Friends of Glenthorne Newsletter

Dear ,

• "Our planet's alarm is going off, and it is time to wake up and take action!" — Leonardo DiCaprio
• "There is no such thing as 'away'. When we throw anything away it must go somewhere." — Annie Leonard

A big thank you to all those who attended our AGM in August, especially  Dr. Lucy Clive, who was our Guest Speaker, who spoke about the work at Watchalunga Nature Reserve, which was most interesting.

The AGM elections were held, and the committee elected is posted on our website, on the "Contact Us" page.

If you would like to be on our committee, we have two vacancies, Secretary, and General Board Member. Please let us know if you are interested by replying to this email.

The Community Lottery closes in a few days.

Be quick if you haven't yet purchased your Lottery tickets, $2 each. The Friends of Glenthorne receive $2 for each ticket sold.  All ticket holders have a chance to win prizes.

To purchase tickets, visit our Lottery Webpage.  

All money raised will be used to complete the fit-out of our New Propagation Nursery.

To buy tickets, go to https://www.communitylottery.com.au/products/friends-of-glenthorne

Key Dates:

• Ticket sales opened: Thursday 2 July, 12pm (ACST)
• Ticket sales close: Thursday 8 October, 11:59pm (ACDT)
  
• Final draw: Thursday 15 October, 11am (ACDT)

The full list of the 41 prizes at: https://www.communitylottery.com.au/pages/prizes

The top 6 prizes are:

• Early Bird: Toyota Corolla Hatch Hybrid Ascent Sport 1.8L Auto CVT $35,939
• Toyota Kluger Hybrid GX AWD 2.5L Auto CVT Wagon $67,451
• Toyota Yaris Hybrid Ascent Sport 1.5L Auto CVT 5 Door Hatch $32,691
• Bucket List Northern Lights and Rhine River Delights Cruise Package –25 Day Fly, Stay, River & Ocean Cruise Holiday. Prize terms and conditions form part of the full terms and conditions that can be found at www. mycruises.com.au. Cruise departs October 2027. $31,980
• 1KOMMA5 Solar package and battery (10kw solar and battery) $24,990
• 1KOMMA5 Solar package (13kw solar system) $11,990

See our Webpage https://www.friendsofglenthorne.org.au/community-lottery

We are excited about hosting a Park Run at Glenthorne -  Ityamaiitpinna Yarta.  With many more people visiting the Park, for the Park Run, we hope they will be inspired to join our Friends group, and donate some of their calories towards BushCare.

There are over 2000 locations around the world, where, every Saturday morning, a community gathers to do a Park Run.

Participation is Free, they start at 8am, and you can run, walk, or dawdle the 5km course.

To register Glenthorne as a Park Run venue, we need to pay a Once-off Setup fee, and we would like you to consider contributing towards this fee.  Please visit our Crowd Funding page at:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-bring-parkrun-to-ityamaiitpinna-yarta

We will keep you updated on progress.

You may also like to contribute as a Park Run Volunteer.  Each Park Run needs about 8 volunteers (No running or walking is necessary).

Each month, on "The Third Sunday", the Friends of Glenthorne are hosting a BBQ.

We will start BushCare as normal, and then break for lunch about noon, to host a BBQ.  Come for BushCare, or just the BBQ.  Bring your family, invite your friends, or invite one of the Park users to join us for a bit of social interaction.

We usually meet at the BBQs at CarPark 2.

The 10th of October 2026 is going to be a very special COOTS propagation workshop, which once again costs you nothing, and will be held at the same venue where we hold our popular propagation workshops.

That is at 21A Richards Terrace in Goodwood.

The session starts at 12.00 noon and will last for around three hours.

This workshop is very different to our propagation workshops, which have been focused on the various ways of growing Australian native plants. This workshop is on the specialised subject of growing Australian native terrestrial Orchids, and really only those who are genuinely interested should register their interest, as it can get very involved.

The ultimate aim is to get those who are serious about this subject to work with the native orchid society (NOSSA) growing terrestrial orchids.

Contact me, Jeff Reid, at the email cootsgroup@gmail.com to register your interest.

This workshop will depend on the amount of interest that is shown in the subject.

The current series of COOTS Plant Propagation Workshops is fully subscribed. Please contact COOTS directly to book your place in a future.

COOTS Coordinator, Jeff Reid, Mob: 0447995777, or email: cootsgroup@gmail.com.

COOTS - (Conservation Of Our Threatened Species) is a sub-group of the Australian Plant Society Adelaide Group. They have Bush care sites at Hope Valley Reservoir, at Cape Jervois, and at Pine Point (YP)

Are you interested in helping out along the Field River?  Below is the contents of an email sent out by Restoration Ecologist Angus Droogan-Turniski.  Send an email to Angus if you want to received further communications about this group and their activities.  His email address is: Angus.Droogan-Turniski@sa.gov.au

Yasha will also be taking the volunteers on Sunday the 12th of April through the Kaurna Kardla (Kaurna Firesticks) site at Elizabeth Crescent doing some priority weed work and you guessed it rubbish removal.

🎒 What to Bring

• A hat
• Drinking water
• Some snacks (We’ll break for morning tea halfway through the session)

🧤 What’s Provided

• Gloves, safety glasses, and tools
• A first aid kit, NPWS/Green Adelaide staff will be the designated first aid officers
• All relevant safety documents

📝 Sign-In & Safety

• All attendees must sign in on arrival
• A brief safety induction will take place before we begin

In this section, information somewhat Unrelated to Glenthorne, or Environmental themes, just for your interest.

