Previously I set up a Web site asking for responses to the question of
donating towards another home for the birds (in addition to Gluepot)
The results to date are ..
<record>
<money>100</money>
<email></email>
<pname>Roy Cleveland</pname>
<work>50</work>
<support>yes</support>
<comments>Great idea</comments>
</record>
<record>
<money>50</money>
<email></email>
<pname>Viv Christie</pname>
<work>10</work>
<support>yes</support>
<comments>Happy to assist</comments>
</record>
<record>
<money>50</money>
<email></email>
<pname>Jenny Waterhouse</pname>
<work>0</work>
<support>yes</support>
<comments></comments>
</record>
<record>
<money>50</money>
<email>email</email>
<pname>name</pname>
<work>0</work>
<support>yes</support>
<comments>I would seek to raise further money from friends and work
colleagues. Job commitments (and my physical fitness) would
probably prevent me doing actual work. I think this would be
a major contribution to conservation. </comments>
</record>
<record>
<money>0</money>
<email></email>
<pname>nameCharlie Andrews</pname>
<work>20</work>
<support>yes</support>
<comments>I suggest that seeing as donations from those staying at Gluepot are
so paltry that BA should charge those people who go rather than lumbering all
members with the costs. Appparently it costs $35,000 a year to run Gluepot with
simple mathematics if you charged the people who went there you could members
fees by $7 each.</comments>
</record>
<record>
<money>10</money>
<email></email>
<pname>Ian Montgomery</pname>
<work>10</work>
<support>yes</support>
<comments></comments>
</record>
<record>
<money>100</money>
<email></email>
<pname>nameMichael Norris</pname>
<work>10</work>
<support>yes</support>
<comments>Priorities, priorities.... I suspect the best thing would be for
money to go into demonstration projects in various sorts of farming, pastoral,
forestry and agricultural areas to show the benefits of providing for wildlife.
This sort of thing is done under the "Land for Wildlife" scheme but BA could
do things like home-stay farms etc. and itself both use the area for production
and nature.
There are not many places (are there?) where one could pick up crucial land for
wildlife at $7 per ha ? But how about paying $7 per ha. for parts of
properties to be managed for wildlife (with dollar returns to the land
owner/lessee) ? The "gearing" compared with outright purchase could be enormous
and some sites could also be advertised as "reserves" where the public would be
encouraged to visit.
Also use some BA money to lobby, lobby, lobby for preferential rate treatment
of land set aside.
All over the world land is being WITHDRAWN from agriculture and it's about time
Australia woke up to the need for it and the available means. BA could show
the way.
</comments>
</record>
<record>
<money>50</money>
<email>email </email>
<pname>name Ian Temby</pname>
<work>10</work>
<support>yes</support>
<comments>The area needs to be extensive, in reasonably good condition,
preferably contiguous with similar habitat, and available! Given that,
Box-Ironbark woodland (are there any large areas?)
or Brigalow woodland (if there are still large, uncleared areas relatively
undegraded by overgrazing) or a station (Cue?) in WA, apparently fantastic for
birds. I guess there are many other options, but
station country in a different biome from that of Gluepot, and freed of
grazing livestock (so long as weeds and pest animals do not then become a huge
drain on resources) would be very good to secure.</comments>
</record>
<record>
<money>10</money>
<email></email>
<pname>nameMichael Hunter</pname>
<work>10</work>
<support>yes</support>
<comments>The entire question is too simplistic.A key area of extreme
importance would elicit a very large donation from me,butbuying a block of land
with arguable conservation values would not.There would need to be well
researched qualifications for such a site. </comments>
</record>
<record>
<money>100</money>
<email></email>
<pname>Frank O'Connor</pname>
<work>10</work>
<support>yes</support>
<comments>I strongly support the purchase of property for wildlife. I
financially
support the Australian Bush Heritage Fund, and Earth Sanctuaries Ltd.
