of eggscamouflagedwithdebris. the middleofweb clutchinganeatly wrapped parcel femalecanbesightedinlateSummer-AutumnThe in yellow incolourandweave acircular web. who istail-less, isonly about2mmlong. They are fawn- femaleisupto20mminlength,The thoughthemale, predators aswell assistingthemtocatchprey. also easily mimicaleafortwigandavoid detectionfrom Quite distinctfrom any othertypeofspider, they can like appearance. has alongtailwhich cancurlaround giving ascorpion getsitsnamefrom thebody ofthefemale, who Not lookingmuch likeaspideratall, theScorpion Tailed bushcare inFebruary. at Randwick Environmental Park An interesting spiderwas spotted TailedSpider higginsi Arachnura

St Andrews Cross Spider

Leaf Curling Spider

Orb Weaving Spider Weaving Orb Female Scorpion Tailed Spider Spider Tailed Scorpion Female

©Peter Waters © mareesw

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Lowe WINTER 2014 on the go with Cian & Max

Hi everyone! With another summer over we can all breathe a sigh of relief as we I return! Please note that this has also meant that some changes to move into maintaining the relatively low level of weed emergents the Bushcare calendar have been made. Please check the dates over winter. Now is a good time to plant and focus on jobs like and times of your groups on page 6, especially Fred Hollows, Lake Grant Update erosion control or any other issues on site that you don’t have time Malabar & REP. for in the hot weather. Each year Council applies to government bodies (State, Federal & Local Land Cian & Max I (Cian) will be heading off on maternity leave mid-June and look Services [formerly CMA]) for grants to fund specific environmental projects Randwick City Council Bushcare Officers forward to seeing the advances you’ve all made on your sites when that are above and beyond the budget of Council. When successful, these grants provide a tremendous boost in on-ground hours by Bush regeneration contractors and sometimes involve volunteers by way of planting days etc. Here are a few of our current grant-funded projects.

ACACIA TERMINALIS COASTAL CORRIDOR what's on SUBSP. TERMINALIS With $22,000 from the Hawksbury RECOVERY Nepean CMA, Council will Randwick City is home to one continue to enhance Randwick Eco-Living Fair National Tree Day of the largest populations of the City’s coastal bushland and endangered Sunshine Wattle fauna corridor by revegetating Come along and enjoy the Randwick City Council Celebrate National Tree Day by coming along to (Acacia terminalis subsp. selected degraded areas adjacent Eco-Living Fair, a free annual event that provides to existing bushland remnants Council’s Community Nursery and choosing two terminalis). Since its discovery, Phillip Bay the perfect opportunity for the community to come free native or indigenous seedlings for your garden. Council has implemented a in Burrows Park, Clovelly and together and learn about the benefits of living a along the coastal walkway at South This year, instead of a planting event, Council is giving recovery project with the aim of sustainable lifestyle. Coogee. away free seedlings to Randwick residents to plant in their protecting and increasing the PHILLIP BAY HABITAT current population & distribution. Learn more about local environmental initiatives in gardens to increase the availability of habitat and food The key objectives are to expand the RESTORATION Randwick City, sample some organic food, browse our sources for fauna throughout Randwick City. With recent grants of $8000 funded by area of native vegetation on the coastal PROJECT market stalls and take part in a range of activities. the Sydney Metropolitan Catchment corridor, reduce soil erosion, reduce WHEN: 9:00am – 12:00pm 27 July 2014 With $30,000 from the Hawksbury Management Authority (SMCMA) and the area covered by weed, increase WHEN: 10.30am - 3.30pm 14 September 2014 WHERE: 2b Barker St Kingsford Nepean CMA, the Phillip Bay $12,000 from the Office of Environment available habitat for native fauna and WHERE: Randwick Community Centre Habitat Restoration Project will and Heritage (OEH) the population beautify the coastal walkway. WEBSITE: www.ecolivingfair.com.au enhance the coastal foredunes of A.terminalis has gone from 242 The project will complement over and connectivity of bushland plants to well over 1000. The work 10 years of bush regeneration in the reserves via restoration works Reduce Your Footprint has concentrated on the population at coastal bushland remnants and will along Bumborah Point, Yarra Bunnerong Road, Chifley in bushland add to the wetland rehabilitation Beach Dunes, Yarra Point and “Reduce your Footprint” is a collaboration between adjacent to the former Women’s project in Trenerry Reserve. It will also Frenchmans Beach. Increasing Randwick, Waverley and Woollahra Councils to Athletics Field (currently being complement the existing and proposed connectivity of these areas promote environmental initiatives. renovated). extensions to the Coast Walk which is a will improve the condition of the wildlife corridor spanning The website www.reduceyourfootprint.com.au major regional recreational resource. The removal of swathes of Bitou between Botany Foreshores and is a wealth of resources if you need to find out about Bush and Lantana has been enough Botany National Park, La Perouse. environmental events, composting & worm farming, to stimulate the soil seed bank and energy saving, green gardening, being water wise, the list germination of A. Terminalis amongst Restoration of the north end of Yarra goes on! There is also a Q&A section for the public to ask other Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub Dunes will enhance the area which is (and answer) questions on all of these topics and projects species. used as a foraging site for the Little you can get involved in. Tern, listed as endangered under the This grant funded work has highlighted Threatened Species Conservation Act If thinking green is something you like (or would like!) to the resilience of the site. Areas of 1995. During the project, over 1000 do, then a trip to this website is a must! land removed of noxious weeds have indigenous species will be planted in naturally regenerated with indigenous conjunction with the local ‘Men’s Shed’ species, dramatically improving the and the La Perouse Local Aboriginal habitat value of the site Acacia terminalis ssp terminalis flowers Land Council.

