News of Friends of Grasslands Su p porti ng n ative grassy ecosysfems November-December 2001 MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL TIME . Canberra - 13 and 15 Nov . Cooma - 20 Nov Yes. it is time to get out the chequebook and renew your member- . Nimmitabel - 2l Nov ship for 2002. Please do this promptly to save Margaret from . Adaminaby - Beloka - 26 Nov chasing you up. oBombala-4Dec oJindabyne-5Dec We have again kept fees to their current low levels: $20 individu- als and families. $50 for corporate members and $5 concession for Saturday 17 November, 2pm - Theodore grassland Corne students and those on social security benefits. A membership re- along to see this grassland at Theodore which is significant for newal form is enclosed. more than just its plants. Meet at 2pm at the Canberra Nature Park sign on Christmas Street. Theodore (at the Lienhop St end If have any doubts about rejoining. remember we need your vou of Christmas St). support. In this year we have: r continued with a quality newsletter, Saturday I December, 9.40am - In pursuit of the Golden Sun . had a widely supported field prograrn, particularly reaching Moth at Belconnen Naval Station lt's three years since we vis- out [o new areas. ited this quality grassland, so take the opportunib," to join us for a . established the Old Cooma Common Reserve at Radio Hill. look at this gem right in our midst. been involved with many offrcial agencies on behalf of grassy For security reasons, please let Margaret know in advance if you ecosystem conservation and lobbying, will be coming to this activity. We'll meet at the gates to the Bel- o networked with people and groups with shared agendas, connen Naval Station off Baldwin Drive. Kaleen (opposite Ka- o plaved an important part in the Mulwaree to Monaro field leen High School) promptly at 9.40am so we can enter as a dav projects. group. Please be punctual as there are security procedures to o continued to visit member's properties or sites in which they complete before we shall be able to proceed onto the grassland. are involved. 8/9 December more Monaro grassland gems This is our an- o assisted with field surveys. and - nual visit to grasslands on the Monaro with lhe nonnal option of o enhanced rnember's hands-on conservation skills. making it a one or a two day activilv. Those joining us for the We continue to practise our belief that rve need to work with eve- two days are welcome to stay at Garuwanga (Geoff and Marga- ryone lo gct good conservalion outcolnes. ret's weekender at Nimrnitabel) for the Friday and./or Saturday nights. Contact Margaret for details of our proposed destinations SPECIAL CHRISTMAS OFFER and meeting arrangements. If you are a mernber, how about joining up a friend as a Christmas One site we hope to visit is in the remote and picturesque Yaouk gift. The rnembership renewal fonn allows you to join up as many Valley, surrounded by Yaouk Bill Range. Scabby Range and Ko- friends as you like for the usual price of $20 per membership. sciuszko National Park. It is a montane grassland (at I l00m). in Now for the special offer: for $30 per new membership we excellent condition with regionally uncommon species. a yet un- shall also send them a copy of Grasslqnd Flora. described species ofPrasophyllum and extensive areas ofrnontane wetland. About 1000 ac were recently added to Scabby Range FOG'S 2OOI PROGRAM Nature Reserve which is not normally accessible to the public. 17 October to 5 Deccmber - Grassy ecosystems: from Mu!- However we need 4WD vehicles to enter the reserve so I need to waree to the lVlonaro. a series of field half days (two hours) or- know who is interested in coming and if they can help with trans- portation. ;lWD ganised by NPWS. Environment ACT. and FOG. A great bro- It is only for the last few kilometres that the is chure has been produced for the program which is already rolling needed, so we can carpool for that distance. but there is still plenty to come. This is an opportunity to find out 19-20 January - Restoring native vegetation to the landscape. about the Recovery Plan. the grassy ecosystem Conservation This will be a small infonnal workshop (if there is suffrcient in- Managernent Network. how to get involved (if 1'ou wish) and a terest) on the why and how of native revegetation and the skills great way to see many fantastic sites in spring. Contact Steve Pri- required. using 'Garuwanga'. near Nirnrnitabel as a case stud]' It da1" or Rainer Rehwinkel of NSW NPWS. telephone 6299 2929 or will attempt to marry two approaches to nature conservation: pas- email: rainer.rehwinkel(dnpws.nsw.gov.au for further informa- sive management of relnnants and active revegetation. and rnay tion or bookings. Program visits. assist to develop FOG's thinking. It will be of interest to conser- o Turnut - 17 Oct vationists. landcare and parkcare volunteers. information (in- . Yass-Gunning - 23 Oct For any about activities and land owners and managers. The prograln venues carpooling . Gundaroo-Sutton - 24 Oct cluding tirnes. and rvill allow plenty of time to explore Garuwanga. details), please contact Margaret Ning on . Goulburn-Crookwell - 30 Oct and families are welcome. Costs are rninimal to 6241 4065 (home) or 6252 7374 (work). Bungendore-Tarago - 3l Oct cover some food expenses. Contact Geoff Rob- To make program suggestions for 2002. Braidrvood-Captain's Flat - 6 Nov ertson on 6241 4065 for further information also contact Margaret. Queanbeyan-Stoney Creek 7 Nov and booking (you will need to book early). News of Friends of GrasslandsrPage2 NEWS ROUNDUP Old Cooma Common Grassland ReseIrye remove woody and other weeds, to fence to undertake further work to remove weeds opened the site and erect signs. This work was un- and general restoration. dertaken by Friends of Grasslands, Cooma- people opening of At the opening, a colourful brochure ex- Over fifty attended the Monaro Shire Council, local contmctors Old Cooma Common Reserve on 7 plaining the importance of grasslands and the and residents. Radio Hill not only makes an Threatened Species Day. A the significance of the Old Cooma Com- September. important backdrop to Cooma, but it is also large group came from years eleven and mon Grassland Reserve was launched. special because it is a good example of a The resto- There were also tours of the resen'e " twelve of Cooma High School. natural grassland which has remained in- had led to their adopt- ration of the reserve tact. It is also the home of the Monaro South western slopes as focus for their studies. ing the site a Golden Daisy. FOG wishes to thank its many members The first of the field days. organrsed by who have contributed to the success of this The restoration of Radio Hill has been NPWS and FOG. started well with over project. A copy of the brochure is included funded under a Natural Heritage Trust and fifty people attending the morning session in this issue. If you need more. please con- World Wide Fund for Nature Threatened at Yaven Creek and over forty people the tact Margaret Ning. Species Grant. The Department of Land afternoon session at Rosewood on Wednesday 17 October. Both locations are on the fuverina Highlands. A cornprehensive report will be provided in the next newsletter. On Monday 15 October. Geoff Robertson gave a talk on grassl' ecosystems at Cowra to the local Society for Growing Australian Plants. over twenty people attended. Great mteresf was shown in the local wood- lands. espe- cially as earlier in the day. Geoff. Margaret and Rainer had surveyed sev- eral sites nofth of Cowra and were able to report on some The photo is one of two printed in the Coorna Monaro Express. Still recogrusable exciting plants and birds (including Brol- are Geoff Robertson, David Eddy and Deputy Mayor Tony MacKenzie. gas. White-browed Babblers, and Superb Parrots) they had seen. FOG is plaruung a and Water Conservation also supplied ad- The following was reported in the Cooma weekend in the south western slopes in ditional funding and Cooma Council has gems Monaro Express, Tuesday September ll. spring nexl year to show off thc to contributed much staff time. Mr Robertson "Coorna Council opened the FOG members and local residents. ln his officially said the reserve not only represents a good newll' established Cooma Grassland Re- talk Geoff used a set of slides recently ac- conservation outcome. its establishment is serve at Radio Hill Cooma last Friday. Ac- quired by FOG using slides from David resulting in the flow of funds into Cooma. to Friends Grasslands' spokes- Eddy's and Rainer Rehwinkel's collections. cording of visitors from interstate and other parts of lnan. Geoff Robertson. the occasion These may be used by FOG members to NSW, and an improved passive recrea- give marked two years of effort to get the area talks. etc tional facility for local residents. Interest in into shape. He said Cooma residents have the reserve will continue, as will the need noticed slow but steady work on the hill to News of Friends of Grasslands, Page 3 East O'Malley assessment authors ofthe assessment is the presence of rarer phenomena: and the presence of the certain bird species @ouble-baned Finch, declining bird species is suffrcient justifi- Readers may recall (January-February 2001 Speckled Warbler, Southern Whiteface, cation to retain their habitat. Newsletter) that FOG made a submission and Painted Button-quail), whose decline is 20 November 2000 opposing the pro- Apart from FOG, submissions with similar on a serious environmental concern (see next posed residential development East themes were made by the Conservation of item - new bird findings) in the arqr pro- O'Malley, as set out in the draft develop- Council, the Red Hill Regenerators @ark posed for development.