Banksia Bulletin spring 2013 by Banksia Bulletin

spring 2013

Bayside Biodiversity Orchids in bayside

Celebrating Roma and the Wattle Trees Connected to Nature

From the Mayor Welcome to the spring edition of the Banksia Bulletin. I am thrilled to announce that Bayside City Council has won the Keep Australia Beautiful Award in the Clean Beach category. Partnering with local environment group Marine Care Ricketts Point, Bayside won this prestigious award for recent disabled access improvements to one of the Bays’ most celebrated marine sanctuaries. We are extremely honoured to win this award and are grateful for the opportunity to further raise awareness of Ricketts Point’s pristine environment, its usage as a community hub, it’s amazing biodiversity and its unprecedented disabled access. I would like to thank a few of the many groups that look after Ricketts Point including Friends of Watkins Bay, Friends of Ricketts Point Landside and Marine Care Ricketts Point for their ongoing contributions to this wonderful place.

Speaking of remarkable Bayside areas, spring is finally here and these longer, warmer, sunnier days present an excellent opportunity to get out and about and rediscover some of your favourite Bayside spots. With Council’s Spring Open Days, sustainability info stalls at upcoming Farmer’s Markets and the annual Garage Sale Trail, Baysiders can get out in the great outdoors and join in any of our fun, free and family friendly activities. We hope that we will see you at one of our upcoming spring events and that you will join Bayside City Council in celebrating our newest award. Cr Stephen Hartney Mayor Bayside City Council

Front cover image Dianella Tasmanica photo by Pauline Reynolds Back cover image Bracken photo by Pauline Reynolds

banksia bulletin — spring 2013

In this ISSUE Special features

Other articles LEARNING THE ROPES

THE BIG CHALLENGES OF SMALL RESERVES

Shelley Maher

5 7 10 13

CELEBRATING ROMA AND WATTLE TREES Valerie Tarrant

ORCHIDS OF BAYSIDE Justin Gorwell

Rob Saunders

BE INSPIRED – LIAM CARROLL

SPRING INTO SPRING WITH BAYSIDE’S ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES

FAMILY LIFE OPEN GARDEN DAY

BAYSIDE – HOME TO BATS

RESEARCHING LOCAL NATURE

FRIENDS OF DONALD MACDONALD KICKING GOALS WITH THE JETS

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Barbara Jakob

Asha Jansen

Michael Norris and Elizabeth Walsh

Kim Croker

BAYSIDE, BIODIVERSITY AND THE CLIMATE Ken Blackman

Kim Croker

CONNECTED TO NATURE Lucy Farmer

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Learning the Ropes Before commencing work at the Bayside Community Nursery, I studied exercise science for one year at university. After completing the first year I knew it was not the path I wanted to take.

knowledge of the outdoors has evolved greatly. After working at the nursery for six months, I now have a fantastic understanding of indigenous plants and their key roles in the heathland and coastal reserves of Bayside.

As I have always had an interest in plants and the environment, when the opportunity arose I quickly accepted the four year nursery apprenticeship with Citywide Parkcare in Bayside.

I am continuously learning new information and skills from both of them every day, ranging from working with volunteers and the public, to learning botanical names of plants and what the growing conditions are for each.

The first week was very overwhelming. However, my passion for and

Working with Erika Anderson and Elke Filip has been a delight, their passion and understanding for plants and the environment is very contagious.

I am looking forward to furthering this knowledge by studying a Certificate 3 of Horticulture. I love my job. I always look forward to going to work and helping to propagate and grow the plants that will be revegetated back into the environment. Shelley Maher Citywide Bushland & Nursery Crew

Wildlife Spotted Echidnas range from 35-52cm in length and can weigh up to 6kg. They are covered with a reddish or dark brown fur and have spines on their backs which vary in colour from cream to black. Echidnas also have a long snout and a long sticky tongue used to poke into logs and termite mounds and eat large numbers of ants and termites.

