Gift Fund Donations Regarding Fire Recovery

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Dear Readers

I’m sure that you are all shocked about the bushfire season so far that has affected much of this country’s population, farmland, and natural habitat, and there is still two and half months left of the 2020 bushfire season.

For our fantastic national parks and all of the plants and animals they are set aside to conserve, the fires have been absolutely catastrophic. What survived the direct flames and heat of the fires now face an uncertain future just to survive.

Friends of Parks SA is a community organisation that is over 30 years old, and is dedicated solely to assist the Department of Environment and Water’s (DEW) staff in managing the State’s national parks and reserves. There’s currently 128 Friends of Parks groups state-wide are involved directly with on-park activities, such as weed eradication, feral animal control, habitat restoration, wildlife survey and monitoring – to name just a few.

DEW is currently assessing the ecological and infrastructure impacts to each of the affected parks, and will be working closely with the relevant Friends groups and other community organisations to plan the recovery activities, many of which will need to be carefully timed and sequenced.

Friends of Parks groups may be requested to provide assistance with tasks such as seed collection, growing seedlings, weed control and planting events and the Friends of Parks Board will be working closely with DEW and keep communicating with groups about how they can be involved into the bushfire recovery.

The Friends of Parks Board has unanimously agreed that this catastrophic situation affecting so many of our parks and their biodiversity, needs responding to with strong and immediate action.

As a result the Board has agreed that it will dedicate the Board’s tax deductible ‘Gift Fund’ for a period of two years to help fund post fire recovery activities undertaken by our member groups

Any Friends of Parks Member Group can apply to the Gift Fund Committee for funding, if the parks they are involved in, or wish to become involved in, has been impacted by the fires.

Tax deductible donations to help the Friends of Parks groups to continue their post fire recovery work can be made by completing a simple form and forwarding with a to:

With a cheque to: Treasurer, Gift Fund

Friends of Parks Inc.

c/- the Secretariat, Volunteer Programs Unit,

GPO Box 1047, AdelaideSA 5001.

Or by bank deposit (please also fill in the form and email to pamela.smith@sa.gov.au so that we know where to send your receipt):

Name of Account: Friends of Parks Inc. Gift Fund

BSB: 805 050

Account Number: 2339333

Bank: People’s Choice Credit Union

The form can be found on the Friends of Parks SA website; click on the ‘Donate Now’ button.

Thank you for your consideration and support. The recovery in those parks affected will be a slow process for plants and animals re-populating these areas, and the community support that will be required will be vital.

Regards

Duncan MacKenzie
PRESIDENT
FRIENDS OF PARKS INC.