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What do the director of a fishing company, an octogenarian sculptress and the Swiss consul-general have in common? Well they are all supporters of Foundation projects, bringing very different gifts and skills to the organisation.

You will find stories about each of them in this first issue of PAWS, the foundation's e-newsletter. And if the word PAWS has given you pause for thought, it is an acronym for Parks and Wildlife Supporters. We hope to bring you the stories behind the appeals and an insight into the individuals who make the Foundation's work possible. We will also bring you news about current events and appeals.

Mike Rowley, former managing director of Fortuna Fishing, had the only two licenses allowing commercial fishing within the 12 nautical mile limit of Lord Howe island. He found fishing off the island "absolutely magic" but gave the two permits to the Foundation so that nobody else could buy the rights he held. His donation was worth $250,000.

Albert Mehr, Swiss consul-general, raised $3333 to provide nesting boxes for Manly's endangered mainland fairy penguin colony. The money which he gave to the Foundation was raised through an unusual sponsored slimming competition – which saw Mr Mehr, his family and friends shed a lot of weight but gained the penguins some fine shelter.

Lady Jean Griffin, a sculptress and wife of former Lord Mayor of Sydney Sir David Griffin, donated a bronze platypus to the Foundation. The metal monotreme was mounted on a stout log of wood and became the much-coveted Golden Paw Perpetual Trophy in the Foundation's annual children's art competition.

It is through the generosity of a tremendous variety of individuals that the Foundation forges its success. You will find fresh opportunities to assist highlighted in each PAWS e-newsletter.

Right now we are looking for good writers and photographers to contribute to future editions of PAWS. You don't have to be a professional, just passionate about the environment. If you want to volunteer to contribute to the newsletter or serve as a correspondent in your area then email me at paws@fnpw.com.au. Readers' feedback is most welcome.

"You are 400 miles from any land and the island is a beacon for fish. If you can imagine a desert and in the middle of that is an oasis which every bird and every animal heads for, that is what Lord Howe Island is like. "

Until recently he held the only four commercial fishing licenses within the 12 nautical mile exclusion zone off Lord Howe Island and Balls Pyramid. This area includes the Lord Howe Marine Park, which contains the world's most southerly coral barrier reef and some 500 species of fish.

To prevent anyone else acquiring the rights and damaging the extraordinary marine life, he donated two of the licenses worth $250 000 to the Foundation. The two licenses also permitted bottom fishing along a broad band of the coast from Cape York in Queensland to Tasmania.

After lengthy negotiations with the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA), the foundation succeeded this year in having the right to bottom fishing around Lord Howe and Balls Pyramid permanently extinguished from the two licenses.

Not a conservationist
Leonie Gale, executive officer of the foundation, is delighted with Mr Rowley's unusual gift. "He did it because he is passionate about the area." It was the first gift to be made to the foundation under the Philanthropy Programme of the Income Tax Assessment Act.

Rowley, a South African migrant who founded the $100 million East Coast Tuna Fishery as well as Fortuna, says he is not a conservationist. His motivation in donating the permits to the foundation was to save the fish of Lord Howe island from commercial exploitation by future generations. He explains that Australia has been good to him and this is one way of giving something back to his adopted land.

His company held the licenses since 1983 but he says it utilized them only for fishing in a sustainable way in deep water. "Our activities had no impact on the ecology of the fish. We fished for pelagic fish which are highly migratory, with some degree of residency." The fish caught included rosy jobfish, kingfish and bar cod, most of which were exported to Hawaii.

Hand-fed black cod
The remaining licences held by Mr Rowley's Fortuna Fishery were the only two with a condition that allowed longline tuna, broadbill swordfish and marlin fishing within 12 nautical miles of Lord Howe. Mr Rowley says he has now had the condition extinguished. "We've surrendered our rights to enter the park for any fishing whatsoever. This means that all commercial fishing activity within the park has ended for all time."

Rowley is particularly fond of the huge tame black cod found off the island, which is a World Heritage site. He says the species no longer occurs on the New South Wales coast because it has been decimated by spear fishermen.

The black cod are protected in Lord Howe. "There are 30 or 40 of them. You can swim with them and hand feed them, although some have never seen a human before". He believes the species should be on the endangered list.

Leonie Gale says the Lord Howe fishing rights extinguished by the Foundation are worth about $200,000.

The remaining fishing rights worth approximately $50,000 in the two permits have been split off and will be sold by the foundation to support environmental conservation projects.

She says the organisation does not believe that selling the rights to demersal fishing on the rest of the coast will impact on the marine environment. This is because the licenses are subject to strict quota arrangements by AFMA and the total allowable catch will remain constant.

