Help us celebrate the life of Ken Simpson

Ken Simpson

Join us as we commemorate and celebrate the life and work of Ken Simpson with a special habitat restoration planting.

• Saturday 22 November 2014
• planting from 10am (continued after lunch if needed); lunch from 12.30pm 

NB. This event will be postponed if it is a day of high fire risk.
Venue: The depot, Shield Road (off Macclesfield Road), Yellingbo (Melways Map 305 Ref. F12)

BYO: salad or dessert to share, plus plates/cutlery/cups. We will provide a BBQ lunch of sausages and veggie burgers, plus tea/coffee.

Please RSVP by 14 November for catering purposes by email or phone (03) 5964 8341

Ken Simpson (29/8/38 - 9/7/14) was a distinguished ornithologist (bird specialist) and influenced so many people with his passion for the natural world. His enthusiasm for wildlife, birdlife in particular, was passed on to many. The Yarra Valley area was indeed fortunate to have Ken as the resident enthusiast ready to share his knowledge. The Friends were privileged to have Ken as their President in 2001. The 'birders' go to book 'Field Guide to the Birds of Australia' is a living testimony to Ken's knowledge, passion for birds and desire to share. Join us as we plant a living tribute to Ken alongside the Woori Yallock Creek. 800 Helmeted Honeyeater habitat plants will be planted.  

Guest speaker - Peter Menkhorst

AGM
Guest speaker - Peter Menkhorst, Chair of the Helmeted Honeyeater Recovery Team

• Sunday 4 September 2011
  
• 12 noon start (lunch at Robert Eadie Pavilion)
• 2pm AGM (theaterette)
  
• 3.30pm finish

Venue: Healesville Sanctuary - free entry with your paid up membership. Join now to take advantage of this great offer.

Friends end of year Members’ Day

Date: Sunday 29 November 2009
Time: from 12 noon
Meet at: 1217 Macclesfield Road, Yellingbo, VIC. 3139 (Melway: 305 H10)
BYO: Food and drink. BBQ facilities will be supplied, along with tea & coffee.
Activities: Enjoy the surrounds and hear the latest about the Helmeted Honeyeater breeding season. An optional walk after lunch for those who are interested will be organised.
RSVP’s would be appreciated by email heho1@optusnet.com.au or phone 5964 8341 and leave a message. We hope to see you there.

The Friends 20th b'day

23 May 2009 was a great day. The sun shone, the speakers & displays were really interesting, the guests were happy, the food was great and the depot shed on Woori Yallock Creek was full. Thank you to everyone who has been involved with the Friends over their 20 year history - our members and partner groups are vital!

Image 1: Bob Anderson President FoHH, Karina Cartwright Healesville Sanctuary, Mick Kealy Parks Vic, Bruce Quin DSE cut the cake as representatives of the Helmeted Honeteater Recovery Team's Operations Group at Friends 20th bday May 23, 2009
Photograph by: S. Tardif

Image 2: It was standing room only at the Friends 20th bday.
Photograph by: S. Mitchell

Invitation to Members Day - 22 March 09

Members Day for the Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater starts at 11am at the Rangers house, 1217 Macclesfield Road, Yellingbo. We will start with a talk by Rupert Baker, Senior Vet at Healesville Sanctuary, followed by a BYO picnic or BBQ lunch, and the unveiling of a plaque at our nursery to commemorate the contribution Steve Craig made to the formation of the Friends in 1989.

Not a member but would like to attend? You can join on the day!

All welcome.

Members Day invitation - Sunday 30/3/08

Members Day for the Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater starts at midday at the Rangers house, 1217 Macclesfield Road, Yellingbo. We will start with a BYO picnic or BBQ lunch, followed by a talk, the unveiling of a memorial plaque for one of our volunteers who passed away late last year and the planting of habitat plants in her memory.

Not a member but would like to attend? You can join on the day!

Our guest speaker, Karina Cartwright is the Senior Keeper of Threatened Species at Healesville Sanctuary. She will update us on the Helmeted Honeyeater’s captive breeding program. Karina has provided the following brief introduction.

The captive breeding program for Helmeted Honeyeaters at Healesville Sanctuary began in 1989. Today the Sanctuary holds 13 pair of Helmeted Honeyeaters in purpose built aviaries, each aviary housing a single pair of birds. Two pair of Yellow Tufted Honeyeaters are also held for use as foster parents. Each year the majority of Helmeted Honeyeaters bred at the Sanctuary are released between the two sites of Yellingbo and Tonimbuk. Occasionally some birds are retained at the Sanctuary for use as breeders in the captive population. Fledgling birds are released at the end of each breeding season (around April) after spending three days in acclimatisation aviaries at the release sites. Throughout the breeding season eggs and nestlings are also moved between the Sanctuary and wild nests as required. This happens for a number of reasons:

1. If a wild nest is abandoned the eggs/nestlings can be fostered into a captive nest or placed into an incubator and hand raised or fostered after hatching

2. If the age of a captive and wild nest are within a few days age of each other eggs/nestlings can be fostered from captive to wild nests. This is a preferable form of ‘release to the wild’ of captive birds as they are then raised and socialised in a wild situation.

All welcome.

Image: Karina & the Friends at our last Members Day
Photograph by: S. Tardif