ReLeaf Winter 2019

f a e ReL FROM SEED TO SONG: DIRECT SEEDING SUCCESS A Trees For Life Publication WINTER 2019 ISSUE 150

SAVING THE SOUTH‑EASTERN RED‑TAILED BLACK‑COCKATOO

SA BUSHLAND FLOURISHES WITH TREE SCHEME

BUSH FOR LIFE CELEBRATES 25 YEARS OF BUSHCARE

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SOWING SEEDS FOR LIFE

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FROM SEED TO SONG: DIRECT SEEDING SUCCESS

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CHANGE MAKERS: BFL CELEBRATES 25 YEARS

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A GROWING INSPIRATION: BUSHLAND FLOURISHES WITH TREE SCHEME

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CONTACT US

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Big things are also achieved by people working together towards a shared vision. This year we’re proud to celebrate Bush For Life’s 25th birthday, applauding the work that’s been done and acknowledging the new challenges we’ll face in the coming decades. There are many ways you’re collectively helping ‘big things grow’ across South Australia’s landscapes, including supporting our seeds for life campaign, donating and volunteering.

Together, they all make an enormous difference and we thank you. 

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s winter arrives, so does the anticipation of rain, giving the opportunity to plant seedlings and sow seeds. With time these will become life-giving food and shelter for native animals and provide shade, beauty and countless other benefits.

Each year, Trees For Life volunteers and staff dedicate hundreds of hours to collecting, treating and preparing these seeds. The survival of so many species depends on us all continuing our annual program of collecting seeds, nurturing them into seedlings and protecting them as they grow.

Each seed is just the beginning.

Most revegetation stories involve enormous persistence and determination. There are times when seeds themselves are scarce, there are dry years, there are weeds and pests,

and there are numerous other threats and challenges to be overcome.

Peter and Donna’s story (p.9) is one of these inspiring cases, demonstrating what ‘big things’ can emerge from a small beginning. Their story is a powerful reminder that, with a little help, nature’s amazing survival and renewal capacity kicks in. It shows us that a seed doesn’t just create one tree or shrub – it has the potential to spark ongoing regeneration as a healthier environment allows many species to thrive.

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FROM LITTLE THINGS, BIG THINGS GROW…

Indigenous Australians have sustainably managed our landscapes and wildlife for tens of thousands of years. Trees For Life acknowledges and respects the Traditional Custodians of our Country and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

We also acknowledge and respect the deep spiritual connection and relationship that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have to Country.

12 In the spotlight: South Australian stringybarks 13 Trees For Life News 14 What’s on at Trees For Life 15 Kids corner 1

ReLeaf is a production of Trees For Life Editor: Sam Catford / email samc@treesforlife.org.au Printing: Finsbury Green / 100% Recycled Carbon Neutral IS014001 Environment Management Systems Cover Photo: Buloke (Allocasuarina luehmannii) seeds by Sam Catford Trees For Life 5 May Tce, Brooklyn Park 5032 / Phone 08 8406 0500 / info@treesforlife.org.au / www.treesforlife.org.au

SOWING SEEDS FOR LIFE

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ur latest campaign has been raising vital funds to help sow the seeds of recovery for the south-eastern red-tailed black-cockatoo1.

These cockies rely on the seeds of only three different tree species for their food: desert stringybark2, brown stringybark3, and buloke4. Throughout the year, these trees produce seeds at different times. This means that if most of the trees disappear – and the cockies can’t find food – this unique bird may be lost forever.

The biggest problem for the cockies is that there are so few of these trees left. The south-east of South Australia has suffered enormous buloke and stringybark losses due to land clearance. 73% of stringybark habitat has been lost since 1947 and 97% of original buloke has been cleared since settlement.

A seed gathering expedition, led

by Trees For Life seed bank manager Rohan Cleeves, is being undertaken in the south-east of South Australia so that we can grow the three important food trees that are so essential to the cockies’ survival.

In the bush, everything starts with a seed. Every little seed holds the potential to create life. Every donation, no matter how big or small, helps to make that life possible.

A $30 donation can grow 50 food trees for the cockies.

Can you help us save the red-tails before it’s too late? We’re still seeking donations to fund this life-saving work. Visit our website to donate. 

