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Gecko Autumn 2009

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Gecko Autumn 2009 Issue 39 Welcome to this Autumn edition of Gecko. It has been a good summer for weeds with all the rain and sun, keeping us all busy. Welcome to the new Upper Kedumba Bushcare Group in South Katoomba and to new members of all groups. I hope you will come along to the Annual Thankyou Picnic and meet other groups and those Bushcare Officers you may not yet know. Don’t forget your photos for the exhibition - the closing date has been extended to 7th May. Happy weeding and reading Lyndal Sullivan Bushcare Team Leader DATES TO NOTE Unless otherwise specified the contact for all events is Lyndal Sullivan on ncil Bushcare Bushcare ncil 4780 5528 or [email protected] Saturday 2 nd May - Sassafras ‘Sortie’ - Sassafras Creek Springwood All day event working in the upper section of Sassafras Creek. A bushwalk and weeding day to extend the work of the Beefarm Road Bushcare Group. Saturday 9 th May - Spotlight Walk Knapsack Creek 6.30 pm-8.30 pm Walk led by Graham Turner, a local fauna expert. Contact Lynn Godfree on 47805 623 or [email protected]. Sunday 17 th May - Mt Victoria Bushare/Landcare Information morning at Memorial Park 10 am – 12.00 pm to gauge interest in expanding the current Landcare activities throughout Mt Victoria's township. All welcome. Contact Trish Kidd 47805623, 0423 527740 or [email protected] Wednesday 20 th May - Bushcare Network Meeting 6pm Lawson All welcome. Light dinner provided Lawson Library MCRN meeting room. RSVP for catering and agenda. Saturday 30th May - Annual Bushcare Thankyou BBQ Autumn 2009 Autumn 2009 (your invitation inside) RSVP essential Saturday 6 th June - Blue Gum Swamp Creek Winmalee An all day event to back up the work of the Summerhayes Park Bushcare Group. A short bushwalk to Blue Gum Swamp Creek. A beautiful area with some weeds along the creek. Saturday 13 th June - Bonnie Doon Katoomba Microstrobus Morning Learn about these prehistoric plants and help protect them with some practical work. Lunch provided. RSVP Contact Jill Rattray on [email protected] or 4780 5623 Saturday 13 th June - RSPCA Katoomba Shelter Landcare Mort Street 9 am – 12noon A new 3 monthly Landcare group working the bushland behind the animal shelter. Help look after the native animals and reduce the RSPCA’s weed control costs. Coordinator – Nona Wills 4782 3846 Sunday 2 nd August - National Tree Day (Schools Day Friday 31 st July ) G E C K O G E C K O The Newsletter Citythe Blue of MountainsCou The Newsletter Deadline for contributions for next Gecko July 1st 2009 2 Juncus microcephalus In the Blue Mountains, little attention has been given to the exotic rush of South American origin called Juncus microcephalus (Jm). Colonies of this invasive weed are being found in increasing numbers in Blue Mountains streams, wetlands and swamps. Some aids to identification are provided in the photograph below. Jm is a very efficient propagator. Its large heavy seed head bears hundreds of small, very viable, seeds. When the seeds are mature their weight causes the stem bear- ing the head to bend towards the ground. Very often when growing on stream banks the seed head becomes submerged in the stream, its seeds are released into the stream and borne by the current to form new colonies further downstream. Seeds remaining in the seed head often germi- nate in situ then silt collects around them. Jm thrives on beds of silt which would normally be transient but which are quickly colonized and consequently stabilised. Thus a stream becomes choked and may divert its course. The result can be erosion of stream banks and consequently more silt in the stream. This winter, volunteers from Minnehaha Falls Landcare Group in Katoomba propose to map the colonies of Jm along Yosemite Creek and to identify trial sites. This will be followed in September by a trial of eradication techniques. Possible techniques to be explored include hand weeding, wiping (as with montbretia) and cutting and painting. We are also looking at the experience of others and will be grateful to receive information about other infesta- tions in the Blue Mountains. Please contact Lyndal at the Bushcare Office. Veronica Paul Minnehaha Falls Landcare/Bushcare Group 3 To all our valuable Bushcare & Landcare Volunteers You are invited to your 151515 ththth Annual Bushcare “Thank You” BBQ at Megalong Valley Hall Saturday 30 ththth May 2009 at 12 noon Rain, Hail or Sunshine. Awards and Prizes • Photography Exhibition • Music from the Gang-Gangs Bush Band • Children’s Activities • Bushcare Olympics What to Bring --- Family or friends Plate, mug and cutlery, A musical instrument, if you have one. Vegetarian food available Community Bus available from Lapstone. Numbers limited Bookings essential for Picnic and Bus - by Friday 22nd May Contact Tracy Williams 47 80 5623 . [email