No 86 October 2020

Our new website is coming! In just a few weeks we will be launching our new website, which showcases Swan Bay and the work we do with the community to protect it. There will be special features on Swan Bay’s ecology, habitats, birds, fish and other animals. You will also find information on the Wadawurrung people, recent historical events and the threats the bay now faces. A major section contains photo galleries that show and describe many of the plants that we grow and sell in our Queenscliffe Indigenous Nursery. There are also easy-to-follow guides on how we grow the plants and what you should do when planting them in your garden. You will also be able to order plants on the website that you can pick up later at the nursery in Nelson Road Queenscliff. The above photo of Swan Bay, Tip Island, the Narrows and Bay is just one of many scattered across the website and which bring Swan Bay to life. Thank you to all of the photographers who have been so generous with their photos. Our new website is being designed by Jonathan Wright of Media, who is working closely with committee member Chris Smyth to complete this project.

Local designer gives us a fresh look Ocean Grove designer, Chris Tsernjavski, is behind the fresh look for our logo, brochure and newsletter. Chris is also a keen wildlife photographer and some of her photos will appear on our new website. On photography, Chris says: ‘Photographing nature ties seamlessly with a lifelong curiosity and appreciation of the natural world. Diverse habitats, big Australian landscapes, weather, flora and fauna, insects, marine environments and the micro world are endless sources of fascination and inspiration for me’. Committee member Sue Wasterval worked closely with Chris to produce a new brochure outlining who we are and what we do. Pick one up at the Information Centre in Hesse Street. Chris also redesigned our newsletter. After 85 editions, we thought it was time to also give it a new look. We hope you like it.

Chris Tsernjavski in the wild and our new brochure that she designed.

Gardens for Wildlife Felicity Thyer steps down as program coordinator We would like to express our thanks to Felicity Thyer, who has resigned from her position as Coordinator of the Swan Bay Environment Association’s Gardens for Wildlife program (G4W). Felicity has been involved in the program since its inception five years ago, initially as a volunteer and more recently as an employee of the Association. Over this time, she has conducted many home visits to advise people on ways to attract wildlife to their gardens and run workshops to train volunteers to work on the program with her. She has also been successful in applying for grants from the Borough to develop and promote the program.

Felicity’s hard work in running and advancing the G4W program and her enthusiastic commitment to the role and the natural environment will be greatly missed.

Felicity Thyer made many on-site garden visits in the G4W program and gave valued advice to aspiring wildlife gardeners.

LOCAL INDIGENOUS PLANTS FOR SALE OUR NURSERY IS OPEN AGAIN If you are after some new plants to pop in your garden, why not buy them from our nursery at 79 Nelson Road, for $2 each? Opening times: Wednesday from 9.00am-12noon and the 3rd Sunday of each month from 10.00am-12noon. Enquiries to Sarah Roberts, Nursery Manager: 0401 281 448 Climate Emergency Response Plan Queenscliff and Point Lonsdale are already being affected by the impacts of climate change. We face an increasing risk from coastal inundation, sea level rise and bushfires. As a community, we need to act now. That's why the Borough of Queenscliffe is creating a Climate Emergency Response Plan that will be community-led and guide Council and community action with ambitious goals and specific actions that address both mitigation and adaptation strategies. The plan will be finalised by April 2021 after a round of community consultation and advice from a Community Panel. You can help the implementation of the plan by completing the survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BoqCERP. The survey is the beginning of an engagement process in which Council wants to gain understanding, feedback and ideas from the Queenscliff and Point Lonsdale residential and business communities, community groups and visitors, that will directly help to develop the plan. Ideas, goals and actions will be collected and shared in a report produced by Council. The survey will take you less than 20 minutes to complete.

Nursery news The nursery re-opens again The Queenscliffe Indigenous Nursery has re-opened its gates again after a second closure this year due to COVID lockdown. The nursery has resumed its usual opening hours of every Wednesday from 9.00am-12noon and the third Sunday of the month from 10.00am-12noon. During the closure we have again built up our plant stock and have plenty of variety for sale. Due to COVID19 restrictions, there is a limit on the number of people who can browse the plants in the nursery at any one time. Stay safe by using the hand sanitiser supplied at the gate, wear a face mask and keep at least 1.5 metres from others. Please read the signs at the nursery’s front gate for current COVID19 restrictions.

