Volunteer Day - Revitalising Sir Joseph Banks Park
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On Wednesday 2nd October 2019, I took a day to join in a volunteer effort to revitalise Sir Joseph Banks Park. It’s a wonderful project, and I was happy to get away from the laptop, monitor and mobile phone for a day and contribute to the betterment of my local council and park lands!
At Lookahead we have a wonderful new policy that allows us to take up to 2 days per year to volunteer to causes and efforts that are important to us. Volunteering is such a wonderful use of our time here on earth. It makes you happier and positively affects your physical and mental health! Don’t believe me? A great summary, with links to studies and scientific evidence can be found here - https://www.happiness.com/en/magazine/personal-growth/why-volunteering-is-important-benefits/
Our push to support volunteering efforts is actually part of a bigger 1% pledge that we at Lookahead Search have committed to for some time, but haven’t yet spoken publicly about. Although, I’m told by @stevelikesyou that this blog post is coming soon!
Back to the volunteering - I’m a big fan of mother nature and the outdoors. Being originally from Vancouver, Canada, I’ve always had an appreciation for beautiful landscapes, greenery and enjoying nature - although admittedly, I’m also an avid indoor enthusiast, as I’m sure my fellow computer engineers and tech professionals can attest to. But I digress!
We truly are stewards of this beautiful planet for the next generation. Being a father of two young children, I’ve never felt stronger about leaving this world in a better state than how we found it. It’s certainly true we could be doing more as a city, as a state, as a country and as a society. But, I’m all about actions, which of course speak louder than words. Instead of complaining, I challenged myself to put thoughts and words into action. So, I Googled outdoor and nature volunteering activities, and locked in a revitalisation date with my local council.
Long story short, it was a wonderful day of hard physical labour! I lathered on a bunch of sunscreen, put on my favourite hat and sunnies, donned a fluorescent volunteer vest and spent the day clearing old brush and dead trees from the landscape. I also made some new friends and felt a great sense of accomplishment and connection to a bigger picture and larger story.
They even sent me a lovely thank you message.
A huge thanks for joining our Sir Joseph Banks Park project!
Joining with Bayside Council and NSW Ports, we are working to help revitalise Sir Joseph Banks Park, a very significant nature reserve on the Botany foreshore. The park provides natural habitat for native flora and fauna species in northern Botany Bay. It is home to the endangered Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub and many other vulnerable native species. We are there to give it a helping hand!
If you’re interested in this opportunity, or would like to get to know more about it, feel free to get in touch via twitter @jpcostales or email jp@lookahead.com and I’d be happy to have a chat. Or, simply check out the Conservation Volunteers website - https://conservationvolunteers.com.au/ - and make a volunteer booking!
