Baldivis Children's Forest

BHP Billiton Nickel West

BHP Billiton Nickel West is the world's third largest producer of nickel in concentrate, with one of it’s concentrators located at nearby Kwinana refinery. BHP Billiton have been our major sponsor since 2006, enabling us to continue our annual subsidised  school  activity days.  Since 2006 BHP Billiton Nickel West has subsidised over 7000 students to attend our activity days, with students helping to plant over 15,000 seedlings in the forest.  Students ranged in age from kindergarten to year 11 participating in activities from all learning areas of the curriculum.  BHP Billiton Nickel West also help fund our Community Service Program at the forest which enables year 8-11 students to complete voluntary community service hours.  The Community Service Program has been invaluable as the older students are able to achieve many task to help with the re-vegetation program at the forest.

BHP Billiton Nickel West fund book prizes each year to nominated students from schools who have participated in a school activity day at the forest during that year and who demonstrates a commitment to the environment. Their sponsorship has also contributed to a large range of community events being held at the forest each year including our popular night stalks, guided bird walks and a series of Kids Teaching Kids mini conferences held at the forest during 2008, 2010 and this year.  Funding from BHP Billiton has also been used for capital works around the forest including kangaroo exclusion fencing around planted seedlings and the installation of possum and black cockatoo nest boxes.

 Website:   www.bhpbilliton.com

City of Rockingham

The Baldivis Children's Forest  site is a ‘C’ Class Reserve vested with the City of Rockingham for the purpose of ‘Education, Wetland, Conservation and Communication’. The City partnered with Green Skills Inc. and Baldivis Primary School in 2000 to begin planting at the reserve. The City has continued to support the revegetation program and development of the forest project. The City commenced an extensive capital works program at the forest in 2005, including our outdoor classroom, amphitheatre and toilets.

    Website www.rockingham.wa.gov.au

Alcoa of Australia Limited

Alcoa of Australia Limited is the world’s leading producer of alumina from three refineries in Western Australia. The Kwinana refinery provided funding for rehabilitation work at the Baldivis Children's Forest beginning in 2000. the late Mr Brian Foley represented Alcoa on the Steering Committee during 2001-2006, providing valuable direction and support for the forest project.  A memorial information shelter was erected at the forest in 2008 in recognition of Mr Foleys'  contribution to the forest project and wetland conservation in the region.  During 2009/10 and 2010/11 the forest received funding for rehabilitation, weed control and a feral bee program through a  Swan Alcoa Landcare Program grant.

During 2010 funding was received from Apache to help support a Greenskills Team working with the City of Rockingham to establish bush walking trails throughout the forest.  In 2011 Apache contributed towards sending delegates from the Forest to the International Kids Teaching Kids River Health Conference in Adelaide.

Website:

Baldivis Community Association

The Baldivis Community Association represent ratepayers in the Baldivis Rural Ward which includes the suburbs of Baldivis and Karnup. The group meets monthly to keep members informed and updated on local issues, and raises issues of concern with Rockingham Council.

The Baldivis Community Association has been involved in the forest since its inception and has a sitting member on our Management Committee. In 2004 the Baldivis Community Association funded the purchase of a much needed water tank for the forest, enabling irrigation to be installed which vastly improved seedling survival.

Each year the Baldivis Community Association support the forest by donating much needed equipment for our forest re-vegetation program including gloves, trowels and a brush cutter. 

Since 2005 the Baldivis Community Association has presented an Environmental Award to a winning student who has participated in programs at the forest during the year and who has carried their learning back to their school or community. 

Link to Membership Forms
 

Baldivis Primary School

Baldivis Primary School students inspired the forest project in 2000, with students witnessing firsthand the move from a rural environment to an urban one.  The school remains a major partner of the Baldivis Children's Forest project today, providing extensive volunteer hours, expertise and administrative support.

The school first opened in 1924, and today caters for approximately 600 students from kindergarten to year 7. In recent years the school has led the community in valuing its unique bushland surrounds, winning a number of environmental awards including PALS and the State and National Landcare Award for Education during 2009/10 and most recently a Schools First Award for their long standing partnership with the forest.

Website:  www.baldivisps.det.wa.edu.au

BHP Billiton Nickel West

Major Community sponsor for the forest 2006-2011 - see section above.

 Website:   www.bhpbilliton.com

Baldivis Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade and Singleton Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade

Both Baldivis and Singleton Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade are groups of local volunteers that protect the community from bushfires through fire prevention, fire suppression and fire safety education. Both groups are administered by the City of Rockingham and trained and supported by FESA in bushfire response and prevention. Members from the Baldivis Brigade have assisted at the forest since inception with Singelton Brigade coming on board in 2007. The Baldivis unit has helped with watering seedlings, maintaining firebreaks and access tracks, preparing a fire response plan, with both units giving fire-safety education talks to students.

