Winter Sports are now well underway and the Rec Ground is in use most days for training or games of footy and netball. It is also very encouraging to see how many locals and general community use the Rec Ground and facilities on a regular basis. Please remember that it is a community facility and not owned by the council. Our community owns the place and volunteers run it and pay for everything.

The Moddies (mini Thunderer’s) had their Guernsey Presentation on the last Tuesday evening in April. Unlike last season where our moddies could not win a game so far this season they have had 6 wins and Matt, the Moddies Coach, will shave his head down to the skin - including beard and eyebrows - if the kids win 10 of the 12 games this season... Go Mini Thunderers!!

Summer Netball has again started up at the Cherry Garden Recreation Ground on a Thursday evening. Games start at 4.30 and finish approximately 9.30. Meals are available every week and the Bar is also open. Looking forward to a fun and exciting summer season on Netball There is a great vibe and lots of netball being played.

We are looking for a boy who would like to either play full time or just fill-in for our Saturday morning junior boys’ team. Boys need to be 17 or under at 30/09/2020. If you’re interested or would like more information send us an email at ibcg@bigpond.com or call our Secretary Phil Battersby on 0417 215 647.

And just like that the 20/21 cricket season is upon us and its sure to be a memorable one as it celebrates our 30th season since the Ironbank and Scott Creek clubs merged to create the great club we have now.

We continue to be grateful that SA is relatively free and back to the COVID normal. We are still allowed up to 90 people in the clubrooms and up to 1,000 spectators to watch games (which is a lot more than we would ever expect).

Great news, the netball season has now officially started. We have had a couple of games and we have also had some great wins to get the season started. On 1st of August we have the majority of the teams playing at home so it would be a great day to come and see some great netball + Winter Games times

Everyone in the club is feeling so happy and grateful to be playing footy in 2020. A couple of months ago we all held little chance it would happen but here we are.

Over the last few weeks along with so many things in our state we are finding that the relaxation of the COVID-19 restrictions means our club and the sports clubs have been able to get back to the new normal. We are allowed up to 90 people in the clubrooms and up to 1,000 spectators to watch games. Remember there are also meals on Thursday nights after training and everyone is welcome.

As reported on the front page the Recreation Ground is very happy to have been granted funding by the State Government under their Grassroots program to build new changerooms for our sporting clubs. With the COVID-19 situation all sports are currently not able to train or play.

The Cricket Season was cut short due to COVID-19 and we were unable to hold a presentation for our teams and players. As a substitute each coach put together some information about the season and the players: A2 Seniors.

The Cricket Season was cut short due to COVID-19 and we were unable to hold a presentation for our teams and players. As a substitute each coach put together some information about the season and the players: A3 Seniors.

We advised that the Community Campfire is to be held this year after a couple of years off due to COVID. As you would be aware, at the time of writing, it is a bit on-again off-again due to Covid. We will try to keep you up to speed with the A-frames which we will place on Cherry Gardens Road. It is our hope that the event will still be held on Saturday 11th of September, in the Hall carpark, from 5pm to 8pm.

The Cherry Gardens Memorial Hall is available for hire at very reasonable rates + Progress report on the new storage room at the rear of the Hall + Community Campfire will be on 11 Sept! Laughing Llama Dance and Drama group is still holding classes at the hall.

The Cherry Gardens Memorial Hall is available for hire at very reasonable rates, with full kitchen facilities available + Laughing Llama Dance and Drama group is holding classes at the hall.

The Cherry Gardens Memorial Hall is available for hire at very reasonable rates + Laughing Llama Dance and Drama group is holding classes at the hall.

The Cherry Gardens Memorial Hall is available for hire at very reasonable rates + Laughing Llama Dance and Drama group is holding classes at the hall.

The Cherry Gardens Memorial Hall Annual General Meeting will be held at the Hall on Tuesday 23rd February 2021 at 7:30pm.

The Laughing Lama Dance and Drama group is holding classes at the Hall, and they are going well. See their website or check our Facebook page for more information.

The Laughing Lama Dance and Drama group is holding classes at the Hall + we are pleased to advise that the Secret Garden Playgroup is now operating at the Cherry Gardens Hall. The program is ideal for children aged 18 months to school age.

The Laughing Lama Dance and Drama group will be holding classes at the hall starting in July. Unfortunately the decision has be made to cancel the Community Campfire this year.

The Hall recently held the AGM for the 2020 year. At the meeting committee members put themselves forward to serve for the next 12 months.

