The traditional owners of Fogg Dam, the Limilngan-Wulner people are acknowledged, especially Joan and Graham Kenyon.

This month FOFD is 3 years old.  On 30 June 2009 there were 32 members and at the date of this report the membership is 41.  Significant achievements have been made during the year from July 2008 to June 2009.  Our activities included the following.

An excellent Fogg Dam birding brochure prepared by Niven McCrie and produced by Parks and Wildlife.  

Working bees undertook extensive weeding in the Fogg Dam area and preservative was applied to the wooden Woodland to Waterlily Boardwalk prior to the wet season.

A most successful Field Day was held on 21 September 2008.   Over 400 people attended and this was assisted by a morning and afternoon free return bus from Palmerston bus depot. 

The day was attended by the then Minister for the Environment and Parks & Wildlife, the Hon. Alison Anderson, MLA.  The Kenyon family, traditional owners of the area welcomed visitors to country and the day appropriately began and ended with a bird walk.  Other activities included a butterfly and native plant walk, workshops on sketching animals and the environment and photographing wildlife.  Academics from three universities (Sydney University Tropical Ecology Research Centre, Charles Darwin University and Wollongong University) gave talks on the water pythons at Fogg Dam, cane toads, native rices that sustain the native rats and magpie geese, mysteries of the floodplain unlocked by carbon flux monitoring, Fogg Dam’s history, and the effects of climate on predator-prey biomass/population dynamics.  Live snakes and toads added interest to the early talks.  Throughout the day a variety of activities occupied children: two treasure hunts; water discovery (looking through a microscope at what’s in the water); and Junior Ranger activities.  Litchfield Lyons provided a high demand sausage sizzle.  

The Northern Territory Government provided considerable assistance through Parks and Wildlife and the free bus service.  In addition, we had generous community support providing equipment or prizes for the day: Amcal Chemist Nightcliff; Birch Carroll & Coyle Cinemas; Crocosaurus Cove; Cancer Council NT; Coles Casuarina; Combined Communication Solutions; Deckchair Cinema; Hanuman Restaurant; Hunter Safari Adelaide River Cruises; Imagineer Creative Advertising Solutions; SBA Office National; Skinnyfish Music; and Territory Insurance Office.   We gratefully acknowledge their generosity.

It was the organisation and effort of volunteers (members and some friends) that really made the day so successful.   Thank you all so much.  

Evaluation forms, on the back of the program, were distributed per family or car.  71 were returned.   For an average family of 3 this would have been a 55% return rate or for a family of 4, a 74% return rate for the 386 individual people who entered to 4pm.    Responses were as follows:

Did you find the activities interesting? 

Very 82%;  Average 7%; No 0%; no response 11%.

How would you rate your experience?

            Very good 86%; Good 3.5%; Average 3.5%; Not good 0%; no response 7%.

 Did you visit today especially for the Field Day?

            Yes 86%; No 10%; no response 4%.

If yes, how did you find out about it?

            Flyer 14%; Media 54%; Friend 21%; no response 11%

Has the Field Day made a difference to your appreciation of Fogg Dam?

            Yes 82%; No 7%; no response 11%

Visitor comments included:

“Wonderful.  Please do this annually.”   There were several requests for an annual Field Day.

“We learned so much more than if we came on our own.  Thank you.”

“Didn’t realise just how nice the place really is.”

The Field Day was a huge organisational workload but very satisfying because it addressed our vision to “put Fogg Dam on the map and in the hearts and minds of people.”

Our Business Plan was updated in early 2009 and we wrote to both Parks & Wildlife and the Department of Transport and Works about our concern that the edges of the Fogg Dam causeway were unsafe after the 2008/9 wet season.   It has been pleasing to see the causeway not only repaired but also widened afterwards.

Sydney University Tropical Ecology and Research Centre have continued to give us interesting presentations on their work and these are of great interest to members.  

We were successful in obtaining two grants which directed our activities in 2009 but their acquittals occurred after the 30^th June 2009.  These grants have been a real benefit and we greatly appreciate them.

An Australia Post/Landcare grant of $3,000.00 provided funding to purchase tools for use at working bees, occupational health & safety equipment and an Interpretive Shelter about Fogg Dam on Anzac Parade. 

The Telstra Shop Darwin and Telstra Business Centre NT provided $3,000.00 to purchase and set up a container in which to store our tools.

Two applications were submitted to the NT Government.  The first was for an Environment Grant of $5,000.00 to fund a Field Day at Fogg Dam in 2010.  The second was for a Heritage Grant of $10,000.00 to produce a booklet on the Humpty Doo Rice Project plus a leaflet, that could be downloaded from the internet, identifying places and equipment from the Project.  

Our website is central to communication both for members and the public.   We are indebted to Peter Walker of Imagineer Creative Designs for giving and hosting the website for us.

My thanks to: Graham and Lynette Kenyon for their support; Parks and Wildlife for their ongoing support, advice and assistance; Peter Foster from Landcare for support and advice; and Kezia Purick, MLA, our local member for allowing us to use her meeting room.

Thank you and congratulations to all of you our members.  It’s been another outstanding year of achievement.  Your membership, whatever it’s level or type of involvement, is valued and helps to make a difference. 

I am most grateful to the exceptional committee who have given so much and been a pleasure to work with: Lesa Baldwin, Vice President; Jeremy Hemphill, Secretary; Michael Stott, Treasurer; Alan Anderson and Gemina Corpus, committee members.   Thank you all very much.

Heather Boulden

October 2009.