New irrigation system to be installed Our nursery plants can get thirsty during the warmer months but keeping the water up to them can be very labour intensive. We are installing a new and automated irrigation system that can be activated remotely.

Gallery of nursery plants If you have ever wondered ‘What plant is that?’, then our new website’s Gallery of nursery plants might just provide you with the answer. In all, the gallery has 12 plant categories ranging from tall trees and small shrubs to saltmarsh, climbers, wildflowers and ground covers. Each plant has a description of its size, flowers, fruits and growing conditions, written by our Nursery Manager, Sarah Roberts, and at least one photo. The photos have been taken by Point Lonsdale photographer, Robyn Curtis. Robyn has sought out each plant in the wild as part of a mammoth project to photograph every one of those grown in our Queenscliffe Indigenous Nursery. The Swan Bay Environment Association owes a great debt of gratitude to Robyn for her outstanding work.

Of her photographic work, Robyn says: "I am a keen gardener and amateur photographer. I volunteer at the Queenscliffe Indigenous Nursery where I am learning about the plants of the local environment. It is also a wonderful way to meet like-minded people in the community. My interest in photographing the local plants grown at the nursery is to share their beauty with people. I hope it encourages others to plant indigenous plants to provide habitat for wildlife and for the health of the environment." Repairing damage to Bunny Woods and Rip View woodlands SBEA member Michael Grout reports on efforts to protect Point Lonsdale’s remnant moonah woodland from damage by bikes. In recent months, two of the last remaining stands of moonah woodland in Point Lonsdale, Bunny Woods and Rip View Woodlands, have been significantly damaged by the construction of bike trails (BMX/pump tracks). However, there has been a focus on repairing the damage in a partnership between Council, its outdoor staff, the Bellarine Catchment Network (BCN) and a Working for conservation team provided by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP). In the Bunny Woods, a Lend Lease crew removed some bike jumps, ramps and corner banks and BCN’s supervised conservation team remade and replanted the edges of several walking tracks with woodland plants from the Queenscliffe Indigenous Nursery. In the Rip View Woodlands, where new bike trails have been created to the south of the long-established Humps and Bumps, a stunning variety of orchids have been identified by Brett Diemen, a horticulturalist who lives locally. The new trailblazers damaged several woodland trees, shrubs and ground covers, and impinged on areas where orchids are growing. Council staff and the BCN crew have now erected temporary fencing to limit access to these areas. In addressing the issues, some Councillors and Council staff have engaged in conversations with several of the bike-track builders and users. Discussion included balancing the needs of bikers with the protection of our remnant woodlands, as well as options for building a new bike-trail facility in a Borough location less damaging to our fragile coastal environment. Moving forward, there are at least four issues Council will need to manage: • collaborating with DELWP on management of these foreshore areas, as we must continuously demonstrate BoQ is a capable coastal manager • communicating with bike riders and affected stakeholders in order to identify an alternative area in the Borough for a new bike trail, and arrange funding for this project in the next budget. We understand two sites are being considered: either adjacent to the current Skate Park (which needs refurbishment), or beside the Point Lonsdale school hall • ensuring that the remedial work is not wasted time and money: the new plantings and repaired pathways need on-going inspection and maintenance until it is clear the damage is not repeated, that new plants survive and weeds do not invade • improving signage to reduce the risk of this cycle of damage and repair recurring, as has happened in other municipalities. For example, restrictive ‘No Bike’ signs and low-level interpretive moonah woodland signs could be placed at both ends of the walking tracks in each of the Borough’s remaining moonah woodlands, as education and regulation are two important elements in reducing undesirable human impacts. We have written to the Borough of Queenscliffe in support of Michael’s four-point plan.