The Fridges have arrived...a big thank you to the City of Onkaparinga. You will recall that the Hall was successful this year in winning a grant to replace our aging 1000L refrigerator with 2 new 420L refrigerators. This means that for most functions we will only require having one smaller fridge turned on, a significant power saving.

Recently we wrote about our success in obtaining 3 grants from the Onkaparinga Council as part of their recent round. One of the grants was for the extension and upgrade of our storage facility at the rear of the hall.

The Cherry Gardens Memorial Hall is one of only a few halls in the Onkaparinga Council which is not owned by the Council. The voluntary committee of local people works very hard to promote the hall to the local community, and we run functions which provide an opportunity for the local community to come together. Recently, on the 14th September, was the third Community Campfire.

Community campfire + Grants update + Table tennis. Remember to visit the Hall Facebook page and you will be kept updated on functions and other happenings at the Hall.

Potential dog training sessions at the hall + We are also pleased to announce that the Hall has been successful in attracting some grants from the Onkaparinga Council in the 2019 round. Remember to visit the Hall Facebook page and you will be kept updated on functions and other happenings at the Hall.

In a recent workshop at the Hall, participants learned to make fabulous felted footwear. Remember to visit the Hall Facebook page and you will be kept updated on functions and other happenings at the Hall.

The Annual Community Dinner this year will be held at the Hall on Saturday 15th June. Have you got your ticket? Pleas, an update on the Hall Upgrade.

The Annual Community Dinner this year will be held at the Hall on Saturday 15th June. It is a great opportunity to meet with other residents of Cherry Gardens. You will recall we had a full house last year, so make sure you book early.

With the colder weather well and truly on us there may not be as much incentive to get out there and ride. However, unlike the car, the horse can’t be left to park in his stable/paddock without attention.

At last some decent rain to green up the paddocks! Unfortunately, with the true feed comes the weeds. This may be too late for some weed control, but with the damper ground, some weeds are actually easy to pull by hand. Salvation Jane and cape weed are good examples.

By now many of you will be putting rugs on horses as the cold nights set in. It is handy to always have a spare rug or two from previous years just in case the present one gets a tear or whatever. Especially by the time we get into July/August, there’s nothing worse than having to rush out to replace a rug on a foul day, only to find that there isn’t a spare interim rug.

It seems like such a long time between articles and I remember wishing you all a safe and uneventful summer break. Unfortunately that was not to be and many of us found ourselves in the midst of a frightening summer fire. As bad as these events are, hopefully there are some positives to be taken from them.

It seems like such a long time between articles and I remember wishing you all a safe and uneventful summer break. Unfortunately that was not to be and many of us found ourselves in the midst of a frightening summer fire. As bad as these events are, hopefully there are some positives to be taken from them.

Greetings Fellow Equines and Horse Owners! Weather is always a good subject for discussion, as those who are animal owners will know. Whether (pardon the pun!) it is hot, cold, wet or windy, there is always something to be done to keep our animals more comfortable.

Greetings Fellow Equines and Horse Owners! Reasonably good news all round, with some rainfall and supposedly more to come – bring it on! Also my hoof abscess seems to have cleared up completely now, so things back to normal in that department.

Well! Don’t some things come back to bite you! You may remember I have mentioned previously how important it is to daily check your horse, especially the feet – even when he is not going to be ridden. My owners generally stick to this routine pretty well, however some weeks ago (just after the last Chatter) I had a day off and my feet weren’t checked.

We are well into winter now and with the change in seasons often comes a change in routines for owners and equines. Some of us may find ourselves being yarded or stabled more often and for longer periods. We may also find ourselves feeling a little more neglected due to inclement weather. Horses, although sensitive are actually quite adaptable to the most amazing variety of things.

First Training Principles – remember this is a follow on from last month’s Five Freedoms. The bulk of this is taken from Equitation Science should you wish to go into more detail. There are 10 basic training principles.

For many of us it has been a stressful summer so far; for those who have lost homes and animals and also those who have done the hard ( and dangerous) work on the ground fighting the fires, cleaning up and protecting those properties at risk. Fortunately for most of us this summer has served as a wake up call to be organised in regards to having a fire plan in place.

In recent times, the welfare of the horse has been mentioned in the media. As the general public becomes more aware of standards of horse treatment (both good and not so good), horse owners are becoming more accountable for their practices. One such set of standards if you like is called the 5 Freedoms.

