BUSH CARDS 4 YOUTH #bushskills4youth NOONGAR CALENDAR The Noongar six-season calendar is a guide to what nature is doing at every stage of the year. Seasons can be long or short depending on what is happening around us, rather than by dates on a calendar. birak BUNURU DJERAN MAKURU DJILBA KAMBARANG DEC – JAN FEB – MAR APR – MAY JUNE – JULY AUG – SEP OCT – NOV Hot and dry Warm to hot Cool and pleasant Cold and wet Cold with less rain Warming, rains ending First Summer Second Summer Ant Season The fi rst rains Growing Season Wildfl ower season Birak is Bunuru is the time of As the season changes Now it is the Djilba is a transitional time, Kambarang brings longer characterised by hot easterly winds with to Djeran, the cool coldest and wettest with very cold and clear dry periods accompanying the onset of hot cool south-westerly nights bring dew in the time of the year. days, becoming warmer, a defi nite warming trend. easterly winds. afternoon sea breezes. early mornings. Winds Noongar people windy and rainy, then Families move back Mullet, bream, Noongar people move are lighter and swing continue to migrate sunny. As the weather towards the coast where marron and crabs to coastal estuaries from the south-west. inland to the changes Noongar groups freshwater crayfi sh are abundant along and reefs where Fishing continues, but Darling Scarp, to move to drier areas. (gilgies), frogs, turtles and the coastal lakes fi sh and abalone the people begin to hunt and for shelter, Common foods found blue marron are caught. and river estuaries. proliferate. The white migrate back to the as the winds turn along the rivers include Awakening snakes and This is the time to fl owers of marri and wetland areas. Hunting to the west and eggs from emus, swans goannas are a good make kangaroo the ghost gums are in increases, mainly for south bringing cold and ducks supplemented source of food during this skin coats (Booka), full bloom. A striking emus and turtles. The rains. Food sources by berries, roots and season. Balgas fl ower which both cool plant is the zamia: the women collect bulbs change to those some larger game. This prolifi cally if they’ve been and act as shields cones of the female and seeds from zamias of the land, such is the start of the massive burnt in the past year. against the harsh plant emerge from the and bulrushes. Djeran as kangaroos. The fl owering explosion that A wealth of colours and wind and sun. centre within masses is the time of the yellow fl owers of happens in the south west. fl owers surround us: the Many fl edgling of a cotton-wool like stunning red fl owers the acacias are Flowers of all colours yellows and creams of the animals venture substance. As the of red fl owering gums blooming followed abound, including the hakeas, delicate pinks and out of nests and season continues, and the red ‘rust’ and by the white fl owers blues and purples of the blues of orchids and the reptiles are about to seeds upon the cones seed cones forming on of the peppermint. dianellas and purple fl ags. vivid red and green of the shed their old skin change from green to the male and female Animals start to pair Soon the fl ower stalks of kangaroo paw. At this time, for a new one. It’s bright red. This is a sheoaks. Banksia up in preparation the balgas emerge. We the dramatic display of the also time that baby time to burn the land fl owers blossom, for breeding in the now see the swooping vibrant orange and yellow frogs complete their in mosaic patterns to providing nectar for next season. protective behaviour of the fl owers of the Nuytsia transformation to help the bush replenish mammals and birds and magpie, willy wagtail and (Christmas tree) signals the adulthood. itself. fl ying ants emerge. wattle bird. heat is on its way. FABACEAE Acacia baileyana Cootamundra Wattle An upright shrub or small tree with a spreading crown, up to 10m high by 6m across with profuse gold ball- shaped fl owers occuring in late winter. Pods are bluish Acacia decurrens when young. Compound leaves are grey, and are almost stalkless, with the lowest pair of branchlets on Black Wattle each leaf being smaller and angled backwards. A tall shrub or tree with brown or blackish coloured bark. One of the most commonly cultivated wattles in The fl owers are golden yellow in small globular clusters Australia, found in parks, gardens and as a that are arranged into larger elongated clusters. The street tree. seeds are dispersed by water, wind, birds, ants, garden refuse and soil movement. The name A. decurrens Right: Acacia decurrens composite Photography by M. Hancock. Image used with the permission of the Western is Latin and means ‘running down’, referring to the Australian Herbarium, Department of Parks and Wildlife (https://fl