Murdoch Guest Speaker Jolanda Keeble – The Flora of the Wongan Hills Area

public EVENT
Murdoch Branch

EVENT DETAILS

Jolanda Keeble holds a Masters degree in Ecology and Management of the Natural Environment from Bristol University but worked as a Senior Environmental Consultant in the oil and gas industry until 2015.

She has been a long-time and active member of both the Naturalists’ Club and the Wildflower Society of WA. She currently works part-time for the Wildflower Society organising flora surveys and for Coates Wildlife Tours as a tour guide, and surveyed, compiled and self-published three Flora Field Guides.

For most wildflower enthusiasts, the Wongan Hills is well known as a Wheatbelt town located about 2.5 hour drive north-east of Perth, but also as a significant nature reserve in the Shire of Wongan-Ballidu. The first comprehensive report on the flora of these Wongan Hills was a handbook by the Western Australian Naturalists’ Club – The Natural History of the Wongan Hills, from 1977.

In 2006 the Wongan-Ballidu Bushcare Group brought out a book on the Threatened, poorly known and other flora of the Wongan-Ballidu Shire, covering 51 species. The Shire has a high diversity of plant species (over 1200), with a high number of threatened and priority flora and with this incredible number of plant species, a high diversity in fauna which is less known and rarely researched.

Jolanda saw this area as a perfect opportunity to survey for another flora book as she could focus on a 12 km area around the town and cover 7 DBCA managed Nature Reserves plus an additional 4 reserves managed by the Shire. She carried out monthly surveys for two years and has just published her book.

Jolanda will have the new book available for sale at a cost of $50 for WSWA members, or $60 for non-members. Cash only accepted.

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Branch Meetings – 7:30pm 1st Thursday of the month. Book sales, door prizes, supper and good company all for only $3 entry – EFTPOS now available. Non-members welcome.

EVENT INFORMATION

Date: 5 Feb 2026
From 7:30 pm
to 9:30 pm
Event Type: Talk
Frequency: one-off

ORGANISER INFORMATION

RSVP Required? no
Event Organiser: Murdoch Branch