1) Calyptorhynchus banksii graptogyne 2) Eucalyptus arenacea 3) Eucalyptus baxteri 4) Allocasuarina luehmannii

South-eastern red-tailed black-cockatoos are in trouble.

They don’t have enough food, their homes are disappearing fast and their young are not surviving.

There are only 1,500 of these beautiful and iconic cockatoos left. Before long they’ll be lost to us forever unless we act to change their fate.

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South-eastern redtailed black-cockatoos

by Luke Leddy.

FROM SEED TO SONG THE REVIVAL OF WOMBAT FLAT Claire Bowman

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s the summer weather starts to fade in the midnorth, music floats out across hectares of young native bushland from an old, warmly lit stone barn. Only a decade ago, the 150-year-old Clydesdale barn was crumbling and the denuded farmland surrounding it was almost completely devoid of life. With a big vision and a little help from Trees For Life, property owners Dianne Bills and Mike Roberts have completely transformed their unique home, Wombat Flat, into an environmental and cultural haven.

The beautiful historic barn 12 kilometres south-east of Eudunda has been converted into a characterfilled live music venue and visual art space. Meanwhile, surrounding the revived building, 16 hectares of barren farmland are being successfully returned to bush — since teaming up with TFL program managers Dennis Hayles and David Hein in 2008, Di and Mike have watched their land flourish.

In the past, before the land was cleared for farming, the creek beds of Wombat Flat would have been lined

with mallee box1. The rest of the 160 hectare property would have once been mallee, melaleuca and acacia woodland, the abundant home of marsupials, birds and reptiles. These trees were among 20 local native species from which new seeds were gathered.

Now, a decade since the revegetation project started, the creek lines of Wombat Flat are once again thick with vegetation, echidnas rustle in the undergrowth, and the calls of native bird species ring across the property to the house. To Di and Mike’s delight, the marsupial namesake of Wombat Flat, the southern hairy-nosed wombat2, has begun to burrow on their land.

When TFL Carbon launched in 2007, Mike approached TFL with sketches of the vision he had for the rebirth of his property. He and Di hoped to revegetate some of their 160 hectares of cleared farmland as a carbon offset site.

Mike and Di had made previous attempts to establish native plants on their property, with little success.

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Even after beginning work with TFL, their first year of direct seeding was troublesome; these first seedlings faced a difficult season and struggled to flourish in harsh conditions.

The following year, 2009, TFL successfully seeded 10 hectares.

Then, in 2010 and 2013, remedial work focused on the initial six hectares that hadn’t established well. With time, their dedication to the project paid off and the new vegetation took hold.

Mike says, “We could see that some areas took immediately and others had to be re-sown several times … growth seemed so slow at first.” Then, almost as if overnight, the bush began to bloom.

“It was as if on one day, three or four years after the exercise started, we were suddenly aware that something amazing had happened.”

The success of the project truly became apparent when they had the chance to see their newly abundant property from above. “The first time we actually saw footage of what we had all accomplished together was when Ron Kandelaars and his camera crew sent a drone up to film a piece on The Barn at Wombat Flat for Channel 7’s SA Weekender. What a wonderful feeling, seeing all those trees from the air!” says Mike.

Revegetation along the creek lines.

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Revegetation at Wombat Flat; The Barn at night by Robyn

Bradbrook; Jen Lush by Barrie Hocking; John Flanagan Trio by Barrie Hocking.

“We have always loved living here but now, when you look at that 60 hectare paddock across from the house – that used to have one tree in it and now has a veritable forest on all the creek lines – you just have to grin from ear to ear!”

As well as being an environmental success story, Mike and Di’s regenerated land now provides a picturesque backdrop for The Barn at Wombat Flat, which had a successful first season last year and is gearing up for a big second season of live music.

“The response has been amazing!

People regularly drive from Adelaide and even from interstate to attend events. Many stay the night in their campers, tents or swags but it’s close enough for most to drive home.

Those that do stay usually take a walk around the property after setting up, or early the next morning, and people often comment on the success of the tree planting.”