Supporting Good Mental Health

Volunteering at Glenthorne is a great way to improve your mental health.  Working with others as a team, getting good physical exercise every time you go there, making a huge difference for the habitat of our threatened native species.  All these things provide a huge sense of satisfaction, especially returning to see how your past efforts have progressed, less weeds, and healthy native plants instead.

Good Relationships are also very important for good mental health. The Friends of Glenthorne provide such an opportunity, spending time with like minded passionate people.

This month, October, our President, Martin, is trekking the Kokoda Track, PNG, in support of SA's Breakthrough Mental Health Research Foundation.

Your donation to Breakthrough would be greatly appreciated. Any amount, large or small, will be greatly appreciated.

To donate, please visit Martin's fundraising page:  https://kokoda-2026.raiselysite.com/martin-schumacher

Below is a link to an overview of last year’s trek, that will give you a really good feel for what Kokoda Centurions is about and why we are doing this:

Kokoda Centurions 2025 Trek (YouTube)

Bird Flu Community Forum in Willunga

This event (which had been scheduled for Monday 21 September) will now be held on Tuesday 6 October at 6pm - 7:30pm.

Where: Willunga Football Clubrooms, 8 Main Road, Willunga. 

This forum, hosted by PIRSA,  is being held to provide up-to-date information about bird flu, including the preparedness measures currently in place and animal, human and environmental health considerations. We’d be delighted for you and members of your Council and staff to attend this local session. 

Registration is essential.  Register Here.

More details are available at birdflu.sa.gov.au

If you see sick or dead birds or other animals, avoid contact. Record what you see. Report it to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888 from anywhere in Australia. 

Access the latest information at birdflu.gov.au or see the SA Health Website

PIRSA = Department of Primary Industries and Regions Government of South Australia

H5 Bird flu (Avian Influenza) has been detected in SA

If you see sick or dead birds or other animals, do not touch them. 

Avoid contact. Record what you see. Report it to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888 from anywhere in Australia. 

Access the latest information at birdflu.gov.au or see the SA Health Website

Australia's cockatoos are facing an uncertain future.

The Gang-gang Cockatoo and South-eastern Red-tailed Black Cockatoo are two of Australia's most iconic birds. Both are listed as endangered and are continuing to face threats from climate change, bushfires, and the destruction and removal of vital nesting trees.  

What makes these birds especially vulnerable is that the habitat they depend on is irreplaceable. 

Right now, the Australian Government is seeking public feedback on draft Recovery Plans for both species. This is a critical opportunity to help shape how these iconic birds are protected for generations to come. This Threatened Species Day we have a chance to change the future. Don't miss this chance to have your say!

Join us, in urging the Australian Government to adopt strong Recovery Plans that are backed by Government funding, critical habitat protection and coordinated, resourced recovery teams.

Make your opinion count. Have your say here.

This is a request from Andrew Hunter, Manager- Policy and Species Recovery, BirdLife Australia

The next BushCare Day to be held this year is Saturday, 3rd of October.

As usual for Bush Care Days, we meet at Carpark One behind the Shearing Shed. (To get there, follow the Park Road down from the Ranger’s Station, then turn right into Carpark 1.)

If you need any help finding us, then please ring one of the following.

Martin:  0403 804 306
Alan:     0411 595 910
Bob:     0419 408 851

Bushcare Events at Glenthorne NP-IY:

• Each Wednesday - 9am to noon.
• 1st  & 2nd Saturday 10-4pm
• 3rd Sunday 10-4pm (BBQ at 12 noon)

BushCare At RDA (Riding for Disabled) 

• 4th Saturday:   9-12pm  (RDA Front Garden) Volunteers from the Riding For Disabled will be joining us for these Bush Care days at RDA.

Always be mindful of the forecast weather for O’Halloran Hill and our Hot Weather Policy. If the BOM forecast temperature for O’Halloran Hill is 34 degrees or higher, the Bushcare Day is cancelled. See the BOM O'Halloran Hill Forecast Information

If you are unwell, please do the right thing and stay at home.

Bushcare Mailing List

If you want to receive irregular Bushcare Notifications, subscribe to our BushCarers E-Mailing List. To do this, just send an email to: BushCarers-Join@FriendsOfGlenthorne.org.au

Bushcare: It’s not Rocket Science, it’s much more difficult than that.

If you have gone past the RDA recently, you may have noticed that our Propagation Nursery Shed has been erected. The Electricity has been connected, and the floor has been laid.  How exciting!!!

In late September, the FoG committee had an escorted visit by DIT, to the site. 

DIT are planning to complete their work by the end of this month (October) and we hope to have "Hand Over" soon after that, so that we can start completing the Fit-Out to start propagating plants for next Autumn's Planting season.

We will need to set up the Work Tables, the Plant Tables and Watering System, the Hot Box (ie. Humidity Dome or Propagation Dome) and organise the Shed.

If you would like to get involved, let us know.

You may like to subscribe to our Propagation Nursery email list.  This way, our Nursery Volunteers will easily be able to communicate with each other.   To subscribe just send an email to: Nursery-Join@FriendsOfGlenthorne.org.au

The Friends of Glenthorne acknowledge that Glenthorne National Park - Ityamaiitpinna Yarta is part of the traditional lands of the Kaurna people and we respect them and appreciate their innate and spiritual connection with the land and waters of Glenthorne.

We aspire to work alongside them in taking care of this land and community to restore Glenthorne to be once again, a healthy native habitat.

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