CVA Brookfield Nov 2013 - A Volunteering Experience

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Parent Category: South Australia

Category: Adelaide

Created: Tuesday, 19 November 2013 23:27

In November, we attended an eight day project with Conservation Volunteers Australia. This is our second time at Brookfield with CVA and you can read about our first trip and a bit of history of Brookfield here.

This project was for Pygmy Possum monitoring and was also hosting a group from Carpe Diem, an association that provides gap year opportunities for young people in America.

CVA runs two locations for accommodation at the park, the Homestead and the Science Camp. We are staying at the Homestead, a cottage from when the park was an operating farm. There are 3 bedrooms, kitchen, bathroom, toilet, large lounge and sun room. The bedrooms have 3 beds each and swags are available for larger groups. Volunteers need to bring their own sleeping bag and pillow for any overnight stays. The Homestead is very comfortable.

The science camp is a permanent facility in the park to house the various project officers. Currently an American group is there studying the Blue Wren (Malurus splendens). The camp has a couple of permanent structures and while sparse, meets the needs of the researchers who stay there for a few months at a time. The science camp also has a number of areas available for camping when school or university groups visit.

CVA has begun making some permanent structures for tent accommodation and water capture with a priority for ensuring a low environmental impact.

When staying at Brookfield, everyone needs to chip in with food preparation and cleaning. There are no chefs or cleaning staff here (unless they're volunteers) but CVA supply ample food in good variety that should please most people. As we are in the bush, we need to be careful with our waste so as not to promote any pests. The homestead operates on rainwater and electricity is provided by a generator, meaning we need to use both resources sparingly.

Breakfast had a range of cereals, breads and spreads available, lunch had a great range of produce to make sandwiches, wraps or salads. The evening meal was always something hot and each night was different. We had burgers, pasta, curry, pizza, salads, stir fry, and BBQ. It was excellently catered for and included a range of gluten free, lactose, and vegetarian dietary requirements. If a volunteer has any dietary requirements, they just need to inform CVA when they are booking and their needs will be met.

There are plenty of options for drinking, including tea, coffee, juice, cordial and of course... rainwater.

CVA also take extra care to ensure the safety of their volunteers by providing an important safety briefing prior to commencing work each day, as well as the appropriate tools and instruction in their use.

The Volunteer Group

Terry (CVA, our team leader for Sunday & Monday) is a character. He has spent the last 30 odd years working for various conservation groups in Victoria and South Australia, including CVA SA State Manager. He is a wealth of information on the history, action and politics of the conservation movement in Australia and has a great way of inspiring a person to achieve.

Meryn (CVA, our team leader from Tuesday onwards) is a former Park Ranger with a great deal of experience in parks and conservation as well as an avid outdoors person and hiker.

Robbie (Cape Diem Education) is a team leader/educator, supervising his charges as they engage with a variety of activities on their gap trip. He is a traveller at heart and seems captured by the wonders of the world.

Anna (Cape Diem Education) is taking the gap year with Carpe Diem. Having just graduated from High School, she is exploring the world before deciding what to study.

The Volunteer Experience

Our days began with everyone rising early for a 7:30am departure to conduct the Pygmy Possum monitoring project.

When a mammal or reptile is found in one of the pit-fall traps, it was photographed, measured, identified, and recorded. We had trapped some Common Dunnarts and a few species of lizards.

We would usually return to the Homestead between 9 and 10am for an extended morning tea (breakfast for some).

Then came the day's conservation activities. For our group this involved collecting gravel and driving around the public tracks to fill potholes that drivers would avoid by going off track, subsequently increasing local erosion. As we moved through the park we would also pull up isolated weeds to limit their spread.

We would then return to the homestead around 1pm for lunch, although it is not uncommon for groups to take their lunch with them and eat in the field.

After lunch, we would return to the field for more road work, ensuring that we were back at the homestead by 4:30 to collect Lindell, our ecologist, to open the pit traps for operation. Once the traps were open we would return to the Homestead around 5.30-6pm to relax and prepare for dinner.

The evenings were free to relax and do as we please. Some nights, when the conditions are right, the group may head out in the van to go spotlighting and see what nocturnal wildlife can found.

When we left at the end of our 8 days, we felt very satisfied with what we accomplished. Conservation is not instantaneous, but the volunteer experience shows how over time each small contribution adds to the greater effect of making the world a better place. And that is a reward that is hard to buy. 

For more information about:

the Pygmy Possum Monitoring project click here

what the team accomplished click here