Local resident Mark Barker spotted this wonderful echidna in Beaumaris

The Echidna can be found in heathland, forests, woodlands, scrublands and grasslands, among vegetation or in hollow logs and can live anywhere from 15-40 years.

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Please be aware that it is illegal to pick up or move an echidna. Visit the Department of Environment and Primary Industries website for more information regarding protected wildlife www.depi.vic.gov.au/

Acacia paradoxa Prickly Wattle Photo by Pauline Reynolds

Celebrating Roma and wattle trees Our Friends’ July work party was a special one as we celebrated the ninetieth birthday of Roma Bamford who, with her husband Don, has been a faithful worker in the Reserve. The Bamfords have weeded, planted and also provided tea, coffee and biscuits at the working bee for many years. Everyone sang ‘happy birthday’, enjoyed the cake and decided to plan for Roma’s 100th birthday celebrations.

wattles bloomed again he would die…’ and on the 15th August, 1903 he did die and all along the rivers and creeks the golden wattles were in full bloom (Shirley W. Wiencke, When the Wattles Bloom Again: the Life and Times of William Barak, 1984).

Another cause for celebration is the start of the flowering of the wattle trees (Acacia species), which bring golden colour after the green and brown of early winter.

The Environmental Historian Libby Robin has written of the formation of a Wattle Club and recognition of Wattle Day, as suggested by Mr. A. J. Campbell, a field naturalist. The first Wattle Day was celebrated in 1910 in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide (Libby Robin, ‘Nationalising Nature: Wattle Days in Australia’, (Journal of Australian Studies, 2002).

Wattles have a long-standing place in Australia’s history. William Barak, a man from the Woiwurrung tribe of the Kulin nation of Victorian Aborigines, said before he died that ‘when the

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Long term George Street Reserve volunteer Roma

More recently in 1992 the then Minister for the Environment Ros Kelly announced that the 1st of September would be ‘National Wattle Day’ and some people today wear a sprig of the golden wattle Acacia pycantha, which is Australia’s national emblem. We look forward to our local wattles flourishing again this year. Valerie Tarrant Joint Co-ordinator with Pauline Reynolds Friends of George Street Reserve

Orchids of Bayside Orchids are a very unique plant often lying as dormant underground tubers for the majority of the year and emerging after the winter or spring rains. When orchids do flower however, they produce a beautiful flower which has led to their popularity amongst many botanical-minded groups. Tiger Orchid ris (Diu sulphurea)

The City of Bayside is home to 17 different species of orchids. The colonies of orchids can be found in our various heathland reserves and some areas along the coast.

Some of the orchid species which can be found in Bayside include donkey orchids, mosquito orchids, wax-lip orchids, sun orchids, onion orchids and various species of greenhood orchids. All of these species produce their own distinctive flowers and leaves and utilise different mechanisms of reproduction and growth. Justin Gorwell Bushland Crew Citywide

Donkey Orchid (Diuris orientis) This orchid gets its name from the two large yellow petals which protrude from the top of the flower structure that are said to look like donkey ears. They grow in large clusters due to the vegetative growth of their tubers. Pollination usually comes from native bee species. This species can be found in Balcombe Park, Cheltenham Park, Donald MacDonald Reserve, George St Reserve, Gramatan Avenue Heathland Sanctuary and Long Hollow Heathland Sanctuary.

Donkey Orchid (Diuris orientis)

Small Mosquito Orchid (Acianthus pusillus)

This species has a small heart shaped leaf which is dark green on top and purple beneath. It grows up to 18cm in height and can contain 2 to 18 tiny flowers per stalk and comes into flower between March and July. This species is relatively common in Bayside, being found at Balcombe Park, Bay Road Heathland Sanctuary, Cheltenham Park, Gramatan Avenue Heathland Sanctuary, and Long Hollow Heathland Sanctuary.