A singer-songwriter himself, Mike has tried hard to make The Barn a “listening” venue. He says, “the natural sound of the room helps a lot in that regard.” The Barn’s excellent natural acoustics are enhanced by the expertise of sound engineer John Simpson, who takes a break from doing sound effects for Hollywood films to do sound for all the shows at The Barn.

Headliners during the 2018 season included The Hussy Hicks (direct from Byron Bay Bluesfest), The John

Flanagan Trio, Brook McClymont and Adam Eckersley, Jen Lush with her band Cat Dog Bird, The Cherry Pickers and Kristy Cox from Nashville.

South Australian acts were given centre stage, opening most of the shows. The 2019 season will see Daniel Champagne and Laura Hill, Shane Nicholson and Kelly Menhennett, John Schumann, The Maes Band, Alana Jagt, Adam Harvey, Brad Butcher, Aleyce Simmonds, Felicity Urquhart and more take the stage.

Last year’s season attracted nearly 100 audience members on average per show and included four sellout performances. The success of The Barn as a performance venue validates Mike and Di’s determination to preserve their historic property and to create a social hub outside of Adelaide.

“There were probably many reasons for taking on a project like this but when you boil it down … we wanted to save this incredible old building, which was in danger of becoming a pile of stones and, at the same time, create a regional venue for great music and visual arts.”

That goal has been more than accomplished; between The Barn and the newly lush bushland, Wombat Flat is becoming a destination for locals, Adelaide residents and visitors from further afield to enjoy the amazing history, art and nature of South Australia, all in one place.

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As strong advocates for the arts, for community and for Trees For Life, Mike and Di encourage TFL members to make the trip out to The Barn at Wombat Flat. “We usually charge a $10/pp camping fee but are happy to waive this for Trees for Life members attending our shows!” says Mike. If you’re hoping to take advantage of Mike and Di’s generous offer of free camping for TFL members, send a message via their website to make sure they save some space.

More information about events: www.wombatflat.com.  1) Eucalyptus porosa 2) Lasiorhinus latifrons

Direct seeding is the most effective way to restore large areas of land. If you want to hear more about transforming government, corporate or private land with direct seeding, contact program manager David Hein.

CHANGE MAKERS BUSH FOR LIFE BUSHCARERS CELEBRATE A QUARTER CENTURY Claire Bowman

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Bushcare volunteers at Sleeps Hill Reserve; Garry Forrest and volunteers with the original BAT bus, August 2000; ReLeaf Autumn 2004 Issue 90; Andrew Allanson leads a bushcare workshop, July 1998; ReLeaf December 1995 Issue 57.

n a bright winter day in August 1999, a Bush Action Team (BAT) threw a brushcutter into the back of an old bus and motored out along the coast to Yorke Peninsula for the first ever extended BAT. Under the guidance of program coordinators Garry Forrest and Joanna Park, they tackled invasive bridal creeper and African boxthorn for three days, stopping only to watch southern right whales drifting past in the glittering ocean off Browns Beach. Bush For Life’s predecessor – Bushcare – was only five years young, but volunteers were already astounded by the changes they could incite.

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In the bush, as in life, change is the only constant. The last 25 years have seen an inconceivable array of changes in our global environment, for better and for worse. These are inevitably echoed in the bush, itself a scene of ceaseless change. Bush For Life (BFL) volunteers have been working constantly to ensure that the changes in their corner of the world — the unique native bushland of South Australia — are positive ones.

The celebration of Bush For Life’s 25th anniversary falls on the most beautiful kind of late summer day. At Wadmore Park (Pulyonna Wirra) in Athelstone, volunteer bushcarers from all over Adelaide gather to celebrate everything they have achieved

together in a quarter of a century.

They share a meal in the dappled light under a high canopy of Eucalyptus and look back at the changes that their dedication has wrought. A newcomer to TFL, I am taken aback by their modest determination to make affirmative change.

In the spring of 1994, Bushcare was born; 29 small bushcare sites were established, 45 keen volunteers attended three workshops and six local councils came on board. The group gathered at Athelstone represents just a fraction of the 1,300 people currently volunteering with BFL, undertaking 43,000 hours of bushcare every single year.

By the time Bushcare was renamed Bush For Life in the autumn of 2000, the volunteer ranks had grown to 400. Now, another 20 years on, over a thousand landscape custodians tend sites covering more than 4,100 hectares. At the picnic, I ask some of the long-time volunteers what keeps them going.

