in the environment but plastic containers can and should be recycled, cigarette butts should be binned and we should all being saying NO to plastic bags,” Mr Kiernan said. (see http://www.cleanup.org.au/rubbishreport06/)

Cigarette butts contain hazardous chemicals such as cadmium, arsenic and lead that are partially filtered out during smoking. But when the butt is discarded, these chemicals leach into the environment contaminating our waterways and land. http://www.cleanup.org.au/PDF/au/cua-cigarette-butts-fact-sheet.pdf

Plastic bags are persistent in the environment Non-biodegradable plastics bags can last in the environment for up to 1,000 years. Landscapes littered with plastic bags
are hazardous to wildlife and visually unattractive. What’s more, because plastic bags last so long, every year the number of plastic bags littering the environment are accumulating. Plastic bags are lightweight and moisture resistant which means they float easily in air and water, often travelling long distances. It is estimated that a total of between 50 and 80 million bags enter the Australian environment as litter every year. Unless they are collected, they stay there. http://www.cleanup.org.au/PDF/au/plastic-bags—revised-household-version.pdf

The Rotary Club of Oberon awarded environmental awareness awards to two local Oberon people who are concerned about their environment. Connie Haskins, during a daily walk with friends, collects rubbish which she then takes home for disposal. June Evans collects rubbish from the sides of roads on her daily walks. June also recycles whatever she can of the rubbish that she collects.

John and Tina Philp were gold award winners of the Rotary Club of Oberon’s Environmental Awareness Awards 2007. The Philps have implemented many facets of environmental practices on their farm at Black Springs. The practices have included the planting of 3000 native trees and fencing of existing native tree stands. They also fenced the dams on their property and all stock watering is done by reticulation to troughs in the paddocks. The home they built is solar friendly with good aspect, extra rainwater tanks and a solar hot water system. The entire garden is heavily mulched supporting in minimal watering.
  
The ecological advantages of planting natives are that they provide food and shelter for local insects and birds and they save water. The National Parks and Wildlife Service have a fact sheet called Native Shelterbelts (http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/PDFs/Factsheet7_Native_shelterbelts.pdf) which emphasises the advantages of using native trees as a superior habitat for wildlife.
 
The Central West Catchment Management Authority (http://www.cma.nsw.gov.au/ ) has been established by the New South Wales Government as an independent, statutory authority to engage communities in the management of natural resources within their catchment. They have various incentive programs that may assist in developing a farm plan that will improve health and management of natural resources within our catchment such as controlling erosion, fencing off streams etc.

Solar hot water can help you save money, reduce energy use and help the environment. Householders can contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by installing solar water heaters. Where these systems qualify under the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000 , the owner can benefit financially. Visit the Office of the Renewable Energy Regulator at http://www.orer.gov.au/swh/index.html to see if you qualify.

The Australian Government’s Department of the Environment and Water Resources Australian Greenhouse Office has a home guide to reducing energy costs and greenhouse gases (at http://www.greenhouse.gov.au/gwci/index.html ) that has many tips on how to reduce energy costs. They also have an easy to use greenhouse calculator.

Visit Oberon Rotary’s Environmental Awareness Awards website to read more about environmental awareness and tips on how you can help the environment at http://oberonenviroaward.wordpress.com/

Last Thursday evening a good crowd gathered to hear who of the nominees had received Rotary Club environmental awareness awards. Nomination for the awareness awards was done principally by Year 9-10 Students of Oberon High, but members of the public  were also encouraged to submit the names of people or organizations they considered to be undertaking activities that reflected a commitment to improving the local and wider environment.

In introducing the event, Hans Guldberg reiterated the significance of the underlying theme of the awareness project – think globally – act locally. He thanked the nominators, the judges (year 11 Primary industries students from Oberon High); and Arrows News agency, the Library and the Council chambers for keeping a stock of nomination forms for the public to use, and being receiver points for nominations.

