The RunningPostman Newsletter of the Private Land Conservation Program December 2016 • Issue 22 Building partnerships with landowners for the sustainable management Print ISSN 1835-6141 and conservation of natural values across the landscape. Online ISSN 2204-390X Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment 1 Manager’s message – December 2016 What a year! As 2016 comes to an Our floodplains and river systems This is a significant milestone for end, it is timely to take a moment are dynamic and erosion and the program and demonstrates to reflect on the amazing events deposition are timeless processes. the amazing contribution that that we have seen in Tasmania Small fragments of wood we private land managers can make recently. Our wilderness areas have found embedded in the bottom to landscape scale conservation. been visited by drought, fires and of a floodplain scour have been The act of conserving important then some of the heaviest rainfall dated at 2500 years old, this debris places on private land continues to recorded high in our northern may have been deposited on that be one of the most fundamentally flowing catchments. plain all those years ago in a big practical actions that can be taken flood, or at any time since. But by individuals to protect biodiversity. These amazing natural events the simple reality that wood and remind us of the inscrutable power earth has floated down these I wish all of the contributors to the of our physical environment, and systems for thousands of years protection of nature on private land the timelessness of our landscapes. brings perspective to the change a warm and happy festive season I have visited many properties and we see today. My thoughts are with and a positive, healthy and safe new reserves affected by the floods, in landholders impacted by the floods year. particular looking at the impacts on and fires of 2016. natural environments. The universal Peter Voller, observation is that notwithstanding For the Private Land Conservation Manager, Natural Values the significant impacts on farm Program in 2016, we continue to Conservation Branch businesses and infrastructure, none add new covenant areas, with close of this damage is new. to 100,000 hectares now under perpetual conservation agreements. In this Issue Manager’s message - December 2016 2 Weeds, herbicides and conservation land 3 How many species are there in your backyard? 4 Citizen science wildlife monitoring 5 In full flight: helping to save the orange-bellied parrot 6 Nature Conservation Plan Reviews 8 Big bully in the garden - Yellow wattlebird 9 Giving Swift parrots a helping hand 10 Conservation Landholders Tasmania: next event 12 Selling property? 12 The Running Postman is printed on Monza Satin recycled paper, derived from sustainable forests, elemental On the cover: Orange-bellied parrot. Photo: Barry Baker. chlorine free pulp and certified environmental systems. Design and layout: Land Tasmania Design Unit, DPIPWE. 2 The Running Postman • December 2016 Weeds, herbicides and conservation land One of the most enjoyable aspects 2011 (that subsequently led to the Sean enabled us to better of field days run by Conservation formation of CLT), weed control understand the action of herbicides Landholders Tasmania (CLT) is was cited as the major management by explaining how different kinds the chance to visit other people’s issue by 79% of respondents, well of herbicides disrupt the living conservation properties. In ahead of any other issue. processes of weeds in different October Peter Riggall showed a ways. He described the various CLT group around his beautiful CLT has now run three field days ways that weeds take up herbicides, property, “Dunbarton”, near addressing different aspects of for instance by absorption through Nabowla. Peter and his wife weed control. We are very grateful the leaves or uptake through Lorraine, successfully applied for a to our six partners, NRM North, the roots. He took us through conservation covenant under the Cradle Coast NRM, NRM South, the different Mode of Action Private Forest Reserve Program the Tasmanian Land Conservancy, Groups that can be safely used in 2002 to protect 22 hectares of Landcare Tasmania and the Natural on conservation properties. We Black Gum (Eucalyptus ovata), White and Cultural Heritage Division of looked together at some herbicide Gum (Eucalyptus viminalis) and DPIPWE for supporting the CLT labels, which are legal documents Coastal Eucalyptus amygdalina forest. program of events. During the field and must be read by each person As we walked in the shade of his day at Nabowla, Sean Guinane, from who plans to use the product. After tall trees, we admired the healthy Integrated Catchment Services, Sean’s presentation we moved understory