The Clematis Summer 2005/2006 Issue No 66 BAIRNSDALE POSTAGE Victoria 3875 PAID Quarterly Newsletter of theBairnsdale & District Field Naturalists Club Inc A0006074C 28 1 BAIRNSDALE & DIST FIELD NATURALISTS CLUB INC. ed 333 orchids, the highest number ever recorded. A0006074C List of Office Bearers for 2006 Camp-outs were held at Native Dog Flat in January and at Moroka River President: Pat McPherson ph. (03) 5152 2614 in early December. Secretary: Wendy Parker ph. (03) 5152 2615 Treasurer: Margaret Regan ph. (03) 5156 2541 In October, your President attended the South Eastern Australian Natural- ists Association annual Spring Camp which was held at Mallacoota this Correspondence to: year. It was well organized by the Sale & District Field Naturalist Club The Secretary, and attended by 150 keen field naturalists from all over Victoria and be- P.O. Box 563, yond and was a great success. BAIRNSDALE 3875 Web Site: www.eastgippsland.com/bdfnc Also in October the Club organized a dinner at the Main Hotel to farewell Lindsay Simmons, a committed long term member of the Club and the General meetings take place at: immediate past President who has moved to Western Australia to live. Noweyung Centre, 84 Goold Street Bairnsdale 3rd. Friday of the month at 7.30pm sharp. No meeting June, July, August October also saw the Club’s request for a plant identification course at Committee meetings take place: Thursday of the previous week Forestech become a reality. It was open to all comers and nine of the before the 3rd. Friday of the month at members homes except June, July, eighteen participants were members of our Club. Over six weeks, we August when held on field excursions if required. gained an enormous amount of knowledge which we can now build on and . which will inform our future excursions. Group Co-ordinators: The course was ably led by Bruce Macpherson who has informed us that Botanic Group: James Turner Ph. (03) 5155 1258 Forestech will offer it again next Spring and in addition arrange any edu- Fauna Survey Group: Jenny Edwards Ph. (03) 5157 5556 cation programme, long or short, that our Club would like to request. G.L.O.G. Lynn Turner Ph. (03) 5155 1258 Bushwalking Group: Noel Williamson Ph. (03) 5152 1737 I would like to record my thanks to the management of Noweyung for the Newsletter Editor: Pauline Stewart Ph. (03) 5152 2135 continued use of their building for our general meetings and to thank Em- 80 Bengworden Rd. Bairnsdale.3875 ma Rowe and through her, the Department of Sustainability and Environ- email: [email protected] ment for the use of their facility in August and the use of their data projec- tor. Finally, thanks to the Office Bearers and the Group Co-ordinators for their All articles for Autumn Clematis must be in by March 1st. contribution to the activities of the Club which has made 2005 another successful year. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE 1. To further the study of natural history in all its branches, promoted by periodical meetings, field excursions and other activities. 2. To observe and strengthen the laws for the preservation & protection of Pat McPherson indigenous flora and fauna and habitat and important geological features. 3. To promote the formation and preservation of National and State Parks President and Reserves. 2 27 PRESIDENT’S REPORT—December 2005 RULES TO OBSERVE ON FIELD TRIPS: 1. Excursions are cancelled on days of TOTAL FIRE BAN. I am pleased to present the 2005 Annual Report for the Bairnsdale and Members may proceed on the planned trip AT OWN RISK. District Field Naturalists Club. 2. Participants to keep a visual on the car in front and behind. The six officers of the Club were elected in December 2004 and have par- 3. When making a turn, give signal, and stay at intersection until ticipated in eight committee meetings and two planning meetings. following car has also turned. 4. If separated from other cars, stop, and stay with your car. The current membership of the Club is sixty two. Other members will return to find you. Seven general meetings of members were held during the year followed by presentations by: SUBSCRIPTION FEES • Elden Marshall and Andrew Bould of natural history photographs • Grant Kuseff on Butterflies and moths of Central America Family membership $25 • Lucy Clausen on the Brush-tailed Wallaby program Single membership $15 • Rohan Bilney on Sooty Owls Mid-year fee (new members only) $ 7.50 • Bob Fisher on Working on the Great Barrier Reef • Ruth Cross on Bees and Bee keeping • Alison Oates on Vegetation mapping in Victoria Responsibility for the accuracy of information and opinions expressed in this The Club also hosted a presentation by Jim Reside on his six month study newsletter rests with the author of the article. of