President's report Christmas party Researching a cure for lichen on rocks NPA BULLETIN Volume 35 number 4 December 1998 CONTENTS From the President 3 Mount Euranbene and Woila Clearing 10 CI ice Hurlstone Philip Gatenby NPA Christmas Party 3 Loss of the Woila Wilderness 11 Grahame Muller Researching a cure for lichen on rocks 4 A management plan for Canberra Nature Park ... 12 Graeme Wicks Syd Comfort Bush regeneration progress at Gudgenby 5 Issues update 13 Eleanor Stodart Timothy Walsh Coongie Lakes and Glucpot Station 6 Book reviews 14 Phyl Goddard Syd Comfort and Len Haskew Can rockclimhing and sightseeing coexist? 7 Titanium Man and Plastic Man go busliwalking... 15 Grahnme Midler Matthew Higgins Landcare in the Wimmera 8 Kakadu Super Circle, 7-28 June 1998 16 Eleanor Stodart Judith Webster The McKeahnie Trig 9 Parkwatch 18 Alan Hay Len Haskew Canberra Ornithologists Group 9 Calendar 19 Pkvl Goddard General meetings 19 National Parks Association (ACT) Incorporated The NPA (ACT) office is located in Maclaurin Crcs. Chifley, Inaugurated 1960 next to the preschool and is staffed by Dianne Hastie. Office Aims and objectives of the Association hours are: 9am to 1pm Mondays. Tuesdays and Thursdays • Promotion nf national parks and of measures for the Telephone/Fax: (02) 6282 5813 protection of fauna and flora, scenery, natural features and Email: [email protected] cultural heritage in the Australian Capita! Territory and Address: PO Box 1940, Woden ACT 2606 elsewhere, and the reservation of specific areas. • Interest in the provision of appropriate outdoor recreation Membership areas New members are welcome and should enquire through the • Stimulation of interest in, and appreciation and enjoyment of, NPA office. such natural phenomena and cultural heritage by organised Subscription rates (1 July to 30 June) field outings, meetings or any other means. Household members $30 Single members $25 • Cooperation with organisations and persons having similar Corporate members $20 Bulletin only $20 interests and objectives. Concession $15 • Promotion of, and education for, conservation, and the For new subscriptions joining between: planning of land use to achieve conservation. 1 January and 31 March - half specified rate 1 April and 30 June - annual subscription Office-bearers, committee and convenors Pre sidenl Clive Hurlstone 6288 7592th 1; NPA Bulletin 6246 5516iw» Contributions of articles, line drawings and photographs including colour prints arc welcome and should be lodged with Immediate the office or Syd Comfort (02) 6286 2578. past president Eleanor Stodart 6281 5004(h) Secretary Max Lawrence 6288 1370(h) Deadline for December issue: 1 November 1998. Treasurer Mike Smith 6286 2984(h) Articles by contributors may not necessarily reflect Association opinion or objectives. Committee members This bulletin was produced by the NPA Bulletin Working Group Yvonne Bancs 6231 5699(h) with assistance from Green Words. Funds provided by the ACT Len Haskew 6281 4268'hi; fax 6281 4257(h) Government under the ACT Environment Grants Program David Pfanner 6247 7572(h) assisted in the production of this issue. Timothy Walsh 6285 1112(h) Printed by Copy-Qik Printers. Canberra. ACT on recycled paper. Convenors ISSN 0727-8837 Environment Sub committee Neville Esau 6286 4176(h) Cover Ted Fleming and Phil Gatenby Outings Subcommittee Max Lawrence 6288 1370(h) looking towards Mother Woila from tlw trarh Bulletin Working Group Syd Comfort 6286 2578(h) referred to m 'Mount Euranbene and Woila Clearing'' Photoo Max lawrence From the President At the association's annual general president and took over as convenor most important of all, they both are meeting" in August, Stephen of the Namadgi sub-committee from good letter writers! Johnston and Robin Miller, two very Steven Forst in early 1996. On behalf of all members I thank active committee members and sub­ Since the announcement by Chief Stephen and Robin for their committee conveners stood down Minister Mrs Kate Carnell in May invaluable contribution on issues of from their positions and did not seek 1997 that the ACT Government fundamental importance to the re-election. would negotiate a settlement of a association. Stephen, an NPA member since claim by the Ngunnawal people for Neville Esau has taken over as before his day job brought him back recognition of native title over Environment Sub-committee to Canberra in 1994, had recently certain ACT land including convener and will be calling regular been president of the Victorian NPA, Namadgi National Park, Robin has meetings. Namadgi issues will also He joined our committee in played a significant role in be handled by this sub-committee September 1994 and took over from developing the principles that we and regular contact with Namadgi Tim Walsh as convener of the along with the Conservation National Park staff maintained. Council adopted for a positive Environment Sub-committee. The claim for