Saturday 10th December is International Human Rights Day, and here in Adelaide you can celebrate and show your support at the inaugural Kimberley Culture Festival at Elder Park from 3 - 8pm.

Come and learn about the culture and environmental significance of the Kimberley; hear about the the threats to the region and how you can help. Learn about the secrets and mystery of the Kimberley, home to an extraordinary wealth of biodiversity, stunning landscapes and even Dinosaur footprints.

What: Kimberley Culture Festival
When: Saturday 10th December, 3-8pm
Where: Elder Park
Cost: Free

The event will showcase the stories from the local community and word from organisations on the ground in Walmadan, James Price Point, with roots and reggae music from local Adelaide bands.

Come along and show your support for the Kimberley, and enjoy a sunny day filled with food, market stalls, information about the Kimberley, guest speakers and live music featuring Irie Knights, Minority Tradition, Moore Black & The Organic Roots and Dan Spencer.

We hope to see you there for a whale of a day!

Find us on facebook - Kimberley Culture Festival

Act now! Have you signed the Kimberley cyberaction?

The 6th Annual LNG World Conference will be held at Burswood Convention Centre on 5 – 7 September. Delegates and speakers from Woodside, Shell BP and other major gas companies will be discussing the future of LNG and unconventional gas in the Asia Pacific. Can you come along and contribute to the discussion?

We will be conducting a peaceful protest by welcoming delegates and speakers to the conference and asking them to consider the serious environmental, social and economic problems associated with a Kimberley gas hub.

When: 8:00 – 9:00 am, Monday 5 September

Where: Burswood Convention Centre

Please come along before you go to work on Monday morning to help put forward this important message to LNG industry insiders!

He was heavily involved in the battle to stop Tasmania's Franklin River being dammed, penning campaign anthem Let the Franklin Flow.

Now he is returning to public campaigning for what will be an even bigger fight, to save the pristine Kimberley from Australia's single biggest industrial development.

He will be performing at a rally outside the State Library in Melbourne this Sunday at noon, performing alongside rising Australian singer-songwriter and Triple J favourite Dan Sultan as well as Liz Stringer and Tanya Ransom.

Also addressing the rally will be Kimberley Traditional Owner Neil McKenzie, Wilderness Society Kimberley campaigner Glen Klatovsky, Kevin Blatchford from Save The Kimberley, and Indigenous Barrister Munya Andrews.

When: Sunday, 14 August 2011 - 12-3pm
Where: State Library of Victoria
328 Swanston St, Melbourne

In their rush to begin extracting gas from undersea reserves off the Kimberley coast, Woodside Petroleum has proposed building a huge gas hub at James Price Point (traditionally known as Walmadan).

The Wilderness Society is working with local people, Traditional Owners and community advocacy groups to oppose the gas hub at James Price Point and protect this stunning landscape for future generations.

Join us this Sunday

Show your support for the Kimberley coast by joining us this Sunday for a celebration of family and community on Cable Beach, Broome.

Hosted by local community advocacy group, Save the Kimberley, the event will feature live music and inspiring guest speakers. Let’s send a message to Woodside and Colin Barnett that local people will unite to see their country protected!

When: Sunday 17 July, 3.00pm – 5.00pm
Where: Cable Beach, Broome
For more information: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=188801294510398

Protect the Kimberley- community forum

Join us for a community forum on the proposed Woodside gas hub at James Price Point on the Kimberley coast. Learn about some of the reasons why the area is so significant locally, nationally and internationally. Also, find out what the alternatives are for processing Browse Basin gas: float it, pipe it or save it for our future!

When: August 9th, Tuesday evening
Where: The Palms Community Centre, Cnr Nicholson & Rokeby Rds, Subiaco
Time: 6:30-8pm
Cost: gold coin donation - refreshments provided

Guest speakers: Dr Steve Salisbury (Palaeontologist, UQ), speaking on the latest dinosaur footprint discoveries at James Price Point. Neil Mackenzie (Kimberley Traditional Owner), will be speaking on behalf of the Broome community about the local impacts associated with such a huge industrial project. Peter Robertson (The Wilderness Society WA), will be outlining the alternatives that exist to a gas hub located on the Kimberley coast, and why these options need to be seriously considered.

