Andrew Winkler's On-line C.V.Current Activities - DetailsFebruary 2008 |
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Personal Initiatives
Due to an initial lack of employment offers after ceasing formal study at the end of 1996, I undertook a range of voluntary work activities, including a number of projects which I have personally initiated. My efforts in this regard have resulted in offers of part-time work, including the work I am currently doing for the Coastal Management Branch of the SA Department for Environment & Heritage. These projects include: | |
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In 1998 I founded and continue to chair The Friends of Patawalonga Creek (FoPC). The aim of this group is to preserve native vegetation and enhance the public amenity of the remnant section of Patawalonga Creek (on Adelaide Airport land, west of Tapleys Hill Road - see Map), and to raise public awareness of the importance of this site and related water and biodiversity conservation issues in the local area. FoPC operates under the 'Our Patch' program run by the Adelaide & Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Board. 
I edit and publish (in hard copy and on-line)the occasional FoPC newsletter 'Paper Bark': I am also Webmaster (and a past Secretary) of the Friends of Gulf St Vincent (FoGStV, formerly Western Suburbs Friends of Parks), which is part of the Friends of Parks Inc. network of volunteer groups assisting National Parks and Wildlife SA. The aim of FoGStV is to help form a network of environmental groups concerned with issues around the Gulf, including Friends of Parks groups as well as other groups involved with conservation of coastal and marine habitat.  | |
The 'Ground Truth' website is a map-based community resource guide to the human & environmental history of South Australia, with the aim of "helping people to find out information relating to their own local area".
It is about local history, environmental and Aboriginal issues, activities of voluntary groups, and resources to assist such groups. This material is indexed according to region and local government area. Prior to putting it on-line (June 2000), I sought comment and feedback by circulating copies on floppy disk to various individuals in government and to community groups. Since then it has become a cluster of websites around 18 Mb in size, including websites for sevaral community groups (Friends of Patawalonga Creek, Friends of Gulf St Vincent, Friends of Hallett Cove). It is an on-going project and is expected to expand significantly through the activities listed below.
The website operates under the registered business name, Littoral Productions. During the time I was based at the Reedbeds Community Centre, I taught classes in basic webpage design and I am a passionate advocate of the need for community groups to gain the skills necessary to develop and maintain their own websites. | |
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For a number of years I have been gathering materials and compiling databases of geoscience, environmental and local history references (especially to 'grey literature'), and contact details for voluntary organisations, with the intention of making these available through the Website. In addition, I am the custodian of a large newspaper clippings archive, formerly compiled over more than a decade by the Conservation Council of SA , which I am currently expanding and mining, particularly for information on coastal issues. | |
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For a number of years I have been compiling an archive of my own photographs of South Australia, dealing with the coastal zone, rivers, geomorphology, birds, native vegetation, etc. I also assist other community groups, eg Western Adelaide Coastal Residents Association, in maintaining a photographic record of coastal erosion at the West Beach boat harbour and construction of the Barcoo Outlet. Additionally, I am developing my skills in photo-journalism and social documentary photography, through attending events ranging from protest rallies to opening ceremonies, field trips, etc.
This resource now contains over 10,000 images and I intend to draw on it in further developing the websites and for creating displays. A number of my photos have been published, eg in the City of West Torrens newspaper, 'Talking Points', as well as in other publications. I am currently working part-time, reorganising and scanning the historic photo archive of the Coastal Management Branch of the SA Dept. for Environment & Heritage. (See also: Photographic skills, Landscape & Nature Photography) | |
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Beginning in 2002 at Reedbeds and from 2006 at the Henley Community Centre, I realized a long-standing dream by hosting a series of 'Curry Nights'. These take the form of a catered 3-course meal, followed by a guest speaker on a topic related to the local environment. With the assistance of volunteers, I do the planning, publicity and catering; among the speakers I have invited are academics who are prominent in their fields, but not necessarily well-known to the general community, and other experts. The purpose of these events is to act as a fundraiser and social event, and to provide the audience with an informative talk which touches on issues of local environmental significance. To provide a permanent record, most of the talks have been recorded on tape and converted to audio CD; I intend to develop this material further (with the speakers) to add to the website resource mentioned above. In the period 2002-2006, I held sixteen of these events, with more than 70 people attending the most recent Curry Nights. Although I have taken a break during 2007, I intend resuming them during 2008. (See also: Cooking and catering skills) | |
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While formerly based at the Reedbeds Community Centre, I set up an environmental resource centre for use by the local community. It housed a portion of the great deal of printed material that I have accumulated from various sources, and a library. It was furnished with shelving, a filing cabinet, leaflet displays and a computer, donated by Adelaide Airport Ltd. I was successful in gaining two FACS volunteer small equipment grants which have been used to purchase knapsack sprays, tools, a laminator and a data projector. In 2004, with the assistance of Dr Jan Carey (then of Geographical & Environmental Studies, University of Adelaide), we applied for a grant under the Commonwealth Department of Environment & Heritage's "Telling Australia's Stories" program for an oral history project: "Caring for our Creeks - The Stories of the Friends of Patawalonga Creek
& the Reedbeds Community Centre". Only 22 of over 980 applicants nation-wide were funded; despite having put together a credible application, ours was not one of these. We did intend to reapply for the grant in the following year (of what was then supposed to be a three-year program), but the program was not re-advertised. While the Reedbeds ERC enjoyed only a minor success, I still consider that the project is worthwhile and even without external funding, work on it can still proceed. Although I have considered an offer to resetablish the ERC at the Grange Community Centre, which may generate additional interest in the project from local groups in the City of Charles Sturt area, I am still seeking additional support from groups in the Port Adelaide area. |