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Salmon Sun Orchid (Thelymitra rubra) The salmon sun orchid has a small narrow leaf (2.5cm long x1cm wide) which is dark green with a reddish base. Its stalk is zigzagged and can be up to 40cm tall and contain one to five salmon coloured flowers 2-2.5cm wide. The flowering period is from September until November. This species is quite rare in Bayside, with it being restricted to one single colony within George Street Reserve.

Salmon Sun Orchid (Thelymitra rubra)

Wax-lip Orchid (Glossodia major) The wax-lip orchid has a leaf that is broad (6x2cm) and often flat to the ground. The flower is purple with a white lip which is 3.5-4.5cm wide and flowers from October to November. Each plant can have one or two stalks which can grow to 30cm tall with one flower per stalk. This species can be found at Bay Road Heathland Sanctuary, George Street Reserve and Long Hollow Heathland Sanctuary.

Wax-lip Orchid (Glossodia major)

Onion Orchid (Microtis spp.) The onion orchid has a long slender, hollow leaf up to approximately 45cm in length, similar to a spring onion plant. The stalk contains a spike of many crowded tiny green flowers. The identification of this plant down to species level in Baysde is unknown due to the difficulty in distinguishing between the few Microtis species. Because of this, the exact time of flowering is not clear, however most Microtis species flower between September and January. The onion orchid colonies can be found at Balcombe Park, Cheltenham Park, Donald MacDonald Reserve, Gramatan Avenue Heathland Sanctuary and Long Hollow Heathland Sanctuary.

Onion Orchid (Microtis spp.)

Trim Greenhood (Pterostylis concinna)

Being one of the eight greenhood species found in Bayside, the trim greenhood is the most common of them all. It has a basal rosette of 4-6 dark green leaves 3.5cm long by 1.5cm wide. The stalk can be up to 30cm tall with a single hooded flower at its apex which is approximately 1.5cm long. The flower is a mixture of translucent white, green and reddish brown which appears from June to September. This species can be found at Balcombe Park, Bay Road Heathland Sanctuary, Donald MacDonald Reserve, George Street Reserve and Long Hollow Heathland Sanctuary.

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Bayside CEO Adrian Robb, Mayor Stephen Hartney and former Marine Care Ricketts Point President Raymond V Lewis OAM accept the Keep Australia Beautiful Award, Clean Beach category.

Bayside City Council and Marine Care Ricketts Point win a Keep Australia Beautiful Award Bayside City Council is the winner of this year’s Clean Beach Award as part of the Keep Australia Beautiful Victoria (KABV) Sustainable Cities Awards 2013. Family favourite and marine education gathering place, Ricketts Point, has won the prestigious award in the Clean Beach category for the recent addition of a disabled toilet and shower block. These facilities further enhance the already unparalleled disabled access to one of the Bay’s most celebrated marine sanctuaries.

recognising positive practical actions taken by Victorian communities to enhance their environment. If you haven’t already fallen in love with the splendour of Ricketts Point, why don’t you take the family out this weekend? You will love this wonderful place. Visit www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/sustainable-cities-awards for more info about the awards.

The winners for the 2013 Keep Australia Beautiful Award were announced in late July. Bayside was up against last year’s winner, Frankston City Council in the Clean Beach category. Bayside City Council shares this wonderful award with Marine Care Ricketts Point Inc., the Disabled Divers Association and of course, the Bayside community. Council is very proud to win this award and hopes that it leads to increased awareness and appreciation of our wonderful seaside community spot, Ricketts Point The KABV Sustainable Cities Awards are now in their ninth year and play an important role in celebrating and

Keep Australia Beautiful Awards judging day

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This photo hints at the diversity of the ‘non-burn’ area while still showing the young Lightwood Wattle regrowth (Acacia implexa) which is beginning to take over. Lightwood is well known for suckering from rootstock. Trees are relatively long-lived for a wattle (30+ years). I suspect the ones at Long Hollow are all from the roots of one original plant - they flower well but rarely produce any seed.