Left: Damage by humps and bumps Top Right: Signs in the woodland Bottom Right: Maroon Hood Orchids

Weeds out of control in the Borough of Queenscliffe SBEA President, Greg Parry, is calling for action on the spread of weeds in the Borough of Queenscliffe. Much attention has been drawn to the damage to coastal vegetation caused by bike riders, but much larger areas of our native vegetation have been damaged by the long-term neglect of exotic weeds. These changes are slow, insidious and less dramatic but probably more serious in the long term. Ecologist Mark Trengrove surveyed coastal vegetation in the Borough in 1992 and found that the 140 indigenous species were outnumbered by 160 naturalised species. While much work has been done over the years to reduce weeds in the Borough, they remain a serious problem that needs ongoing attention. In my view, after climate change, weeds are our most serious local environmental challenge. Indeed, like many problems, climate change is likely to worsen our weed problem, as it alters the environment in which our native species evolved, potentially advantaging the invaders further. There is a clear need for a well-considered and carefully implemented plan to address the weeds in the borough. In doing so, we could learn much from the approach of the Phillip Island Nature Park* to weeds. Their strategy has three main goals: 1. Prevent new and emerging weeds from establishing 2. Minimise the impact of established weeds 3. Enhance capacity and commitment to solve weed problems. These goals are supported by good record keeping that is maintained in a GIS (Geographic Information System) database i.e. digital maps. Good record keeping is important to ensure that sites where emerging weeds are removed are revisited to ensure any regrowth is removed promptly. Similarly, where established weeds are cleared (Polygala, Italian Buckthorn etc.) from larger areas, these areas need to have adequate follow up to ensure new seedlings are removed prior to seed set. There are currently areas in the Narrows where follow up weeding is urgent to ensure Polygala does not again dominate areas previously cleared of this and other weeds. There also looks to be plenty of opportunities for ‘enhanced capacity’ through stronger cooperation between SBEA, the Bellarine Catchment Network, the Borough of Queenscliffe and the local community. An adequate plan would facilitate this cooperation. Council are currently developing a weed management strategy and SBEA has recently written to council to ensure we are consulted prior to its completion. I will keep you posted on their response. *https://www.penguins.org.au/assets/Conservation/Environment/PDF/PINP-Weed-Strategy-ONLINE.pdf

Arum Lilies have invaded an area along the Swan Bay Environmental Trail.

Bellarine Catchment Network Caring for our Bays Litter Hotspot Report The Bellarine Catchment Network’s Caring for our Bays program aims to address the increasing threat of plastics and pollution of the oceans by stopping litter at its source. The program improves infrastructure and signage, engages community and business, delivers litter education and clean-up events, and develops educational material. Regular surveys are conducted at 15 sites around Corio Bay and the (see map above), including Burnt Point in Swan Bay. The most recent Litter Hotspot Report shows that litter at Burnt Point decreased by 75% between 2017 and 2020 (see Graph 1). Peak litter occurs during the summer and Easter holiday periods (see Graph 2). The Burnt Point site is a secluded fishing location, with the main litter items associated with that use: cigarette butts (15%), plastic fragments (15%), food wrappers (9%), glass bottles (7%) and aluminium cans (7%). The reduction could be due to the monthly clean-up at the site.

Graph 1 Graph 2

Orange-bellied Parrots return to Swan Bay Craig Morley from the Geelong Field Naturalists Club reports on sighting a critically endangered parrot. Two adult male Orange-bellied Parrots have been seen in the Swan Bay area on the Bellarine Peninsula. The first was observed on 10 September, briefly perched on a dead twig at the top of a Shrubby Glasswort for barely a minute, before it dropped and flew a short distance and was lost from sight in the impenetrable and inaccessible habitat! The bird could not be relocated despite repeated searching over many hours in the area. Leg bands were not visible in the brief time it was in view, but the distinctive feathering on the head of the bird was noted. The observer returned several days later and found another adult male Orange-bellied Parrot feeding voraciously on Shrubby Glasswort. It afforded very good views for several minutes to enable the band details to be read. It was banded as an adult in the 2010–11 breeding season at Melaleuca (in Tasmania), so is at least 11 years of age. He was last observed in 2020 at Melaleuca on 25 February and last seen at Swan Bay in August 2016.