Outstanding Service Awards 2011

Congratulations to Steve Sertis, Jan Read, Colin Read, John Chellew and Jim Freeman on receiving Outstanding Services Awards from the Department of Environment and Conservation on 2 December 2011.

Steve, John, Jim, Jan and Colin all became volunteers when the ‘Eyes on the Ground’ maintenance program commenced in 1998. They have each continued to maintain their section ever since – and are the last remaining members of the original group.

Maintenance volunteers look after a section of the Track which is usually between 5km – 8km in length, checking for problems and reporting to the Foundation on the state of their section. To do this they need to walk their section in both directions to check signage, repair erosion, clear debris, prune overgrown vegetation and record the location of any major problems requiring the intervention of DEC.

Those with campsites in their section check that the water tank and toilet are in good order, that the gutters are clear and that the area is clean and clear of litter which might prove a hazard should a fire threaten the campsite.

Without the regular visits and reporting conducted by our maintenance volunteers, the Track would not be in such good condition and major hazards, such as fallen trees across the Track, would remain in place for much longer.

It is very clear from the feedback received from walkers that the efforts of all our maintenance volunteers are greatly appreciated.

We are very grateful to have had the support of Steve, John, Jim, Jan and Colin for almost 14 years to date. Their time is of course given freely and the excellent condition of their sections is a clear indication of how much effort they have put in over those years.

Outstanding Service Awards are appropriate recognition of their enthusiasm and commitment to the Bibbulmun Track for so long.