NEWSLETTER WINTER 2018 FRIENDS OF THE WAITE ARBORETUM INC. NUMBER 96 Patron: Sophie Thomson President: Dr Wayne Harvey, Vice-President: Terry Langham FORTHCOMING EVENTS Secretary: Johanna Crosby, Treasurer: Ramute Stankevicius Editor: Jenny Birvé, email: [email protected] Free Guided Arboretum walks Committee: Erica Boyle, Marilyn Gilbertson OAM, Dr Kate Delaporte (ex officio) Address: Friends of the Waite Arboretum, University of Adelaide, Waite Campus, The first Sunday of every month PMB1, GLEN OSMOND 5064 at 11.00 am. Walks meet at Urrbrae Phone: (08) 8313 7405, Email: [email protected] House on the lawn Photography: Erica Boyle, Eileen Harvey, Jenny Birvé More details at: http://www.communitywebs.org/ friendsofwaitearb/ National Science Week Walk ‘Trees – The Quiet Achievers’ Special guided walks looking at trees with the highest environmental benefits. 2 – 3.30 pm Sun. 12th & Wed. 15th August More details at: www.scienceweek.net.au/trees-the- quiet-achievers/ North West Corner Arboretum Walk October 7 Waite Arboretum What’s on at Urrbrae House Colliguaja odorifera EUPHORBIACEAE Chile 1968 #891. A lignotuberous species that inhabits https://www.adelaide.edu.au/waite- the matorral formation, growing at low altitudes on both Andean and coastal mountain range historic/whatson/ slopes. JB Page Table of Contents 2. From the President of FWA. Dr Wayne Harvey. 2. Arboretum Report. Dr Kate Delaporte 4. Friends News. 5. Filming in the North West Arboretum corner and filming for Gardening Australia 6. Dr Jennifer Gardner Prize for Waite Arboretum Research 6. The Inaugural Prize 7. The Inaugural Winner. Research Project. Katja Hogendoorn 8. Congratulations to OAMs 9. City of Burnside and the interactive website on the street trees. Ben Seamark 10. Bolusanthus speciosus Tree Wisteria. Eileen Harvey 11. Seats/Sculpture of the Season. Peter Waite and Phyllis Margaret Rountree 12. The Arboretum in Winter FRIENDS NEWSLETTER 96 WINTER 2018 page 2 WAITE ARBORETUM Report from the President of the Friends of the Waite Winter Arboretum Report Arboretum Winter 2018 The Winter Solstice! “Sun Stands Still” One of my favourite days, although I am also resigned to the inevitable passing of time, and summer coming back, as we rocket round the Solar System at a trillion kms/hour (slight exaggeration? Maybe not – for the curious https:// www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2016/04/01/how- fast-does-earth-move-through-the-universe/#df589c74d5ca I gave up at the bit where he began to discuss how fast our galaxy is moving through the Universe……) Expeditioners at Antarctica's Casey Station have taken a plunge into -2 degree waters to celebrate midwinter. http:// www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-21/antarctica-expeditioners- This is my first column as President of the Friends. I was take-icy-plunge-for-winter-solstice/9894696 I don’t expect honoured to accept the role in April, reminding myself that the Arb team to do the same in the Dam, even though we while the University has primary responsibility for the would not require a chainsaw to cut through the ice. Arboretum, it is also a public asset, provided to the public The rains came, and went, came back, and have gone again, under terms stipulated by Peter Waite. The public, as giving us this last week an array of sun-shiny days and nippy members of the FWA, can directly contribute to the mornings – just what we need after some gloomy weeks and Arboretum’s care through their membership fees and through it does make the grass and weeds grow, doesn’t it! This has their time as volunteers. led to our first mow in the Arboretum for nearly 7 months – Our past President, Beth Johnstone OAM declared: “It is my shows just how dry it has been since last Spring. Those of belief that the gift of the Waite precinct to South Australians you who walk through the Arboretum may notice that we represented a generosity that is exemplary”. This belief don’t cut very short. During discussions with Andrew, we provides the motivation for many of the volunteers and determined that lifting the mower deck height might be of certainly did for me. great benefit to the native grasses. We began using this The University’s Arboretum Curator, Dr Kate Delaporte, has higher deck in winter 2017, and over time, it is proving to be ideas and plans for improving the value of the Arboretum as a good thing. The native grasses still get trimmed, which is an educational resource. The Friends of the Waite Arboretum essential for their continued growth, and the annual and are committed to assisting Dr Delaporte through cash perennial weeds get a haircut to slow down their progress to contributions and through time volunteered to assist in the flowering, but we aren’t left with bare patches that allow for maintenance and to broaden