The Scribbly GumSpring 2014 Contents Celebrating 25 years of ParkCare ParkCare Coordinator 2-3 ParkCare Support Officer 4-5 Community partnerships Mount Ainslie Weeders 5-6 caring for our natural Friends of Aranda Bushland 6-7 environment Friends of Black Mountain 8-9 Friends of Bruce Ridge 9-10 Friends of Mount Painter 10-12 Friends of Mulligans Flat 12-13 Friends of the Pinnacle 13-15 North Belconnen Landcare Group 15-16 Cooleman Ridge ParkCare 16-17 Farrer Ridge ParkCare Group 18-19 Isaacs Ridge Mount Mugga Mugga ParkCare Group 19-20 Friends of Jerrabomberra Wetlands 21-22 Oakey Hill ParkCare Group 22-23 Fetherston Gardens Friends 23-24 Red Hill Regenerators 25-26 Mount Taylor ParkCare Group 26-27 Friends of Glenburn 28-29 Gudgenby Bush Regenerators 29-30 ParkCarers of Southern Murrumbidgee 31-32 Uriarra ParkCare Group 32 Weedswap and Bush Friendly Garden 33-34 National Landcare Conference roundup 34-35 ACT Public Service Awards For ACT Excellence 35 P A E R C I K V S R Ngunnawal Plant Use book 36 A E N S D N CO IO NSERVAT News from the ParkCare This sense of custodianship of local places Coordinator is the strength of ParkCare and Landcare in the ACT. At its core, ParkCare and This newsletter is an opportunity for Landcare is a social movement that has ParkCare and Urban Landcare groups to endured changes in territory government share their stories, knowledge and love administration and successive federal of our special places. It is also a report of governments with shifting priorities and the many great activities that community funding regimes. We continue to learn as volunteers undertake to care for and a community of volunteers, land managers promote ACT parks and reserves. and scientists about how to best manage Celebrating 25 years of ParkCare and these important ecosystems. Landcare in the ACT The annual reporting of volunteer activity This year we celebrate the 25th anniversary for the 2013-14 financial year demonstrates of ParkCare and Landcare in the ACT. The the continued commitment and dedication ParkCare and Urban Landcare program has volunteers have to managing ACT parks and its roots in the community. Not unlike the reserves. Activities reported for ParkCare National Landcare movement, ParkCare and Urban Landcare groups for the financial and Landcare in the ACT is an expression period 2013-14 total 18,373 hours. Broken up of collective environmental care and a into regions, the majority of activities take genuine on-ground community response place in the north and south of Canberra to see improved conservation outcomes in Nature Park, where most groups exist and our region. where reserves back onto residential areas. The ParkCare program grew from a pilot bush regeneration program in 1989 with one group and 13 volunteers working in Canberra Nature Park, to 13 groups and 400 volunteers by 1992. Today there are more than 35 groups and more than 500 volunteers working in parks and reserves across urban and rural ACT. The early years saw volunteers working hand in hand with the ACT Parks and Conservation Service (PCS) rangers and conservation organisations such as Greening Australia. The proportion of volunteer hours spent per PACS This proved to be a mutually beneficial management area. relationship in many ways. Through this Forty-five percent of reported activities involvement in land management many undertaken by volunteers involved volunteers have developed a passion for weed control, and 16% of reported the nature reserves and local parklands activities included rehabilitation works with all their beauty and challenges. such as planting and erosion control. A As individuals and as an influential proportion of time reported (11%) involved environmental movement, ParkCare and administration such as the maintenance Landcare volunteers have been instrumental of group websites, group newsletters and in assisting conservation organisations and preparation involved for organising group those within Government to gain legislative activities. Many groups also organised walks protection for many of the areas that now and talks in reserves, and participated in form part of Canberra Nature Park. 2 environmental events promoting the values of ACT parks and reserves (9.5%). Other reported activities included fauna and flora surveys (6.5%), involvement in meetings with PCS staff and group members (4%), seed collection, litter clean ups, track maintenance and training. Training for this year included the usual Chemcert for safe herbicide use and First Aid. Early spring also saw the Reflect, Explore and Inspire forum. MF successful addition of some practical was also an opportunity to explore some weed control training by PCS staff, Craig of the challenges that we are faced with Wainwright and Luke McElhinney. A in land management, and look ahead and series of information sessions about PCS be inspired to continue landcare activities programs and Conservation, Planning into the future. The event included some and Research programs were also held very stimulating and engaging speakers throughout