AGM 4-5 March 2023 in Hopetoun

This year the AGM and activities weekend will be held in Hopetoun over the long weekend of 4 & 5 March. The AGM and guest speaker event will be held at Mary Anne Haven next to the Police Station in the main street.

Saturday 4th March:

9.00-10.00am Arrive at Mary Anne Haven, morning tea
10.00-12.00pm Annual General Meeting
12.00-1.00pm Lunch (bring your own)
1.00-2.00pm Guest speaker - Tasmin Lancaster, Honours student at Notre Dame University and FFRNP scholarship recipient, will give a talk on “Population and seed bank dynamics of the serotinous shrub, Hakea victoria”.
2.30–5.00pm No Tree Hill walk trail–6 km return. A moderately easy, Class 3 walk requiring sturdy shoes. Bring water, hat, sunscreen. Car pool at Mary Anne Haven for 4WD access to walk trail.
For dinner on Saturday night we will have use of both a kitchen and an outdoor barbecue at Mary Anne Haven,so bring food for the option which suits you, or dine out in Hopetoun.

Sunday 5th of March:

Morning walk of about 9km (allow3-4 hrs) along a section of the Hakea Trail in the park. It is a Class 4 trail that requires a good level of fitness and sturdy walking boots/ shoes. Bring water, snacks, hat and sunscreen.
7.45am Meet at FRNP’s West Beach parking area (allow 30 min drive from Hopetoun).
8.00am Bus leaves from West Beach to start walk on Edwards Point Track. Walk to Edwards Point along sandy 4WD track,then eastwards along walk trail through coastal heath and eucalypt woodland to West Beach. Spectacular views of coastal cliffs and headlands.

Those staying overnight in Hopetoun will need to make their own accommodation arrangements. Some may opt to camp overnight in the park at the Four Mile campsite – prior booking of sites is required https://exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.au/site/four-mile-campground

Commercial accommodation options are B&Bs plus:

Hopetoun Caravan Park 9838 3096
Hopetoun Motel & Chalet Village 9838 3219
Port Hotel 9838 3053
Wavecrest Caravan Park 9838 3888

No Tree Hill (above) and along the Hakea Trail (right)

Join the Dots - Inclusive Landcare Practices | Shandell Cummings & Alison Lullfitz | TEDxKinjarlingmings.

A recent TEDx talk featuring the landscapes, plants and human history of the Fitzgerald River National Park and the broader south coast, including the spectacular Royal Hakea.

https://youtu.be/aU_CnWRyeKk

The Friends of the Fitzgerald River National Park (FRNP) are seeking early photos of vegetation in this park which clearly show the density of obvious plants such as Royal Hakea (Hakea victoria) and banksias from identifiable locations. We will then try to relocate the same view to obtain a sequence of images over time to help determine the effect of fire on particular species.

Historical photos show impact of fires in the Park

An example is shown of Royal Hakeas along the No Tree Hill walk trail. The first photo (left) was taken in the 1980s prior to a wildfire started by lightning in 1989. The second photo (right), taken of the same scene in 2019, shows a considerable decline in density of Royal Hakea. This is attributed to an intervening prescribed burn in 2003, which meant that the hakeas were only 14 years old when they were burnt again, without an adequate seed bank for full recovery.

The FRNP is recognised as having a high conservation value and the Friends are concerned that the frequency of prescribed burns and escapes are causing short fire-return intervals. The most recent occurred in June 2019 when a burn for “bushfire risk management, biodiversity management” in the wilderness area escaped and burnt the Thumb Peak range, resulting in a fire interval of only 21 years. The impact on the Threatened Ecological Communities and Threatened species that occur there is currently unknown.
Most of the vegetation in the park is now less than 30 years old (see map overleaf). Although the park’s management plan specifically refers to the establishment of a Research and Monitoring Group to inform fire management, the executives of the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) are against its formation. The Friends are pleased however, that following a workshop initiated by the Friends, the DBCA have funded $35,876 for their research scientists to develop a model for defining ecologically acceptable fire-return intervals for 18 susceptible plant species in the South Coast region.

The Friends are also pursuing their intent of providing a travel scholarship to post-graduate student to study the population ecology of Royal Hakea in the park.
If you have any photos, preferably pre-2000 of iconic plants in the FRNP with known location and approximate date of capture, please email them at low resolution to admin@fitzgeraldfriends.org.au or post prints/ transparencies to:

FRNP Photos

Friends of the FRNP

PO Box 199

Ravensthorpe 6346

Please provide your return address as these will be scanned and sent back to you.