Sue Wiseman has worked on sites from Carrick Hill to Seacliff since 1998.

It’s the conspicuous changes on her sites, her sense of guardianship and the gratitude of her community that have kept up her momentum. “…you feel like it’s ‘yours’ and so therefore you’re prepared to put a lot of energy and love and care into it, and you get so energised and motivated with the positive results. You can see plants regenerating. People walk past and say, ‘I love what you’re doing,’ and ‘thanks,’ and that’s all positive feedback for your own little site.”

Carolyn Slade, who has been a volunteer alongside her husband Dennis since 1996, acknowledges the positive changes on her site can

be a hard-won prize; sometimes it’s simply a matter of not letting the invasive species gain ground. “We are quite convinced that we do make a difference. It takes a long time, but we are making a difference, whether you do see much advance or not. Because if we weren’t there … it would certainly go back[wards] very quickly.”

Despite the rapidity of the weed spread that threatens native species, changes in the bush are often slow. This makes the patience and persistence of the BFL bushcarers all the more indispensable. Evidence of the plodding rate of transition is everywhere in the bush; reminders of past changes still endure at some sites, like the mallee property near Brookfield Conservation Park owned by founding BAT coordinator, Garry Forrest.

“There’s some old growth [there],” Garry tells me, “but a lot of it was harvested for charcoal burning in the

You can see plants regenerating. People walk past and say, ‘I love what you’re doing...’

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depression and, I think, for paddle steamers. You see, sometimes, an old trunk just left there, and it’s massive compared to the new stems that are coming out.”

The huge tree stumps and the slender saplings around them are a reminder that although change and growth can be slow, it is nevertheless constant. In time, small saplings become giants if we grant them the opportunity to mature.

The volunteers tell me stories of change in the bush, but also of how bushcare itself has changed.

While the work of the volunteers is still carefully conducted by hand, modern techniques and technologies have streamlined many aspects of bushcaring.

“I guess one of the big differences is the equipment, because we started off with a knife – like an old kitchen knife – so that you could go round the plants,” Carolyn remembers.

Carolyn points out how aerial photography and GPS has changed the way the volunteers work.

Continues page 7

“They’d be marking out on a piece of paper this particular spot where they wanted work done. Now you’ve got an exact location!”

Alongside technology like GPS and weeding equipment, embracing new techniques has made the team more effective, which is particularly noticeable in the ‘drill and fill’ treatment of wild olives.

Improved processes also minimise environmental disturbance. Ric Williams and Kevin Burrows worked on a Bushcare site at Karinya that was completely overgrown with boneseed and olive in the early 90s. “We took 8 years to pull up all the boneseed.

It takes a long time, but we are making a difference…

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Volunteers

at an extended BAT, Neagles Rock, Clare, 2012; Sue Wiseman (left) and Jan Shepherd (right) at the BFL picnic, April 2019 ; Alan Dandie at Windy Point.

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Back in those days there was no talk of soil disturbance so we just pulled it up, masses of it. We had sometimes upwards of 8 or 9 boys in the Boys Brigade with us, so on a Sunday afternoon [we] could pull up a mass of the stuff,” Ric recalls.

“We just started at one end and gradually worked down the block!” says Kevin.

All agree that today’s bushcare is undeniably different to the early days of Bush For Life. “They get a bit spoilt now,” Carolyn jokes.

The truth is that there are as many challenges as ever, but over the years they have morphed. Today, climate change means shifting seasons, low rainfall and soaring summer

temperatures, making the work of BFL more difficult – and more important – than ever.

Garry suspects that low rainfall has reduced the animal life on his property. “Years ago I had seen brushtail possums, bats … bearded dragons, things like that, and now I don’t really see a lot … I don’t know whether it’s because the country has opened up there, or whether it’s the rainfall decreasing ...”

Nevertheless, despite drought and hard seasons, hope remains on BFL sites. Flowers bloom. Biodiversity increases. Weeds slowly release their grip on the bush. Robyn Guy has been caring for her site for nearly 15 years.

She says, “it’s wonderful because it has good biodiversity and every time I go, there’s something in flower.”

