THIS WEEK
Apologies for the late posting but there is no Club meeting this week, neither at the Golf Club nor via Zoom.
The Week that Was
Our guest speaker last week was our fellow Rotarian Robyn Miller who thankfully was able to bring her talk forward a few weeks after our scheduled speaker had to pull out due to ill health. She is a life member of the Nature Coast Marine Group
Robyn spoke about Narooma’s ‘ancient residents’ (not our members!). She studied Geology at Newcastle Uni and has since loved palaeontology. Now she studies live creatures instead of in the Cambrian rocks, and shared with us her valuable photos taken over years of diving and snorkelling the waters of our region.
Many of her beautiful photos were taken in Wagonga inlet and included many different rays, jellyfish, an octopus, small fish, rock clinging and bottom dwelling critters that have been around for hundreds of millions of years. They are all critical parts of our cleverly balanced marine environment and definitely need looking after. Robyn’s enthusiasm for her underwater activities and photography was amazing.
Thankyou Robyn. Mike Young
OUT AND ABOUT
From Moruya Club
It was an amazing coincidence that in the same week we heard from Robyn, Moruya Rotarians heard from the Nature Coast Marine Group (NCMG) President Dr Jane Elek about the local marine environment. Jane explained why Marine Parks are needed, adding that, science tells us that our sea temperatures particularly in this hot spot area have risen 1-2 degrees in the past 20 years.
Jane retired to Moruya a few years ago and joined the NCMG. She said the NCMG strongly supported the Batemans Marine Park (BMP), particularly its Sanctuary Zones where no fishing was allowed. In the years since 2007 when it was gazetted, she said its sanctuaries have shown the wisdom of the plan — bigger and more numerous fish, an altogether healthier marine environment.
She also spoke of the Group’s opposition to the NSW Government’s decision in December 2019 to allow fishing in six sanctuary zones in the BMP without any scientific advice or public consultation and without following the government’s own principles for decision-making with regard to the marine environment. She hopes that a two month consultation period with interested bodies will start soon.
From Batemans Bay Rotary
They recently had our Area Governor Bruce Whiley join them at the Soldiers’ Club. Then last Saturday night, they Lifted the Lid on Mental Health at the Soldiers Club when they hosted the Wollongong Rotary Club.
From Bega Rotary
Bega Club has joined with Forbes Rotary Club to sponsor Sarnelli House in NE Thailand (RAWCS Project 75-2013). Sarnelli House provides a home to children with AIDS. They are taken in and given education and medicines that have enabled them to survive and thrive.
Sarnelli House also runs an outreach programme in the village for families in need. Members from Forbes Rotary Club, prior to the COVID-19 travel embargo, had been to Sarnelli House and speak volumes about their first-hand experiences that included painting the classrooms, providing advice on soil improvement etc. as well as observing first-hand the many ways their sponsorship has helped these orphaned children. Bega Club is proud of be part of this project with Forbes.
Bega Rotary, in addition to their fortnightly meetings on the first and third Thursday evenings every month at the Grand Hotel in Bega, organises and encourages social meetings for members and friends around the area.
On a lighter note
Courtesy of the Narooma Men’s Shed newsletter (they always have good jokes).
Why did the gym close down? It just didn’t work out!
Two artists had an art contest. It ended in a draw!
What do you call a boomerang that doesn’t come back? A stick!
You know what I saw today? Everything I looked at.
NEXT WEEK 5 November
We ZOOM CHAT with guest speaker Peter Gorton from Merimbula on ‘Electrifying Public Transport in Australia’.