President: Russell Dempster 0459440665 Vice President: Zig Madycki Secretary: Top End Native Society Jan Herrmann Treasurer: February March 2019 Newsletter vacant Publicity: General Meeting Times vacant Publications: The next TENPS meeting will be held on Thursday 21st March 2019 Sarah Hirst commencing at 7:30 pm. General meetings are held on the third Public Officer: Thursday of each month at Marrara Christian College, on the corner of Sean Bellairs Amy Johnson Avenue and McMillans Road. The meeting is followed by a chance to chat with other members and access the TENPS reference Librarian: Library over a cuppa. Bring your along to swap, sell or have Ian Morris identified. The guest speaker presentation commences around 8pm. All General Committee Members: are welcome. Field trips are usually on the weekend following the Sylvia Hurse meeting. Details of upcoming events are provided in the newsletter, or check the TENPS website.

What’s in flower? Webmaster: Sarah Hirst

PO Box 135 Palmerston NT 0831

Or email us: [email protected]

Asteromyrtus symphyocarpa photographed by Zig Madycki.

Natives mean more!

www.topendnativeplants.org.au

TENPS Field Trips & other events Upcoming TENPS guest speakers March 21st: Andy Peart, Gary Fox and Del Saturday March 23rd: Rozak House at Lake Hunter will offer an insight into the Bennett: A joint TENPS/NTFNC field trip. traditional plant foods of the Kundjeyhmi This hilltop property has many interesting People of Kakadu. Gary is one of the authors flowering annual herbs. In particular, we will be of the new bush tucker book An-Me-Arri- searching for a small annual herb (Typhonium Ngun – The Food We Eat. also known as a Stink Lily) along the ridge as the plants found here recently may be a species new April 18th: TBA to science. To get there, head down the Stuart Highway and follow signs to Lake Bennett. Continue May 16st: Jaylen topic TBA around the lake staying on Chinner Road and cross the causeway (overflow of the lake). Look out for the Rozak House sign on right immediately past the

causeway and take care as the driveway is rather steep! Saturday April 20th: TBC

Saturday May 18th: TBC

NT Field Naturalist Club Events Meetings are held at 7.45pm on the second Wednesday of each month except January at Charles Darwin University, in Blue Building 2 (see map below)

Field Trips are a great way to explore the best of Darwin area's nature spots in the company of like-minded people. These are usually held on the Sunday following the monthly meeting and often related to the topic of this meeting. Additional outings are held from time to time, and everyone is welcome.

TENPS Committee Meeting TENPS January Meeting Report: Committee meetings are held every second Monarto Restoration Program by Travis month and members are most welcome to Messner attend. The next committee meeting will be on the 8th May at 7:30 in Terry Mills Electoral Office in the Oasis shopping Centre. Travis worked at Monarto initially as a zookeeper but became one of the small team involved in the Monarto Restoration Program.

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4000 overhang posts were cut, bent and drilled on site by the team and insulators were attached for electric wires.

Monarto Zoo covers an area of over 1000 hectares.

The posts were bolted to the existing fence and strainer wires run for mesh attachment.

The bushland areas were quite badly degraded with little understorey due to overgrazing by rabbits and native wildlife was under pressure from cats and foxes.

The project was built around the following restoration stages: The top overhang of 900 x 50mm mesh was 1. Securing perimeter fence rolled out in 50m lengths. 2. Controlling and or eradicating feral animals 3. Weed control 4. Providing habitat for native animals 5. Introducing native animals into Monarto

Perimeter Fence Upgrade

Bottom skirt of 600 x 30mm mesh was also rolled out in 50m lengths and using the help of many volunteers and school groups.

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The fence skirt was buried after it was attached to complete the fence upgrade. Camera traps were also used to monitor areas Feral Control Program with high fox activity such as dens. Target species included rabbits, hares, foxes and feral cats. Rabbit warrens were marked by GPS with much of this work conducted by volunteers in a thorough search of the entire property.

Rabbits and hares thrived in the open range A map showing all the rabbit warren locations enclosures where baiting was not possible in within Monarto! many of these areas due to risk to the zoo animals.

There was also a strong fox presence on park, plus numerous entry holes under the perimeter fence. 31 bait stations were set up and the monitored using camera traps to confirm baits taken by foxes and cats.

Warren destruction was carried out by gassing and ripping. Fund raising was so successful the project was able to purchase a backhoe for the purpose of ripping rabbit warrens.

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Which included greenhouses with nursery benches and irrigation.