the awareness of the benefits of other weeds to grow. We are still seeking the balance, and the Arboretum. We have recently committed $20,000 towards still seeking best practice that meets the environment and realising some of Dr Delaporte’s plans and want to continue to our needs. (“The Call of the Reed Warbler” by Dr Charles contribute. Massey keeps popping up, I must read it if someone can lend me a copy and give me a week of time to read and digest!) As more evidence of wider value of the Arboretum, organised surveys and accidental sightings in the Arboretum over many On to weeds – over the last few months, Andrew has been years has provided a surprising list of animals that live in or upskilling in weed management. He attended the South visit the Arboretum and its surroundings. Those animals Australian Weeds Conference in May, completed a ChemCert include echidnas, koalas, possums, kangaroos, bats, frogs, course and is currently undertaking extension courses in geckos and skinks, and 55 species of birds. In addition to those weed management. All of this will enable the Arb Team to vertebrate animals, the insects of the Arboretum are countless better manage our site, with the aim of being herbicide free in their variety and numbers. within 10 years. I invite you, your friends and your family to continue to be part The Autumn colours hadn’t really started in the last of the Arboretum’s community and to share in the future of newsletter, and still haven’t! The Elms and Callery Pears this extraordinary asset. (Pyrus calleryana) still haven’t really changed colours, but I did spot some lovely reds on the Chinese Tallow trees Dr Wayne Harvey (Sapium sebiferum), and of course the flowers of the President Queensland Firewheel Tree (Stenocarpus sinuatus). FRIENDS NEWSLETTER 96 WINTER 2018 page 3 WAITE ARBORETUM Winter Arboretum Report continued.. “It's that time of year again... Every winter, vet clinics see an influx of owls. The reason is that when rodents flock indoors to escape the cold, humans become desperate to be rid of them. We poison the rodents and they become slow and easy to catch, or die and make a quick meal for a hungry bird of prey. But the poison in the rodent can affect birds too, making them weaker and weaker until they injure themselves, starve, or simply pass out, where humans can then easily pick them up. Unfortunately by this stage, we lose most of them despite intensive care. Poisons are not an effective long term control for rodents. We suggest humane traps, removing food sources and shelters for the rodents, sealing all their possible entrances, and encouraging their predators. If for whatever reason poison must be used, consider strict indoor use only (this Hakea fraseri Corkwood Oak #298A and can be very hard to control) and being sure to dispose of Stenocarpus salignus Firewheel Tree #230 KD. poisoned bodies securely. The saddest part in all of this is that in trying to be rid of The Hakea fraseri is in full display at present, creating a rodents, we're also killing our natural rodent control as beautiful cascade of creamy blossoms. well…” Pam Catcheside, Honorary Research Associate SA Botanic And then yesterday, a note about a new Honours Project to Gardens and State Herbarium, came and visited with some support Owls on Yorke Peninsula. fungi friends on 16 June 2018. There weren't as many Owls can kill up to 3,000 mice per year – from the link below interesting things about as there could have been, the recent “A research project on Southern Yorke Peninsula is rain had knocked them around. Pam has provided a list of what investigating if barn owls could provide an alternative, or was found: Gilled fungi: Agaricus xanthodermus, Yellow additional, method of controlling feral mice. Supervised by Stainer; Amanita phalloides, Death Cap; Gymnopilus junonius, Dr David Taggart and David Peacock, Adelaide University Big Laughing Jim; Mycena sp. Small Grey; Rickenella fibula, Honours student Kelly Meaney is working to increase the Little Pin; Russula sororia group (Collection: PSC4583); barn owl population in order to reduce mice numbers on Volvopluteus gloiocephalus, Earthballs: Scleroderma bovista Southern Yorke Peninsula…..” (Collection PSC4582); and Flat/resupinate fungi: Byssomerulius spp. It was a fun and interesting stroll through the trees, http://www.naturalresources.sa.gov.au/northernandyorke/ looking at the ground rather than at the canopy/flowers for a news/180618-reducing-mice-by-supporting-owls-on- change! southern-yorke-peninsula-nws When I first started as Acting curator, we discovered a pair of This is really exciting, and I’d love to encourage owls in the little owls, possibly Southern Boobook (I never got close Arboretum in this way. BUT, we need to ensure that we enough) living happily in our Flindersia australis.