The Link Volunteer Newsletter Issue 83

VOLUNTEERS AND PARTNERSHIPS UNIT NEWS

THE VPU WELCOMESMERYL JENKINS

Hi

My name is Meryl Jenkins and I have just begun my last rotation in the two-year Graduate Ranger Program. This rotation is dedicated to learning the ropes of the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources in the Adelaide offices, and for me this begins in the Volunteer and Partnerships Unit. So far I have spent 6 month periods in the Adelaide and MountLoftyRanges region based in Cleland, the Alinytjara Wilurara region based in Ceduna, and the SA Murray-Darling Basin region based in Berri.

In this time I’ve had the pleasure of working in a vast variety of landscapes, both on and off park, and with a diverse range of community groups and landholders. The volunteer highlights in this time have included supporting Friends of Parks groups with grant applications, working with volunteers to conduct pitfall trap surveys on the and facilitating the involvement of volunteers in three weeks of planting at Pike River Conservation Park as a part of the River Murray Forest program.

I grew up going on family camping trips all across the state and from a young age aspired to be a park ranger. I spent as much time as I could while in school participating in environmental volunteering initiatives including Conservation Volunteers Australia and I went on to study Environmental Management at Flinders University. Following on from this I began work as a field officer on Christmas Island National Park with the mine-site rehabilitation program and went on to work in other programs at the Park, including the biannual Island-wide Survey of flora and fauna and the Red Crab Migration management program with the rangers. I spent four years on the Island and developed many lasting friendships with the diverse community and helped to develop relationships between Parks staff and the community. After a brief holiday I returned to to work for DEWNR in the Graduate Ranger Program.

I have a passion for connecting people with the environment, to get out there, to enjoy it, to take care of it, and to value it as a resource as well as a cultural landscape for Indigenous communities and as a home for many native plant, bird and animal species. I enjoy being out bush, music jam sessions around the campfire, reading and hanging out with friends and family. I have a high regard for the invaluable efforts volunteers of all ages contribute to looking after this wonderful, and sometimes vulnerable, environment we live in and I look forward to helping out in any way I can in my stay at the VPU and in my career in environmental management.

GET INVOLVED

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

ADELAIDE DOLPHIN SANCTUARY Is looking for … Enthusiastic and computer savy volunteers to help update the ADS Action Group Facebook page. Tasks include updated of photos (that may involve editing first), reply to enquires, etc. The material to be uploaded will be provided to you. A commitment of around two hours a week is all you need and you could help without leaving your own sofa!!If you are interested email the ADS at [email protected].

DOLPHIN TRAILS Dolphin Trails are a great introduction to volunteering with the ADS Action Group. During dolphin trails, volunteers join more experienced volunteers to discover the best locations to spot the dolphins. Spaces are limited; email [email protected] register your interest in their next session.

ADELAIDE GAOLneeds volunteers to assist with… History talks Share the fascinating history of the Adelaide Gaol by providing history talks to school groups (Monday to Friday) and self-guided visitors (Sundays).A minimum commitment of a few hours once per week or month will be required to participate in this program. Training will be provided.

Maintenance program Assist with cleaning and minor maintenance around the historic site of the Adelaide Gaolon Tuesdays and Wednesdays for either half or full days (up to 15 hours). Please [email protected] register your interest. If you have a passion for our state’s heritage then they would love to hear from you.

BETTONG TRAPPING - ARID RECOVERY RESERVE Volunteers are required to assist with an exciting project at the Arid Recovery Reserve at Roxby Downs during August / September. This is a great opportunity to get up close and personal with bettongs, bilbies and bandicoots. To help out or for more information call the Arid Recovery main office on 8671 2402 or email [email protected].