Website: www.fesa.wa.gov.au

City of Rockingham

Major Community Partner for the forest from 2000-2011 - see section above.

    Website www.rockingham.wa.gov.au

Disability in the Arts/Disadvantage in the Arts WA (DADAA)

Disability in the Arts / Disadvantage in the Arts WA (DADAA) in partnership with Challenger TAFE and Men of Trees Rockingham commenced a multi-faceted project involving local community and the Baldivis Children's Forest. During 2006/2007 and 2008 propagation of seedlings from seeds, cuttings and rootstock were prepared  for use in our next winter planting. During 2007 and  2008  a series of art sculpture workshops were held at the forest each Sundary afternoon.

    Website:  www.dadaawa.org.au
                    www.challengertafe.wa.edu.au

Department of Environment and Conservation

A Department of Environment and Conservation Community Action grant received in 2009 added to work begun in previous years to increase biodiversity in the forest, provide habitat and food for native fauna and create an ecological linkage between the Conservation Category Outridge Swamp and the adjacent Lake Walyungup.  Funding provided was used to enable a seed collection program to be established in the forest and the continuation of dripper irrigation installation and the continuation of kangaroo exclusion fencing in the tuart woodland area and also creating a wetland buffer around Outridge Swamp.  The forest has secured another DEC Community Action grant during 2011 which will see the continuation of these works.


 

Envirofund

In 2005 the BCF Steering Committee successfully applied for an Envirofund grant and began a project to revegetate 0.54 hectares, erect kangaroo exclusion fencing, install a limestone walk trail, construct possum and black cockatoo nest boxes, install interpretive signage and produce a BCF brochure. This has been complemented by securing grants from other sources to complete the indigenous aspects of this bush tucker area.

Website: www.nrm.gov.au

Green Skills Inc.

In 2000, Green Skills Inc, a not-for-profit environmental organization based in Rockingham, approached the City of Rockingham and Baldivis Primary School to form a partnership to protect and manage the reserve (now known as the Baldivis Children's Forest). Green Skills' secured funding from Alcoa's 'Wetlands Rivers and Habitats' program for a further two years and with the help of project partners, commenced restoration activities at the forest. Local landholders surrounding the forest were assisted with advice and materials to undertake re-vegetation projects on their own properties and to help protect the conservation values of the Baldivis Children's Forest.

Website:    www.greenskills.green.net.au

Landcare Australia Limited

 Landcare is a partnership between community, government and business to ‘do something positive’ about tackling land degradation in Australia. Landcare provides assistance and advice to organisations, and has linked the Baldivis Children's Forest project with corporate sponsors to enable the project to grow and progress.  During 2006 Landcare in partnership with Sony donated a digital camera and recorder to the forest.  An Australia Post Junior Landcare grant in 2007 provided funding for the construction of bat nest boxes.  The forest was a finalist in the 2008 Alcoa Community Group Landcare Award for our rehabilitation efforts at the forest.

Public Education Endowment Trust

In 2002 Baldivis Primary School successfully applied for a grant from PEET to produce five science-based educational kits during 2003/04 covering the themes of birds, flora, micro-studies, tree-measuring and wetlands research. These kits are used by school students at BCF, providing a broad exposure to different learning experiences.

Website: www.peet.wa.gov.au

Swan Alcoa Landcare Program

During 2009 and again in 2011 money was received through the Swan Alcoa Landcare Program which was used to purchase over 3000 native seedlings during those two years, tree guards and bamboo stakes for revegetation.  This funding was also used for the ongoing feral bee eradiciation program in the forest which was introduced during 2007.

Synergy

Synergy is Western Australia's largest energy retailer with over 870,000 customers in the south west of Western Australia.  Synergy sponsored on-ground works at the Forest from June 2007-June 2009. Their funding was used for capital works at the forest including fencing, weed control, irrigation and feral bee control. Their funding also aided in the development of our Emergency Response Plan funding the purchase of our safety and first aid equipment.  Synergy also sponsored a series of community events, including our popular Night Stalks.

   Website:   www.synergyenergy.com.au

Westpac Banking Corporation began trading with a single office in Sydney in 1817 as the Bank of New South Wales. Today, Westpac is a leading financial group employing 27,000 people in Australia, New Zealand, the near Pacific and around the world. Westpac provided sponsorship during early 2006 to employ our Baldivis Children's Forest Project Officer. This enabled the coordination of forest activity days, workshops, Westpac community volunteer work (see Events), and this website to be developed. Westpac have also contributed to the construction of an amphitheatre at the forest which was completed in November 2007 by the City of Rockingham.

Website:  www.westpac.com.au