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The Running Postman The RunningPostman Newsletter of the Private Land Conservation Program June 2016 • Issue 21 Building partnerships with landowners for the sustainable management Print ISSN 1835-6141 and conservation of natural values across the landscape. Online ISSN 2204-390X Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment 1 Manager’s message – June 2016 Recently I had the good fortune to for their insightful and intelligent emergency management. sit with a few covenant owners as approach to engaging with the they discussed their experiences audience. It is rare that such a Our offering in this edition with fire on their reserves at the competent group form together provides insights into some of Conservation Landholders Tasmania as volunteers to provide such a the wildlife that depends on ‘Ecological Burning: research and valuable forum. conservation reserves across practice’ forum in Campbell Town. the state and provides examples When I arrived the meeting was I am fortunate indeed to be able to and opportunities for readers already started and the room witness not just the success of CLT, to connect with likeminded land was abuzz with people sharing but also the returning groundswell managers. I encourage you to experiences and insights. The of interest for the sustainable continue to find wonder in the things that struck me about the and respectful management bush around you and to share your discussions I heard was firstly the of Tasmanian landscapes and experiences with others in the genuine concern these people had environments. The recent fires conservation community. for the long term conservation in wilderness areas remind us outcomes for their land, and second of the vulnerability we have to the really effective way that a simple climatic conditions as we plan Peter Voller, for the long term adaptiveness discussion became a way for peers Manager, Natural Values of our environment. These fires to learn practicalities from each Conservation Branch other. whilst disastrous in themselves, are a timely reminder to refocus The meeting was a great success on planning, understanding and and I congratulate the organisers prioritizing our approach to In this Issue Manager’s message - June 2016 2 Let us know your email and updated contact details 3 Birds, wasps and wet sclerophyll forest 4 Have you ever thought about fungi? 5 Tasmanian Masked owl – more of a screech than a hoot 6 Australia’s extraordinary birds 8 Wasp management in Tasmania 10 Myrtle Rust Update 11 Conservation Landholders Tasmania: next event 12 Selling property? 12 The Running Postman is printed on Monza Satin On the cover: Tasmanian masked owl recycled paper, derived from sustainable forests, elemental (Tyto novaehollandiae castanops). Photo: Michael Todd. chlorine free pulp and certified environmental systems. Design and layout: Land Tasmania Design Unit, DPIPWE. 2 The Running Postman • June 2016 Let us know your email and updated contact details An effective way for us to make within an hour’s drive of both asking if you could let us know contact with landowners about Launceston and Hobart by email your current email address and also potential funding opportunities and notifying them of a potential if you have changed your postal alerts is via email. Recently we used opportunity to get help with such address or contact number(s). email to contact Land for Wildlifers activities as weed control, fencing (LFW), Garden for Wildlifers and or revegetation through assistance Rest assured we will not ‘bombard’ owners of conservation covenants from a Green Army team. A you with trivial or irrelevant emails, requesting help with finding funding application for a Green but wish to provide an effective plantings of the primary host of the Army team is being put together means of letting you know about disease Myrtle Rust in Tasmania – for this with Expression of Interest beneficial opportunities for you the Lophomyrtus, a plant native of from landowners being a key part as they become available such as New Zealand and often planted in of the submission to demonstrate funding support, alerts, or call for home gardens as an ornamental. A the community interest in this help in order to contribute to the note sheet was attached showing proposal. protection of our natural wildlife what to look for and some species and habitat. photographs of Lophomyrtus species. There has been a huge response from both LFW and covenant Contact Iona Mitchell on There was a good response owners to this potential project if 03 6165 4409 or email with many people keen to help, the grant application is successfully [email protected] which was greatly appreciated. funded and it will be a great to advise us of your email address However, we had quite a few opportunity for landowners to get or updated contact details. emails that bounced back due to on-ground support with their land incorrect or no longer valid email