The value of dead trees in Mawson Lakes

The old River Redgum (cover photo) is more than 100 years old, and although it’s best days are over, this habitat tree still offers value in its cracks, crevasses and knot holes where animals can live, breed and shelter.

Team leader of landscape design at Salisbury Council, Craig Johansen, said that Council incorporates dead trees into the landscape for their biodiversity value. “We appreciate that dead trees are of great importance to the natural environment, not waste material to be disposed of.” as at the dog park where many remnant trees and logs are mixed in with natural vegetation to make interesting playing places for dogs.

Look and listen and you may see and hear nesting parrots, rosellas, lorikeets, galahs, sulphur crested cockatoos, small bats and even possums. The old gums are home to the laughing kookaburra. Insects, lizards and spiders live in holes and crevasses. The birds attracted to the old trees help control mosquitoes, flies and moths. Ed.

Good Dead Wood

Every part of a dead tree in every stage of its decay has value to the natural environment such as:

A place to live—many animals, including birds, bats, reptiles and possums make nests in hollow cavities and crevices in standing deadwood.

Council reduces dead trees to safe structures and lets them degrade naturally. You can see them scattered all over Mawson Lakes, sometimes as single stands or in clusters,

A food source—by attracting insects, mosses and lichens, deadwood becomes a gourmet restaurant for wildlife.

A lookout—higher branches are excellent look-outs from which wildlife such as small birds of prey, for example hawks, spot potential prey.

A communication post—birds use a high point for sunning and to show off their desirable features in the breeding season.

A soil refresher—mosses, lichens and fungi aid in the return of vital nutrients to the soil.

Community Comments

Have your say

This month Living introduces Community Comments. It’s good to know what’s on your mind and this is the place to air your opinions on what’s good, what’s not and what could be better. Send your comments to the editor at office@mawsonlakesliving.info

Safer living

The streets of ML are for everyone to use, residents, family, friends, visitors and also for thoroughfare traffic. We as residents should slow down, give way, park correctly, watch out for children and the elderly, stop to move somebody else’s garbage bin left on the road after collection back onto the footpath… it’s all really not that hard. Let’s be considerate of others -

Sam Mat

Loyalty to locals

I love the new look community magazine. I always read every story and I particularly like the advertisements because whenever I can I buy local - Lizzie

Underpasses get thumbs up

I was really pleased to see that pedestrian underpasses are planned for Mawson Lakes. I rang the Council to tell them so.

Maureen Pridham

Doggie do

Dog walkers of Mawson Lakes are united in the opinion that we need dog bags and bins. Other suburbs have them, why not Mawson Lakes?

We have a higher than average dog population, yet no dog bags and too few rubbish bins.

Jacob Vanella, The Sanctuary

Garage sale aftermath

A few Saturdays ago my neighbours held a garage sale. They put cardboard boxes on street corners with “SALE” signs and arrows. It’s now some days later and the signs are still there. They are now litter on the streets. So, if you have a garage sale please clean up afterwards by removing all your posters and box signs immediately - Tania

Brett

Gray Resident, Shoalhaven

“People in Mawson Lakes have a real sense of pride in their suburb. keeps us knowledgeable about what’s going on, who are our neighbours, what business are here and the clubs and networks we can join.

Mawson Lakes community magazine & website

We keep each copy and use it when we want somewhere to eat, a solicitor, local providers, a dry cleaner or whatever . . The other day we wanted new screen doors and we found the right supplier in the community magazine.”

To book an ad in Mawson Lakes Living Call 8260 7077 office@mawsonlakesliving.info www@mawsonlakesliving.info