Gale who travels to Lord Howe each year says: "It is a jewel in the Pacific with all these rare plants and wildlife. The Lord Howe Island Board told us that if we could accept the gift [of fishing permits] they would be eternally grateful." The foundation has a long association with conservation on the island, having previously played a key role in saving the Lord Howe Woodhen. The species which is confined to Lord Howe had declined to less than 30 birds in the 1970s. It was rescued through a captive breeding programme, funded by the foundation, and by removal of feral pigs and cats. Gale says: "It has basically saved a species from extinction. Now we are looking at getting rid of the rats and other rodents."

Special tax deductions over five years are allowed for donors giving property worth more than $5000 to eligible environment and heritage bodies. Gifts are made in terms of the Philanthropy Programme of the Income Tax Assessment Act The property can consist of anything from land and buildings to antiques. For further information see our Donor Information page .

Squirrel gliders, fairy penguins and goannas inhabit the home of Lady Jean Griffin at Mittagong in the Southern Highlands.

They are not the live variety but bronze statues made by the 84-year old sculptress who crafted the platypus for the Golden Paw Award perpetual trophy. It is awarded each year by the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife on September 7, National Threatened Species Day.

Thousands of children from across New South Wales competed for the prize in the first competition in 2002. When the main prizewinner Alexander Brooks of Urana came up to collect his trophy from Lady Griffin he seemed staggered by the weight of what he had won.

Sitting in the garden of her country home, Lady Griffin recalls: "He was delighted at the trophy." She believes many trophies are not appealing to pupils at all. "Half the time they give them awful things, don’t they? The animals I sculpt are made for children. They've all got to be happy."

So the platypus on the perpetual trophy had a beaming bill and each of the animals she sculpts in clay has a happy expression. She says she often gives the smiling sculptures away to her grandchildren.

Wife of former Sydney Lord Mayor Sir David Griffin, CBE, Lady Griffin's work is in private and commercial collections in Australia and Switzerland. Her husband, a former director of companies, is known for two books linked to his imprisonment in the notorious Japanese Changi prison in World War Two. The first is his children's book The Happiness Box, which he wrote after being captured in the fall of Singapore in 1942. Illustrated by another prisoner Leslie Greener, the book about Winston the chi-chak lizard and other characters was intended as a gift for the children in Changi. However the Japanese military concluded that Sgt Griffin's book contained secret coded messages and ordered it destroyed. The Australians managed to hide the manuscript by burying it in a box underground. It was dug up and published after the war.

Last year Sir David published Changi Days – The Prisoner as Poet – a collection of poems written by members of the Changi Literary Society which he formed.

Although her husband was imprisoned shortly after they were married, Lady Griffin shrugs off the hardship. She says she was among thousands of other women separated from their husbands in the war.

Lady Griffin still sculpts whenever possible and is showing several of her works at the Sculptors Society exhibition in Darling Park Gallery (on until September 6). They include a swooping squirrel glider that can swivel freely on its wooden stand and a sleek fairy penguin swimming off a rock.

It is not just animals, birds and reptiles that she sculpts but cheetahs, baboons and other beasts whose pictures she sees in books. In her studio she shows an eclectic range of subjects – from three children doing headstands to a realistic squashed winter hat. Many of her ideas come from photographs.

Trained at Randwick Technical College, the East Sydney College and the Workshop Art Centre in Willoughby, Lady Griffin used to make unusual sculptures of insects and wildlife in knotted wool on metal frames. She has also worked in stone and wood. The platypus on the trophy was carved out of clay and then cast in bronze.

As she walks around her studio, Lady Griffin strokes her statues. "This one has a lovely patina, doesn't it?" she asks touching a gleaming mermaid. And then stroking the squirrel glider she says: "I really love my animals."

Buying the wilderness area of Green Gully, with its resident population of endangered Brush-tailed Rock-wallabies, is one of the biggest projects the Foundation has ever undertaken so I was extremely keen to see this remote sanctuary for myself.

The $1.5 million property fits into a mosaic of surrounding wilderness areas, like the final piece in a large jigsaw puzzle. The autumn trip to Green Gully was led by Keith Muir, Director of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness. It was a chance to see this vast property in the rugged Macleay Gorges, currently run as a cattle farm. It was also a dry run in preparation for inviting influential VIPs to visit the area. I was one of four representatives of the Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife invited on the trip, the others being Executive Officer Leonie Gale and Director Sue Maple-Brown and her husband Robert.

We were driven into the area by four wheel drive by the current owner, farmer Jeff O’Keefe. The area is very remote and after 30 kilometres of dirt road we descended into a deep valley down a precarious ridge. There was not much sign of life here as our driver told of earlier accidents on this track. All five of us had a great sense of anticipation as to what would unravel over the next two days as we walked down the Yarrowitch River from Brandy Creek to join the Apsley River and then on to the junction with Green Gully Creek.

