Annual General Meeting and Annual Report
John Forrest National Park was the beautiful sunset setting for the WA Parks Foundation second Annual General Meeting. The Honourable Kerry Sanderson AC, Chair of the WA Parks Foundation welcomed directors, ambassadors, supporters and members and provided an update on the Foundation’s accomplishments in its first full year of operations.
Annual General Meeting 2018 at John Forrest National Park Photo: L-A Shibish
The Foundation would like to thank Paul Udinga, Senior Ranger, Perth Hills Northern National Parks who provided an informative tour for our guests and highlighted the recent restoration works at John Forrest National Park.
The Chair’s message that appears in the WA Parks Foundation 2018 Annual Report is shared here.
Message from our Chair
The WA Parks Foundation’s second year of operation has been an important year of consolidation and growth. We have continued to embed strong governance, while developing new and beneficial partnerships and initiating planned projects dedicated to enriching our Parks and encouraging people to connect with the natural environment.
I am delighted to welcome three new Founding Partners, Chevron Australia, Fortescue Metals Group and Woodside Energy now joining our first Founding Partner, Wesfarmers. In pledging their support our Founding Partners have demonstrated their commitment to the environment. Their support is vital to the ongoing operation of the Foundation and I would like to particularly thank our four Founding Partners.
A priority for the Foundation is the revitalisation plan for Western Australia’s first national park, John Forrest. We are working with the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) to conserve and protect the rich flora, fauna and the cultural and historic values of the Park while providing more interpretation and an improved visitor experience. The recent improvements to the Jane Brook precinct within John Forrest undertaken by DBCA are already demonstrating what can be achieved.
With the support of our Partners, the Foundation’s Board and staff have worked to progress collaborative projects. We have commenced an innovative project to provide helpful park maps that are downloaded to a smart device prior to arrival, and used interactively offline to show the visitor’s real-time location in the park on the map.
We are now able to progress further interpretive nodes or ‘pause points’ along the Swan Canning Riverpark trail. This will provide all of us with an opportunity to reflect and connect with the environmental, social and cultural values along our wonderful river landscape.
I look forward to the next year which will see results from projects as well as the first Parks Month in September 2019. The aim of Parks Month is to bring the community into Parks, building the connection with our natural environment and increasing appreciation of the importance of Western Australia’s parks and conservation estate.
The Foundation hopes to increase our sense of stewardship of our Parks, and the need to conserve and connect with these wonderful areas, as well as the desire to preserve them for future generations. Just being in nature has many benefits and we can all gain both physically and mentally from connecting with the natural environment.
I’d like to express my sincere appreciation and gratitude to our Board and Committee members, our staff, Parks Ambassadors and our members, donors, supporters and volunteers who have all contributed to the Foundation since its inception. It takes significant effort to build an organisation from scratch and the commitment of our partners, members, volunteers and the continued hard work of our staff is what has made the ongoing development of the Foundation possible.
Protecting our natural environment and associated eco-systems, benefits our physical and mental wellbeing. Your continued support is needed to continue to protect and conserve our Parks.
Hon Kerry Sanderson AC
Chair, WA Parks Foundation