The big challenges of small reserves Most Bayside residents realise how fortunate we are to retain areas of relatively natural habitat. At the core of this biodiversity are our bushland reserves, the foreshore and some of the golf courses. In all, about 190 of the original 430* species of local plants remain. The most dramatic loss of species occurred between the 1940s and the 1970s, a time of massive development and population growth. Fortunately a period of environmental awareness followed and the actions of our conservation stalwarts and local groups saved several critical areas. Council has also established important supporting activities like the Citywide

Cherry Ballart thicket (Exoca rpos cupressif in the south we ormis) stern part of the reserve.

Bushland Crew, the ‘Friends’ groups, and the Bayside Community Nursery. But have we arrested the decline? Almost one-quarter of the remaining local plants occur in only one location*. In many cases the number of viable plants is critically low. As individual plants age they often become less fertile. Wedding Bush (Ricinocarpus pinifolius) is a case in point, as very few seeds from older plants are viable. Native wasps lay their eggs in the flowers and the wasp young then eats the seed embryo when it hatches. Fortunately the Community Nursery does a fantastic job collecting seed and raising plants to help replenish the reserves and establish plantings elsewhere. The most obvious threat to our bushland reserves are weeds, vandalism and nutrients from dog droppings (these kill local species adapted to poor sandy soils and also encourage weeds). Ironically, in some cases local plants themselves

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can overpower areas. Coastal Tea tree (Leptospermum laevigatum) left unchecked will shade out and kill other species with its toxic leaf-drop (allelopathy), and Bracken fern (Pteridium esculentum) can also choke large areas. Interestingly, at Long Hollow Heathland, two other local species are causing concern by suckering (sprouting from roots) and starting to take over significant areas: Lightwood (Acacia implexa) and Cherry Ballart (Exocarpos cupressiformis). Thickets of dominant species in small reserves can become a threat, and more active management may be required if we want to preserve our remaining biodiversity. * Data from The Sandringham Environment Series No 3 second edition (1989)

Rob Saunders Coordinator Friends of Long Hollow

Bayside, Biodiversity and the Climate A Climate Update In early January, Australia broke a record - five consecutive days averaging 39 degrees or more.

Biologist Euan Ritchie recently wrote, “If the environment were a bank and species its money, it would need a rescue package that would make the recent European bail-outs look insignificant.”

Bureau of Meteorology’s Manager of Climate Monitoring and Prediction, David Jones, said, “Clearly, the climate system is responding to the background warming trend.” In April, the Climate Commission explained, “Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere trap heat at the earth’s surface and in the lower atmosphere. There is vastly more heat in the ocean as well ice is melting at the poles and on high mountain ranges, and the circulation of the air and seas is changing. This means that the climate is now more ‘energetic’, making extreme weather events more frequent and more severe.

“Background or ‘normal’ rates of species extinction, globally, vary through time but are typically one to two species per year. Current rates of extinction, however, are estimated to have reached over 1000 times this rate.” This got me thinking about Bayside’s conservation effort - and climate change: how will local biodiversity – (our favourite natural places and species) measure up tomorrow?

“Coastal flooding and beach erosion will happen more often, and the ocean is absorbing excess atmospheric CO2, making it more acidic.” Kate Auty, Victoria’s Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability, reported in December that,: “Victoria will be a hotter and drier place by mid-century”. She wrote that at least a 1.37 degree rise in temperature by 2050 for Victoria was likely, and warned that the changes will put infrastructure and biodiversity at risk, and leave agriculture and endangered species exposed.

