The meeting was held at Parks and Wildlife Fogg Dam following a working bee.

1.         Open 1.00pm, welcome                

Present: Heather Boulden, Leisa Baldwin, Alan Anderson, Jo Vandermark, Jeremy Hemphill

Apologies: Jane Moore, Penny Wurm, Ross Trevena.

2       Minutes of meeting 27 February 2011.   Approved: Jeremy/Leisa

3       Business arising from minutes & ongoing issues

Donation box at Fogg Dam – item 9.

4.         Correspondence:  Out:

• 28 Feb 11, email to Denise Goodfellow asking if she would be able to give the talk on the adaptability of birds to Junior Rangers on 19 June.
• 7 Mar 11, email to Jennifer Cunningham advising of working bee on 17 April.
• 8 Mar 11, email to Norm Greenfield, Fogg Dam Parks, forwarding info on Cwlth TQUAL grants of $15,000-$100,000 closing in mid April.
• 1 April 11, email attaching two expressions of interest for EnvironmeNT grants: 1-$5,000 to hold a Field Day on 29 April 2012; 2-$5,000 to control and ultimately eradicate olive hymenachne from Fogg Dam.
• 2 Apr 11, email to Michael Crossland of Sydney Uni, asking if someone would be available for a Sydney Uni update on 17 April.
• 4 Apr 11, email to Peter Walker of Imagineer, asking for advice re technical side of recording Rice Trail information for downloading and costing of sign posts with short story.
• 8 Apr 11, email to Sheryl & Arthur Keates asking if they would be able to give the talk to Junior Rangers in June about the adaptability of birds.
• 11 Apr 11, email to Michael Crossland, responding that 22 May is the date FOFD get together again.  We’ll advise the time and location for a speaker from Sydney Uni.
• 14 Apr 11, email to Peter Kyne, enquiring whether he and Micha Jackson would be available to give the talk to Junior Rangers on 19 June.
• 14 Apr 11, email to Thomas Madsen, Uni of Woolongong, advising that we’re most interested to know how this huge wet season has impacted upon the dusky rats and the water pythons.   Also enquiring if he will be available to speak at the next FOFD Field Day on 29 April 2012.
• 16 Apr 11, email to Niven McCrie, asking if he would be available to give the talk on adaptability of birds to Junior Rangers on 19^th June.

• Correspondence In:

• 1 Mar 11, Bendigo Bank Statement 27 Nov 2010 to 26 Feb 2011 balance $6,053.83
• 1 Mar 11, email from Denise Goodfellow, saying she’ll be unable to give the talk to Junior Rangers in June on the adaptability of birds.
• 3 Mar 11, email from Jennifer Cunningham, Community Ed Ranger, asking for working bee dates, especially for May, June, July.
• 18 Mar 11, email from Anne Palmer, advising of rebranding of Natural Resource Management Board (NT) on 1 April.
• 30 Mar 11, letter from Karen May of Territory Natural Resource Management (NRM) advising of change of name from NRMB to Territory NRM.  As a result the logo, website address, email addresses and bank account name will change.
• 1 Apr 11, email of Territory Natural Resource Management Network Notes.
• 2 Apr 11, email from Ailsa Robertson, who was interested in membership, saying she’s been seconded to Adelaide but will be returning to the NT in June/July.
• 4 Apr, 11, email from Peter Walker, providing information about Lou Lou, a sound engineer who has recording equipment and can dub a final mix professionally.  He asked for size of signs and type of into displayed.   Also suggested using cheap mobile phones powered by small solar panel, Bluetooth connection for people to connect their mobile phones to.
• 4 Apr 11, email from Tony Greco of NRETAS, acknowledging the lodging of two EnvironmeNT applications.
• 5 Apr 11, email from Chantal Bramley of Territory NRM, attaching Territory NRM ePack – NRMB NT changed its name and logo and all promotion material from funding has to include the new Territory NRM logo.
• 6 Apr 11, email from Melanie Reichmeier, reminding about TQUAL grants.
• 11 Apr 11, email from Michael Crossland, advising that it will not be possible for Sydney Uni to provide a speaker on 17 April and asking to re-schedule for May.
• 11 Apr 11, email from Sheryl & Arthur Keates, saying they’re unable to speak to the Junior Rangers on 19 June.  They suggest we ask Niven McCrie, Peter Kyne or Stephen Garnett.
• 14 Apr 11, email from Jennifer Cunningham, NRETAS Education Officer, providing info about World Environment Day on 5 June & Top End Sustainable Living Festival-Tropical Gardens Spectacular, asking if FOFD wish to be an exhibitor, run a workshop, ideas or requests for workshops and/or guest speakers. 
• 14 Apr 11, email from Wayne Bennett, attaching the first newsletter for FOFD.
• 14 Apr 11, email from Jane Moore, commenting on the excellent newsletter – a very good move for FOFD and the projects sound so very interesting!
• 15 Apr 11, email from Thomas Madsen, saying it will be interesting to see the effect of the wet on the rats and pythons.   He will be in Middle Point in August this year and hopes to see us then.
• 16 Apr 11, email from Peter Kyne, saying he’s unable to give the talk on 19^th June but would be pleased to help on other occasions.