The first stage of contractor work in the part of the park burnt in the Cherry Gardens fire earlier this year has been completed, thanks to Federal funding as part of a Bassian Thrush Threat Abatement Project.

Since gaining permission from the National Parks and Wildlife Service SA to enter and conduct regular activities in the burn area, we have run our first bird banding and a couple of bushcare activities. There are still hazards present following the fire, but we have been given some additional protocols to keep us safe.

The University of Adelaide’s BandiBunch have completed their first series of mammal trap surveys in the fire scar and, in addition to the Bush Rats and Yellow-footed Antechinus that they found and I reported on in last month’s Cherry Chatter, they were very excited to find a male Southern Brown Bandicoot.

Since the January fires that were deliberately lit around the local area, and which burnt out the eastern 500 hectares of Scott Creek CP, there has been much activity, mostly behind the scenes, planning for the recovery task ahead of us in the Friends group. While the bushland will recover, there are a number of weeds that will benefit from the fire and compete with the regenerating native plants.

On 24 January a deliberately lit fire on a high fire danger day burnt its way through 500 hectares of Scott Creek Conservation Park. So goes the impassive headline. A devastating heart-wrench for the Friends group was learning that the home of inaugural members Donna and Don Reid was also destroyed along with Donna’s amazing artworks and years and years of Don’s personal bird observation records.

Continuing our group’s 30th anniversary celebrations, we will be running our annual Almanda Open Day on Sunday 15th November, followed by our AGM on Tuesday 17th. + November 2020 program, and general info about the Friends of Scott Creek Conservation Park.

September 2020 program + general info about the Friends of Scott Creek Conservation Park

As COVID-19 restrictions continue to ease, our activities are almost back to pre-coronavirus levels, though we continue to maintain protocols regarding social distancing, hygiene and asking that people who are feeling ill stay away until they are better.

With so much of Australia impacted by fires, then storms and flooding in some locations, it seems like a lot has happened since the last Cherry Chatter went out. Our thoughts are with all those who have lost loved ones, homes and livelihoods. There has been an enormous impact on communities, wildlife and the environment. All group activities are cancelled until further notice due to the current COVID-19 restrictions.

Anyone wanting more information about the Friends of Scott Creek CP, or wanting to get involved, can contact us. All working bees during summer meet at the earlier time of 8.30am at the Almanda Car Park on Dorset Vale Road (unless there is a MLR fire ban or very wet weather).

On a Sunday in the middle of October we held our fourth Almanda Open Day at the Almanda Mine area of the park. For the first time this was held in spring, to better show off the park’s beautiful wildflowers. Anyone wanting more information about the Friends of Scott Creek CP, or wanting to get involved, can contact us.

Come along to our Annual General Meeting at 7.30pm on Tuesday 12th November, to be held at the Cherry Gardens CFS station at 294 Cherry Gardens Road. The brief formalities will be followed by a presentation by Peter Hunt, asking us ‘would you recognise a native South Australian land snail if you saw one?’

Are you interested in nature? Native plants? Wildlife? Looking for a break from the hustle and bustle? Want to give something back to the community or Mother Nature? We invite you all to come along to our open day on Sunday 13th October, between 10am and 3pm behind the Almanda mine car park on Dorset Vale Road.

Are you interested in nature? Native plants? Wildlife? Looking for a break from the hustle and bustle? Want to give something back to the community or Mother Nature? We welcome anyone who wants to come along and see what we do at any of our activities.

Are you interested in nature? Native plants? Wildlife? Looking for a break from the hustle and bustle? Want to give something back to the community or Mother Nature? We welcome anyone who wants to come along and see what we do at any of our activities.

I have noticed quite a number of dying Messmate Stringybark (Eucalyptus obliqua) in the Mount Lofty Ranges, including in Scott Creek CP. There have also been a few deaths of quite old Silver Banksia (Banksia marginata), which is the only locally indigenous species of banksia we have in the Adelaide Hills. It is possible that other factors are also at play, in particular the root-rot disease Phytophthora cinnamomi (Pc).

It was great to finally get some steady rain early in May, let’s hope we return to something more like average or above average rainfall for the rest of the year. The good news is that our native vegetation is very resilient and, while it will certainly be impacted by long-term climate change, it will generally recover well from summer droughts.

Are you interested in nature? Native plants? Wildlife? Looking for a break from the hustle and bustle? Want to give something back to the community or Mother Nature? We welcome anyone who wants to come along and see what we do at any of our activities.