Bike to Broome Launch - Perth City

When: August 21st, Sunday
Where: The Murray St. mall, Perth City
Time: 11am-noon
What: "Bike to Broome" launch (music and guest speakers)

Bike To Broome is a 5-day, around-the-clock, tandem bike ride event from Perth to Broome, to raise awareness and to oppose the building of Woodside Petroleum’s proposed gas processing plant at James Price Point, 40 kilometres north of Broome.  Six pairs of riders, riding in shifts, will attempt to reach Broome within five and a half days - covering 2,368 kilometres...So come and see us off!

The Bike to Broome official website

Volunteer meetings in Perth

(We meet on Tuesday nights at City West Lotteries House, West Perth, from 5:30pm)

August 16th – Bike to Broome – creative session. Help us paint up some banners for the ‘Bike to Broome’ event which will leave from Perth on Sunday, Aug 16 and arrive in Broome on Friday, Aug 21

Sept 6th - Film night - Come and meet new volunteers and be inspired by the environmental award winning film Red Gold. There will be snacks provided!

Want to help - but can't make it our events?

The most effective way you can help is by writing a hand-written letter to our federal Environment minister Tony Burke explaining why you think companies should find alternatives for a gas hub at James Price Point, near Broome in the Kimberley.

Want help starting? Click here for a letter-writing guide made by environment group Environs Kimberley

Need inspiration?

For more information see:

www.wilderness.org.au/kimberley
www.savethekimberley.com
www.environskimberley.org.au
www.likenowhereelse.org.au/

There's one day a year when company directors are publicly accountable to their shareholders, and for Woodside, that day is Wednesday 20th April.

Many shareholders attend Woodside's annual general meeting (AGM) in person, and its the perfect opportunity  to explain, face to face, why they should support an alternative site for processing gas from the Browse Basin. Can you join us there?

Woodside must commit to floating LNG options, or piping the gas to existing sites in the Pilbara.

Media interview Peter Robertson outside Woodside AGM 2010

Anything less, will pollute one of the least impacted coastlines in the world (second only to our polar regions).

When: 9.00am, Wed 20th April
Where: Perth Convention Exhibition Centre, 21 Mounts Bay Road, Perth

Please wear a red t-shirt, and come along to show your support for the amazing marine life of the Kimberley and opposition to Woodside’s polluting industrial site.

Woodside Ltd is one of the joint venture (JV) partners for the development of gas in the Browse Basin off the Kimberley coast, and holds an approximately 50% share in the partnership. The other JV partners are Shell, Chevron, BHP Billiton and BP.

Notice of the 2011 Woodside AGM can be found via the company site here. If you would like to attend and ask a question about the Kimberley gas hub, or nominate a proxy to do so on your behalf, please contact Renae Williams on 08 9420 7255 or renae.williams@wilderness.org.au

You can also email these people today!

Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke - tony.burke.mp@aph.gov.au
Woodside CEO Don Voelte - don.voelte@woodside.com.au
Premier Colin Barnett - wa-government@dpc.wa.gov.au

When: Saturday 9th April, 9.00am to 1.00pm
Where: Conference room, City West Lotteries House, 2 Delhi St, West Perth

To RSVP, or if you have any questions about the content of this workshop, please contact Renae Williams on 9420 7255 or email renae.williams@wilderness.org.au

Peaceful Community Action may include nonviolent direct action (NVDA), which is the focus of this workshop. This is an introductory workshop and will cover theory and principles of nonviolent social change; discussion on what nonviolence is (for example, is immobilising a vehicle violence?); small group planning; how to organise an action, legal rights and roleplays.

What is NVDA? Nonviolent direct action is a highly developed philosophy and strategy for social change that rejects both passivity and the use of violence. Nonviolence is an effective way to focus attention on harmful actions by governments and corporations, and ultimately prevent them.

Various methods can be used in campaigns for social change, including education and persuasion, civil disobedience and nonviolent direct action, and targeted communication via mass media.

One of the best Australian examples of successful NVDA is the protection of the Franklin River, in Tasmania, from being dammed and destroyed. Read more here.

Well organised NVDA can gain widespread public support as part of the wider campaign to protect the Kimberley’s globally significant marine and coastal environment from inappropriate and unnecessary industrialisation.

We are offering training in the hope that any community action is conducted in the most effective and safest possible way.

We are mindful that for this campaign to be successful and to avoid alienating the very people needed for support - all action must be well planned, peaceful and respectful.