That’s the tangible value of the bushcarers’ work: the splendour of the native Australian bush when it’s allowed to thrive. Alan Dandie, who has been with BFL since 2002, says “I get quite a kick out of going to somebody’s site and finding a plant that’s not on their species list. And that happens quite frequently!”

Biodiversity also offers benefits far beyond beauty. Even in small patches of bushland, native marsupials, insects, birds and reptiles can make their home. By allowing habitat links to exist, to meander through farmland or establish by fence lines and roadsides, volunteers offer hope to dwindling animal populations that are at risk of being squeezed out of a home.

With so many external forces challenging our Australian natives — invasive species, urban sprawl, aggressive farming and climate change — the bushcarers exert an undeniable force for positive change.

They enable growth, promote biodiversity and keep our Australian

bushland strong. Natives bloom heavy with nectar and pollen-rich flowers, food for native bees and butterflies, the earth’s essential and threatened pollinators. Best of all, as each bushland site grows, it strengthens. Well-preserved bush is self-perpetuating.

Last year, two decades after the first extended BAT to Yorke, BFL scheduled over 100 BAT events. The white BAT bus towed the trailer laden with equipment to aid the many eager volunteers.

The gear may have undergone a few serious upgrades but the passion of those volunteers remains just the same. Like the bushland it strives to protect, Bush For Life is only getting stronger with age. Roots go deeper, branches reach further and more volunteers find their own special patch of bush. From the kitchen knives of the early days to the efficient operation of a mature program, BFL has grown only thanks to its bushcarers.

“I’ve seen the scheme broaden out like a tree,” Sue tells me, as people begin to stack chairs away in the early afternoon sun. It’s so easy to see how, just like the landscape, BFL couldn’t flourish without these incredible custodians of the bush. 

The huge tree stumps and the slender saplings around them are a reminder that although change and growth can be slow, it is nevertheless constant. In time, small saplings become giants if we grant them the opportunity to mature.

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TOP FROM LEFT:

Carolyn and Dennis Slade at the BFL picnic, April 2019; Scott & Dinah Dawson at a BFL site, October 2010.

A GROWING INSPIRATION Phil Bagust

Phil and Peter look out over the last sheep paddock.

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am and I head north from Truro on a mild, cloudy day.

As we drive through the final hills of the eastern Mt Lofty Ranges, patches of peppermint box mallee1 and native pine2 come into view, as do some thumping river red gums3 at creek crossings. However, the overall picture is one of drought – most paddocks are totally bare, stock are being hand-fed, and our car leaves a massive rooster tail of dust behind it. Last year, some farms in the area didn’t harvest a crop at all.

The boundary of Peter Shelton and Donna Lehman’s 33 hectare off-grid property becomes immediately obvious by its rich, standing crop of native grass, saltbush4 and bluebush5.

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Down a short driveway we are welcomed in for a traditional bush cup of tea. Peter and Donna have been planting with Trees For Life for over 25 years and are now gold TFL members.

We’re here to see why, and how, it all happened.

Sitting on the porch of this modest home with the busy little terrier Sparky is more like being in a forest than being beside the adjoining dusty sheep paddock. Built over the confluence of two substantial creeks that are spring-fed even in drought, the property has a volume and diversity of bird song that is nearly deafening.

Peter bought the property back in 1990 after having what he describes as “an epiphany ... that we were destroying the planet. We just needed to put something back”. He goes on to describe the state of the property as “really bad ... completely overstocked,” and Donna chimes in, “full of artichoke, horehound and red dirt.”

Their album of ‘before’ photos shows a starkly denuded landscape, behind which the hillside beyond the creek is clearly visible. Now it’s totally hidden by peppermint boxes grown from TFL seedlings. Peter joined TFL “in 1991-92, and that was when the repair and the planting started.”

“We looked around the district to see what the major endemic species of trees were ... and basically that’s what our first trees were ... Sometimes, depending on the season, we just

didn’t have to water at all ... [but] in bad seasons we were watering for two years”.

As the trees have returned, so have the understorey species, some also initially planted using TFL trees. Peter notes that more recently “wildlife has brought [seed] in”, producing what Donna calls “self-generating areas” on the property.