Photo by Trier Murphy

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Photo by Pauline Reynolds

Biodiversity impacts The Climate Commission reports that these slow changes (though fast on geological timescales) can increase the vulnerability, and decrease the resilience, of natural ecosystems as well as human communities. When heat rises too high, not all animals can escape to cooler places. Many birds rapidly reach their hydration tolerance limits; finches and the parrot / cockatoo family have suffered in recent Australian heat waves. These, and small marsupials, including possums and flying foxes, koalas, and frogs have all been identified in research as unusually impacted. And severe heat waves can impact marine ecosystems, especially in shallower waters. CSIRO research released last September suggests that by 2030 many parts of Australia will have environments that do not exist today anywhere on this continent. A scientific team lead by David Hillbert investigated how climate change will affect plants, animals and ecosystems across the entire country. Hillbert says that “...we can expect changes in species distribution and abundance, changes in ecosystem composition, structure and in how ecosystems function... The bush will look, smell and sound very different 50 years from now.” “ ... (Just) preserving nature may not be possible in the future. We need to adapt our thinking, policies and

on-the-ground actions to a situation where change is the new norm. “Minimising the extinction of species should still be a fundamental goal. Doing so may require different approaches (and) a broad conversation including government and the public.” This returns us to Euan Ritchie, “Why should it matter to us if we have a few less species? The simple answer is that we are connected to and deeply dependent on other species. From pollination of our crops by bees, to carbon storage by our forests, and even the bacteria in our mouths, we rely upon biodiversity for our very existence. And of course there are equally-justified arguments for keeping species based purely on their aesthetic and cultural importance, or for their own sake.” David Hilbert concluded: “... (It) may be more beneficial overall to prioritise effort on species that have greater likelihood of surviving, rather than the most vulnerable. Naturally, this raises questions about society’s valuing of particular species that will need to be discussed.”

A Bayside Response? The response cannot be only local, of course. But enhanced research, documenting over time the health of selected species, and vigilant protection of what (mainly remnant) special natural places we have seems obvious. But the CSIRO suggests that ‘management’ across landscapes could be as important as protecting ‘special areas’. Backyards and nature strips as ecologically rich

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havens? Should we treasure those railway cuttings as we do our natural indigenous reserves? Our coast, especially, faces the greater impact of extreme weather events. Using harvested stormwater beyond streets and sports grounds could play a part in helping plants and animals survive during heat waves. And of course, there’s that carbon emissions reality, accumulated in the atmosphere now past 400 parts per million globally (up from 287 in 1750). Will Steffen, of the Climate Commission writes that, “In Australia and around the world we need to take urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The preventative action we take now, and in the coming years, will greatly influence the extent of climate change in the future, and therefore the severity of extreme weather events that our children and grandchildren will have to cope with.” “This is the critical decade to get on with the job.” Summary References: • Euan Ritchie The Conversation May 2 2013 • Will Steffen The Conversation March 4 2013 • David Jones The Age January 9 2013 • David Hilbert The Conversation September 9 2012 • Kate Auty - State of the Environment Report, 2012 & The Age December 26 2012 • Climate Commission: The Critical Decade: Extreme Weather April 2013

Ken Blackman Board member Bayside Climate Change Action Group

Be Inspired – Liam Carroll On Wednesday 5 June, Liam Carroll was awarded a ‘Be Inspired’ Youth Award by Bayside Council. The ‘Be Inspired’ Bayside Youth Awards is all about recognising young people’s contributions to their community, as well as giving young people the opportunity and space to showcase their talents and achievements. Liam set up a geocaching activity for Bayside Environmental Friends Network in the Summer by the Sea Holiday Programme 2013. Geocaching is best described as a ‘modern treasure hunt’, where participants are given a GPS and coordinates to locate hidden caches. This activity was aimed at family groups as a tool to promote environmental education for young people. This was the first organised geocaching event in Bayside. Liam prepared all facets of the activity during his summer holidays and spent substantial time and energy to arrange and conduct this community activity. Liam is proactive and has a very positive attitude. His delivery was always concise, clear and personable.