Woodside LNG plant on the Burrup Peninsula, WA

Dr Sue Graham-Taylor will introduce the evening and speak about these pressures and the impacts from industrialisation of the region. Recognised with a Member of the Order of Australia, Dr Graham-Taylor, a former president of the Conservation Council of WA, has been involved with many policies and legislation of environmental issues through executive roles with a range of organisations.

Jane Bremmer and David Munut from Alliance for a Clean Environment (ACE) will give presentations on the air pollution impacts and failings of the Government study in this special presentation on the Kimberley gas hub.

The air pollution study on the gas hub is available to view via http://www.epa.wa.gov.au/Pages/default.aspx

Write your own submission (a letter) to the Government's environment assessment on the gas hub on the night - we'll guide you through it and provide key points that you may like to include. Submissions to the environmental assessment close 28th March.

Where: Conference room, City West Lotteries House, 2 Delhi St, West Perth

When: Wed 16th March, 6.30pm

This event is in support of Broome residents who recently held a community action about air pollution concerns and called on the companies not to build the gas hub at James Price Point. You can watch the Broome residents community action video on YouTube.

Please RSVP your attendance to wa@wilderness.org.au or call 08 9420 7255. The event is free, we hope to see you there.

Snorkel for sanctuaries 2011 poster - click for a larger version

This year’s ‘Snorkel for Sanctuaries’ theme is: “Protecting our marine life - from Weedy sea-dragons to Humpback whales. It will be held just south of Cottesloe main beach on Saturday March 12th from 10am.

March 3rd Update: The guided snorkel is fullly booked - but please feel free to come along to the talks and sign a petition!

WHAT: Talks by marine scientists & Snorkel to search for Weedy sea-dragons

WHEN: Saturday, March 12th @ 10am

WHERE: The Cottesloe sundial at Mudurup Rocks, just south of Cottesloe Beach (parking available 100m south of the Cottesloe Surf Life Saving Club on Marine Parade)

Series of Events:

10am: Robyn Benken, from Cottesloe Coastcare, will give a brief talk on the beautiful, local Weedy sea-dragons and why they need protection. Dr. Jill St.John from The Wilderness Society will then explain what the greatest threats to our local Humpback whales are, and how you can help protect them.

10.30am: First guided snorkel session

11.00am: Second guided snorkel session

11.30am: If you missed out on booking and would like to snorkel yourself in this area we will leave up the dive markers and guides

When you arrive please register and sign a snorkel waiver form; also ensure you check out the snorkel map & sea life info. There will also be a number of stalls highlighting the importance of conservation action from The Wilderness Society WA and the Cottesloe Coast Care Group.

March 3rd Update: The guided snorkel is fullly booked - but please feel free to come along to the talks and sign a petition!

Did you know? The first ever marine park in state waters in the Kimberley is being created!

Currently the WA state government is looking to protect Camden Sound in the Kimberley, a part of the area where our amazing Humpback whales migrate each year to give birth to their calves. The government also announced three other proposed marine parks in the Kimberley region; 80 Mile Beach, Roebuck Bay & a ‘Northern Kimberley marine park’. No boundaries for these three parks have been released for public comment yet – but watch this space!

The greatest threat to Humpback whales & their calves in WA right now is the proposal for a massive gas refinery with a 6 km jetty & breakwater at James Price Point. This area is part of the whale nursery and needs protection instead of polluting industry. Sign our online submission to help protect our whales from this disastrous proposal.  

                                                ≈ Connect to protect ≈

Please remember to RSVP for the guided snorkel by contacting the marine community campaigner with your details.

The Wilderness Society and the Protect the Kimberley alliance are hosting a rally in the heart of Cottesloe for the community to connect and learn about government plans for the protection and industrialisation of the Kimberley!

What: We will have guest speakers, live bands, info stalls & face painting for kids!

When: November 28^th, 2010 @ 11am

Where: Cottesloe Civic Centre, Main Lawns, Perth

Wear: Red or Orange coloured clothing

This community event will bring together all of the major environment groups in WA - and it will be a great chance to take direct action and either sign a postcard or letter in support of real protection for the Kimberley.

To get regular update about the lastest kimberley news - join our 'Kimberley' & 'Perth updates' emails

If you are on facebook please RSVP for our event and invite your friends!

How can you be involved?