PAGE 2 RANDWICK CITY COUNCIL PAGE 3 2007

Now 2013

and It can be hard to notice the slow changes to your CLYDE ST COMMUNITY PARK site when it seems as though all we do is pull 2004 ehrharta each month. But 2013 then here are a few examples Many of our Bushcare and Parkcare sites started of before and after out as either baron turfed areas or weed infested photos which show the stark difference on just jungles. It is amazing how far all of the sites have come and the complex layers of vegetation that a few of our sites. now exist in those ecosystems.

FRED HOLLOWS RESERVE 2006 2013

2004 2013

GRANT RESERVE AT WYLIE’S BATHS STAIRCASE

MAROUBRA DUNES FENCELINE

PAGE 4 RANDWICK CITY COUNCIL PAGE 5 bushcare

bushcare Whale watching WORKING GROUP LOCATION JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER BEE TIME Bundock Park Car park on Donnellan Circuit, Clovelly 9am – 1pm 12 9 13 The official whale watching season runs Fred Hollows Alison Rd entrance (July), Bligh Pl entrance 9am – 1pm 9 13 10 from 1 June to 1 August each year. During Reserve (June & August), Randwick new time this period, nearly 1000 whales are spotted each year off Cape Solander, on the southern Gordon’s Bay South west corner of Victory Street car park, 9am – 1pm 13 10 14 Clovelly side of Kamay Botany Bay National Park.

Grant Reserve Outside the entrance to Wylies Baths, Neptune 9.30am – 11.30pm 8 & 22 12 & 26 9 & 23 The NPWS conducts a whale watching program each year at Street, Coogee Cape Solander, with volunteers keeping a vigil from dawn to dusk recording whale numbers migrating up the coast. Humpback, Ladies’ Pool McIvers Rock Baths, Grant Reserve, Coogee 9.00am – 11am 6 & 24 3 & 28 7 & 25 Sundays & 10am – minke, southern right and pygmy killer whales have all been seen, 12pm Thursdays as well as an extremely rare blue whale. On the busiest days, more than 40 humpback whales can be seen. The volunteers also record Lake Malabar End of Manwaring Avenue, Maroubra 12pm – 3pm 16 20 17 large numbers of dolphins passing the cape. new time To volunteer contact: Kurnell Kamay Botany Bay National Park, Long Bay Foreshore Corner of Howe Street and Bay Parade, 9am – 1pm 5 2 6 Malabar Phone: 02 9668 2000 Grant Reserve Volunteers hard at work.

