Blue Mountains Conservation Society Issue No. 287 HUT NEWS November 2011 “Nature Conservation Saves for Tomorrow” From the President …. MONTHLY MEETING Well, it’s time to say Happy Birthday. th Some of you may be saying what, 7.30 pm, Friday 25 November who, when? It is us and it is a very at the Conservation Hut, Wentworth Falls big milestone. Blue Mountains Con- Food and Environment - a focus on the Mountains servation Society turned 50 on the 29th of October. and NSW: Presenter Craig Linn We all eat, and for many of us food con- The Society as we know it formally came into existence in March 1996 sumption accounts for the largest single with the amalgamation of the Lower component of our ecological footprint. So and Upper Blue Mountains Conser- as the festive season approaches, what vation Societies. But the real start better topic for the final meeting of the year than food and its very powerful was in 1961 with the creation of the Katoomba and District Wildlife connection with the environment. Conservation Society when a group The talk will take a considered look at of concerned residents met to deter- food related environmental issues in mine the action that they could take NSW in general and in the Blue Moun- to help protect the Blue Mountains tains-Mid West in particular. And, while environment. The full story can be Craig will of course provide a quick over- found at http://www.bluemountains. all perspective on the nature of the food- org.au/aboutus.shtml environment nexus, he will quickly move I don’t know how many members on to issues of direct consequence and interest to us all: what trends are they had then, but now we have A seedling emerges approximately 850. emerging, are we moving towards more sustainable agriculture, food initiatives of One of their biggest concerns was real environmental importance, local food the maintenance and running of the security, and more . “Hut” to provide refreshments and About the Presenter: Craig Linn is cur- education for visitors, as well as rently Project Officer (Food and Environ- environmental protection campaigns. ment) for the Society, and has been been Today we have a wide range of an active environmentalist and organic activities from various subcommit- gardener in the mountains for more than tees managing a huge number of three decades. His earlier incarnations issues, bushwalking groups with have included: Scientific Officer for the over 300 members, a bushcare Pollution Control Commission, University group, plant study group and nursery Academic, and Education Officer for Con- volunteers. Then there are the Soc. Those of you who have attended a various environmental campaigns we talk by Craig will know that they are never have been and are involved in dull – you will go away thinking! across the Mountains and beyond. Cox’s Orange Pippin with bee Some have been highly successful, Visitors are very welcome. like the “Stealth” film in the past and the recent success with our case against Delta Electricity. But, of unexpectedly reared its ugly head. course, with some, we have failed, Governments will change and have GOOD NEWS … as can only be expected with so agendas we may not agree with. Coxs River Case settled. many things happening. Once again The environment will need protection details of many of these campaigns from all forms of exploitation. Delta Electricity admits to can be found on our website. What we will need is people, people polluting the Coxs River and agrees to take action! So what does the future hold? Past willing to lend a hand and to stand experience says we will be cam- up for what they believe is right. Full story on page 3. paigning for sometime yet on various Happy birthday Con Soc, long may issues and who really knows what you live! Lachlan Garland. they will be. Coal seam gas has Printed on Australian-made 100% Recycled Paper Hut News, No. 287, November 2011— Page 1. “Hut News”, the newsletter of Nursery News Blue Mountains Conservation Society Inc. P.O. Box 29, Wentworth Falls, 2782 The Genus Pultenaea: The brilliant blaze of yellow from three large Phone 4757 1872 shrubs of Pultenaea flexilis in flower now in my garden reminds me that I Email: [email protected] haven’t reported on this, the largest of the Pea group, in Hut News. Web page: www.bluemountains.org.au Daviesia and Dillwynia were covered in earlier issues and like the British President:: Lachlan Garland: 0415 317 078 botanists after whom they are named, so Pultenaea honours the British [email protected] physician and botanist, Richard Pulteney (1730-1801). He wrote the first Senior Vice President: Tara Cameron English language biography of Linnaeus, the inventor of the binomial 0419 824 974 [email protected] system