Liam Carroll with Bayside Environmental Friends Network Coordinator Barbara Jakob and Liam’s father James

Members of the Bayside Environment Friends Network found Liam to be an outstanding team member. Liam shared his joy for geocaching and was interested in combining it with environment education. We couldn’t have wished for a better partner to help us with this project. Thanks to Liam, geocaching will be an ongoing event in Baysides’ environment education program for students and families.

Congratulations to Liam!

Stay tuned to the Banksia Bulletin for details on upcoming geocaching sessions. Barbara Jakob Coordinator Bayside Environment Friends Network

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Photo by Kim Croker

Connected to Nature Feathers, fur, fins and fangs – Bayside has it all How many people can boast they’ve seen dolphins, sharks and a two-tonne elephant seal at the end of their street? How many have been startled by a brown snake in the backyard or a redback spider in their mailbox? Who has enjoyed parrots and cockatoos nesting in their trees, quail rooting through the undergrowth and tawny frogmouths perched on the telephone line? These are just some of the wildlife encounters I’ve been lucky enough to experience – or some would say unlucky enough – over the twelve years I’ve lived in Beaumaris. I admit the dolphins were probably a kilometre offshore, the southern elephant seal a hapless drifter hundreds of kilometres from his usual sub Antarctic range, and the brown snake was spotted by a fencing contractor who refused to work for me as a result. But it’s an impressive selection of the big, deadly and beautiful for a major city suburb and one increasingly encased in concrete.

There is plenty of more commonplace fauna on the doorstep too, such as ringtail and brush tail possums, blue-tongue lizards (there’s one living under my deck), and the introduced species of black rats, which occasionally come down the chimney in search of a midnight feast. My son is an avid snorkeler whose local sightings include countless rays, small sharks and at least one blue ringed octopus. He was relieved he wasn’t with his father who bumped into an unidentified, three-metre shark while snorkelling off Ricketts Point a couple of summers ago. Whether it’s the magpies warbling in the early hours of the morning, possums crashing across the metal roof at night or the noisy flypast of a flock of rainbow lorikeets, it is hard to feel disconnected from nature in Beaumaris. Yes, it’s inconvenient to share my rockery with bull ants, my fruit trees with leaf-munching case moth caterpillars and my veranda with mosquitos. But for those of us who value nature, there can be few Melbourne suburbs which beat the Bayside area in charismatic creatures. And as a former resident of an African national park, it’s proved an unexpected highlight of life in Beaumaris. Lucy Farmer Local resident

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Love Creeper (Comesperma voluble) at Long Hollow. Photo by Pauline Reynolds

Spring into spring with Bayside’s environmental events and activities Spring Open Days Bayside’s heathland reserves will again be hosting ‘Open Days’ this spring so that we can all share in the beauty of Bayside’s indigenous wildflowers. All of these reserves will have guided tours available and have information tables.

The following reserves will host Bayside’s Spring Open Days:

Coming along to a Spring Open Day is a great opportunity to speak to the staff who manage the park and the volunteers who devote their time there, especially if you have not been to one of Bayside’s heathland before. The heathlands are in spectacular flower in spring and visitors are guaranteed to see locally significant indigenous species that they may not see elsewhere.

• George St Reserve 15th September 10am–12pm. • Balcombe Park 29th September 10am–12pm and Long Hollow Heathland Sanctuary 1–3pm. • Gramatan Ave Heathland Sanctuary every Sunday in September 2–4pm. • Bay Rd Heathland Sanctuary every Sunday in September and October 2–4pm. Please feel free to contact Jo Hurse (Bushland and Nursery Team Leader for Citywide Open Space) for more information about the bushland reserves of Bayside on 9283 2052.