Following a few word by former Oberon Public School student (now an environmental scientist,)  Kristy Graham, Oberon High teacher Katie Graham outlined the judging process, and then introduced those who received awards at various levels. 

Highly Commended –
 Sue Roberts, Tim Francey and Year 7 Oberon High – Community – planting trees along the railway walking track.

Bronze Awards

• Peter Jenkins and Phillippa Paige – Farm – extensive native tree propagation and planting
• Greg Ward – Institution – Extremely innovative recycling of unused material at Oberon High
• Connie Haskins – Community – Helping keep the roadsides clear of litter
• Oberon Council – Institution – Recycling office paper waste.

Silver Awards

• June Evans – Community – Cleaning roadsides of litter, and setting a visible and inspirational example of community environment awareness.
• Peter and Meg Low – Domestic – Recycling grey water in the garden, collecting rainwater, garden mulching.
• Kerrie M’Crystal – Domestic – Very environmentally selective in purchasing and using environmentally friendly household products.

Gold Awards

• John and Tina Philp – Domestic and Farm – wide range of activities from using solar power to large native tree plantings to minimizing water use
• Mountain Bred Pty Ltd – Farm and Domestic – Range of farming techniques, including a biological approach to improve the natural fertility of the soil, deep ripping, and direct drilling.

    
Next week (May 31st) is the culmination of the Rotary Environmental Awareness Project for 2007. This is a Club activity, and perhaps if you haven’t been very involved so far, now is the time to add your support. COME ALONG. And show the Club supporting the need to be aware of environmental issues in the community.

The format will be presentation function (nibbles + soft drink – unless you’re really thirsty) at 6pm. (till a bit before 7pm). Hans Guldberg (bio here) will be chairing this session, with nominators and award recipients having been sent individual invitations. Others who should be aware have also been invited – Press, Council etc. It is a positive exercise – not pointing fingers at bad practices, but encouraging people who have done something concrete to illustrate their environmental awareness, and make a difference – large or small.

Who knows, you may win an award – not everyone is aware of their nomination.

Kristy Graham will be doing the presentations. She is an Oberon lass, who has attended the National Youth Science Forum (with some help from Oberon Rotary Club), worked in State Policy development at National Parks and at Conservation (water policy), and has recently joined a firm of Green advocates who take up the cudgels against those who attempt to ignore the environmental laws – they are the Enviromental Defencder’s Office and their website is here

Following the presentation of awards, there will be a normal Rotary Club meeting, with Kristy as guest speaker. She promised a talk that would be interesting – for example, she has recently returned from a 9 month trip, mainly to Latin America, where she worked on a range of volunteer projects, including with the Costa Rican National Parks Service, on a pilot project for recycling on the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua, and in an education project in several poor villages near Granada, Nicaragua. (ie she has photos).

Think of householders who take their bottles and cans to the recycling bins at the tip, reuse water from the house on the garden, or have a tank installed for drinking water. Farmers who plant native trees as windbreaks for wildlife habitat, use biosolids as fertiliser, or use the chemical drum dump at the tip. Businesses who use recycled material, or save their rubbish for recycling (tyres, oil, paper etc). Landowners who put in contour banks or direct drill to reduce erosion. These and many others would be good nominations.

Do it know – time is running out.

Remember ‘Think globally, act locally’.Individuals can make a difference.

The people nominated could be caring for their environment by:

• Recycling glass, plastic, newspapers
• Reusing resources
• Using sustainable agricultural methods such as minimum tillage, preventing soil degradation, careful use of fertilisers near waterways
• Using alternative energy sources such as solar or wind power
• Reducing pollution – air, water, noise
• Caring for our waterways
• Planting trees
• Preserving native flora and fauna

You may be able to think of lots of other ways to care for our environment.

Fill out a nomination form and give it to your teacher at school so that your nomination can be rewarded for their contribution to our environment. A form can be downloaded clicking here – Nomination Form

If your nomination is selected for an award, you will be invited to the award night to congratulate the person you nominated.