Peter and Donna take us for a walk around the property. The creek system is a revelation, even in this dry period. There are large pools of standing water and rich coverings of common reed6 and bulrush7. Rakali8 have been seen here, and the water teems with yabbies after a big rain.

All along the streambank we see evidence of the TFL river red gums Peter and Donna have planted, some now grown into substantial trees. They have a remnant patch of woodland consisting of peppermint box and summer red mallee9, and rocky areas where kangaroo thorn10, native pine, Christmas bush11, flax12 and vanilla lilies13 thrive.

The rocky, western-facing hillside beyond the creek is bounded by a stunning settler-built freestone wall and contains a grassland of rare irongrass14 and regenerating drooping sheoaks15. It looks happy enough despite the fierce dryness that has bared paddocks all around. Soon we reach a veritable wombat city nestled into a flat on a bend in the creek.

Yes, they have a very happy southern

hairy-nosed wombat16 population, along with three species of kangaroo, echidnas, microbats and a healthy population of reptiles; including lace monitors17, dragons and water skinks18. Peter says that when they arrived, they would see only “crows, maybe a couple of magpies, and a lot of starlings and blackbirds. Once the trees kicked in, all the time we would see new species.”

Donna reels off a list of birds that have returned to the property. “There’s rosellas, ringnecks, flycatchers, kookaburras, rainbow bee-eaters, black-shouldered kites, kestrels, babblers, fairy wrens, chuffs, apostle birds ... ” – the list goes on and on.

The most recent arrival is a tiny western pygmy possum19 they discovered in a water bucket, who was the mascot of our ‘Habitat Hero’ lottery. This reclusive little cutie is a perfect example of the resilience of nature when it is given a chance to thrive. Continues page 11

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TOP FROM LEFT: Peter

the western pygmy possum, found in a water bucket; Peter and Donna show Phil around the property; The creek line - before and after.

We ask them how many years of work it took before they really started to see the fruits of their labour.

Peter says, “we started seeing more grasses ... [then] trees and shrubs at approximately the 15 year mark.”

Since then, despite the boom-bust seasons that are typical of this marginal country and the current drought, things have just taken off on their own. Even the local farming community has noticed what Peter and Donna are doing with their property, representing what Peter suggests is “a generational change”.

Of course the work never ends – this is a life changing place in every respect. Weeds remain a problem, although they are much reduced.

The one final paddock still running sheep will soon be destocked and left to regenerate as native grassland.

Now, much of their time is taken by just ‘letting go’ and observing the continuing changes that they set in motion with TFL’s help.

If they’ve taken any lesson from this long journey, Peter says it is to “start small ... seek like-minded people… [and then] if you don’t put pressure on yourself, you will be drawn into it, the discoveries you make will enthral you, you will become motivated, you will want more, and there is no looking back then!”

We leave full of inspiration. So many TFL supporters have done, or are doing, what Peter and Donna have done. We like to imagine thousands giving it a go in all sorts of different places. The before and after photos of this flourishing property show just how it can be done. Congratulations to you, Peter and Donna; you are true habitat heroes!

The TFL Tree Scheme, which helped create Donna and Peter’s bushland sanctuary, is now open for orders.

If you’re inspired by this incredible success and interested in creating a native bushland of your own, you can order your native seedlings until 31 August. 

1) Eucalyptus odorata 2) Callitris gracilis 3) Eucalyptus camaldulensis 4) Atriplex sp.

5) Maireana brevifolia 6) Phragmites australis 7) Typha sp. 8) Hydromys chrysogaster 9) Eucalyptus socialis 10) Acacia paradoxa 11) Bursaria spinosa 12) Dianella revoluta 13) Arthropodium sp. 14) Lomandra sp.

15) Allocasuarina verticillata 16) Lasiorhinus latifrons 17) Varanus varius 18) Eulamprus quoyii 19) Cercartetus concinnus

RIGHT FROM TOP:

View over the shed – before and after; Phil points to a tiny seedling.

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In the spotlight

SA STRINGYBARKS The brown stringybark and desert stringybark are both endemic to south-eastern Australia. Together they take on a big burden; they’re two of only three food trees for the endangered south-eastern red-tailed black-cockatoo.