the year. With assistance from as well as a workshop session to promote the Regional Landcare Initiative and the collective thinking and stimulate new ideas ACT Environment and Planning Directorate and perspectives for the future. Attendees we were also able to fund a number of worked on a vision for the future that was volunteers to attend the Environment intended to inspire programs for the future. Institute of Australia and New Zealand, Initially these were contributed individually, Environmental Impacts of Kangaroos and then discussed in groups and finally Forum in April and the National Landcare participants ‘voted’ on which priorities they Conference in Melbourne. In November felt strongly about. While all are important some volunteers also attended a grass for the future, the priorities from this identification course organised by Senior exercise were: Weeds Officer, Steve Taylor. 1 Incorporate Aboriginal perspectives Perhaps the highlight of events for the year 2 Promoting community involvement was the forum Reflect, Explore and Inspire— and education Celebrating 25 years of ParkCare and 3 Alignment of environmental Landcare in the ACT. This event aimed to management goals, plans, strategies bring volunteers, community organisations and works and government together to celebrate and 4 Actively promote ecological reflect on the achievements of ParkCare connectivity across urban, fringe and and Landcare volunteers in the ACT. It reserve zones 5 Climate Change 6 Enhanced networking 7 Junior and youth programs – ‘plant the seed early’ More detailed outcomes from the forum are currently being written up to be shared with participants and ParkCare and Landcare volunteers in early 2015. This document is to provide the basis for Reflect, Explore and Inspire forum. MF a strategy for the ParkCare and Urban 3 Landcare program to guide us into the transformations you have brought about. future. A big thank you to all volunteers that Together we are providing a special place assisted to make the forum a successful for future Canberrans and we could not have event. got here without the extraordinary effort of those who sprayed, grubbed and planted Thank you also to the founders of the before us. I remain mindful of how much ParkCare program who had the foresight 25 our present day success is built upon past years ago to create such a great community achievements. We should all be doing what of environmental advocates and carers. we can to promote our common vision and Jasmine Foxlee encourage others to follow in our footsteps. ParkCare Volunteer Coordinator I am looking forward to my second year in Phone: 6205 7384 this position and expanding my reach within Email: [email protected] our community of volunteers. Thank you for your dedicated work, sharing and patience. ParkCare Support Officer New helping hands My first year as the ParkCare Support As with many ParkCare and Landcare Officer has been a rewarding and enriching groups, PCS receive numerous requests experience with never a dull moment. While from businesses and organisations to my start date was delayed due to a busy participate in volunteer activities. While we fire season, I began the year assessing the cannot accommodate them all, this year I scale and frequency of ParkCare groups’ was able to develop programs for Marist activities. This process determined where College, Radford College and Correctional my support was most needed. It revealed Services. The three groups have assisted Canberra Nature Park required immediate in delivering works requested by urban support, as seven ParkCare groups were ParkCare groups. Their accomplishments attached to each ranger team, compared have been exceptional, for instance: in one to one group attached to each rural afternoon, students closed 1.3 kilometres team. Subsequent site visits and planning of unsustainable trails through trilling, meetings followed that produced 278 depositing leaf litter and covering trails with requested tasks. The challenges were ahead light woody debris. of me and my year took flight. I am pleased The Correctional Services program needs to report 174 requested tasks have now a special mention. They have proved to be been fulfilled. a powerhouse of energy and enthusiasm. Throughout the year I have got to know As the coordinator of their program I many of you, discussed your concerns have thoroughly enjoyed their company and worked with you. The responsibility as we tackle labour intensive tasks each of supporting volunteers is a privileged week. Their respect and enjoyment of position. You are all hard working and the natural settings is obvious as we map committed people sharing a common vision rabbit warrens, cut and remove woody to restore and maintain our landscape’s weeds, close unsustainable trails, provide natural values. It has not been difficult plant protection and control erosion. As maintaining my motivation when I observe with all collaborations, all parties need to your efforts and the positive results they benefit from their efforts through engaging produce.