S.O.S. (SAVE OUR SPECIES)! Would you like to help conserve our threatened species? You can take advantage of these great opportunities to conserve our rare and threatened local plants and native animals across the Adelaide and Mt Lofty Ranges (AMLR).You can get involved, get your hands dirty and help save our threatened species! Threatened Plant Action Group (TPAG)hold working bees, various events and activities across the AMLR region throughout the yearincluding: • Millbrook Reserve Every Thursday, 9.30am start Woodland restoration, weed management and monitoring. • Hope Valley Reservoir August 14 Wednesday, 9.30am start Monitoring and weeding for Cullen parvum at Hope Valley Reservoir • Tarlee/Spalding Aug 23 Friday, 10.30am start: Monitoring and weeding in temperate grasslands for Lachnagrostis limitanea, Tarlee/Spalding • Pine Point YP Aug 24-25 Weekend, 10.00am start: Monitoring and weeding for Acacia rhetinocarpa at Pine Point YP Contact Tim Jury on 08 7127 4166 or email [email protected] for more information.

THE MILLION TREES PROGRAM Winter Planting Events are a great way to get the family active, away from TV and computer screens, spending some ‘green time’ together. 17 August – Onkaparinga River Recreation Park Open Eucalyptus porosa woodland will be created to provide habitat for the resident kangaroos to shelter under during the day. Dates: Saturday 17 August Time: 10am – 3pm Place: Onkaparinga River Recreation Park. Enter off Railway Road, Seaford Meadows Note:Bring sun/rain protection, gloves for planting, sturdy footwear, snacks and water. Hot drinks and sausage sizzle provided. RSVPon 8278 0600 or [email protected], with your name and contact details. For up-to-date event information, visit the GET INVOLVED page on the million trees website at www.milliontrees.sa.gov.au.

NEED HELP ON YOUR PROPERTY? WHY NOT USE VOLUNTEERS? Natural Resources SA Arid Lands is using the release of a new booklet to encourage land managers to utilise volunteer support for land management activities on their properties - and to send in 'expressions of interest' for using volunteers by 30 October. The new booklet - Working with Volunteers: Advice for land managers in the South Australian Arid Lands - encourages pastoralists and other land managers to 'dump their assumptions' about using volunteers on their properties.

The booklet borrows from the lessons behind the Blinman-Parachilna Pest Plant Control Group (BPPPCG), a six-year partnership between Adelaide-based volunteer groups and pastoral properties which undertakes Wheel Cactus and Oleander control in the North Flinders region. To view the booklet visitwww.saalnrm.sa.gov.au. For hard copies or further information contact Natural Resources SA Arid Lands on 8648 5300.

CONSERVATION VOLUNTEERS AUSTRALIA (CVA) Join them for a day… CVAoffers a wide variety of conservation opportunities close to Adelaide that are free to join. They run every day from Monday to Friday, leaving their office in the City at 8am and returning at 4pm. There are also some weekend projects. No experience is necessary - all training and transport is provided by our experienced Team Leaders. Activities include planting, weeding, fencing, seed collection, track maintenance and more! So go along for the day, meet new people and join the conservation efforts around our beautiful city! …or go away Elsewhere in the state, projects take place on the Upper Spencer Gulf, Yorke Peninsula, Eyre Peninsula, Kangaroo Island and in the South East. Projects range from 2 to 10 days with most being 5 days long. If you are local to the project location you are welcome to join them on a daily basis for free. If you join a project in Adelaide, they ask for a contribution which includes your food, accommodation and travel (except projects on Kangaroo Island where volunteers need to arrange their travel to and from the island through Sealink).

What’s coming up? Port Wakefield, Gulf St Vincent – 26 to 30 August Join CVA to volunteer in Port Wakefield and surrounds. You will be planting native trees and shrubs, direct seeding by hand and removing weeds to preserve remaining habitat within this agricultural landscape. A great opportunity to see this beautiful area in the mid North. Enjoy this 5 day - 4 night experience for $208 ($120 concession) which includes food, accommodation and return transport from Adelaide.

More projects to be confirmed soon.

Friends of Conservation Volunteers... As well as volunteering on projects, there are opportunities to support CVA in a range of other ways including fundraising for projects and resources or becoming a key volunteer. You can also join exclusive activities and events. It’s free to become a Friend, simply get in touch and they will send you some more information. To find out what’s happening call 8212 0777, email [email protected] or visit www.conservationvolunteers.com.au.

