Edwina takes over the reins of Kings Park Guides for the next two years

Kings Park Guides are delighted to welcome our new President, Edwina Forster. We took the opportunity to interview Edwina about how she came to be a Guide and what she would like to achieve over the next two years.

What is your background?

I was born in Melbourne, left in 1998 for London to work in Health, Safety and Environment for BHP Petroleum then ended up in Houston for 13 years before coming back to fabulous Perth in 2017.

What connects you to Kings Park?

I genuinely love Kings Park, both the bushland and botanic garden, all year round. The beauty and serenity of it and being so close to the city is truly precious. No matter what kind of mood I’m in, when I get to Kings Park, I immediately feel calm and grounded.

What drew you to become a Kings Park Guide?

When visiting family in Perth each year when we lived overseas, I always requested a family outing in Kings Park, walking and picnicking. When we came back to Perth I wanted to volunteer here and there happened to be a Guides training course starting, so I applied.

What do you enjoy about being a Kings Park Guide?

There is so much to learn and it’s all so exciting. Our natural world is absolutely fascinating, as well as learning about Noongar knowledge and history. I love sharing stories with the visitors on our guided walks, in the hope they will gain a greater appreciation of the importance of our natural environment and the need to protect it, no matter where they live in the world.

Do you have a favourite walk or place to visit in Kings Park?

Being on any of the bush tracks and watching wood ducks sitting in a tree or black cockatoos feasting on Marri trees is special. I also love the Jarrah woodland paths in the botanical garden.

As the newly appointed President of the Kings Park Guides, what are your priorities for the year ahead?

I feel rather humbled as I have so much admiration for the quality of the Guides. I’m also quite excited. So many Guides have worked, and continue to work, incredibly hard to set up and run various systems that support our work. They also did a fantastic job of designing and running the training course for new Guides last year. I would like to see a period of consolidation where we continue with our guiding, using these systems fully, and making sure the new Guides are well-integrated.

I’m also very keen to develop a stronger relationship with Kings Park Science. I think the Guides have an important role in helping be the voice to the public on the amazing work Kings Park Science is doing, plus it’s a bonus for us to increase our understanding of the plants and wider environment.