INSPIRE NEWSCAST

I have a long-time interest in not for profit organisations and enjoy seeing how various organisations operate. As I spent time researching my latest video, I couldn’t help but sense that the Veteran Car Club of WA set a great example of a successful not for profit organisation.

Members would join the club because of a shared interest in old vehicles, but the extent of that interest varies dramatically. The process of restoring old vehicles can extend to a wide variety of skills and expertise, but there are roles in the club for people who don’t have those practical hands-on skills required for restoration.

While this video is about the Veteran Car Club and I enjoyed seeing the range of vehicles that are owned and restored by members, I felt I learned a lot more. It was about how a club works well. Clubs and associations are a critical part of any civil society and it’s good to see them working well.

Had great fun with this video – go and have a look.

This week in my search for good news stories, I spent time at the Kaarakin Black Cockatoo Conservation Centre. What a great experience it was to see how this organisation is working so hard to protect the black cockatoo and to care for the environment in which this magnificent bird lives.

Kaarakin provides clinic facilities to care for injured birds that are brought in, and a careful rehabilitation programme is undertaken. This work is done in conjunction with other organisations including the Perth Zoo to ensure that when they are released the best opportunity is provided for their survival.

But more than that Kaarakin is working hard at protecting the environment and helping people to think through the issues that will affect the long-term sustainability of the black cockatoo and other native birds and animals,

Kaarakin isn’t open to the public, but paid tours can be arranged, that also assist in the overall running of the organisation and the sustainability of its operations.

It was an absolute delight to visit Kaarakin, so I hope you’ll enjoy the video.

Back in August some large nests began appearing around the City of Kalamunda. It was clearly an art installation, as each nest had a label numbering the nests and giving details of a techno-music track.

Recently two more nests have appeared. The location of the nests was a mystery except that the numbering gave those who were interested the opportunity to begin searching, sharing stories and joining in the hunt.

“Kalamundanests” on Instagram gave some hints, including the possibility that the first nest was on the beach at Yallingup, but all the others were in the City of Kalamunda.

There were some unique aspects to the mystery. Each of the nests were different and the music tracks were different (all techno). However, there was something well planned and executed in their secretive arrival and placement. There have been no complaints because there was nothing offensive or illegal about them.

In fact, the Mayor of the City of Kalamunda, Margaret Thomas has been a big supporter of the nests, as well as a keen “nest hunter”.

My latest #inspirenewscast puts me on the trail of the nests. Go and check it out. The link is at the top of the page, but if you’ve missed any of my earlier weekly newscasts, check them out at my YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/channel/UCxK7tWgjlPX2iSW-j_4cWng