CLELAND WILDLIFE PARK Animal Management Volunteers and Food Bag Production Volunteers Ongoing

Animal Management volunteers work closely with the keeper staff at Cleland Wildlife Park helping with the care and husbandry of our captive native wildlife population.While there is no direct handling of the animals volunteering at Cleland can be a worthwhile and rewarding experience. Some of the tasks you may be involved in include food preparation and cleaning of the food prep area, cleaning exhibits and enclosures and creating behavioural and environmental enrichment tools.

Food bag production volunteers assist with the production and bagging of food pellets. These bags are provided to park visitors to hand feed animals throughout the park. Any relevant training will be provided. For more information about either of these positions contact the Volunteer Coordinator, Cleland Wildlife Park on (08) 8130 9008 or [email protected].

EVENTS

THERE ARE LOADS OF ACTIVITIES TO GET INVOLVED WITH ON BUSHCARE’S MAJOR DAY OUT! Sunday 8 September

Bushcare’s Major Day Out is a day specifically designed to give everyone of us the opportunity to find out more about our bushland. What is being done and what can be done in the bush where we live, so that it thrives? It’s a fun day where anyone, young and old can work and learn alongside experts. There are a range of activities; weed removal, walks, planting, as well as native plant identification and great morning teas. Get involved!

FRIENDS OF Belair National Park Sunday 8 September 2013, 10am to 12 noon Where should you meet? Meet at the Volunteer Centre, Long Gully, in Belair National Park. Ask at the ticket box at the entrance for free admission to the Park and directions to the Volunteer Centre. What’s planned? Join experienced bushcarers and those who’ve never tried bushcare before to help rid our bushland of weeds and help our native plants to thrive. See the spring wildflowers coming into bloom. No experience needed. What to bring - Wear long pants, long sleeves, covered boots or shoes, hat and sunscreen, and gardening gloves. Bring a bottle of water. Any tools required will be supplied. Enquiries to: Friends of Belair National Park, email:[email protected] phone: 0414 591 580

FRIENDS OF BLACK HILL AND MORIALTAPARKS INC Morialta Conservation Park Sunday 8 September 2013, 9.30 am to 12 noon Where should you meet? Free car park - Resource Centre. Turn left off Morialta Falls Road, just before the parking station. What’s planned? We will working to restore habitat, by protecting plantings and removing weed species What to bring - We will supply tools and gloves, bring water, a hat and sunscreen if required Enquiries to: John Fleming, email:[email protected] or phone: 0418495834

FRIENDS OF MYLOR CONSERVATION PARK Mylor Conservation Park Sunday 8 September 2013, 9.30 am to 11.30 am Where should you meet? Behind the Youth Hostel at 105a Whitehead Road, Mylor Enquiries to: Pip Burnett email:[email protected] phone: 0407604574 What’s planned? We will be working in the DEWNR controlled burn site of 30 April 2013 What to bring - Wear a hat and boots, and bring gloves, secateurs and enthusiasm.

BIG WEED FRONT TEAM – TREES FOR LIFE Karinya Reserve, Eden Hills Sunday 8 September 2013 Coinciding with the national Bushcare’s Major Day Out– come along and help Trees For Life create it’s Big Weed Front team in the unique and precious native vegetation at Karinya Reserve, Eden Hills.A ‘weed front’ is where bushcare volunteers meet the edge of an invading army of weeds and destroy it. At the inaugural event last year, more than 100 Trees For Life volunteers converged on a bushland site, forming a snaking line to push back the weeds.This year, Trees For Life is inviting the public to be a part of it too. It will be a fun day out with a sausage sizzle lunch, and will be a great opportunity to do something rewarding, while meeting others. Call Trees for Life on 8406 0500 to register for the event or for more information.

