Jamie’s Journal

I had planned to sit down and write a positive reflection on my two weeks in a primary school. However, regular programming has been interrupted for another ranting and raving entry. The school reflection has not been forgotten… just postponed.

Throughout yesterday morning I could hear the sound of machinery – trucks, chainsaws and the odd crash. However, this didn’t ring my alarm bells. The truck was probably doing road works, the chainsaw was probably a neighbour cutting up firewood and the crashes could have been associated with either. How wrong I was. There was no road works, no neighbour cutting up firewood, just the logging of the forest!

A group of pine trees stand at the edge of the native forest. Beneath the pines is a creek, other smaller trees, tree ferns and ferns. For many animals this area is their home and playground. However, it is all being destroyed in the name of “conservation”.

The pine trees are classified as weeds and are thus being removed. However, in the seventeen years we’ve lived here no new pine tree has seeded. In fact, the pines are slowly dying and falling down of their own accord! Thus, the so-called weeds are hardly threatening. They provide a home to native animals and give the area natural beauty.

In order to log the pines, the few magnificent mountain ash nestled amongst the pines are also likely to die… not to mention the smaller trees, tree ferns and ferns. The entire area is being decimated. Parks Victoria is consoling us by stating they will “plant seeds”. Oh, that’s nice! They cut down fifty metre tall trees and give us seeds. I’ll probably be dead before their seeds have regenerated the forest. That’s IF their seeds regenerate the forest. Furthermore, what’s to stop Holly or Sycamores trees from growing there? These trees grow much faster than the native plants! Holly and Sycamore seeds are only twenty metres away in neighbouring properties. This “conservation” effort is a farce.

How about this for a conspiracy theory? Parks Victoria has run out of things to do. Rather than admit that their jobs are no longer required, they’re “conserving” areas where their presence is neither wanted nor required.

Thankfully, our house is very well positioned. We still have trees and forest on all sides. However, the small pocket of pine forest at the base of our driveway is being transformed into a wasteland. As I’ve been writing this, the house has shaken three times. Three more trees that will never be seen again. I imagine it’s not exactly going to do wonders to the value of our property either.

I took some photos yesterday of the “conservation” in action. I’ll take some more over the next few days to document the before and after.

The view from the base of my driveway. All these trees are being logged.

“Conservation” in action.

Kookaburras sitting in trees that will soon be destroyed. Laugh no more kookaburras.

I’m also deeply disturbed that Parks Victoria has chosen to log the forest at this time of year. Kookaburras and other birds are having children. Their nests may very well be in these pine trees. When the trees come down, the chicks will die.

Last week my Physical Education lecturer, Val, was riding her bike to campus when she skidded on a tram track and slid in front of a car. Her right shoulder was broken and her left thumb ripped from her hand (it has since been successfully reattached). She’s now back on her feet and taking our lectures even though she doesn’t have the use of her arms. The woman’s got strength!

Val gave us a recount of the accident today and I’m quite horrified. After she was knocked to the ground she lay there for quite a while. Nobody made any attempt to help her or call an ambulance. The car driver stayed in his vehicle and nearby pedestrians just watched. Furthermore, other cars started to drive around her… Utterly pathetic! What’s wrong with people?

It was only after Val realized that no assistance was forthcoming that she herself took charge of the situation. Despite the fact her thumb was dangling from her hand, she gave orders for two people to lift her off the road. She then requested another observer call her an ambulance and sent them back to retrieve her bike.

I seriously don’t understand. If I saw a lady hit by a car and knocked to the ground I would immediately call an ambulance and try to help. Are people too eager to get to work that they can’t help someone who has just been seriously injured? What about the car driver? You’d think that after hitting someone the very least you could do would be to get out of your car and check on them! I’m really sickened.

NO NO NO NO! This semester I have more contact hours and at worse times. I have 9am lectures 4 days a week. On these days I have to wake up at 6:30am as I live so far out from uni! Unfortunately, I also require 9 hours of sleep each night. If I’m sleep deprived more than three days in a row I get sick. This happens without fail. Thus, I have to discipline myself to be in bed at 9pm to be asleep for 9:30pm. I hate living these hours! It feels like my day is really short. More importantly, my TV shows finish at 9:30pm. Damn this timetable!