BETWEEN FRIENDS

Greetings Friends,

We enter our fourteenth year with a couple of major grant projects about to be completed. These projects are not just about some people volunteering many weekends of time and labour to carry out tasks on the working bees; there is also effort which goes on behind the scenes. Paper-work, planning, communication, coordination, gathering of materials, transportation and execution are all required to make each project a success.

Although most Friends will only participate in the 'execution' phase, there are Friends who have talents for organising and performing specialist work for projects. We are grateful for having these people around. However, let us not forget that for success the Friends really rely on a steady stream of 'doers', people who are willing to come up to Buchan for the working bee weekends, put in their bit, and contribute towards the real aims of the Friends.

Another benefit of coming along is that its a good chance to enjoy Buchan without the pressure of having to go caving, and the BBQs on the Saturday nights provide a relaxed forum for having a few drinks and an open discussion amongst Friends and the Reserve staff.

As you read on, you will find that this newsletter contains a report on the Annual General Meeting held in December 1999, and also the all-important calendar of working bees for this year. Please take the time to jot down these dates in your diary.

This should be a good year, and I look forward to seeing you up at Buchan!

How do I become a Friend for 2000?

Working Bee and Annual General Meeting Report

4 - 5 December 1999

Glenn Baddeley, 17 February 2000

NB: This is different from the article which recently appeared in
Nargun, 32(7):43, February 2000 and The Doline, February 2000, p5.

Friends:

Mick Adler	Brendan Lacota	Thomas Maggs
Glenn Baddeley	Klaire Lacota	Anne Raner
Dale Calnin	Lynette Lacota	John Van Dyk
Cathie Cranston	Erica Maggs

Buchan turned on some good weather for the last Friends working bee weekend in 1999. On Saturday morning some of us met with Senior Ranger Dale Calnin to discuss the outlook for Y2K, including outstanding grant money to be spent, ideas and approaches for achievable projects, and how the Friends can cultivate more interest in karst preservation and education.

In the afternoon and on Sunday there was some calcite cleaning done in Fairy Cave and a stock take of the Friends tools carried out. The donation bin money was also cleared and the Friends activities information sign given a clean. The revegetation plot at the potholes was also visited on the weekend and some of the most recent planting of trees are doing very well.

On Saturday evening the Annual General Meeting and pre-meeting barbecue took place at the Guides Hut. Despite a smaller than expected turn-out, the food was quite delicious and the company good. The annual financial report was accepted at the AGM, and following some general discussion about the Friends, a committee was elected for the coming year and some dates were suggested for the working bee weekends in 2000.

The dates have been confirmed and are published in this newsletter. The new committee is also listed in this newsletter. At the AGM, Mick Adler volunteered to fill the co-opted position of Newsletter Editor after Glenn said that he was willing to pass it on to someone else. Unfortunately, Mick has been unable to actually take on this role, so Glenn continues as Editor for the time being.

It was decided to have four weekends during the year and make sure that what is happening on each weekend is advertised well in advance, primarily so that people who would like to come won't have to make a last minute decision and will know exactly what is going on. A barbecue and social get-together at the Guides Hut will also be held on the Saturday night of every working bee weekend. Some meat, salads, bread and disposable plates and cutlery will be provided free of charge. Bring your own refreshments.

Likely projects for 2000 include hand-rail upgrading, more karst information signs in the reserve, improvements to the Federal Cave entrance tunnel, purchasing and using a high pressure water cleaner, re-doing the activities sign, and programmed restoration and cleaning of calcite in the tourist caves.

Glenn Baddeley washing and brushing the mud and lint from calcite in
Fairy Cave, Buchan Victoria. Photo: Erica Maggs, February 1999