Leptospermum continentale

Photo by Paul ine Reynolds

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Wild flowers at Long Ho

llow

Sustainability at the Bayside Farmers Market Saturday 21 September Bayside City Council’s sustainability team will hold a stall at the Bayside Farmers Market on 21 September and 16 November to showcase council projects and services, and to answer all of your sustainability questions. September’s stall will have a special garden focus and will feature information and tools for successful composting, gardening, and reducing food waste at home. We will also be giving out our very popular food gardening booklet - Home Harvest- FREE for every person that visits the stall. The Port Phillip Eco-centre will be there on the day and

Garage Sale Trail Saturday 26 October

we will also have a fun food challenge with terrific sustainable shopping pack prizes. The November Farmer’s Market is all about sustainable transportation. It is glorious spring-time in Bayside so why don’t you get on your bike or walk to the Market? This special Farmer’s Market will feature free bike parking, musical entertainment, competitions, and of course, wonderful local food and produce vendors. Stop by Council’s ‘Brighter’ environmental sustainability stall at Trey Bit Reserve from 8am to 1pm. We look forward to seeing you there!

Bayside will be again participating in the annual Garage Sale Trail on 26 October. Pick up a great bargain on the day or de-clutter your home and make a bit of pocket money all in the name of reducing, reusing

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and recycling! Start putting your pre-loved bits and pieces away now and register your sale today. Visit www.garagesaletrail.com.au for details on registering your household or community sale.

Photo by Pauline Reynolds

Family Life Open Garden Day Sunday 13 October 2013 Beaumaris Gardens – Bold & Beautiful This spring Family Life will be holding its annual and ever popular Open Garden Day on Sunday 13 October, with six bold & beautiful gardens in Beaumaris to be open to the public. A captivating selection of gardens ranging from established native gardens, which have used many indigenous plants from the Bayside Community Nursery, to new architecturally landscaped gardens, will be on show at the following locations:

2 Point Avenue This old Beaumaris natural bush garden is a step back in time. The host and her husband built their house in 1949 and it is still lovingly attended. Meandering pathways enfold the original cottage and the hosts’ pottery is sprinkled throughout the tea-tree, native and exotic plantings.

451 Beach Road Locally known as the Butterfly House this modern rendition of an original 1960s Beaumaris house is surrounded by a garden of indigenous plants. A clipped tea-tree fence provides protection from Beach Road and a secluded setting for the spacious lawn and pool area. It features mature coast banksias which were planted in the 1960s if not before. This garden has interesting nooks including, at the back of the house, a tiny forest of Acacia stricta which is indigenous but locally rare.

13 Point Avenue This natural front garden is an ideal place for a BBQ on the day.

22 Lang Street This large garden, owned by innovative garden designers, harmoniously combines indigenous, native and exotic plants. There are many surprises and vistas to delight the eye from every point in the garden. The beautiful dry stone walls, quirky artificial grass mounds, clipped bushes and eye catching pots are of a ‘cutting edge’ design but blend effortlessly with the chook house, rabbit hutch and raised vegetable gardens to create a family friendly atmosphere.

Photo by Pauline Reynolds

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2 Point Avenue Photo by Pauline Reynolds

In addition to these intriguing gardens, guests can enjoy live music provided by local school groups, informative exhibits from local nurseries and sponsors, activities for children, courtesy transport from garden to garden in vintage cars and culinary delights from the BBQ and Devonshire tea stands.

Photo by Pauline Reynolds

2 Stayner Street This garden has three beautiful mature coast banksias (Banksia integrifolia) along the front boundary and an interesting mix of natives, indigenous and exotics. A north boundary of tall bamboo screens the native private garden and pool from next door. This is a fairly new house which has been sensitively designed to fit with the Beaumaris landscape and evocatively echoes the Beaumaris houses of the 1960s. All living areas face north and an under croft makes the garden ideal for outdoor living whatever the weather.

5 Bellaire Court Owned by a designer and restorer of 1960s Beaumaris houses, this predominately indigenous garden is a lovely complement to the beautifully renovated 1960s house. The creative, architectural use of local plants gives an impressive structure to the front garden and the central courtyard is a sunny home to pots of herbs and vegetables.

