Deborah Redwood has completed a dramatic work commenting on the state of the Great Barrier Reef.  Her bleached fan coral represents many hours spent designing then welding the piece in her studio. It is a large sculpture displaying a lacelike delicacy through the attention to detail of the welded metal.  Her sense of humour comes through in the smaller pieces like Scorpion, a metal skateboard.

Printmaker Heather Burness installs steel etching plates at shorelines which are matrices of printed works created in a perpetually changing process of placement and colour at the press in her studio.  The plates continue to corrode over time, a slow returning to the matrix of the planet.

Janine Scrivens large textural canvases are worked with a mix of media dominated by the colours and topography of the earth.  The inspiration for this body of work has come from time spent trekking in the Kosciusko National Park.

You will find Ivy Hill Gallery on the coast road between Bermagui and Tathra.  Gallery hours are Thursday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm.  Drinks with the artists are on Saturday, April 1, from 5pm with Stewart Tunbridge on guitar.  The exhibition will continue to Sunday, April 30.  Catalogues at www.ivyhill.com.au   

There are several dogs waiting urgently to come into care with Animal Welfare League NSW Far South Coast Branch through the Bega Valley Shire Companion Animal Facility as well as through private sources, but cannot be taken in as there are no available carers.

Please, if you have been considering becoming a carer call 0400372609 to inquire what it involves. Needing homes are: Huxley, the male 11-month-old French Bulldog/American Staffie, Bruno the three-year-old Border Terrier, Kodiac the five-year-old Malamute, Ozzie the six-month-old Boxer x Bull Arab, Opi the male two-year-old Kelpie, Deefa the male Kelpie x Rotti, Smokey the male nine-month-old cream Lab x, Duke the 18-month-old Great Dane x Staghound, Zeus, the 10-month-old tan and black Great Dane X wolfhound, Shona the 13-week-old great dane/bull mastiff/wolfhound, Sarge the two-year-old Bull Arab x Mastiff,  Midgey the black and tan 10-month-old small mixed breed, Booker the nine-month-old ridgeback X, Bronte female six-year-old Kelpie X Whippet and Lilley the female 12-year-old Maltese.

Also available is Kitty the nine-year-old DMH Tabby. There are also several cats and kittens available through RSPCA (inquiries through 0400 372 609 or through RSPCA Sapphire Coast branch facebook page). In a joint effort between Animal Welfare League NSW Far South Coast Branch and RSPCA, we are asking for desperately needed supplies of kitten milk and food to support the huge number of abandoned kittens that are in care at the moment.

Donations can be deposited into our food bins at Woolworths in Bermagui, Tura and Merimbula or Coles Bega and Eden. Dogs and cats adopted through either AWLNSW or RSPCA have all the essential veterinary work done before adoption so that hard work is taken care of. Please call 0400 372 609 for more details. 

The Sapphire Coast Branch of RSPCA NSW  has begun its fund-raising activities for 2017.  Raffle tickets are being sold for our Easter raffle on Wednesday mornings outside Woolworths Tura Beach and on Thursday mornings outside Woolworths Merimbula. A garage sale will also be held at 4 Marine Parade on Saturday, April 1, from 8am–1pm.

An adoption day will be held at 59 Boggy Creek Road, Millingandi on Sunday, April 9, from 10am–2pm for our many kittens and adult cats waiting for new homes.

The RSPCA branch has recently established 10 cat enclosures adjacent to Just Cats in Millingangdi and this is the first opportunity for our community to see the Rehoming Centre. All are welcome to come and check it out. Inquiries for any of these events, phone 0419 267 799.

The Bega & District Nursing Home Auxiliary will again be making wreaths for community organisations and individuals to place on the district war memorials on Anzac Day.   The wreaths are made by volunteers from the Auxiliary, Floral Art Group and anyone else who would like to contribute to this great fund-raiser and learn something of the skill of Floral Art from willing teachers.

Orders should be placed with Edna Duncanson 6492 2073 or Helen Slater 6492 0627 before Wednesday, April 19. The wreaths will cost $40 each.     Donations of flowers and greenery will be most welcome  and can be delivered to the underground car park at Hillgrove House (off Heath Street) from 8am on Monday, April 24.

A display of local arts and crafts at the Tarraganda Community Hall will be held on April 9 from 10am to 4pm. Entry via gold coin donation for adults. Proceed go to Friends of Tarraganda Hall. Tea and coffee available.

There will be static displays and some practical demonstrations. Displays include woodworking, photography, art work, ceramics, craft dolls, goat’s milk soap, quilting, archery bows, leatherwork, music. The hall is next to the RFS in Tarraganda Lane.

Bega Town Band will perform at the skate park at Tathra from 12.30pm to 2pm on Sunday, April 2. They will be playing some oldies, some marches and some pop songs. The band supports many valley events, so why not bring a rug and chair and come along for a time of midday fun. This is not a regular event of the Bega Town Band, it’s something new, so come along and enjoy the  day with the band at beautiful Tathra.

A good roll-up of members ensured a successful start to the year’s activities for the Australian Plant Society South East NSW. All available seats in the Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Gardens’ meeting room were filled and we were pleased to welcome David Crawford, Editor of the APS Region’s journal Native Plants and his partner Jan Douglas.

Mark Noake and John Knight had spent some time experimenting with a system of projecting the plant specimens onto a screen so that not only were the plant specimens displayed in minute detail but photos could be taken at the same time.  

Our March meeting was held at the property of Jenny and Peter John at Narooma.  Mercifully the rain held off and 30 members attended.  Vice president Geoff Gosling began the Q & A proceedings and soon banter travelled back and forth as members offered advice or asked further questions on various topics raised. The most highlighted topic was pruning. It seems that many members are still unsure as to the best time to prune, how certain plants should be tackled or even if some plants could be pruned.  

Our next meeting is at Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Gardens where we will hear a talk from Peter Ollerenshaw of Bywong Nursery on 1st April at 10am.  

The Anglican Parish of Cobargo is sponsoring three students to attend the Soul Survivor youth conference in Goulburn this school holidays (April 10-13). The conference will explore the person and work of the Holy Spirit, through the Bible.

The sponsored positions are open to students in Years 7 to 12 who live in the Bermagui, Cobargo and Quaama area. Applications close on April 3. Details of the conference can be found at http://www.soulsurvivoract.org/conference/ Please contact Fiona on 64936080 orfiona.kotvojs@bigpond.com for application forms.

Wolumla Red Cross welcomed new member Kay Dowton at their March meeting, when their upcoming Easter raffle was organised, as well discussion held on the need for increased membership to keep the Wolumla branch viable.

Wolumla members observed one-minute’s silence in memory of their much valued member Maureen Cochrane who passed away recently, and members voted to donate to the annual Red Cross calling appeal which goes to general funds. Red Cross has been supporting those who have suffered disasters such as bushfires and flooding in Australia, plus humanitarian causes overseas, and many families have benefited from the 460,000 Australian men and women who donate blood each year to save and improve the lives of patients. Wolumla  Red Cross meetings are held bi-monthly at the Wolumla Hall. Inquiries for the May 8 meeting including afternoon tea, to President Carol on 0414 522350.