Hello fellow AVGers, I was thinking that it would be nice if subscribers to the AVG used the opportunity of the next Clean Up Australia day (which is 5th March 2000) to clean up some of our historical sites in Gippsland. It would provide the opportunity for us to put something back into the community, to beautify and preserve areas of historical significance, and a chance to meet other subscribers. If possible I would like to organise at least one, and possibly a number of, sites in Gippsland for March of next year, and to either redo them in the following years (if necessary) or proceed to new sites. It is intended that this will be done under the auspices of the Clean Up Australia committee which provides some support and insurance. I am writing this letter to gauge the interest and support that other subscribers have in this type of project. So I would like to hear from you (preferably on the list) whether you think the idea is worth pursuing and whether you think you would be available. My initial proposal for a site is 'The Springs'. This was a stopover place on McEvoys track that went from Seaton (Bald Hills) to the gold towns of Jordan, Jericho, Matlock and Woods Point. It was the only permanent water on the track as the track followed the ridges. The place is a lovely grassed area of some 2 hectares complete with an old lichen covered orchard that consists of fruit trees that would have been planted last century. Last time I was there (hello Shirley and Barry) it was a bit of a mess with garbage such as bottles and tins around it, loose pieces of corrugated iron and discarded furniture, and some half buried stuff such as steel cables. If possible I would like all the rubbish to be collected and placed in one pile so that somebody like the DNRE could collect it later. The Springs is about a half hour drive north of Seaton/Heyfield on a good gravel road (which passes the famous Murderers Hill always mentioned by Edwin Maher in his ABC TV weather reports). It is also a half hour drive NE of Walhalla on a narrower winding mountain gravel road, which is still suitable for a normal car (with care). If you have any comments on the idea in principle and would like to tentatively volunteer, I would like to hear from you on the list. At a later date I will call for people to nominate their proposed sites and depending on responses nominate organisers and call for volunteers. This proposal has the support of the Linda the list administrator, and if successful a page will be set up on the AVG website to help co-ordinate it. Regards Peter Lakeman