INNESTON HISTORIC TOWNSHIP IS CELEBRATING 100 YEARS Visitors are invited to join local communities, past residents of the original settlement and the Friends of Innes National Park to celebrate this year’s 100 year milestone. Saturday, 14 September 2013 - 10am-2pm There will be historical displays, a guided tour of the township along the Inneston Historic Walk, a speaker’s corner recounting what life was like in the area, children’s activities, music and dance and market stalls of local produce. An exhibition of art produced by local school children will be on display and a replication of the town’s pageant will be a key closing attraction. Wood oven pizzas will be cooked in the township’s old bakery oven by staff from the Marion Bay Tavern and other food stalls will be available. Park entry fees apply for attending the event, which assists ongoing management of the Inneston Township. Contact Jasmine Swales, Tourism and Partnerships Officer on [email protected] or phone Innes National Park Visitor Centre on 08 8854 3200 for more information.

DEEP CREEK CONSERVATION PARK – COMMUNITY OPEN DAY Join in a fun day out for all ages in one of South Australia’s most scenic bushland parks. Free Entry When: Sunday, 22 September- 11am-2pm Where: Park Headquarters, Tappanappa Road, Delamere (off Range Road) There will be loads of exciting activities and stalls –face painting, animals, park pass giveaways, games and prizes, local markets, CFS, Smokey the Bear and much more. For more information call the Fleurieu District - Deep Creek office on (08) 8598 0263

FRIENDS OF BELAIR NATIONAL PARK Annual FREE walks in memory of Professor Sir John Cleland Join with the Friends of Belair National Park on aFREE Guided Walk led by Birds SA in Belair National Park Sunday 22 September – 10am and 2 pm(4 pm approx finish). Meet at the Volunteer Centre, Long Gully, in Belair National Park. Ask at the ticket box at the entrance for free admission to the Park and directions to the Volunteer Centre. Free tea and coffee provided by volunteers. BYO lunch, snacks and water. Wear walking shoes, a hat, sunscreen and jacket Enquiries to: Friends of Belair National Parkemail:[email protected] phone 8278 6736.

GET GOLDFEVER IN THE BAROSSA GOLDFIELDS Open Day - The Barossa Goldfields Historical Society Sunday 22 September - 9.30 am – 4.30 pm Bowden’s Cottage, located 4km along Goldfields Road.Turn off the Williamstown Rd onto Balmoral Rd andnext left onto Goldfields Rd. Approximately 15km from Gawler. Pan for Real Gold - Stay for a Picnic Activities and attractions include: Gold panning, mining displays, local history and descendants, restored settlers cottage, old gaol cell, guided walks, blacksmithing, cross cut sawing, Wilfley ore sorting table and endless billy tea anddamper. Contact Bob on 0407 712 621 for more information

BUTTERFLY CONSERVATION SOUTH AUSTRALIA 3 September ‘Using stick-nest rat middens to study climate change in the Flinders Ranges’ Presented by Honorary Researcher at the SA Museum Graham Medlin, this will be of interest to all fascinated by the climate change debate.For further information call secretary Jan Forrest 8297 8230 or visit the butterfly gardening website www.butterflygardening.net.au.

PORT TALL SHIPS FESTIVAL McLaren Wharf Saturday 31 August – 10am-6pm The festival is a Renewal SA initiative and is taking place thanks to the SA Maritime Museum, who organised the ships docking in Adelaide. On the day, members of the public will be able to go aboard the ships and there will be activities, food and entertainment for the whole family.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA’S INAUGURAL COASTAL CONFERENCE 30 September - 1 October Cruising Yacht Club of South Australia, Lady Gowrie Drive, North Haven For more details, or to register and submit abstracts visit: http://sacc2013.keito.com.au/or contact Dr Christopher Button on 0400 352 603 or email: [email protected].

HAVE YOUR SAY

EYRE PENINSULA PARKS DRAFT MANAGEMENT PLAN The Eastern Eyre Peninsula Parks Draft Management Plan was recently released for public consultation. The draft plan provides strategies for the ongoing protection and conservation of the natural and cultural values of the following parks: • Munyaroo Conservation Park • Ironstone Hill Conservation Park • Lake Gilles Conservation Park • Malgra Conservation Park • Heggaton Conservation Park • The Plug Range Conservation Park • Sheoak Hill Conservation Park. Two priority management themes have been developed: conserving biodiversity and working across boundaries. For more information visit: www.environment.sa.gov.au/haveyoursay/easterneyre-mgtplan. Please note that all comments submitted, unless otherwise requested, are considered to be public documents and will be available for public viewing. Community consultation closes:Friday 30 August 2013.

