Community Announcements and Information
If you are aware of an event and would like to promote this to our school community, please forward your information and details to the school.
Email: rockyriver-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au
We currently have fresh eggs for sale at Rocky River School for $5 per carton, please contact the school if you would like to purchase some.
Issue 6 Book Club
We haven't yet received the paper catalogues for Scholastic Book Club issue 6. If you wish to view this issue please click on the link below. You can order online via the parent loop portal at this site. Orders are due by Friday 9th September.
https://www.scholastic.com.au/book-club/book-club-parents/
Help find the Black-throated Finch in NSW and surrounds!
We write to you about the Black-throated Finch southern subspecies Poephila cincta cincta (image attached). This species once occurred in your school’s region but in 2016, the NSW government declared it “Presumed Extinct”. We are not convinced, and have an exciting project underway now - “Help find the Black-throated Finch in NSW and surrounds”.
The last confirmed sighting was at Pindarri Dam, near Ashford in 1994, there have been numerous unconfirmed sightings in the area bounded by Tamworth in the south, Gunnedah and Moree in the west, Texas and Stanthorpe in the north and Armidale, Glenn Innes and Tenterfield in the east. With better than ever seasons for native grasses (key food resource) over the last few years, it is now time to search again.
This initial “search” phase of the project is well advanced, and we’d love for Rocky River Public School to get involved. We’ve had local council’s spread the word and our ecologists have chased a number of leads – sadly to no avail. We think involving students and parents may uncover potential remnant populations.
As the species exists in good numbers in captivity our subsequent plans are to do some science, identify existing habitat, do some more science, whilst breeding birds in aviaries within the region with a view to soft release to reestablish the species in years to come. We would love to involve schools in these future ventures.
We encourage your school community to report any sightings to us at btf@asapl.org.au or via our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/blackthroatedfinchproject. This will allow us to paint a better picture of their current status and hopefully enable us to target specific locations with more detailed surveys.
Kind regards,
Sam Davis
Australian Society for Avian Preservations