At the bottom of the valley we stopped at an old ramshackle yard, put on our back-packs, waved goodbye and headed down to the Yarrowitch. The river is some ten to twenty metres wide and up to a metre in depth. The surface of the river is constantly broken by rocks making a wonderful gushing noise.

The valley has steep, but climbable sides, and we traversed the river flats as we headed downstream. We must have crossed through the river a dozen times that day until we found our camping spot on a large river flat. Great wedge-tailed eagles soared in the thermals above. Other bird life included sulphur-crested cockatoos, rosellas, fantails, wrens, apostle birds, spur-winged plovers and red brow finches.

The stars were brilliant that night as we sat around the camp fire drinking a bottle of red which mysteriously found its way there. The moon rose late as we slept under the open sky.

The next morning, after meticulously cleaning our camp site we headed down to the junction of the Apsley. What a mighty confluence this is, with vast areas of stones strewn around its banks as a testament to what happens when the rivers flood. The Apsley is about twice the size of the Yarrowitch.

That morning we saw our first Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby sunning itself on a rocky outcrop, some way above the valley floor. I had never seen this species of wallaby before and was struck by its rich orangey-brown coat and bushy tail. We spotted the animal from some 40 metres away and it seemed quite undisturbed.

During the day we crossed the river ten or so times, always trying to follow the river flats. These flats were punctuated with white cedar, massive she oaks - some of which had been uprooted in floods - and of course eucalypts of various shapes and sizes.

At the junction of Green Gully Creek we met again with Jeff O'Keefe who gave us a lift out of the valley. As we ascended we passed one particular rocky outcrop, with figs, where we saw at least a dozen Brush-tailed Rock-wallabies. The native figs were characteristic of Green Gully's rocky areas. Typically small, from two to five metres, the figs are used by the wallabies for shelter and presumably food.

We also saw various kangaroos as we got higher. The view back from where we had been was spectacular, with the rivers winding along the valley floor like snakes in the distance.

I emerged from the bush feeling calm and tranquil. Hopefully many more people will get the opportunity to do similar visits in future. I for one would go back like a shot tomorrow.

Unusual and extraordinary prizes are being sought for the Foundation's annual Fort Denison dinner on Wednesday 29th October.

The dinner is the biggest fundraising event for the Foundation and it is looking for a generous event sponsor as well as gifts of individual prizes.

According to Leonie Gale, Executive Officer for the Foundation, the prizes could be anything from a $50 gift voucher to an overseas trip. If you have something to give that you think members and their guests will enjoy, covet or even kill for, then contact Leonie Gale.

It could be an antique necklace that grandma left you, two tickets to the Sydney Opera House, a case of fine wine or a few nights in a wilderness lodge in Tasmania. Even better would be a larger prize like a motorcar or kitchen renovation. The prizes will be sold to the highest bidder by auctioneer Simon Storey and all the money raised will go to the Foundation's Green Gully Wilderness Appeal.

Our guest speaker will be former ABC News Presenter Richard Morecroft. The Master of Ceremonies will be auctioneer Simon Story.

Tickets for the function cost $250 comprising a cost of $150 a ticket plus a suggested minimum donation of $100 a person.

An extraordinary 12 day journey by private aircraft around the wilderness heartland and remote peninsulas of Australia will benefit the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife.

Ten percent of each ticket for the Bill Peach Journeys Great Australian Aircruise will go to the Green Gully appeal of the Foundation. The journey includes two nights at the Seven Spirit Bay Wilderness Lodge on the Cobourg Peninsula, a cruise from Broome to view the dinosaur footprints, a camel ride along Cable Beach and hot air ballooning over the MacDonnell Ranges at Alice Springs.

For further information on this exclusive tour which departs in September contact Bill Peach Journeys at 1800 252 053.

Our donors have raised an amazing $10,000 for the Fairy Penguin colony in Manly through this year’s penguin appeal.

Thanks to this generous support, 60 to 70 pairs of Fairy Penguins at Manly are going to be breeding in new nesting boxes this season, which started in July and will run through to late February next year. The Boxes need to be replaced quite frequently due to termites and the penguins’ own housekeeping.

Albert Mehr, the Swiss Consul General in Sydney also has a passion for Fairy Penguins and is doing something practical to help them.

He hit on an unusual and amusing idea to raise money for the Penguin Appeal of the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife. He and his wife Renate and friends in Sydney and Montreal went on a diet and asked their friends and colleagues to sponsor them for every pound lost. This “Swiss Sponsored Slimming” contributed $3,333 to the appeal.

