News of Friends of Grasslands
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
News of Friends of Grasslands Su pporting n ative grassy ecosysfems January-Februa rv 2002 t-, MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL TIME native revegetation and the skills required, using 'Garuwanga', Did you get a f€d dOt on your label? It means that you are not near Nimmitabel as a case study. hnancial. So it is time to get out the chequebook and renew your It will attempt to marry two ap- membership for 2002. Thanks to the large number of members proaches to nature conservation: protecting threatened species and who have already done so. Any inquiries please contact Margaret communities (with an emphasis on remnants and connectivity) whose details are on the back page. and revegetation (eg Landcare and Greening Australia models). and may assist to develop FOG's thinking. It should be of interest Mernbership is $20 individuals and families. $50 for corporate to conservationists. landcare and parkcare volunteers. and land members and $5 concession for students and those on social secu- owners and managers. Families are welcome and cost will be nt_v benefits. A rnembership renewal fonn was enclosed with your minimal. Contact Geoff Robertson on 6241 4065 for further in- last newslefter but if you need another contact Margaret. We do formation and booking (you will need to book early). need your continued support. Saturday 23 January - Visit to Badja Nature Reserrye. We will FOG AGM meet at Countegany turn off east of Numeralla at l0:30am. Con- Geoff Robertson tact Margaret for further details. The Annual General Meeting will be held at Mugga Mugga Edu- Saturday 23 February - AGM. See article in previous column. cation Centre. Symonston. on Saturday 23 February at 4pm. For catering purposes, please let Margaret know if you are com- Traditionally we have attempted to keep the formal meeting to ing. We need you there. one hour in which time the President provides a written (and an Saturday 2 March - Visit to Bega Swamp. Details in next infonnal verbal) report. the Treasurer presents the audited ac- newsletter. counts. and the election of the new committee rs held. There is ample time for those attending to raise any issues they consider may benefit FOG. This is followed by an informal BBQ provided For any information about activities (including times, venues by the committee - meat. salad. cordial. tea and coffee will be and carpooling details). please contact Margaret Ning on provided. We suggest you might also like to bring some wine or 6241 4065 (home) or 6252 7374 (work). To rnake program whatever to add to the celebration. Please make the effort to suggestions for 2002. also contact Margaret. come. To assist with catering. it would help if you could let Mar- Please note that many of our activities are outdoor. and garet Ning know if you are coming. (6241 4065 (h) or 6252 7374 therefore good footware (especially boots). sunblock. sensi- (w)). ble clothing and hats, and water are essential. FOG has chalked up a rather successful year with good outcomes on lnany fronts. We face no serious immediate problems. What PROGRAM AFTER FEBRUARY emerged in 2001. which is appropriate given this is the beginning of a new century. is a good sense of our vision, objectives and The program for the remainder of 2002 is being put together and. strategies (see article on page l3). A good knowledge of grassy from past experience. will evolve during the year. Several ele- ecosystelns and their complexity is fast emerging. In Canberra, we ments make up the program: are experiencing a tsunami of conservation planning and devel- o Workshops: A second small workshop is planned for 6-7 opment issues and our responses need to be informed and well April at Garuwanga near Nimmitabel. David Tongway. will judged if we are to pursue the best outcomes. We are also picking lead the workshop titled learning .from a landscape walk: up members from the Coast. across the Southern Tablelands. the what is happening on the soil surface, which will describe western slopes. and much further afield. We need contact with Landscape Function Analysis. While rigorous. landscape these rnembers to support them - this will require developing analysis is eas_v to apply and should appeal to professional some new strategies. Anv ideas? ecologists and to enthusiastic amateurs wanting to have an- other dimension knowledge Our success to date relies on the efforts of many people both on of open to them. We are also considering other workshops and off the committee. Some of you may like to consider how to options for later in 2002. becorne more involved or rnay wish to raise an issue you would . Regional visits: We hope to plan visits to Sydney (to look at like FOG to consider. If so. please contact Geoff Robertson on remnant restoration), and New England. Western Slopes and 6241 4065. However the airn of the AGM is to fulfil our legal ob- Riverina Highlands, and Coast to see some more grassy sites. ligations. give members the opportunity to discuss broad direc- tions for FOG. but most of all, to enable us all to catch up with o Visits to ACT, Southern Highlands and Monaro Hot each other and have a good time Spots. o Two winter slide afternoons. One on PNG Grasslands and JANUARY-FEBRUARY PROGRAM on one reptiles and frogs. 