COOLEMAN RIDGE PARK CARE GROUP Newsletter February 2015 Previous Meeting - Sunday 18th Afterburn Following the November prescribed burn at January GAS Arawang Kathner Street, the blackened hillside has A grey and muggy morning saw a good turn- begun to glow. These yellow flowers haven’t out of volunteers. We welcomed back our just been *Hypericum perforatum St John’s octogenerian cyclist mate Gősta, as cheerful Wort, nor * Hypochaeris radicata Flatweed. and willing as ever. He sets us such a great We’re delighted to report that Tricoryne example! elatior Yellow Rush Lily has had a great Led by Alan, a scout party of Rob, Graham season – here’s Malcolm Gill’s photo! and Gősta set out after woody weeds, heading north along the base trail. Their quarry sighted, the scouts clambered up the stony hillside and attacked. Photos exist to show the slaughter. The rest of the mob stayed near our usual site, above the wooden bridge. As ever, Rohan and Doug found *Rubus fruticosus Blackberry and *Phalaris aquatica aplenty. Arminel and Linda bagged seeding *Vicia sp. Vetch just above the drain, then joined the lads. Pat The Friday Weeders have counted 40 hunted Bracken rhizomes for propagation. reappearing species. They are now attacking Malcolm joined us at a convivial morning tea. exposed weeds. *Eragrostis curvula Tall He had cycled from Kathner Street, weeding African Lovegrass tussocks near the dam are as he went. already carrying new seed! Future programme Weed Watching The Committee has appointed Linda to NB – Remember! We meet in the document and identify weeds. Linda is our mornings during the warmer months! first port of call if we notice a problem or if Sunday 15th February we want to check whether we have a problem. To report either, email [email protected] Nature Trail and Pauline’s Patch – Kathner St Entry in Chapman Patchworkers So as to update our records, Secretary Rob Time:- 8.30 am – 12 noon. will contact members who look after their Bring:- hat, gloves, hacker, drink, snack, own patch in their own time. We also hope to raincoat if it is wet. establish a more formal annual reporting Tasks:- Plant ID and weed removal. Maybe mechanism for this important facet of the some planting, conditions permitting. Group’s work. Arminel Ryan [email protected] Web site URL: www.coolemanridge.org.au What’s around White-stemmed Gum Moth, Chelepteryx collesi Native of Eucalyptus forests in Danger - The bristles can south eastern Australia. Common penetrate human skin and cause in ACT according to CSIRO. They painful skin irritations, even are one of the largest moth species after the larvae have been in the region. preserved in alcohol! And the Thanks to Dr Philip Spradbery for cocoons have also been known this information. to cause injury when handled carelessly. Size range Adults: 16 cm wingspan Larvae: 12 cm length Caterpillar Photo P. Ryan Kingdom: Animalia; Phylum: White-stemmed gum moth Arthropoda; Class: Insecta; caterpillars feed on eucalypt leaves from winter through to Order: Lepidoptera; Family: summer. Mature caterpillars often Anthelidae; Genus: come down from trees in January Chelepteryx; Species: C. collesi and February to wander, crossing roads and entering gardens in search of a place to pupate. This moth pupates in sheltered spots in leaf litter and under logs and in crevices in bark. Adult moths emerge on autumn Cocoons appear on tree trunks, nights to mate and lay their eggs walls and even in letterboxes. on eucalypt leaves. They are also covered in bristles which are forced out through the silk by the caterpillar. On-line references – Australian Museum website, Wikipedia, Sharp bristles protect the PubMed (Clinical effects of pupating caterpillar from exposure to the white-stemmed predators but when touched Gum Moth – Geary et al., 2004); stick into the skin causing CSIRO irritation. Images of Adult Male (above) and Female (below) from the Atlas of Living Australia . Traces of Giants Succession Planning Pat measured the charred remnant of a big Congratulations to former President Anna on Eucalyptus polyanthemos stump in George’s the arrival mid January of Rory John. He was Gully – 1.7 metres diameter. It’s still alive – 9.1 pounds. Both are doing well. She sends a single small epicormic trunk is growing greetings to you all! She misses us! from the base, from which it could be Stock Reports identified. There have been goats on Mt Taylor!! So far, Lost and Found we haven’t spotted any on our Ridge. But On Arawang, workers still find suburban cattle are being introduced again to trample detritus from 2003. The latest items are a flue and graze exotic grasses near the Old Dam. cap and a wrecked audio. On tracks, we continue to pick up plastic bags of dog turds. Mushrooms, anyone? Yuck. Fungi are appearing on the Ridge and surrounding suburbs. Beware Yellow- staining mushrooms and Death Caps! Arminel Ryan [email protected] Web site URL: www.coolemanridge.org.au .