The only doubt that I have about Birds Australia is that they can cover
the annual operating costs. The four bird observatories desperately
need further funding, and I would hate to think that funding for Gluepot
and other properties would make it harder for the observatories. The
other major difficulty for the observatories is finding wardens to look
after the facilities. The selection criteria for the next property is
also important. I would have liked Birds Australia to buy Nallan
Station near Cue which is on the market but this is difficult to justify
purely on an endangered species basis or on the basis of wilderness
value. It is a fairly run down sheep station with the problem of
goats, etc but it is a fantastic birding site. I would like to see an
annual appeal to support the observatories and Gluepot, plus hopefully
enough will be raised to enable the purchase of additional
properties.</comments>
</record>
<record>
<money>100</money>
<email></email>
<pname>Heather Gibbs</pname>
<work>0</work>
<support>yes</support>
<comments></comments>
</record>
<record>
<money>10</money>
<email>email </email>
<pname>name Meloni Muir</pname>
<work>10</work>
<support>yes</support>
<comments>Sorry, but I haven't replied to steps 2-4 because I need more
information.
What does "getting Gluepot into order" involve in terms of short and long term
planning? What are the goals and estimated costs in time and dollars?
Where did the $$ come from to purchase Gluepot station (I'm new to BA)?
Has a second property been identified and, if so, what is its cost, location,
and reason for wanting it?
If a second property has not yet been identified, does BA have as part of it
mission statement or long term strategy a committment to land purchases for
species/habitat conservation?
If land acquisition is part of BA's strategic plan, what are the criteria for
considering a parcel of land for purchase and funding purchases and development?
I think it very important for conservation groups to be involved in land
acquisition for long term conservation of natural ecosystems, but since land
purchases are costly, it is equally important for organizational planning in
this area.
One minor criticism. The wording of the two questions at the website is rather
leading, i.e., 'should we sit back...', 'should we extend ourselves...'. This
response form is less leading and hence I think better.
</comments>
</record>
<record>
<money>100</money>
<email>email </email>
<pname>name Anthea Fleming</pname>
<work>10</work>
<support>yes</support>
<comments>Box-Ironbark country is a must. But almost all habitat-types need
preservation.
Urgent action needed ASAP.
</comments>
</record>
<record>
<money>100</money>
<email>email </email>
<pname>name Chris Brandis</pname>
<work>50</work>
<support>yes</support>
<comments>The site may not need large expenses once the details of returning to
"origional" habitat is developed from Gluepot trials, eg filling in all dams,
letting responsible shooters on to clean out the feral animals and having no
caretaker.
</comments>
</record>
<record>
<money>10</money>
<email>email </email>
<pname>name John A. Gamblin</pname>
<work>100</work>
<support>yes</support>
<comments>My only problem is transport to and from a project such as this?
otherwise how many hours would you like me to give?</comments>
</record>
<record>
<money>50</money>
<email>email </email>
<pname>namePhil Gregory</pname>
<work>10</work>
<support>yes</support>
<comments>Be glad to help however I can, I see it as going along the lines of
the RSPB in Britain which runs a whole network of reserves and now has over a a
million members!</comments>
</record>
<record>
<money>10</money>
<email>email </email>
<pname>name Jac Krohn</pname>
<work>10</work>
<support>yes</support>
<comments>Personal dollar contribution could be influenced by tax
deductibility, and hours of work by accessibility of property. Property should
be chosen on strategic basis - ir criteria identified and target property
sought against criteria, unless an obviously worthy opportunity like Gluepot
were to arise</comments>
</record>
<record>
<money>10</money>
<email>email </email>
<pname>name Anne Green</pname>
<work>10</work>
<support>yes</support>
<comments></comments>
</record>
<record>
<money>100</money>
<email>Nerk</email>
<pname>Fred</pname>
<work>20</work>
<support>yes</support>
<comments>Testing the submission...seems OK so far but the "proof is in the
reading", so to speak...</comments>
</record>
<record>
<money>100</money>
<email>Test</email>
<pname>Second</pname>
<work>100</work>
<support>yes</support>
<comments>Testing again</comments>
</record>
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