“He is one of our most avid supporters. I have never come across anybody quite like him. The penguins in Manly are often a political issue, and it is really nice to get some positive support like this. We do appreciate his help a lot and it will make a big difference to our work for the penguins.” said Julie Bourne project officer for the Fairy Penguins. [As well as funding nesting boxes, the money will go towards Julie's project.]

Nick Cameron, Managing Director of Epic Surf Adventures is also a major supporter. Nick runs his business from Manly Wharf all year round and a percentage of every ticket sold goes to the Foundation for the protection of the Fairy Penguins.

“We often see the penguins on our tours around the Manly area, and I do what I can to help these precious animals and it would be a great shame for the community of Sydney to lose Manly’s Fairy Penguins.” Said Nick Cameron.

“We know that life in the city is tough for the Fairy Penguins of Sydney Harbour. However money given by our donors has made a difference and has given the unique creatures of Manly a chance for life” said Gillis Broinowski Chairman of the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife.

There is more good news about the Manly penguins. On July 1 the area where they live became a “critical habitat.” This declaration means that boats are not permitted to anchor within 50 metres of the high-water mark near the colony. There is also no foreshore access for people at night and pets are now totally banned from the area.

'Critical habitat' is an area that is crucial to the survival of an endangered species, population or ecological community. This declaration is designed to help the penguins breed successfully and protect them from attacks by predators.

It is based on the biological requirements of the Fairy Penguin population and the potential impacts of known and suspected threats. The habitat includes the area which the penguins use to breed, feed and travel to their nests.

A lyrebird emits a chorus of amusing bird and mechanical imitations as visitors walk through deep forest on the east rim of the cliffs at Fitzroy Falls.

The bird sound is a bonus for flower spotters on this crisp spring day. Exploding golden puffs of sunshine wattle waft a gentle scent on the breeze and the red tufts of honey flowers gleam in the undergrowth. Parties of tourists stop to read the signs that give them more information about these indigenous beauties.

The new signs along the East Rim Wildflower Walk plus an accompanying booklet have been funded by the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife with money from the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation. The signs and booklet are dedicated to the memory of the late botanist Janet Cosh, who collected and illustrated some 5000 species of indigenous plant from the Sydney sandstone region.

The prodigious botanist bequeathed a considerable proportion of her estate to the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife, which used it to fund the Janet Cosh Memorial Room at the Visitors Centre at Fitzroy Falls. The memorial room holds some 900 plant specimens from the Morton area and drawings from Janet’s important herbarium.

For the past three years the Foundation had also been supporting the Visitor Centre.

Opening the East Rim Wildflower Walk on August 14th, Peter Janssen, a director of the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife said the support of the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation has "once more created a great way for everyone to enjoy the outdoors and study our native ecosystems at the same time."

He said: "Over the past eighteen years the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation has supported five walks like this one here through the Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife."

"Sir Vincent Fairfax was a founding Trustee of the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife. He was present when The Hon Tom Lewis established the organisation in 1970 and lent his support as a Trustee until 1973."

The new signs and the booklet help visitors spot the difference between the various types of tree fern in the tranquil fern gully, identify the sassafras tree which is scattering white blooms over the path and find out about the native holly. They show the aromatic lemon-scented tea trees and Sydney peppermint as well as the sheoaks and other trees that are important food sources for birds.

Some of the signs give surprising information. Who could imagine that the feathery pouched tree fern was used by aboriginal people to make hats for toddlers and babies?

The walk ends in the Warrawong lookout that gives a view back to the waterfall set between red cliffs. If you get there in the next few weeks you can enjoy the flowers at their brightest.

Walks through native bushland and stunning views of the harbour and the city make The Gap, at South Head, one of Sydney’s most famous tourist locations. People from all over the world come there to experience a piece of Australia’s natural and cultural heritage.

Visitors can now discover the history of the area through new interpretive signage explaining the historical significance of the Gap and South Head. The Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation has funded this project through the Foundation for Parks & Wildlife.

Coastcare is also playing a major role at The Gap by sponsoring a bush regeneration project through the Foundation. Volunteers are now destroying asparagus fern and other exotic weeds and have planted 1145 plants native to the area.

Coastcare has also sponsored 12 signs on plant species placed along the walking track in the area. Carmen Welss, public relations manager of the Foundation for Parks & Wildlife, says the Foundation arranged the funding for the weeding, bush regeneration and signage projects through the generosity of the two sponsors.

Linda Vergnani, editor of PAWS e-newsletter, is an award-winning journalist whose work has been published in more than 25 newspapers and magazine on four continents. Passionate about the environment, she has written about everything from the echidna research of Dr Peggy Rismiller on Kangaroo Island to the growing threats to the world's coral reefs. A new Foundation volunteer, she is a managing partner in Express Editors a communication consultancy specializing in environmental writing, editing and project management.