STAN MUSSARED'S "GOODBYE BLINKY BILL"

On January 16, 2017 Stan Mussared's   "Goodbye Blinky Bill"  was published as the VOICES FOR THE EARTH column in The Daily Examiner.  Koalas were under threat then and had been for years.   What Stan wrote in 2017 still applies today.  Indeed their situation is even worse now with predictions that they could be extinct in NSW by 2050. 

 

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Far too often we humans stand beneath a tree, look up at a koala on a branch far above our heads and say in a voice loud enough for him to hear, “Our interests are more important than yours.”

The koala may answer softly, “No tree, no me.”  He could have added, “And if my home is threatened, then so is the diversity of other flora and fauna that share the same ecosystem with me.”

But we fail to hear.

Forested areas are cleared to make way for our developments – urban areas, agriculture, roads and highways – and loss of habitat, the number one threat to a healthy koala population, takes place.

The precious habitat areas that remain are fragmented and isolated, and on koalas trying to exist in these pockets the pressure builds and serious issues quickly arise.

There is now excessive energy expenditure on greater ground movement as koalas search for the scattered food trees.  As they move across highways, fences, car parks, and backyards, they face a myriad of problems from motor vehicles, dogs and swimming pools.

The greatly reduced habitat areas lead to a greater density in the remaining koala population.  There is now increased competition for food and many are forced to eat poorer quality leaf.  There is also a greater tendency for inbreeding, and thus a lower genetic quality animal.

The destruction of koala habitat creates very high stress levels which increases susceptibility to disease.

Historically koalas have not been treated well.  Up until 1930 around 2 million koalas were “harvested” for the fur trade.  A public outcry resulted in a change and koala numbers slowly increased.  However, with habitat being removed , koala numbers are spiralling down again.

It is indeed time that we change our statement as we look up and say in a voice loud enough for him to hear, “Yes, I will care for you and our Community of Life with understanding, compassion and love.”

-          Stan Mussared

KOALAS AT OUR PLACE

It is now almost eleven years since we first observed koalas in one of the trees on our 1.6 ha block at Waterview Heights.  When we first came to live out there in 1973 there were only three trees on the block. 

Our extensive planting of native trees and shrubs over the years is now being rewarded by a highly consistent presence of koalas.

The first thing that my wife Magda does every morning is to do what she calls “my koala walk”.  Round the block she goes, observing, as best she can, the presence or otherwise of what she calls “our little furry friend”.

Magda makes a record of her observations and gives a written monthly report to the Environment Centre.  In June this year she observed the presence of a koala on 26 days out of 30.

There have been many highlights.

On one morning while we were having breakfast Magda took some plates to the sink.  She looked out the adjacent window and there was a mother koala with her joey on her back walking slowly past. The koalas  continued their journey to a nearby tree which was climbed and used as home for the remaining daylight hours.

Sometimes Magda’s observations will be blessed by the presence of two koalas in the one morning.  Usually there is quite a distance between them, but on one occasion while photographing one, I was fortunate to observe a second in a distant location but in a tree that formed a backdrop to the first.  It has been the only occasion when I have been able to capture two of the iconic creatures in the one picture.

 

And recently, early in the morning when the sun was still low in the sky, we found a koala in such a position that when you observed him/her from one particular position, a golden glow formed a beautiful edge right round our sleepy furry friend.

One evening as the light was dimming, I decided to try a flashlight.  The resulting picture showed the koala highlighted by two bright sparkling eyes.  On this occasion the koala was certainly not curled up deep in sleep.

And there have been a number of people who, never having observed a koala in the wild, have visited our little forest and had their lives enriched by these iconic creatures. 

 

At night we have never observed the koala movement but their daytime locations indicate how extensive these wanderings have been.  Our hope is that these night time movements will continue safely into the future bringing a blessing to the natural environment.

     - Stan Mussared  

Photo: Stan Mussared

PRESTIGIOUS AWARD TO VETERAN CLARENCE VALLEY CONSERVATIONIST

Waterview  Heights resident Stan Mussared recently received the prestigious Alan and Beryl Strom Volunteer Occasional Award from the National Parks Association of NSW (NPA).  Only made occasionally, this award recognises outstanding conservation efforts and outcomes that have benefited both the NPA and the wider community.

 

While the award was announced at the NPA’s annual dinner in Sydney early in November, the formal presentation was made to Stan by Peter Morgan, on behalf of State President Ann Dickson, at the Clarence Valley Conservation Coalition’s lunch last week.

In making the presentation Peter Morgan detailed Stan’s achievements as a conservationist and environmental educator over more than forty years. Stan was a founding member of the Clarence Valley Branch of the NPA and was active in the successful campaign to save the Washpool rainforest which led to its establishment as a national park.  In 1988 when Daishowa International proposed a chemical pulp mill in the Clarence Valley, Stan played an important role in the community campaign which was led by the Clarence Valley Conservation Coalition (CVCC).  He is currently President of the CVCC, a position he has held for some years.

An important contribution during his teaching career at Grafton High was his involvement with the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.  Other contributions over many years include membership of a National Parks Advisory Committee and various local government committees including Clarence Council’s Climate Change Community Advisory Committee. 

As an environmental educator Stan has promoted the important Earth Charter which provides guidance on ethics and sustainability; he has written for the CVCC’s “Voices for the Earth” column in The Daily Examiner, and has been a keen promoter of the annual “Earth Hour” in the Clarence.

Stan knows the power of the positive story and the importance of recognising those who work to enhance the natural environment.  In 2006 he established the annual Re-Weavers of the Tapestry Awards which celebrate the work of conservationists who have re-woven “green threads of sustainability” back into the living fabric of the Earth Community. 

In praising Stan’s enormous contribution to the National Parks Association and the local environment, Peter paid tribute to the support from Magda, his wife of 55 years. Her support has made it possible for him to achieve so much.

Another facet of their partnership has been their work in re-vegetating their property. When the Mussareds moved there, the only significant tree was a large Forest Redgum.  Now they have an expanding forest which provides attractive habitat for a variety of native species.  They are particularly delighted by the regular visits of koalas to their block.

The Alan and Beryl Strom Award, the most prestigious award granted by the National Parks Association, is a truly fitting recognition of the remarkable work for the environment by Stan Mussared.

Peter Morgan, Stan Mussared, Magda Mussared