HILLS INDEPENDENT HILLS 95 MAY 2023 | Page 26

OUT & ABOUT

CWA GALSTON UPDATE

40,000 scones … really !

Members at a CWA State Conference in 2020 .
The CWA of NSW was busy in April
of our Mother ’ s Day Stall on Saturday
with Tea Rooms at the Royal Easter
29 April .
Show . The final number of scones made
Visitors are very welcome to attend
this year could reach 40,000 .
this meeting , and our craft day to be
Also , hundreds of members of the
held on Wednesday 24 May – BYO
CWA of NSW will be attending a CWA
lunch .
Annual Conference to be held this
The Country Women ’ s Association
year in Bathurst from Sunday 7 May to
is the largest women ’ s organisation
Thursday 11 May , including some of
in Australia . Funds raised support
our members . A keen Galston cook will
the welfare of women , children and
be in the Land Cookery State cooking
communities .
competition and we wish her well .
We are always happy to receive
Our next meeting will be held
yarn and fabrics for charity sewing
Wednesday 10 May . We meet at the
and knitting . Some members make
Galston Community and Health Centre ,
delicious jams and pickles for fundraising
corner The Glade and 17 Arcadia Rd ,
, and would be happy to collect
Galston . Please arrive at 10am for
fruit from your garden if you have a
a cuppa , followed by our business
glut .
meeting . Please BYO lunch .
More details from Jann : 0439 222
I am sure we will discuss the results
217 or Patricia : 0412 948 787 .

HIDDEN IN THE HILLS

HIDDEN IN THE HILLS COLOURFUL FUNGI

by Lachlan Turner
Dramatic colours , unusual shapes and interesting patterns . This can describe a whole range of fungi that may be found in some of the damp areas of creekside bushland .
It is easy to overlook many fungi as most prefer spaces where there is no , or , next to no sunlight . They are often seen growing on decaying vegetable matter such as dead branches and fallen trees , mostly in a damp location .
Where the environment is consistently cool and damp and there is thick leaf litter you can almost be sure that you will find a variety of fungus nearby . However , there are some fungi that prefer a drier location in the open forest . The main requirement appears to be the availability of
decaying vegetable matter in the form of fallen sticks , limbs or even trees .
It is not the intention to identify the fungi shown in the images accompanying this column , as that process requires considerable knowledge gained from experience and research .
Some varieties are edible but most are not . It is known that Aboriginal people possessed the knowledge to discern which ones were suitable for food .
The advice is - do not pick any fungus with the intention of taking it home to cook and eat -- at worst the consequences could be fatal . It is much better to look out for examples of fungus , and marvel at their differing patterns , colours and shapes .
If you take your camera with you when bushwalking , take a photograph . Don ’ t get too close , it may be better to stand back and zoom in , as this allows more of the natural light to reach where the fungus is growing . It may be advantageous to experiment with the camera ’ s flash if the surroundings are dark .
26 ISSUE 95 // MAY 2023 theindependentmagazine . com . au THE HILLS INDEPENDENT