Having a deep affinity with nature since he was a little boy in the 1940s, Keith Ridsdale has always sought to preserve the environment in his various pursuits – be it sustainable fishing, protecting the waterways and encouraging a habitat for healthy native bird life.
Keith has always shared his skills in recognising bird calls with those around him, something he learned when he was young and his fascination would find him climbing trees to identify birds nests, collecting eggs from abandoned nests, and aiding lost and unwell birds to safety.
In his happiest place, Keith can be found by a body of water, surrounded by native trees and birdsong, fishing rod in hand. A long-standing volunteer member of Ballarat Fish Protection & Angling Club, Ballarat Fly Fishing Club, Ballarat Fish Acclimatisation Society & Hatcheries, his love of habitat protection for our waterways extended to running education sessions for school children to understand the importance of preserving our dams, rivers, lakes and oceans.
His connection to the bush still runs deep as he enters his 80thyear on Planet Earth. His family thought the best gift for a man of such a love of water, nature and the bush, would be to give back to the natural world he loves most.
Tree Tally – 75
Keith’s trees have been planted!
The Leigh Catchment Group (LCG) is a network of eight Landcare groups in the Corangamite region of South West Victoria. For over 20 years, the network have been bringing members of the community together to maintain, protect and repair the fragile environment in our landscape. Our Landcare Groups and landowners have and continue to deliver numerous projects on farmland, urban, public land, and small semi-rural properties. The results show that landholders, working together with the community and with the support of government initiatives we can delivery significant and manageable habitat change.
In total, our network covers an area of 890 square kilometres, within the catchments of the Yarrowee and Leigh Rivers. The Leigh Catchment contains a diverse range of topographic features from gently undulating hills, wide valleys and river flats, to steep escarpments and rocky gorges. Our catchments support areas of significant remnant native vegetation including forests, woodlands, grasslands and wetlands which provide important fauna habitat values.
These particular trees were planted by Jenny Ryle and the Bamgamie Meredith Landcare Group.
Thank you to all supporters behind Fifteen Trees.
Nick McKinley | Coordinator | Leigh Catchment Group
Thank you to the following contributors to Keith’s birthday trees – Kelli Ridsdale, Noel Feltham, Paul Kierce, Gaz Crook, Laura Blake and Mark McCartney, plus 5 from us here at Fifteen Trees.
Many happy returns Keith, what a wonderful group of loving family and friends you have gathered around you. And of course, the planet gathers around you too.
Sláinte – Colleen
Colleen Filippa | Director + Founder | Fifteen Trees