Correspondence accepted: Jeremy/Jo

5.         Business arising from correspondence: 

• Bird expert to meet up with Junior Rangers on19th June at Fogg Dam to talk about birds and their adaptations. No success finding a person to take on.
• World Environment Day 5 June Top End Sustainable Living Festival-Tropical Gardens Spectacular. Agreed to participate with a stall

6       Newsletter

                     Thanks to Wayne and Leisa.   Positive feedback.  

·      Develop email mail out list. Members to be asked to provide names.

·      Frequency. Agreed to be approximately three monthly.

7.      NRMB grant with P&W Fogg Dam to Control & eradication of olive hymenachne

         Project Milestones:

         Jan                 Weed identification training, airboat operations, GIS training

                                 Map infestation sites & identify priority sites

         Jan-Mar         Chemical control of olive hymenachne

         Verbal interim report given to TerritoryNRMB along with photographs on 14 April.

         Apr-Jun          Follow up control after initial treatment

         May                 Burning dead plant material

         Ongoing        Monitoring of control sites, mapping post work populations

         July                 Admin, insurance, report preparation and submission.                                

8       New Environment grant applications submitted by Jeremy

·      Field Day Sunday 29 April 2011 – seeking $5,000

·      Follow-up to Territory NRMB grant to eradicate olive hymenachne – seeking $8,000

9       Humpty Doo Rice Trail grant application  

Jeremy has been developing a proposal based on downloadable speech and signage at key places of interest

· Applications close on 21 April.

· Lou Lou contacted about the sound recording, possible talks by farmers and others involved in the project (eg Ted Kilpatrick, Bob Parker, Sno Klose)

· Getting quotes for sign development and installation (Jane Moore not available). Proposing single pole with 30cm square signs.

· Notes the rice mill at the 14 mile has deteriorated considerably.

Jo noted that Heritage Department has prepared a Humpty Doo Rice Project story – available on their website.

10     Opening Fogg Dam water & wetlands proposal

·   P&W project to install the sluice gate and dredge open water has been deferred to late dry season 2012.

·   Bird & open water monitoring  – photo points still to be identified with P&W staff – control points dependent changes that will be made

11     Donation box & brochure holders

         Alan: Awaiting provision of a new door from Tehnical Services

12     Finance – from January

         $2,026.80 in fixed deposit.   $6,193.83 in regular account.

$4,700.00 in general account is NRMB grant funding.   Purchase of fuel and herbicide will use most of this.

13     Memberships due: Leisa has sent out reminders and wil follow-up.   

14     Other business – Nil.

15    Next working bee:  Sunday 22 May at Fogg Dam  

Summary of issues to follow up.