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tringybarks take their common name from their distinctively rough, shaggy bark, commonly seen on many Australian eucalypts. Both the brown stringybark (Eucalyptus baxteri) and the desert stringybark (Eucalyptus arenacea) form woodlands that create a dense and diverse understorey and provide a home for many native animals.

Desert stringybark grows as a spreading mallee and is more tolerant of seasonally dry conditions than the taller brown stringybark variety. Both trees have long, shiny, green leaves that can form a gentle curve. Under the sandy soil, stringybarks grow a lignotuber, a rather useful, woody swelling of the root that stores starch

and can help the tree regenerate after fire or provide an important nutrient source through a drought.

Growing to 25 metres or more, the brown stringybark is the taller of the two, sometimes towering over the carpet of silver banksia (Banksia marginata) and flame heath (Astroloma conostephioides) that forms below. This is stringybark woodland, where the sweet six-note song of the scarlet robin (Petrioca boodang) penetrates the scrub and rises over the quiet scuffle of sleepy lizards (Tiliqua rugosa) moving through the lilies and myrtle.

Brown stringybark and desert stringybark share their greatest claim to fame: providing essential food for the south-eastern red-tailed

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black-cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii graptogyne). Alongside the buloke (Allocasuarina luehmannii), the brown and desert stringybarks are responsible for sustaining the red‑tails.

Thanks to their preference for the sandy and infertile soil types that are less productive for farmers, patches of SA stringybarks are still in the landscape. Even so, 73% of stringybark habitat has been lost since 1947. Right now we’re on a mission to help save these trees and keep the cockies alive.

If you want to help, head to page 2 and read about our latest campaign.

Australian painted lady butterfly (Vanessa kershawi) on a silver daisy (Olearia pannosa).

ELECTRANET & TREE SCHEME

W PLANTING NATIVE GARDENS

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ver 100 people joined us for our native garden workshops held in May and June thanks to a SA Water Community Partnership Grant. The workshops focused on planting local native plants to attract wildlife and how to keep native gardens looking their best. Feedback for the workshops was overwhelmingly positive, with participants feeling “very inspired to plant more natives,” according to one gardener from Playford.

A McLaren Vale participant agreed, saying, “I feel reinvigorated to get back in my garden.”

People were quick to praise the “knowledgeable” “experienced” and “friendly” presenters and Trees For Life staff.

A gardener from Greenacres noted that the content was “very relevant to what we need to think about in today’s climate,” and we completely agree – planting resilient natives is a great way to keep our city liveable and our landscape and wildlife healthy in a changing climate. We’re glad we had this opportunity to partner with SA Water to help even more South Australians get native plants in the ground. 

e’re excited to announce ElectraNet as a key Tree Scheme partner for the 2019 season. This means we can offer a 75% discount on Tree Scheme plants, tree guards and stakes for landholders with ElectraNet assets on their property.

As many as 5,000 new seedlings will be put in the ground by ElectraNet landholders in the spring of 2020, to support our shared goals to restore native habitat outside metropolitan Adelaide.

ElectraNet staff will have the chance to be involved in our volunteering programs. They’ll also have the opportunity to take home free native seedlings in 2019, and a pack of native plants in 2020, so Adelaide backyards can also host new native species to attract bees, butterflies and birds.

The partnership follows the valuable support ElectraNet provided to landholders affected by the 2015 Pinery fire. Thanks to ElectraNet’s support we offered a subsidy on seedlings and tree guards purchased

by Pinery landholders and grew 12,000 native plants to support revegetation in the region.

Through this ongoing partnership, ElectraNet and TFL are working together to promote the benefits of native species, because getting plants back into the landscape is invaluable for both our community and our environment. 

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT TREES FOR LIFE? TREE SCHEME ORDERS NOW OPEN

Place your order now for the 2020 growing season – we’re here to help you select the best species for your property and planting purposes.

Orders close 31 August.

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GARDEN SALE PLANTS Go wild and grab a native plant or two before they disappear.

We usually sell out by early September, so get in quick and add some local natives to your garden.

AVAILABLE NOW! Tree guards and stakes are available at the nursery until 31 August.

