Report on 2020 FOG AGM 5Pm, 22 April
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Upcoming events We are reformulating our events program so that we can use Zoom and/or social distancing guidelines. We will keep you up to date through our Events Updates. Report on 2020 FOG AGM 5pm, 22 April. Twenty-five members, including one from each of Sydney, Northern Tablelands, Queanbeyan and two from west Victoria, attended FOG’s rescheduled AGM, using on-line Zoom session. The pre-circulated AGM papers (agenda, president’s report, motion to make Jamie Pittock an honorary life member, previous AGM minutes, annual accounts and annual report) were accepted. Geoff, as president, spoke of the huge contribution by numerous FOG members - a difficult job was keeping track of all this and ensuring members were kept informed. In a moving tribute, John Fitz Gerald moved Jamie’s honorary life membership, speaking of Jamie’s ability, leadership, approachability, humility and contagious enthusiasm. In response, Jamie spoke of his great admiration for FOG and his delight in being an active member. The election returned Geoff Robertson and Janet Russell as President and Treasurer, and Juliey Beckman, Maree Gilbert, Ken Hodgkinson, Margaret Ning and Andrew Zelnik as committee members. Joining the committee were Sarah Sharp as secretary and Heather Sweet and Linda Spinaze as committee members. Geoff acknowledged outgoing secretary Paul Archer for his fantastic, e fficient and no fuss role, and Rainer, also stepping down, for his ongoing contribution. “Wally Bell tells me that for Aboriginal people, eucalypts like the yellow box are the connection between the land and sky” …See pages Participants commented favourably on Zoom, enabling 3-4 for our feature on Yellow Box. faraway members to be involved. Many examples of using it for virtual tours of outdoor sites and on-line presentations, including linking up with overseas IMPORTANT NOTICE ON BUSHFIRE RECOVERY partners, were suggested. Australian Association of Bush Regenerators (AABR) wishes Other matters discussed were briefing Brian Everingham to contact anyone who is managing recently fire-affected native on grassy ecosystems for his NSW NPA advisory role; vegetation of high conservation value and might need the delaying our annual return to the ACT government; FOG assistance of bush regeneration contractors over the next 6-12 signing the K2C Memorandum of Understanding; FOG’s months. It is very important that AABR hears about grassy ecosystem grants; FOG Blue Gum Point ecosystems in particular need. ! There are a number of funding environment grant application; improving FOG approach opportunities. For more information, contact (Dr) Tein to governance (membership, advocacy, events, McDonald ! President, Australian Association of Bush newsletter, presentations to other groups, publicity and Regenerators. !Email: [email protected] Mob: +61 (0) 458 training volunteers); FOG acting as a watchdog (e.g. 565 654. FOG raising examples of reserve and open space management); and encouraging submissions on the Welcome to our new members - Sue Ross, ACT; Ian Lester, EPBC Act review. ACT; & Geordie Scott-Walker, Vic. @!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !"#$%&'%()*"+,$%&'%-).$$/.+,$ !!"36&0$!A9A9 Recent FOG events ACTHA reptile survey, Stirling Park - Margaret Ning Sun 15 March. The ACT Herpetological Association organised a three hour reptile survey at Stirling Park, Yarralumla for FOG. Jake McAuli ffe led the survey and 16 people attended. We started at 9m and within the first five minutes three skink species were located. This was no fluke however, as we started our search among some sizeable logs that had been introduced to the site a few years back as habitat enhancement. Jake explained that the lower such logs are placed in the landscape the more quickly they are inhabited by all sorts of reptile and invertebrate species. We had come equipped with a collection sheet that was designed for the occasion (thanks Emma), and which will hopefully get further use if we conduct future surveys. It enabled us to record the name of the species we found, the time we found it, whether we took a photograph of the animal, an approximate measurement, whether tail loss, and how the animal was detected. We also recorded the temperature, cloud cover and humidity as a basic record of the day’s conditions. We split into two teams and, between us, covered approximately the area in pink on the map below. Generally it was a good exercise in learning how to do such surveys in the field safely, record keeping and photographing, etc. In all, we turned up 20 animals from seven species, of which six were skink species and one was a gecko. They were Morethia boulengeri (Boulenger's Skink), Lampropholis delicata (Delicate Skink), Hemiergis talbingoensis (Three-toed Skink), Ctenotus robustus (Robust Striped-skink), Ctenotus taeniolatus (Copper- tailed Skink), Tiliqua scincoides (Eastern Blue-tongue), Above, critters and Christinus marmoratus (Southern Marbled Gecko). participating in reptile Many thanks to everyone who turned out to help. survey - After-dark visit to Mulligans photos Geoff 7pm, Sun 15 Mar. On a coolish evening, 18 people Robertson. assembled at the corner of Justice Kelly St and Quinane Left: map of Ave, Ford, outside the entrance of Mulligans Flat, and route taken by one of the were welcomed by Jamie Pittock and Shoshana (Sho) survey parties. Rapley to take an after-dark walk in the reserve. The title of the walk, a 500-year vision for restoration at Mulligans Flat, as Sho explained, illustrated that some elements of the woodland, like the soil depth and complexity, and hollows, will take centuries to return. The Woodlands & Wetlands Trust (WWT), which runs Mulligans, takes a long-term vision. It is encouraging trialling new management techniques and research to take restoration in the right direction. Sho has led many walks at the reserve. We often paused Catherine Ross was also part of the group. As many as Sho pointed out many examples of added habitat readers know, Catherine has recently acquired her PhD features, such as introducing fallen timber. The evidence, from the ANU, unraveling the mysteries of bettongs and although research is ongoing, is that these additions are their important role as ecosystem engineers. It wasn’t attracting various species of animals. long before she was pointing out the small holes made Sho undertook her honours research on the by bettongs looking for bulbs, corms and the like, that reintroduction of bush stone-curlew at Mulligans Flat and provide them with a rich food source. Catherine believes she related many fascinating stories about her ongoing the holes, little more than shallow indentations, trap tracking of curlews, her encounters with them, and water and seeds and hence serve an important experiences in capturing them for monitoring purposes. ecological function in plant establishment and growth. A!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !"#$%&'%()*"+,$%&'%-).$$/.+,$ !!"36&0$!A9A9 Leaders on such walks usually have a degree of anxiety - although no sugar gliders. Again, there were new spiders will the group see bettongs and, hopefully, even possibly and insects. a quoll, which is much less likely. The group was richly Two sightings were very exciting, namely a tawny rewarded as we came across several small populations frogmouth and numerous bats flying in and out of the tree of bettongs, and as we watched them, Sho and some of hollow. In one tree hollow, young bats were seen just her assistants, who had also joined us, explained the inside the hollow. behaviour we were seeing. Then towards the end of the Stirling Park is like a honey pot attracting many people. walk Sho spotted the eye shine of a quoll which stayed Sarah has been working with Yarralumla Primary School, in sight for some time. which she visited twice in 2019, setting up a program Throughout the evening there were heaps of questions, designed to roll out later this year, coronavirus permitting. comments and side talks - possibly not the best The teachers are going to take year 3/4 to the site in behaviour when animal stalking, but certainly enjoyable. spring/summer season and tie the visit into an art project Thank you Sho, Catherine and your assistants for taking with AeonAcademy. the group on the walk and for sharing your great depth of FOG’s Stirling Park-Yarramundi & Hall groups experience and knowledge. Thank you Jamie for organising the event. Participants were more than happy Stirling Park/Gurubang Dhaura - Yarramundi Reach to make a financial contribution to the Trust. Group has continued to be very busy. At its 15 March work party, the group of 18 people undertook work at Stirling Park spotlighting survey Blue Gum Point on the shores of Lake Burley Gri ffin. Sat 29 Feb. On a pleasant Saturday evening, FOG Blue Gum Point is ACT land on the northern side of conducted another wildlife spotting walk at Stirling Park Alexandra Drive, directly opposite Gurubang Dhaura. (Gurubung Dhaura) attended by 18 people and led by Blue Gum Point has extensive yellow box red gum Sarah Aylott and Jamie Pittock. Past issues of the grassy woodlands, as well as golden sun moth and newsletter have reported upon earlier nighttime surveys, button wrinklewort populations. It is also a major seed and the growing list of night creatures is recorded on source for weed incursions across the road into Canberra Nature Map. Gurubang Dhaura. The site is used by many local To start proceedings, the group was addressed by Sarah residents for recreational purposes. and Jamie explaining the importance of Stirling Park, Work planned for the May work party, a massive planting FOG’s work there, and the gathering data on species. of 400 wildflower species seedlings on disturbed lands The photos tell most of the story of that night. The first The amazing photos of our Stirling Park survey were taken by Amin image shows the group setting off after dusk. Many of the Saleh and Andrew Zelnik.