orabase. winged ridges which run down the branchlets. This plant dpaw.wa.gov.au/help/copyright). Accessed on Monday, 20 March 2017. originated in eastern Australia. FABACEAE Acacia iteaphylla Flinders Range Wattle Acacia longifolia A bushy, spreading, shrub or small tree growing to 5m Sydney Golden Wattle tall. The simple ‘leaves’, which are long and narrow, are alternately arranged. They are bluish-green and An upright, spreading shrub or tree with yellow fl owers have a single, prominent vein running lengthwise. from July to September. The leaves are linear and The pods are elongated with slight constrictions bright green to dark green in colour. Dense stands between the seeds. can signifi cantly increase the nitrogen content in soil, Right: Acacia longifolia composite altering the nutrient balance and affecting the growth Photography by T.C Daniel & M. Hancock. Image used with the permission and regeneration of indigenous species. of the Western Australian Herbarium, Department of Parks and Wildlife (https://fl orabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/help/copyright). Accessed on Monday, 20 March 2017. longifolia: Latin longi = long + folia = leaves FABACEAE Acacia podalyriifolia Queensland Silver Wattle An upright, spreading shrub or small tree growing to 6-10m, living only 10-15 years. Young branches and buds have a powdery or waxy coating giving them a Acacia pycnantha silvery appearance. The ‘leaves’ are relatively short and broad (about twice as long as they are wide) with Golden Wattle a single prominent vein near the centre. The pods A short-lived large shrub or small tree, with an are elongated and fl attened with wavy margins and upright and spreading habit, that usually grows 3-8m velvety hair when young. tall. This is a somewhat variable species and small, spindly forms sometimes occur that fl ower when Right: Acacia pycnantha composite only 0.5-1m high. Photography by A. Doley, M. Fagg & M. Kenny. Image used with the permission of the Western Australian Herbarium, Department of Parks and pycnantha: Greek pycnos = dense, Wildlife (https://fl orabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/help/copyright). Accessed on Monday, 20 March 2017. densely packed. PLANT ME INSTEAD OF THE ‘WEEDY WATTLES’ Acacia howitii Acacia howitii ‘Sticky Wattle’ ‘Green Wave’ Acacia denticulosa Fast growing dense tree Dense groundcover Fast-growing, dense shrub or shrub grows to 4m, spreading 0.4 x1m, yellow grows to 2-3m, golden pale yellow fl owers in fl owers in September. rod fl owers in September- September. October. WA native. Acacia lasiocarpa Dense shrub or ground Acacia howitii cover grows to 0.5m, in ‘Honey Bun’ Acacia merinthophora Acacia coriacea sandy, some saline or Dense shrub grows to Shrub grows to 2m, with Tree grows to 5m, lemon alkaline soils, grows in 1.5m yellow fl owers in yellow fl owers in August - fl owers in June-July. shade, native to the Perth September. October. WA native. region, attracts butterfl ies. These native Australian wattles thrive on low water, in sandy or clay soils. Thank you to Zanthorrea Garden Centre for providing photos and information. www.zanthorrea.com MYRTACEAE Eucalyptus accedens Powderbark A medium to large tree growing to 25m high, with smooth, powdery bark, which is white to pink or apricot, often with darker fl ecks. White to creamy yellow fl owers occur from December to April (Birak to Djeran). Powderbark grows on lateritic breakaways and stony ridges, in clay loam or lateritic gravel. DID YOU KNOW? Rubbing your hand over the bark of E. accedens leaves a powdery coating. accedens: Latin accedens = approaching or resembling. Refers to the similarity of the bark to that of E. wandoo. 25m high Dec - Apr CM 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Nuts 4-valved Old trees develop hollows which are used by lizards, birds and bats for shelter and nesting. The major commercial use of E. accedens is in beekeeping. Although similar, E. accedens can Dropped be distinguished branches make from E. wandoo shelters for lizards, snakes by its powdery Leaves dull, and echidnas. This tree is endemic to WA. bark. blue-green MYRTACEAE Eucalyptus wandoo Noongar Name: Wandoo Tree grows to 30m high, with a well- developed crown and wiggly branches. The trunk is seldom greater than 1m diameter with bark that is cream to grey, smooth or mottled. Leaves are dull bluish-green and fl owers are white to cream occurring December to May (Birak to Djeran). Wandoo grows in sandy or clay loams, in gravel, over laterite or granite, on stony rises or undulating terrain. 1m 30m high diameter trunk CM 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 The tree hollows are used by many birds and mammals, such as small bats and brush tailed possums for shelter.