Dear HEN Members and Supporters, We hope you are managing life under the new coronavirus lifestyle we have all needed to adopt over the last couple of months. Thank you to any members who are working in frontline jobs such medical and emergency services and all the other activities that keep our community going. Thank you especially to teachers and supermarket workers! There are many others we want to thank too. If you have children at home and are working with them on their education, we hope you are managing OK. Try to enjoy it and teach them some new skills too like crafts, gardening and cooking…. Check out our Facebook page and the Remakery hawkesburyremakery.com.au for crafty ideas for yourselves and the kids. If you live alone try to keep in touch with family and friends by phone, email, skype, etc. It can get lonely.. We now have all the materials needed to for the wildlife watering stations but construction is on hold until lock-down is over.. HEN’s Communities Environment grant – “Valuing Our Wetlands – Smith Park Pughs Lagoon” update: While we progressed with some initial planning in February we have had to put this work on hold until after the social distancing restrictions are lifted. Once things return to normal we will invite our members to be involved in weed removal and planting suitable wetland species. Our project also involves the production of some interpretive signage which seeks to tell the story of Pugh’s lagoon from environmental, cultural and historical perspectives. We are calling for participation from members who can contribute to this endeavour. HEN will again be supporting Koalas in 2020, working in collaboration with Cattai Hills Environment Network CHEN to hold an event to raise awareness of the vital need for habitat protection of this iconic species which has been so devastated by fires this summer all across Australia. Please visit our website (below) and look at HEN Facebook where many events show up. Keep in touch and encourage your friends to join up and be part of our campaigns! Remember to renew your membership each year! If any of you are having difficulties connected with the “lockdown” at this time or just want to make contact, please send us an email. Social/physical distancing means no face-to-face meetings for a while but we would like to keep in touch with all our members. Kind Regards, Courtney Jocelyn Christine Sharon |