15 October, 2021
Day 15 of Writing Nangak Tamboree.
Things I am not:
- A geologist
- A biologist
- An ornithologist
- A botanist
- A herpetologist
- A scientist of any kind
- Silly enough to go wandering around in this rain.
Things I am:
- A writer
- A walker
- A watcher
- At home in my ugg boots watching the rain.
I’m also a gardener so I’m not bad on plants. Birds, I often have to look up, in spite of a long ago feverish junior membership of the Gould League and a family of bird watchers. But I don’t mind that because I am also curious and I like solving mysteries. And I’m fond of history and not too shabby at research. So when I’m writing from the field, that’s what I’m doing: walking, watching and writing, taking lots of photos, and then looking up stuff I need to know. I’m not an expert. I’m just doing it for fun. Or something.
And yes, I know I promised to walk in Nangak Tamboree every day but I left it too late after working all day and now it’s dark and pouring. You wouldn’t want me to be miserable, would you?
So here, have some sound from one of the campus car parks. I told you they were rowdy. Rainbow lorikeets, mostly, a few corellas, and one bossy cocky.
I’ll be back there tomorrow, even if it rains. Promise.
Kelly Gardiner 
Hi Kelly. This post resonates with me greatly. I am also ‘none of the above’. I somehow got away with working at La Trobe Wildlife Sanctuary as casual Educator over several years. For a while I felt out of my depth around fellow workers, many of whom were about 50-60% of my age. I loved my time at LTWS and I got by on enthusiasm and trying to pass it on to others regardless of their age. I conducted some wonderfully dreadful education sessions in pouring rain. Who would think that teenagers preferred shelter to walking around the sanctuary?
I’ve recently discovered you via the good people of Nangak Tamboree’s social media feed and I look forward to following your future adventures. I must say that I’m slightly jealous that you have La Trobe and the sanctuary in your neighbourhood to inspire your writing and photography. Would you like to swap for Docklands?
Keep walking and writing,
Graham
Hi Graham, Thanks so much for your kind words. I feel very lucky to have this area in my neighbourhood though a little remorseful that it’s taken me so long to realise it. Your experiences in the Sanctuary sound wonderful – I look forward to it opening again and us all getting to explore it. You enjoy that sea breeze! Kelly