Maroubra Dunes South Maroubra SLSC car park 9am – 1pm 3 7 4

Randwick Corner of Dooligah Avenue and Burragulung 9am – 12 noon 2 & 19 6 & 16 3 & 20 Environment Park Street, Randwick new time

Little Bay Landcare Between 119 and 121 Bilga Cresent, Malabar. 8am – 12 noon 12 9 13 Contact Kerry Gordon on (02) 9311 7647 for Lysimachia mauritiana

more information. ©David Eickhoff An interesting plant was discovered in Magic Point Contact Claire Bettington on (02) 9344 8589 for 9am – 1pm 10, 17, 24, 14, 21, 28 11, 18, 25 (Malabar Headland) the meeting place. 31 Randwick City recently by our Supervisor

Malabar Headland Contact Don Kerr on (02) 9311 2665 for the 9am – 1pm 6, 13, 20, 27 3, 10, 17, 7, 14, 21, 28 of Bushland, Matt Leary. West meeting place. 24, 31 Not recognising the species as something we have seen in the area before, Matt went hunting for more information. Known as Spoonleaf yellow loosestrife in the USA (Hawaii), Ocean primrose or hama-bossu (coastal hossu) in , this Northern Hemisphere Lysimachia flowers parkcare species has been rarely documented in New South Wales and was last spotted in Clovelly over 10 years ago. Thanks to Matt’s WORKING GROUP LOCATION JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER recent observation, the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney is now in the BEE TIME process of officially adding this exotic species to the list of taxa that Alison Rd Corner of Alison Road and Beach Street, 7.30am – 9am 1 5 2 currently exists in . Coogee Whilst not a vigorous weed, we will be keeping a close eye on Clyde Street Clyde Street Reserve, Randwick 1pm – 3pm 19 16 20 the small population found at Burrows Park and are asking all volunteers to report any new sightings. Grant Reserve Vehicular entry to Coogee Surf Life Saving 8am – 10am 15 19 16 Club Lysimachia is a perennial herb known to grow in coastal locations amongst rocky outcrops and cliffs. It is 10-40cm tall, erect with Old Tramline Dudley St – Carrington Rd, Randwick (West) & 10-11:30am (West) 10 14 11 reddish stems and leaves 2-5cm long,hHowever it tends to grow as Carrington Rd –Coogee PS (East) & 12:30-2pm (East) a prostrate in exposed locations. The flowers are pink to white with 5 sepals present and are produced during summer.

Lysimachia mauritiana at Burrows Park

PAGE 6 RANDWICK CITY COUNCIL PAGE 7 book review

The Biggest Estate on Earth How Aborigines made Australia Bill Gammage

This book explodes the myth that pre-settlement Australia was an untamed wilderness revealing the complex, country-wide systems of land management used by Aboriginal people.

Across Australia, early Europeans commented again and plentiful wildlife and plant foods throughout the year. We again that the land looked like a park. With extensive grassy know Aboriginal people spent far less time and effort than patches and pathways, open woodlands and abundant wildlife, Europeans in securing food and shelter, and now we know it evoked a country estate in England. Bill Gammage has how they did it. discovered this was because Aboriginal people managed the With details of land-management strategies from around land in a far more systematic and scientific fashion than we Australia, The Biggest Estate on Earth rewrites the history have ever realised. of this continent, with huge implications for us today. Once For over a decade, Gammage has examined written and Aboriginal people were no longer able to tend their country, visual records of the Australian landscape. He has uncovered it became overgrown and vulnerable to the hugely damaging an extraordinarily complex system of land management bushfires we now experience. And what we think of as virgin using fire and the life cycles of native plants to ensure bush in a national park is nothing of the kind.

RANDWICK CITY COUNCIL Bushland Management Unit Randwick City Council 30 Frances Street 192 Storey Street Community Nursery Randwick NSW 2031 Maroubra NSW 2035 2B Barker St Phone 9399 0708 Supervisor-Bushland 9399 0686 Kingsford NSW 2031 Email Biodiversity Officer 9399 0683 Phone: 9399 0933 [email protected] Bushland Officer 9399 0687 Opening hours: Bushcare Officer 9399 0708 Monday to Friday 9:00am -3:00pm