WHATS ON

TREES FOR LIFE WORKSHOPS

5 Jun

World Environment Day

26 Jul

National Schools Tree Day

28 Jul

National Tree Day

If you’re interested in becoming a volunteer on one of our Bush For Life sites, or would like to learn more about managing your own bushland, then come along to a Bushcare Workshop. Phone 08 8406 0500 to register.

19 – 25 Aug

Keep Australia Beautiful Week

Bushcare Workshops

30 Aug – 8 Sep

Royal Adelaide Show

Eden Hills

8 Jun

Enfield

13 Aug

Sep

Biodiversity Month

Burnside

26 Jun

Victor Harbor

12 Sep

1 Sep

National Wattle Day

Adelaide

10 Jul

Mitcham

12 Oct

7 Sep

Threatened Species Day

Elizabeth

26 Jul

Port Noarlunga

1 Nov

2 – 8 Sep

National Landcare Week

Advanced Bushcare Workshops

13 – 14 Sep

Riverland Field Days, Barmera

Brooklyn Park

15 Jun

24 – 26 Sep

Yorke Peninsula Field Days, Paskeville

Broadleaf and Bulb Weed Control in Grassy Ecosystems Broadleaf and Bulb Weed Control in Grassy Ecosystems

Brooklyn Park

6 Jul

Brushcutter Use and Maintenance

Adelaide

9 Aug

TREE SCHEME Ordering season open

Open now – 31 Aug

Nursery Winter Sowing Orders

Open now – 31 July

Registrations open for volunteer growers

1 Jul

Introduction to Plant Identification

Stirling

26 Sep

Nursery Summer Sowing Orders

1 Sep – 30 Nov

Stirling

28 Sep

Grower Workshops

Oct/Nov

Introduction to Plant Identification

Materials Collection Day

Nov 17

Introduction to Grass Identification

Adelaide

31 Oct

Introduction to Grass Identification

Adelaide

2 Nov

THANKS TO OUR SUPPORTERS…

Bush Action Team Events

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Belair

5 Jul

St Agnes

20 Aug

Hahndorf

9 Jul

Aberfoyle Park

22 Aug

Highbury

11 Jul

Heathfield

24 Aug

Clarendon

17 Jul

Cherry Gardens

28 Aug

Ashton

19 Jul

Goolwa

30 Aug

Eden Hills

23 Jul

Auldana

5 Sep

Wattle park

25 Jul

Blackwood

7 Sep

Port Noarlunga

27 Jul

Craigburn Farm

11 Sep

Flaxely

31 Jul

Upper Hermitage 13 Sep

Willaston

2 Aug

Kersbrook

19 Sep

Morphett Vale

6 Aug

Hallett Cove

21 Sep

Flagstaff Hill 8 Aug

Waitpinga (Extended BAT travel to site)

24 Sep

Lobethal

10 Aug

Waitpinga (Extended BAT)

25 Sep

Belair

14 Aug

Waitpinga (Extended BAT)

26 Sep

Victor Harbor 16 Aug

Victor Harbour (Extended BAT)

27 Sep

Kidns h c r a B

A bilby (left) and wombat (right) from Kate Hubmayer’s Nature Crafts for Aussie Kids.

NATURE CRAFTS FOR AUSSIE KIDS MAKE YOUR OWN AUSSIE ANIMAL You’ll need…

What to do…

ŴŴ

Assorted seedpods (like casuarina, hakea, banksia, native pine, gumnuts and gumnut caps).

ŴŴ ŴŴ

Glue gun and glue sticks.

1.

2.

A bit of imagination or some pictures of native animals to help you out!

3.

Collect your seedpods – try to find dry pods and gumnuts.

Use the big casuarina pods or banksia cones as the body for your favourite Aussie native animal.

Glue on the smaller seed pods and caps to make eyes, ears, legs and a nose.

There are so many things you can do with nature’s special craft supplies.

This fun idea for making a little seedpod wombat is from Kate Hubmayer’s book, Nature Crafts for Aussie Kids.

Don’t you love the imagination in her creations? Her book is full of suggestions and tips to help kids (and adults too) make cute native animals and other creatures, bookmarks, jewellery, mobiles and so much more.

Copies of Nature Crafts for Aussie Kids are available through Trees For Life.

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