For 40 years the Dubbo Field Naturalist and Conservation Society has been advocating for the environment in Dubbo and the surrounding region.
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The organisation celebrated the milestone at the weekend with past and current members joining in the festivities.
Treasurer Tim Hosking said the society formed around the same time as the Taronga Western Plains Zoo.
“In 1977 there was a lot of concern about the environment. An arboretum was established out at the zoo and there was a group of people who formed on the back of that. They became the Dubbo Field Naturalist and Conservation Society,” Mr Hosking said.
“As the story goes there was a big group of people who walked out, they thought it was a naturist group – a nudist group – but there was a group of people who stuck around and made it what it is today.”
As the story goes there was a big group of people who walked out, they thought it was a naturist group – a nudist group – but there was a group of people who stuck around and made it what it is today.
- Tim Hosking
The Dubbo Field Naturalists had been fairly consistent with their goal of advocating on behalf of the environment, and even the membership numbers had stayed steady, Mr Hosking said.
“The membership has been pretty stable over the 40 years. We still have about 80 members which was what we had in the ‘90s,” he said.
“Considering the population of Dubbo has almost doubled since then you would like to think we would have had more but it’s like volunteering figures everywhere I guess. There’s a lot more going on now than there was back then, I imagine.”
However, the society was adapting, Mr Hosking said. New environmental issues, such as Coal Seam Gas, were arising and the Dubbo Field Naturalists were embracing new technology such as Facebook.
“There’s an ongoing role for an environmental group in the area. We’ve got some great assets that people value and want to see maintained,” Mr Hosking said.
“I hope that there’s still a place for an environmental group in another 40 years, even if they do go by a different name.”
In honour of their 40th anniversary the Dubbo Field Naturalists planted trees at the Dubbo Regional Botanic Gardens alongside the Dubbo Regional Council staff on Saturday morning.
Saturday evening saw the current and past members share their achievements and stories over dinner, while on Sunday the group took a guided walk along the Macquarie River to see the environmental changes.
New members are always welcome. More information is available at the Dubbo Field Naturalist and Conservation Society Facebook page, or at www.dubbofieldnats.org.au.