a community of chimpanzees in Uganda. All presentations were advertised in the local paper and attracted interest from people outside of the Club as well. CONTENTS Monthly field excursions were once again ably led by James Turner to Marlo Plains, Ewings Marsh, Nargun’s Cave, Ballyhooley at the conflu- Program - January to June 2006 5-6 ence of the Buchan and Snowy Rivers, Mount Sugarloaf, the Chinese Dig- Boole Poole 7-8 gings at Melwood, Bullumwaal, Colquhoun Forest, Mounts Buck and Freestone Creek 9-13 Raymond near Orbost, Boole Poole Peninsula, Freestone Creek near Cultivation of Terrestrial Orchids 14-15 Briagalong and Tulloch Ard Road in the Snowy River National Park. Tullach Ard—Snowy River National Park 16-20 Camp-out to Moroka River 20-23 Monthly bush walks were not as well attended as the field excursions and Snippets 24 three were cancelled because of lack of participants. Nonetheless, walks Statement of Receipts and Expenditure 2005 25 were enjoyed to the Lake Tyers area, Lonely Bay, Gray’s Track, Old President’s Report 2005 26-27 Mitchell River Weir, Fairy Dell, and the Glenaladale area. A bike ride along the Rail Trail was substituted for one of the cancelled walks. In March, Jenny Edwards conducted the Club’s annual fauna survey for the third time in the Mitchell River National Park. In October, the Club conducted the annual Metallic Sun Orchid Survey at Blond Bay and sight- 26 3 CONTACT PHONE NUMBERS and email address’s for meetings STATEMENT OF RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURE and field trips. for the period 2nd November 2004 to 2nd November 2005 Andrew Bould 5156 6494 [email protected] National Bank cheque Account Jenny Edwards 51575556 [email protected] Balance as at 2nd November 2004 189.90 Heather Oke 5156 3231 [email protected] Pat McPherson 5152 2614 [email protected] Receipts Wendy Parker 5152 2615 [email protected] Members’ subscriptions 800.00 Margaret Regan 5156 2541 Supper donations 76.10 Pauline Stewart 5152 2135 [email protected] Bank interest .02 James Turner 5155 1258 [email protected] Birds Australia raffle 40.00 Noel Williamson 5152 1737 [email protected] Donation 5.00 921.12 Sub Total 1111.02 DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY FOR BUSH WALKS Easy Flat, good firm track. Payments Moderately easy Mostly flat, track in good to fair condition Field Nats C1 subscription 55.00 Moderate May be undulating, track in good to fair condition Consumer & Business Affairs– incorporation fee 35.80 Mod. difficult May be some steep sections, track may be rough in Government tax 9.00 places Noweyung hall hire 176.00 Difficult May have long steep sections, track may be non Clematis costs 82.50 existent at times Australia Post– post box 56.00 Walks vary in distance from 6 to 12 km. Treasurer’ expenses 40.30 Contact the leader of the walk for a rating if it’s not included in the Royal Horticultural Soc. of Vic. –insurance 20.00 program. Beth Isakson’s birthday 49.00 Website 104.00 Please take note of safety procedures in your Bairnsdale & District Donation to rock wallabies trust fund 50.00 Field Naturalists Club Inc. ‘RISK MANAGEMENT POLICY’ 677.60 booklet. Balance as at 2nd November 2005 $433.42 Please note this program could be subject to change. Bendigo Bank Gold Account It is your responsibility to contact the co-ordinator of each field Balance as at 2nd November 2004 $5802.82 trip to notify them of your intention to participate. The co- Receipts ordinator can then notify you if the trip has to be cancelled due to Bank interest 300.71 300.71 adverse weather conditions or other unforeseen circumstances. Evening committee meetings may not be required. Please check Balance as at 2nd November 2004 $6103.53 before arriving. Total assets: $6536.95 Membership: 62 4 25 Snippets from “Nature” Autumn 2005 PROGRAM - JANUARY TO JUNE 2006 (Journal of the Sydney Museum) JANUARY Members may have noticed large white jellyfish medusae in the Gippsland Lakes. No committee or general meeting in January These are Common Jellyblubbers which appear in the harbours and estuaries of 6,7,8,9 Camp-out to Native Dog Flat eastern Australia in autumn. They start life as larvae attached to the sea floor Contact: James Turner where they become polyps. These bud off medusae which grow quickly to be- Sun. 22nd Monthly excursion 8.45am (Bridge Club) 9.30am (Nowa come strong enough swimmers to avoid being carried out into deep waters. The Nowa) to Marlo Plains. medusae are different colours in different areas from white to brown and blue. The colour depends on the photosynthetic algae living within their see-through Contact: James Turner tissues. The algae provide the Jellyblubbers with oxygen and nutrients. They are No bush walk an Asian delicacy, so there is an Australian fishery.