If you would like to be a rally ambassador please email jenita.enevoldsen@wilderness.org.au - Tasks would involve: helping promote the event, helping out at stalls and festivals prior to the event and on the day - being part of our crowd patrol team!

This is going to be one of the biggest rallies of its kind held in Perth on this issue - so please make an effort to tell some friends about it or even print out a rally poster and pop it up in your local Cafe!

Not in Perth? You can organise a solidarity event at your local beach:

1. Print out a rally poster

2. Write a message in the sand "Protect the Kimberley"

3. Take a photo of all of the above with you in it and send it to: jenita.enevoldsen@wilderness.org.au

Want to learn more about the governments latest annoucements? Click here

Guest speakers from the Wilderness Society WA & the Conservation Council of WA will be presenting a short update on 'Gas in WA' before the most powerful documentary of the year, Gasland premieres.

What: Presentation & Film night   When: 6:30pm, Thursday NOV 18  Where:  Luna Leederville Cinemas, Perth

Special deal: $13 adults & $11 concession (print this page out and bring it with you as an invite)

Guest Speakers:

Louise Morris from The Conservation Council of WA will be giving an insight into the soaring emissions profile of our state as more large scale industrial gas, coal and carbon intensive projects are approved. Raising the concept that Liquifed Natural Gas isn't so clean or green, she highlights where Coal & Coal seam gas projects are proposed for WA.

Renae Williams, of The Wilderness Society WA will follow up with a spotlight on the Kimberley - where currently the largest natural gas project in Australia is being planned for - the pristine waters & coastline, near Broome. This will set the scene for what will be one of the year's most powerful documentaries.

The Film:

Gasland is a Film inspired by an Amercian director when filmmaker Josh Fox is asked to lease his land for coal seam gas drilling, he embarks on a cross-country odyssey uncovering a trail of secrets, lies and contamination. A recently drilled nearby Pennsylvania town reports that residents are able to light their drinking water on fire. This is just one of the many absurd and astonishing revelations of a new country called GASLAND (sundance film festival winner).

Remember the Special deal:

$13 adults & $11 concession (If you print this page out and bring it with you as an invite)

The Humpback whales have already begun arriving in the Kimberley - the first pod was spotted off Talboys rock, Manari on May 28th.

In celebration of this epic migration the 2010 Kimberley whale festival will be held in Broome from July 15-18th!

Whale festival human whale 2009, Annabelle Sandes

Broome is one of the hottest tourism destinations in WA, and this is a great time of year to visit, to catch the best weather, the whales and community buzz for the 4 day festival.

There will be a range of activities you can participate in; including whale lectures, whale watching trips, a short film competition, a fish cake cook-off and more...

What's on?

THURSDAY 15TH JULY

5.30 am - Join the volunteers looking after Seagrass in Roebuck Bay. Meet @ Demco car park. Contact Fiona on 0422 244 145. Children’s art display and 30ft blow-up whale, Boulevarde Shopping Centre. 7pm - Barrgana Series whale talk @ Notre Dame University. $5 entry

FRIDAY 16TH JULY

6am - Join the volunteers looking after Seagrass in Roebuck Bay. Meet @ Town Beach. Contact Fiona on 0422 244 145. 2.30 to 5.30pm  - Join us for a series of informative and entertaining talks by indigenous rangers,  researchers and naturalists on Humpback whales and the Kimberley marine environment @ The Mercure Hotel. Gold coin entry.

SATURDAY 17TH JULY

Half price whale watching tours throughout the day - Contact Sentosa (Broome Whale Watching) on 9192 8163. 5.30pm -  Come along and “Toast the Coast” @ The Pearl Luggers, Dampier Terrace.  Enjoy a night of Indigenous dance & music, and short films celebrating whales and the Kimberley coast.  Food & bar available. $15 entry. Children welcome.

SUNDAY 18TH JULY

9.30am - Bring the family down to Cable Beach for fun activities including a sandcastle competition (Great prizes), kids whale tail painting, have your photo taken for “Tails for Whales” and listen to whale song. 11am - Be part of a life sized human whale on the beach for an aerial photo. 1.30pm - Fish Cake Cookoff & Sunday session music @ Matso’s Broome Brewery.  Face painting and games for kids.  Entries open at 12.30.  Cooking starts 1.30pm.  Fantastic prizes.

