Community Consulation at Gilberton, November 2014

On Friday 14th  and Saturday 15th November, we invited interested  Gilberton residents to meet with us on site, have morning tea and discuss their views on possible changes to the Gilberton Woodland.

The topics covered included our paths, seating , new large signs, small plant label display signs, and introducing some Nature Play elements on site (e.g. log stepping rounds, moss rocks, secret paths).  Many attendees filled out an anonymous questionnaire on these topics.

It was wonderful to meet more of  the locals and find out their thoughts are on what we are doing at our Gilberton sites!

You can never please everyone, but the overwhelming feedback was that while they supported what we are doing in general terms (especially reintroducing our native orchids), the locals wished the site to look and be as natural as possible.

This included no intrusive large signs (i.e. not visible to the neighbours or from the street), dolomite paths, logs, dirt paths or lots of smaller plant labels (although opinion was divided on the later as some liked know what the plants were and when they would flower).  The same non-intrusive location for a larger information sign was suggested by several people and is likely to be adopted (a lower sign closer to the O’Bahn mesh fence and visible from the path but not from the street or any neighbouring property.)  

The residents local would also LOVE for a proper footpath (especially paved) along the street in front of the both the Gilberton Woodland, and the larger revegetated Penny’s Patch instead of the current “goat track”.  This, of course, is out of our ambit and a matter for Walkerville Council.

The immediate neighbours in particular also did not want to encourage children to play on the site.  I’m sure we also need to rethink how we explain Nature Play (perhaps the ‘natural’ supervised unstructured play by young children in  outdoor/garden/natural areas?).  N.B. They hadn’t noticed Lesley’s lovely grandchildren who have been regularly helping us and playing on site for over a year now!

We have given an undertaking to the immediate neighbours to consider their wishes and consult with them again before making any changes likely to impact on the site visually.  Of course, we also need Walkerville Council permission as well, as it is their responsibility to manage Linear Park land.

As can be seen in the photograph, following the almost unanimous feedback from the meeting on 28th November Cathryn, David and Heather covered the dolomite keyhole to the log with mulch making it LOOK MUCH BETTER!!

We also removed all the small black display sign plant labels, with the intention that we work out a way of only using the signs for short periods  to highlight special seasonal events e.g. What is that spectacularly flowering plant?  We believe this will be even better information sharing in the long run and  enhance the interest of the community and visitors in our native plants.

Great results already!!

And it was so great to meet and touch base with more of the neighbours!