You might notice a new face around the Landcare SJ office on a Thursday morning.
Learn more about our new work experience teammate Reece Jerrett directly from him.
I’ve lived in the shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale since my family and I moved here from Halls Head in 2008. After a few weeks, my mum and I made our first venture down to the Mundijong Markets where we added my first lot of poultry to the farm.
From this point, my love for poultry grew.
In 2009 I exhibited at my first Perth Royal Show, where one of my brown leghorn bantam males took out most of the major champions.
Since 2009 I haven’t missed a royal show, always taking the time to steward in the poultry pavilion throughout the show week.
Along with the royal show I also exhibit at most of the agricultural and poultry club show throughout the Southwest and Wheatbelt of WA.
I have also presented poultry to both the Royal Canberra Poultry Show and the Sydney National Poultry Show.
Since starting in exhibition poultry and setting up Echovald Poultry Stud 10 years ago I’ve now been elected to be the president of the Waroona Poultry Club, where my aim is to make the club a true epicentre for poultry south of Perth.
I’ve also been elected to be the vice president of the West Australian Poultry Association, which is the governing body in charge of exhibition poultry in WA.
In 2016 I graduated from Serpentine Jarrahdale Grammar School, where I was passionate about biology and the fauna and flora in the surrounding native bushlands.
At the moment I’m studying a diploma in environmental monitoring and management at the south metropolitan TAFE campus in Murdoch. At the end of this year, I would have completed my second and final year of course. Earlier in semester one this year, I suggested that throughout course we should monitor an area of native bushland on crown land in a rapidly developing shire.
As a group, we agreed to complete an environmental survey at 31 Burgess Drive, Byford.
In the survey, we’re looking at the botanical, hydrology and geological factors within the site. Along with testing the air quality.
By looking at these four areas, it’ll give us an understanding what type of impact the nearby housing and business development have had on the site if any.
One thing in particular that we noticed, is that there is quite a severe edging effect in some areas with large infestations of cotton bush, blackberry bushes and various other invasive weed species.
This was mainly in the Western half of the bushland.
The Eastern half of the bushland was better, with minimal weed species. Unfortunately, there was no water flowing through the brook on our first survey.
Although it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing that there was an absence of water. It gave us a chance look at the banks of the brook, it was fairly conclusive that they’re badly eroded. This is most likely due to the lack of riparian vegetation and the heavily compacted banks on adjacent farmland’s side.
Once the reports are completed they’ll be compiled and given to the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale to see what they can do about the site, e.g. stabilising the bank, weed control and remediation plantings.
My passion for the environment and my love for the community of serpentine Jarrahdale has lead me to be an active member of the LCDC and SJ Landcare.
SJ Landcare’s ongoing work with the ‘Cockatube’ project is what first caught my attention at the 2017 Perth Royal Show. I’m very eager to help in any way I can.
I hope by being involved with both of these I can help preserve and look after the natural beauty of our wonderful shire.