Linda, Toby Turtle, Renae and Jess at the Go Wild gig

What can we say?! It was a great night - with over 350 people heading down to the Fly By Night Musicians Club in support of our Kimberley campaign. We cannot thank Junkadelic, Blackmilk, The Joe Kings, and the Brow Horn Orchestra enough for entertaining us and making the night such a success.

The night kicked off with street funk and junk band, Junkadelic, who kept the crowd entertained as they queued outside and then got the vibe started indoors.

 After a welcome from our MC and marine community campaigner, Jenita, it was over to Blackmilk - for some soulful psychedelic rock.

The Brow Horn Orchestra drummer rocks out at the 'Go Wild for the Kimberley' gig

Blackmilk have supported bands such as The Dandy Warhols and toured the country a number of times, with their debut album due for release early 2011. The first single off the album 'Mercy Ray' will be hitting the airwaves in November.

After a short break, it was time for The Joe Kings to get the place rocking, and rock they did!

Jack had the Nell Numbat suit on, Ryan was transformed into a Flatback turtle, and bass player Riley looked fantastic as a Clownfish...

An absolute blues rock sensation, they'll be touring the east coast in October so keep your eyes out for dates!

The Joe Kings rocked the crowd!

A big band with big beats, The Brow Horn Orchestra kept everyone on their feet for a fun and funky finale. It was an awesome way to end the night!

The 'Go Wild for the Kimberley' gig was all about bringing music and people together to celebrate our unique Kimberley, and find out how to get involved in the campaign to protect it.

If you would like to do just that - please get involved! You can lend a hand for letterboxing in your local area, call your Member of Parliament, or come and meet our volunteer crew who help organise events and actions. Just email jenita.enevoldsen@wilderness.org.au

Face painting was a hit!

You can also check out our volunteering page.

PS. Live in Melbourne and want to help organise a gig? We're looking for help... Email renae.williams@wilderness.org.au

Jack and Phill from The Joe Kings get into the theme of the night.. Go wild!

On Sunday May 23rd, several environmental organisations across northern Australia are connecting to participate in a joint event on World Turtle Day. All around the beaches of northern Australia, groups and individuals will be building flatback turtles from sand to send Environment Minister Peter Garrett the message 'Save Our Flatbacks'.

What: Create a Flatback turtle out of sand on your local beach to save our flatbacks!

When: Sunday, May 23rd (World Turtle Day)

When: 10am all around the country!

Who: The Wilderness Society (Perth & Cairns), Environs Kimberley (Broome), Australian Marine Conservation Society (Darwin), The Turtle Restoration Network (based in the USA). If you wish to particpate in one of the above locations, please contact the coordinators below.

Locations and Contact:

• Perth - South Cottesloe dog beach, Jenita Enevoldsen jenita.enevoldsen@wilderness.org.au      
• Broome - Cable beach, Emma Belfield emma@environskimberley.org.au
• Darwin - Mindil beach, Prue Barnard pruebarnard@amcs.org.au
• Cairns - Northern end of Cairns Esplanade - near the fun ship., Di Horsborough  di.horsburgh@wilderness.org.au
  

Don't live near any of the above locations? no worries - make your own flatback sand turtle on your local beach and email a photo of it (smaller than 100kg in jpeg format) to: jenita.enevoldsen@wilderness.org.au (please include your names and location) or post it to our flicker page!

Take Action now!

This outdoor event will coincide with an online petition that will send a message to our Environment Minister to "Save Our Flatbacks!", by creating a large network of marine sanctuaries across their home in Northern Australia. To sign now hit:  http://amcs.org.au/WhatWeDo.asp?active_page_id=649

To find out more about the lifecycle of the flatback turtle and why it is of international importance that we take action to protect them in Northern Australia, please click here.

Please wear a red t-shirt, and come along to show your support for the amazing marine life of the Kimberley and opposition to Woodside’s polluting industrial site.

Woodside Ltd is one of the joint venture (JV) partners for the development of gas in the Browse Basin off the Kimberley coast, and holds a 50% share in the partnership. The other JV partners are Shell, Chevron, BHP Billiton and BP.

So, next Friday 30th April, let the boss know you'll be a bit later, and join us outside the Perth Convention Centre from 9am to 10am.

You can also email these people today!

Woodside CEO Don Voelte - don.voelte@woodside.com.au

Premier Colin Barnett - wa-government@dpc.wa.gov.au

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd via http://www.pm.gov.au/PM_Connect/contact_your_pm_form