management. addresses. Also, there were a lot of Iona Mitchell Unfortunately we weren’t able to landowners for which we do not and Helen Crawford have a current valid email address. let all landowners know about this potential opportunity because we Similarly, we recently contacted don’t have an email or valid email LFW and covenant landowners address for them. We are therefore Photos (clockwise from top): Green Army revegetation work. Green Army – erosion control works. Weed control – Green Army. The Running Postman • June 2016 June 2016 • The Running Postman 3 Photos: Manpower Group. Birds, wasps and wet sclerophyll forest Conservation Landholders Tasmania Aboriginal Corporation, showed us age class derived from a major (CLT) continues to hold enjoyable, the nest boxes that researchers are fire event. In the past wet forests informative events for people who using to find the optimum nest box have burnt every 80 to 300 years own conservation land, supported height for successful breeding. but there is concern that climate by NRM North, NRM South and change may provide the conditions We also had a fascinating time Cradle Coast NRM, Landcare for more frequent fires. looking at stone artefacts and a Tasmania, DPIPWE and the stone quarry with Lee and Ben. Matt Rose described the stages he Tasmanian Land Conservancy. They shared their passion for went through in getting to know In late November 2015 we spent preserving the extensive Aboriginal and manage his wet sclerophyll a weekend on Bruny Island, cultural sites on Murrayfield Station. forest that borders the Leven River. staying in the shearers’ quarters His photo sequence showed how in Many conservation landholders at Murrayfield Station. Our focus just three years he had regenerated have wet sclerophyll forest in their was on bird conservation, a topic the river bank after damaging care so we made that the theme close to the hearts of many CLT floods. We all discussed ideas for of the next field day in February. members. Sarah Lloyd led two controlling European wasps that are Well known botanist, Fred Duncan, early morning bird watching a particular problem this year. Matt increased our understanding of this walks, alerting participants to bird uses insecticide dust with an active forest type, which tends to grow in species in the area and their calls. ingredient of Permethrin once he humid areas on fertile soils in the She assured us that, with enough has found a nest. Baiting with the west and north east of Tasmania. practice, we could all learn to chemical Fibronil is also recognized The area of wet forest has been identify birds from their calls. as an effective treatment when reduced considerably due to logging nests cannot be found and several We heard from Sally Bryant about and clearing for plantations. landholders were seeking permits efforts to preserve forty spotted Wet sclerophyll forests have tall to use this chemical to control pardalotes on Bruny Island. She eucalypts in the overstorey and wasps. described the precarious state of an understorey of small trees and this tiny bird: its white gum habitat We ended the day walking through shrubs. Generally they are too wet is becoming depleted through Philip Milner’s beautiful wet to burn except in exceptionally dry drought and tree clearing, and its sclerophyll forest near the Don years such as 2015. When they do breeding success is curtailed by River. We wandered amongst burn, the canopy can be destroyed, predation from sugar gliders. A tree ferns in the shade of his tall, depending on the species present, survey in 2009-10 showed that Eucalyptus regnans, and felt thankful and the ash bed created from numbers had dropped from 3500 that he and his neighbours have burning leaf litter forms a rich in 1995 to 1400. The Bruny Island preserved a substantial forest substrate for thousands of new community is working to preserve corridor with their covenanted eucalypt seedlings to germinate. its habitat, replant white gums and properties. A mature wet sclerophyll forest raise awareness of the birds’ plight. is often made up of one or two Lee Prouse and Ben Sculthorpe, age classes of eucalypts, with each representing the Weetapoona Robin Garnett Photos (L to R): Lee Prouse showing aboriginal artefacts at Murrayfield Station. Photo: Robin Garnett. A Forty-spotted Pardalote from Bruny Island. Photo Stuart Smith. Philip Milner pointing out 4 The Running Postman • June 2016 features of his wet sclerophyll forest. Photo Robin Garnett. Have you ever thought about fungi? Are you familiar with the EucaFlip link to where you can send such first part of the book provides and TreeFlip? These are very photos. This web site also has lots guidance on how to identify fungi useful guides to take out into the of useful information about fungi from such features as spore print bush as they are compact and and visual key for the major groups colour, presence or absence of weatherproof.
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