of flowering wattles and assisted by Mathew Bartlett, outside where Sean and Mathew variety of small, colourful orchids. instructed CLT landholders on the demonstrated both the protective safe and effective use of herbicides gear that people need to wear when But it hasn’t always been so idyllic. on conservation properties. Sean using herbicides and equipment used Peter, with the advice and help has worked for 30 years in the in weed control. The equipment of NRM North, has tackled and environmental services industry ranged from a simple, homemade controlled a major infestation implementing erosion control, weed device made from a cut-out milk of Darwin’s Barberry, Berberis control, planting and direct seeding, container for use in cut-and-paint darwinii. This popular, evergreen both in Tasmania and Victoria. He operations to a motorized spray garden plant from South America also owns a 200 ha covenanted device mounted on a ute. had escaped from the garden conservation property himself. and formed an extensive, thorny John Thompson has written a thicket more than three meters tall. Many of us would prefer not to use report of the Nabowla field day, Through a combination of spraying herbicides. We would like to be with information about herbicide on elevated country and cutting- able to hand weed, or to shade out use. His report, as well as reports and-pasting near the creek, with weeds with a tree canopy or to use of previous field days about weed follow up over many years, Berberis established methods of biological control, are available on the new has now virtually disappeared from control. However, sometimes CLT website, www.clt.asn.au. the Dunbarton bush. herbicides are the only cost-effective method, especially for woody weeds Robin Garnett Controlling invasive weeds is one of that cover extensive areas, such the major concerns of conservation as Gorse or Spanish Heath, or for landholders. In the initial survey weeds with rhizomes or tubers, of conservation landholders in such as Californian Thistles. Photos (L to R): Peter Riggall talks about his covenanted property, ‘Dunbarton’. Sean Guinane demonstrating the cut-and- paint method of weed control. NRM North’s Invasive Species Coordinator, Greg Stewart, describes methods used to control The Running Postman • December 2016 December 2016 • The Running Postman 3 the woody weed Berberis darwinii. Photos: Robin Garnett How many species are there in your backyard? Discoveries at the Extinction Matters BioBlitzes – marking 80 years since the death of the last known thylacine Do you know what’s living in your and its ecological role, life history Scientists and naturalists included backyard or local area? There is and odd habits were discussed – Conservation Landowners Tasmania probably an incredible number of this gave each person a sense of members, Robin Garnett and Phil species - some of which you or pride in what they had discovered, Collier, and Sarah Lloyd, who wrote perhaps no one else has ever seen. a personal knowledge of what was the DPIPWE publication ‘Bugs, birds, Some of them may be threatened, living in their own backyard and an bettongs & bush’. Janet Smith and and what we do in our backyards awareness of its conservation needs. Anna Povey also helped with the can make a real difference to their A massive range of living things was event in Latrobe. future prospects. found - bats, crayfish, fungi, bugs, As well as generating extensive insects, aquatic plants and mammals, So to mark Threatened Species Day species lists, the BioBlitzes resulted birds, plants and more. this year, BioBlitz events were held in a lot of very happy people - in September to look at what More than 50 scientists and feedback was overwhelmingly was living in two very different naturalists were involved, along with positive. backyards in the State – Queen’s hundreds of additional participants. To find out more about what Domain, Hobart (South) and Bell’s All involved had the opportunity was found during the BioBlitzes, Parade, Latrobe (North). to improve their skills in finding, and for information on useful, fun identifying and recording the plants A BioBlitz is a festival of science ways to apply and further develop and animals in their local areas. in nature - a great way to bring biodiversity-spotting skills, you can scientists, naturalists, schools and The events were run by a ‘like’ the Extinction Matters Facebook the community together to look for partnership between the Bookend page, and explore the two ‘Extinction and appreciate what we have in our Trust, City of Hobart and Latrobe Matters’ projects on iNaturalist. own backyards and local areas. The Councils. They brought together Please get in touch if you’d like day’s theme, ‘Extinction Matters’, was scientists