DRAFT ADELAIDE AND MOUNT LOFTY RANGES NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT PLAN The release of the draft plan marks a major collaborative milestone after two years of development with community, technical experts and staff. This formal consultation period provides an important opportunity for further comment and involvement. For more information visitwww.amlrnrm.sa.gov.au/Plans/RegionalNRMPlan Community consultation closes 2 September 2013.

AWARDS

DEWNR VOLUNTEER AND FRIENDS OF PARKS AWARDS – NOMINATION DATE EXTENDED TO 23 AUGUST 2013 Thank you to groups and individuals who have already submitted nominations for the 2013 DEWNR Volunteer Awards and the 2013 Friends of Parks Inc Awards. We will send confirmation of receiving your nomination by Friday 2 August.

Volunteers and DEWNR staff who have not yet nominated themselves or someone else for these awards- one of the ways you know your effort is amazing is when others tell you so, and while you may not ‘need’ that validation, it definitely helps. So here are TEN reasons why you should send in your nominations:

• Money: Great chance to win cash for your group or project. (Four prizes x $1250 and three x $700) • Recognition: A great opportunity for recognition from peers and the wider community • Exposure: Entering awards is a great way of increasing your group or project profile • Motivate: Being a part of a winning group is a great boost for hard working volunteers • Promote: Enables you to promote your Award-winning status which helps to retain volunteers and interest new volunteers • Attention: From different publications and websites who want to feature a winner in their upcoming editions or newsletters • Leverage: An excellent lever for obtaining external funding through grants • Low Cost High Return: What other opportunity offers you a return on investment for such a low outlay? It doesn’t cost anything except an hour or so of your time. • Experience: Writing award nominations is great experience for grant writing • Curiosity: You will never know unless you give it a go For more information and to download forms, visit www.environment.sa.gov.au. If you would like hard copies of information and forms sent to you contact Lynn Newman on 8124 4841 or email: [email protected].

TRAINING

FREE TRAINING THROUGH VOLUNTEERING SA & NT - Funded with the support of the Free Volunteer Training Grants from the Office for Volunteers delivered by Volunteering SA&NT. For more information call 8221 7177 or go online www.volunteeringsa-nt.org.au

BITS ‘N PIECES

ROCKHOLE RECOVERY IN YUMBARRA CONSERVATION PARK AND YELLABINNA REGIONAL RESERVE In mid-April, a group of seventeen volunteers from West Mallee Protection Group and Mula, led by Sue Haseldine completed a seven day field trip visiting several sites within the Yumbarra Conservation Park and Yellabinna Regional Reserve that are both culturally and ecologically significant (rockholes and salt lakes).

Supported by Alinytjara Wilurara (AW) staff, monitoring and assessments were carried out at seven rock-holes and two salt lakes with a total of fourteen volunteers over the seven days, including two volunteers from Poland. A number of the rockholes were cleaned and track maintenance was also carried out.

On the first day after trip preparations were finalised the group set out from Sue Haseldine’s farm toward Narla Rock-hole on Yellabinna Regional Reserve via Yumbarra and Pureba Conservation Parks along the dog fence.The track from Pureba Conservation Park heading north along the dog fence proved to be tough going with a number of large sand dunes hampering attempts to reach Narla Rockhole by night fall, so camp was set up 25 kilometres south of Narla for the night.The next morning we travelled the remaining 25 kilometres toward Narla arriving in time for lunch. After lunch Sue cleared Narla rockhole and everyone headed to the site where the motion sensor camera had been set up the week before.Eager to see what had been captured on the camera the volunteers gathered around to view the pictures. Volunteers then assisted in carrying out the water testing and assessment of Narla rockhole. A bird survey was also undertaken.