recognition of native approach to this issue. He then led This sub-committee has carried a title over Namadgi, and joint development by the sub-committee significant load in responding to management issues stemming from of the parameters used by Dermot plans of management for ACT parks this will be handled by the Smyth to write the paper on joint and reserves and to other committee and passed on as management options for Namadgi management and conservation required to the Environment Sub­ National Park "Nourishing issues such as bush-fire fuel committee. management and mountain bike Namadgi". As part of the keeping- Our office is now connected to competitions in Canberra Nature in-touch process, Robin also hosted email, so if you would like to receive Park. There was also involvement meetings with the Director of notices or information from the office in cross-border issues such as plans Environment ACT and with Parks and Conservation staff. by this method please send an email of managem ent for Tin deny Tinderry Nature to [email protected]. Reserve and the Brogo Wilderness Both Stephen and Robin, who and with accommodation By the time this Bulletin reaches were also members of each other's developments in Kosciuszko you it will be the first week of sub-committees, managed their National Park. December. The NPA Christmas meetings with good humour and Party is being held at Caloola Farm During this time Stephen was our treated the business on hand and I hope to see you all there. For representative on the Australian conscientiously even when they and those members unable to join us on National Parks Council and other members had already had a 13 December, best wishes, and may president of the council from 1994 long day and the agenda looked you and your families have a joyful, to 1996. He has also been a walks over-full. Both provided warm and reflective and safe Christmas. leader, a role he plans to continue. friendly meeting venues in their Robin Miller joined the committee own homes and managed to finish during Eleanor Stodart's term as meetings before 11 pm. Perhaps Clive Hurlstone NPA ChiistSllKpart61 ^^.\ y ^Sunday 13 December^ from 11 am w at Caloola Farm further details in Robin Mills ^Outings Program Stephen Johnston Researching a cure for lichen on rocks Removing lichen from a rock surface (Ms) Simone Louwhoff (a PhD albeit obviously greatly simplified and keeping it clean might in the end student) pointed out that dry scenario, broadly consistent with the be a simple process, like spraying it brushing, or any other vigorous facts which may help to explain the with fungicide. But when the lichen disturbance of the "green invasion", lichen distribution and lead to more is growing over Aboriginal art a lot is certain to result in dispersal and soundly based management of careful research - and negotiation more general colonisation of the strategies." - has to be undertaken first. Damage entire site." ("Sky view" factors refer to the area cannot be undone. As well as taking samples of rock, and direction of sky visible at a point This is why more than a dozen lichens and other biological material, on the surface of the shelter.) scientists, art experts, an Aboriginal the consultant team have used a It is provisionally concluded that consultant, and others have been sophisticated data logger and there are three main zones in the involved in a research project, now sensors to measure light access, shelter - surfaces that: in its second year, to find the reasons temperature, moisture, air flows and • receive full sunlight at high levels for a lichen invasion at the Nursery other factors in different parts of the for a relatively short duration late Swamp 2, Aboriginal rock art site in shelter, at different times of the day in the afternoon the Namadgi National Park, and to and night, and at different times of • receive only scattered light but recommend action. the year. Computers are being used have a direct line of view to the sky The project was commissioned by to convert the data into readouts (and will experience increased the National Parks Association after that will give a picture of what is radiative cooling compared with receiving an ACT Heritage Grant to happening. those that have no sky view) study the factors promoting lichen Twelve periods of monitoring, each • receive only scattered light and growth and to develop a control lasting between eight or nine days, have no direct view of the open sky. program. were successfully obtained from the The positions of the sensors were As reported in the NPA Bulletin of on-site logger. This was considerably changed in late April to locations on June 1997, the NPA's grant more than the consultants were the rock face more representative of application was prompted when contracted to undertake. They felt it these three, as yet hypothetical, invading lichen spread over rock art was important to obtain as much biological environments.