protected] Spreading the Word CASUAL BUSHCARE OFFICERS Anyone have a catchy slogan to promote Bushcare? We are looking for people interested and The February Bushcare Network Meeting discussed an idea to skilled to work as Bushcare Officers on create some fold-up A frame signs with a catchy slogan to be occasions. An additional Bushcare placed near Bushcare sites whilst we are working. These signs officer can be needed at short notice could give local residents an idea of who we are and what we when grant funds are received for are doing, and hopefully attract new members. As there won’t projects or to fill in for a regular officer. be a lot of space available on the signs, a catchy slogan of just Expressions of interest for an eligibility a few words would be ideal. list of casual bushcare officers will soon At the Bushcare Picnic (see invitation above), all the slogans be advertised. Applicants should have will be listed and everyone will have the chance to vote for the bushregeneration qualifications, profes- best. The slogan that has the most votes will win a small prize sional experience and community group and be used for promotion. Send your slogan ideas to Karen skills. For more information Hising at [email protected] or 4780 5623 by contact Lyndal Sullivan on 4780 5528 Wednesday 20 th May. or [email protected] . 4 PLANT WHAT NATIVE WHERE? Does ‘provenance’ matter? Bob Makinson, conservation botanist at the Sydney the abundant species of Eucalypts, and protecting their Royal Botanic Gardens, delivered an excellent presen- genetic integrity is important. Bob pointed to a good tation on 2 April on reasons why the provenance, or review paper on this issue, with pre-planting risk source, of plant material is important for all of us assessment rules that can greatly reduce the problem. working towards restoring the health of the bush in the The good news in terms of the effect of climate change Blue Mountains. on restored native bushland in the Blue Mountains was Adding plants or seeds from another source may be that we may be buffered to some extent – Bob necessary to help restore a local patch or species to suggested that our topography will modify the mega- healthy size, but there are some risks. Infra-species climate changes that are expected, and we have robust crossing (same species, different provenance) can cause native communities and massive conserved areas. changes in genetic diversity. This may have positive or (Bushcare volunteers can take some credit for those last negative effects on the offspring, including reduced 2 factors). We also do not expect very large plantations seed-set or less fit progeny. Occasionally, different of introduced Eucalypts (3 million hectares of Eucalypt provenances of the same species cannot interbreed, so plantations are planned for Australia by 2020). mixing them may even retard restoration. Bob quoted a modified version of the doctors’ oath – Threatened species are a special case, and the conse- “first do no (more) harm”. Nevertheless, he also quences of a wrong decision are greater. Collection or stressed that we should not let fear of provenance translocation of seed or whole plants of these species problems, or of climate change, paralyse our restoration should only be done with expert involvement. efforts. In the context of the Blue Mountains, making sure we adhere to good practices with plant provenance For most ‘ordinary’ species, Bob pointed to recent is a way to avoid harm. research results which add to the ‘Rules of Thumb’ which many of us already practice. The talk led to a lively forum involving the audience of For the Blue Mountains, his main messages were : volunteers, students, nursery representatives, • Plant material ideally to be sourced from within professionals and concerned residents. 5km (flexible) at a similar altitude, and from similar Several research papers relevant to the talk are habitat and soil-type; available at the Bushcare office. • Review history of source area – is it regrowth, Jill Rattray perhaps from a limited genetic base? • Review knowledge of the species (e.g. breeding system); A recording of the proceedings is available for loan, • Review your goals –survivorship rate of planted and soon will be available from the website to material is important, but the goal is long-term viable download. populations, with ‘fit’ offspring, the right pollinators and dispersers, and enough genetic variability to allow future adaptation; • Source seed from populations of over 200, as smaller populations may have a narrow genetic base and produce poor seed; If trying to establish connectivity between remnants, minimise distances to maximise gene flow. Inter-species hybridization is more common in some genera, Eucalypts and Grevilleas being prone to it. If you have very rare species nearby, seek advice on the risk of impact on the wild plants.
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