of plant nomenclature and, himself, has been the subject of a Second Vice President:: Don Morison recent (2004) biography by I.D.Hughes. His most famous work, 8230 2116 [email protected] published in 1790, is "Historical and Biographical Sketches of the Treasurer: Bart Beech (h)4739 9947 (f)9688 1440 (w)9896 9512 Progress of Botany in England from its Origins to the Introduction of the [email protected] Linnaean System". This remarkable work was dedicated to Sir Joseph Administration Officer: Rob Baigent Banks and covers the entire history of British botany starting with 4759 3104 [email protected] procedures of the Druids and Saxons, through the Middle Ages, into the CC/Sustainability Officer: Lis Bastian Renaissance and to contemporary times. Some 221 years later it is now 4787 7533 [email protected] available as an E-book on Google. Times change but quality endures. Environmental Educatlion Officer: Gary Humble 4784 1648 0427 841 078 Our nursery currently offers three species of Pultenaea. P. flexilis [email protected] (Graceful Bush-pea), mentioned above, is a graceful shrub to 3m tall and Lithgow Regional Subcommittee Coordinator: makes an excellent screen plant as it holds its lower branches and Chris Jonkers 6355 1179 leaves. It is widespread in NSW from Deua National Park through to the [email protected] Meetings Secretary: Michael Maack Queensland border. It is covered in masses of lovely yellow flowers with 4751 3623 [email protected] a small red centre in October and November. There are extensive stands Membership Secretary: VACANT on the road below Mt. Banks and along the Bells Line of Road from Monthly Meeting Convenor: VACANT Kurrajong. Pultenaea daphnoides or the Large-leaf Bush-pea is an National Parks/World Heritage Officer: attractive shrub 2-3m tall, common from coast to mountains, with similar Brian Marshall 4784.1148 flowers and grows well in sheltered sites. Pultenaea scabra (Rough Bush [email protected] Plant Nursery Manager: Kevin Bell -pea, referring to the scabrous nature of the leaves and stems) is a ph/fax 4787.6436 [email protected] smaller shrub (to 1m) and bears similar flowers over a long period from Publicity Officer: Peter Green October in the Upper Mountains. It is probably the most common 4751 9474 [email protected] member of this genus in the Blue Mountains and makes a good low Website Officer: Alan Page 4784 1704 hedging plant. [email protected] Bushcare/Threatened Species Officer: These and other pea plants are easy to germinate from seed, after hot Clive Heywood Barker 0413 577 160 water treatment, but are difficult to maintain under nursery conditions so [email protected] we recommend that, even if the seedlings are small, they be planted Gardens of Stone Officer: directly into the garden as quickly as possible. Karen McLaughlin 6355 2835 [email protected] Nursery Sales: In my absence overseas for five weeks, the nursery Project Officer-Food and Environment volunteers, under the leadership of Ray Kennedy and Sue Nicol, Craig Linn [email protected] managed excellent sales at the Markets and at Lawson so over Bushfire Representative: Hugh Paterson September and October we were able to deposit $3,050 into the 4751.2303, mob 0427 512 303 Society’s account. Sales at the Magpie Markets were helped by a [email protected] Walks Convenor: Maurice Kerkham generous donation of advanced Rock Orchids raised by Simone 4739 4942 Bowskill. Offsetting these gains are, of course, expenses and one way of [email protected] lessening these is the return of tubes and pots. Landuse Officer: Ann Cantwell Currently, nursery pots are not recycled by Council and end up as landfill 4751 3215, [email protected] which is so unnecessary as we can re-use them over and over again. Newsletter Editor: Christine Davies 4787 7246 [email protected] So, if you have any forestry tubes or small (65-125mm) pots sitting at home please return them to us and we will give you 10cents each off HUT NEWS EDITORIALS your next purchase. It’s good for you, good for us and good for the The deadline for the next issue of Hut News environment. You can bring them to our Lawson nursery (open on is 20 November 2011 Wednesday or Saturday mornings or just drop them outside the gate at other times) or Blackheath nursery (Tuesday mornings) to the Lawson MEMBERSHIP ENQUIRIES Magpie Markets (3rd Sunday of the month) or the Blackheath Markets (1st Lachlan Garland 0415 317 078 Sunday of the month). [email protected] PO Box 29, Wentworth Falls 2782 Note that the November Magpie markets will be the last for 2011 and re- open in February 2012 and the Blackheath markets will run on the first BUSHCARE GROUP Sunday of December but then, similarly, not again until February 2012.