The discovery of trilling frog larval (tadpoles), aquatic plants, unidentified invertebrates (water bugs) and small crustacean called Ostracods in most of the water catchment areas on Narla, created excitement amongst the volunteers as these are all indicators of a healthy ecosystem.One concern though was the numerous stressed and dead shrubs, mainly Acacia ligulata, growing on shallow soils on and around the rockhole. This was most probably the result of an eight month dry spell beginning in July 2012.

The next day it was off the Minya Narla (Lois) rockhole to carry out water testing, rockhole assessment and cleaning out one of the main pits that contain a rotted camel carcass. After Sue had cleared the rock-hole the first task was to check the motion sensor camera. The camera captured numerous native bird and animal species, which was cause for some excitement. This was dampened somewhat however by further images of a number of feral cats that had also been accessing the rock-hole, one captured taking a Bronzed-winged Pigeon.Then it was down to work cleaning out the rockhole and removing the camel remains. Other smaller pits and shallow pans contained aquatic plant life with one containing numerous small tadpoles and trilling frog’s eggs.

The following day we departed for Dinah and Minya Dinah rockholes were the volunteer group spent two days. For cultural reasons the cleaning of the two rockholes was carried out by women only with the men only assisting in the transporting of the heavy pump and rockhole cleaning equipment to each site.Minya Dinah also contained the rotted carcass of a dead camel and the water’s edge was littered with numerous camel scats. Dinah didn’t contain any animal bones but small transparent red worms were discovered in the silt at the bottom of the pit.The highlight of the day, when checking the motion sensor camera pictures, was a Wedged-tailed Eagle posing in front of the camera.

Thanks to Helen Donald, Communications/Executive Officer, Natural Resources Alinytjara Wilurara for sharing this story.

Group Photo: L to R: Ochre Turner, Dennis Hocking, Elisa Binell with Dennis Hocking Jnr, Aaron Binnel, Joe Tucker, Kim, Tristan Wakefield, Sheena Haseldine, Keith Haseldine, Sue Haseldine, Jayden Wakefield, Jill Woodlands, Wlodzimierz Galecki and Krzysztof Kurek

WAKEFIELD RIVER REVEGETATION PROJECT The Wakefield River snakes through the Mid-North flanked by the Broughton River to the North and the Light River to the South. It has experienced dramatic modification by the impacts of European settlement.

With the assistance of a 2012-13 Caring for Country grant, Northern and Yorke NRM started the Wakefield River Project to address critical threats along a 25km section of riparian habitat on the Riverbetween Undalya and Balaklava.

Earlier this year a call was put out for volunteers to get involved with the project, in particular with revegetation activities, below are some of their achievements.

• An incentives program for landholders providing assistance with fencing, off-creek watering points, weed control and revegetation. • In May fifty hectares of revegetation was undertaken on private and public land. • A community environment and education day was held in May at the Rocks Reserve near Balaklava, attended by four district primary schools, a local high school, and volunteers from the local district and Adelaide. During the day more than five hundred plants were planted at the reserve including groundcover, shrubs and trees. • In July a further thirty hectares of revegetation was undertaken on private and public land along the same 25km section. • Revegetation work was co-ordinated in partnership with Greening Australia, Conservation Volunteers Australia, Trees For Life, and Blythe Nursery, and fantastic volunteers from the local district, Adelaide, and overseas.

To all the volunteers that assisted with these projects and to all our volunteers across the state … Thanks - your help is very much appreciated!

Rocks Reserve Community Environment Education Day Photo by Mel McDermid

If you would like to share information aboutyour group or volunteer activities and events in The Link newsletter send your details to [email protected].

“After changes upon changes we are more or less the same”

Simon and Garfunkel The Boxer

Disclaimer While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure the contents of this publication are factually correct, the Department for Environment, Water and Natural Resources makes no representations and accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of the contents. Reference to any company, product or service in this publication should not be taken as a Departmental endorsement of the company, product or service.