Rabbits were trapped in these traps and baited using 1080 in oats, with a shooting program also undertaken.

Seed collection and storage in the purpose built shed. Native grasses were a key component for revegetation of the understorey.

Bio-surveys were conducted to find out what wildlife was already there, and weed control was mainly via spraying.

Revegetation

Propagation of seedlings and tubestock in the nursery in preparation for replanting.

No nursery facilities existed so the project also designed and built a seed storage shed, and propagation area.

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Unfortunately Travis and the other members of the Monarto Revegetation Project have departed so Travis is unsure what the site looks like now or if the reintroduction of any native animals has occurred. He hopes to visit Monarto again soon and we hope to hear more about this project then.

Article and photos supplied by Travis Messner

Report on the March Plant Sale

The understorey was planted from a mix of seed On Saturday 9th March TENPS had another by direct seeding with the cooperation of local successful native plant sale at Woolworths farmers and using standard seed drilling Coolalinga. equipment. Tim and Travis of Territory Native Plants, Jess

from Plants Direct, Russell Dempster, Sylvia Hurse, Paul Johns and Marj King provided plants for the stall.

Sales were once again excellent with some of the

Holes for seedling tubestock were predrilled species that sold well listed here: immediately after the direct seeding to prevent TENPS volunteers Territory Native Plants trampling of germinating seed. Acacia dunnii Acacia sp Adiantum philippense Adansonia gregorii Aidia racemosa Albizia lebbeck Allosyncarpia ternata Banksia dentata Buchanania arborecens Canavalia rosea Celtis philippensis Clerodendrum floribundum Drynaria quercifolia Grevillea sp Glycosmis trifoliata Leea novoguineensis Grevillea dryandri Maranthes corymbosa Helicteres isora Meiogyne cylindrocarpa Hibiscis meraukensis Sterculia quadrifida Leptospermum madidum Syzygium armstrongii Micromelum minutum Syzygium fibrosum Microsorum grossum Terminalia ferdinandiana Myristica insipida Terminalia microcarpa octandra Piper macropiper Schefflera actinophylla Suregada glomerulata 3000 seedling tubes were planted with the help Syzygium nervosum of lots of volunteers. The Open Garden Scheme recommences in the This method meant the planting days were all 2019 Dry Season and TENPS is hoping to have a pre-planned, irrespective of the weather, but plant sale at an open garden at Howard Springs smaller trial areas had been quite successful and in August. Look out for more details soon. losses were expected to be low.

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Drynaria quercifolia photographed by Russell Dempster in March 2019

“Schultze and Hoare: The Collector and the Illustrator” Exhibition

On Wednesday 6th February as part of the 150 year anniversary of Goyder’s arrival in Darwin the Northern Territory Library opened this exhibition. The opening event was well attended with over 40 people showing a great deal of interest resulting in the exhibition being extended until March 24. If you missed out you still have a little longer to see this interesting display.

Phaleria clerodendron photographed by Russell Dempster in March 2019 at Marrara Christian School.

From left to right: Jared Archibald from the Museum and Art Gallery of the NT who spoke about scientific collecting in the 19th century, Thysanotus banksii photographed by Zig Madycki and about the preserved animals from the MAGNT collection that form part of the exhibition. Lon Wallis who’s research has shed light on the work of Frederick Schultze as the official naturalist on Goyder’s expedition of 1869. The exhibition was largely put together by Lon Wallis. Ray Dundon a great-great-grandson of Frederick Schultze naturalist to the Goyder expedition who came to Darwin for this event after being contacted by Lon in the course of his research. Abelmoschus moschatus photographed by Zig Madycki.

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SUBSCRIPTION FORM – ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP (DUE 1 JULY) Please accept my subscription/renewal for membership of the Top End Native Plant Society ☐. New membership ☐. Renewal Name/s...... Email address ...... …………………. Please Note: The electronic edition of the newsletter will be uploaded to the member’s page of the website each month and members will be notified by email (Acrobat Reader is required). If you DO NOT have email access and would like to receive the newsletter (black & white available only) by post please tick the box. ☐ Postal Address ...... Post Code...... Payment Due $...... ($20.00 per member/family, $15.00 unwaged) TO PAY ONLINE: Bank: People’s Choice Credit Union BSB: 805050 Account Name: Top End Native Plant Society Account Number: 61225276 Please include your name in the transfer reference. Or MAIL TO: TENPS Secretary, PO Box 135, Palmerston NT 0831 Signature ...... Date ……/…… /…...

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