1. What is something people don’t know about you?
I spent 7 months volunteering for the Australian Wildlife Conservancy at their Buckaringa wildlife sanctuary in the southern Flinders Ranges. It is a beautiful, but dry, 2000 hectare refuge for the endangered Yellow Footed Rock Wallaby. Living there on our own in basic accommodation and dealing with day-to-day challenges with limited resources was life- changing.
2. Tell us about your role in the Upwey Community Group?
What a great group of community volunteers! Under its umbreIla there are many interest groups, and I lead the team which co-ordinates the running of our local portrait competition, the Upwey Archies. I also lend a hand with Light up Upwey, murals, beautification of the Upwey Main Street and removing graffiti.
3. What has been your most memorable moment as an Upwey Community Group member? Why?
Seeing the smiles on people’s faces at our events, always makes me feel happy and satisfied that the effort we put in was worth it. I have lovely memories of working with the Upwey South Primary School students when they were painting a mural for Upwey. Working together as a team, teaching them how to mix colours, and then seeing their pride and joy when the mural was erected near the Fat Goat was wonderful.
4. What do you love most about working and living in the Dandenong Ranges?
It’s beauty, tall trees, forest, ferns and native animals. That houses are homes with gardens and backyards. Our villages and communities, and when you walk down the street there will always be someone who will say hi to you.
5. What are some of your hobbies?
Art, gardening, bushwalking, and environmental volunteering.
6. What event, past, present, or future, would you like to witness?
It would be interesting to go back in time, to before Australia was settled by Europeans, and see what the country was like back then.
7. Who do you admire the most?
My dad, Trevor Ricketts. Not only is he such a nice person and loving dad, grandfather and great grandfather, but over his lifetime he has volunteered and led many community groups such as Monbulk Rotary and Monbulk Soccer Club. In fact, at 90, he is still active in the community and is on the Monbulk Men’s Shed executive committee.
8. What is an important issue in the region you think needs exposure?
Weeds, particularly Ivy, which smothers native vegetation, and grows up our magnificent eucalypts, weakening and killing them. Ivy only seeds when it is off the ground climbing up something. It would be great if we helped pull it off the trees and stop it seeding and spreading.