19-20 January - Restoring native vegetation to the landscape. This will be a small infonnal workshop on the why and how of News of Friends of Grasslands,Page2 NEWS ROUNDUP Mulwaree to Monaro also provided for many of the sites visited. Jindabyne-Dalgety. CobbinTRS (5XP). While many people participated in putting Numbla (5XP) FOG's major effort this spring was a series the program together, special recognition field days from the northern to the A biproduct of the field days was the dis- of should be given to Steve Priday (NPWS) southern end of the Southern Tablelands covery new leek orchid species (Pra- who produced excellent documentation and ofa days. jointly organised with NSW National sophyllum sp. nov. aff. Petilum). two new most of the behind the scenes advertising. Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). The populations of Thesium australe and two The program also caught the local press tifle of these workshops in the field was new populations of the Monaro Golden thanks to the effort of Environment Aus- Grassy Ecowstems: Mulwaree to the Daisy. from tmlia. Monoro, a series of field days across the ACT has a new government ,Southern Tablelands. As the progfam ad- Sessions were attended by 359 people. vertised. the following centres were visited: Eliminating double counting, we estimate Since our last newsletter. the results of the Adaminaby, Bombala. Braidwood. Booro- 245 people, including on one occasion 22 ACT election have been finalised. The wa. Bungendore. Canberra Collector. Coo- enthusiastic school students. attended one Australian Labor Party (ALP) now holds rna Goulburr\ Gundaroo, Jindabyne, or more sessions. If we add the October eight seats. Liberals seven seats, and Nirnmitabel. Queanbeyan, Sutton, Tarago, field days in the fuverina HigNands. total Greens and Democrats hold one seat and Yass. session aftendance is 447 and after elimi- apiece. Canberra turned against independ- natrng double counting the overall number ents and none was elected. The ALP is Normal practice was for two sites to be is 305 people attending one or more ses- now in government with the support of the visited each day. At each site. there was a sions. About half of these people were sub- workshop. usually lasting an hour. fol- cross bench. sequently sent a fiee FOG newsletter. lowed by a walk and talk in the grassland As mentioned in our previous issue. the or woodland visited. Rainer Rehwinkel For the record the regions, dates and sites Conservation Council was actively in- (NPWS) spoke on four issues: recovery are shown below. The number in brackets volved in the election campaign seeking planning. conservation management net- shows the number of people attending the candidates' views on a range of issues. works. the listing of box woodlands. and session and a '@)' indicates that a plant list FOG was caught up in this. pushing for a the grassy ecosystem lnanagement kit. He was provided. better outcome for grassy ecosystern sites. provided a paper on each of these issues - o Yass-Boorowa. 23 Oct Namina TSR especially East O'Malley in the short-tenn. these are summarised later in the newsletter (8XP), Pudman Creek TSR (l l)(P). Of the minor parties. the Greens and (see arlicle on Developments in grassy eco- o Gundaroo-Sutton. 24 OcL Sufton Democrats were very committed to plan- s.vstems conserudtion on page 9). Geoff Common (10 adults and22 school stu- ning and conservation. and of the major Robertson spoke on the role of FOG. dents)@). Gundaroo Common (IOXP): palties, the ALP gave qualified yeses to o Crookwell, 29 Oct Binda Cemetery For the ACT sites. Environment ACT co- most planning and conservation issues. the (8XP); sponsored the program. Sarah Sharp and Liberals much less so. colleagues spoke about the management of o Goulburn-Collector. 30 Oct. Collector Crace Grassland. In the Monaro. David TSR (18). Kenmore Dam Woodland Since the election. the Government has Eddy (on behalf of the Monaro Grasslands (23XP): signalled support for conservation of the Advisory Committee) spoke on Monaro . Bungendore-Tarago. 3l Oct, Turallo North Watson Woodland and. according to grassl and developments. Grassland (lsXP). Duck Flat TSR Simon Corbell "is committed to a thorough ( I I ): review of East O'Mallev". A sprinkling of FOG members attended the Braidwood, 6 (20XP), o Nov. "Nithdale" So congratulations are in order to all candi- held days and their input was very worth- (Majors Long Flat Reserve Creek dates who stood and have been elected.