6 Bellaire Court This seemingly small front garden opens out to a delightfully large kite shaped rear and side garden. It has a serene, spacious atmosphere featuring an extensive lawn area, a variety of deciduous trees and a wisteria covered pergola and pool area. The wide herbaceous style border gardens have an eclectic mixture of plants offering seasonal variety.

“This year will be our twelfth year and we are looking forward to another fantastic community day. We are once again extremely grateful to our garden hosts who have agreed to share their gardens with us for the day,” says Pauline Reynolds, Family Life Volunteer and Open Garden Day Convenor. Supported by major sponsors Citywide Service Solutions, Domo Outdoor Furniture, Copper Rock, Bayside City Council and Bay Road Nursery, the event will also provide helpful conservation and water saving information. The Family Life Open Garden Day is a community event. Money raised supports Family Life’s Community Bubs program which helps vulnerable local babies and children to stay living safely in the care of their families. The event is organised and run by a team of dedicated and hard-working volunteers who are once again planning a fantastic day which can be enjoyed by the entire family. Gardens are open between 11am and 5pm on Sunday 13 October and the entry cost to see all the gardens is $25 for an adult or $22 for concession (and children are free). For further information please call Family Life on 8599 5433. For further information please contact: Asha Jansen Community Relations Officer – Family Life ajansen@familylife.com.au (03) 8599 5433

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C o s rner d i K

Banksia

Learning about habitat Did you know that 7 September was National Threatened Species Day? National Threatened Species Day is all about raising awareness and encouraging the community to prevent further extinctions of Australia’s fauna and flora. Teaching children about the importance of habitat of Australia’s plants and animals is essential for their ongoing survival. Animals and plants can become threatened or extinct when their habitats change. Habitats are made up of things they need to survive such as space, light, water, food, shelter, and a place to breed. Human activity that

results in pollution such as the introduction of weeds and pest animals, clearing of native vegetation, draining wetlands, can change habitats. Get crafty one of these rainy spring afternoons and teach your young ones about the importance of preserving habitat for Bayside creatures. Activity by Andrea Lange, facilitator of Enviro Kids, with support from Michael Norris and Barbara Jakob

Craft activity: Creating a habitat for ducks and frogs

Step 1:

What you need: Green paper, a shoe box, blue paper, blue fabric, natural material such as bark, sand, leaves and twigs, scissors, glue, some plastic ducks and frogs.

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Glue some blue paper in the open shoebox for the sky.

Step 2:

Step 3:

Step 4:

Glue green paper for grass on the bottom on the box.

Cut out a pond of the blue fabric and glue on the bottom of box.

Use bark to create some trees in back of box. Glue them on.

Step 5:

Step 6:

Step 7:

Glue some twigs, leaves and crinkled up paper on the tree for leaves.

Cut grass out of paper and glue around the pond.

Add some sand and paper flowers for Water Lilies.

Step 8: Add your plastic animals

Have fun playing.

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Bayside – home to bats The Friends of Native Wildlife are aiming to help people to find out about their local bats. Bayside has an amazing variety of bats. Most people are aware of the beautiful – and nationally threatened – Grey-headed Flying Foxes that first camped in Melbourne 27 years ago. They are difficult to miss with their one metre wingspans and the noise they make as they feed on fruit and nectar. Microbats are a total contrast. We can’t hear most of them because they use ultrasonic “radar” to catch insects at night. We can’t see them hunting except occasionally near lights. And by day, only a lucky few find them roosting in tree holes or in less natural places like indoors or in a furled outdoor umbrella. So how do we know that there are ten species of microbat in Bayside? The answer is ‘bat detectors’, electronic gear that turns the bat

calls into sounds that we can hear, and graphs that we can analyse. In 2010, staff from the excellent Australian Research Centre for Urban Ecology (ARCUE) used detectors to survey six open spaces in northern and central Bayside. From 700 usable calls they identified nine species. Another species was added when they helped at the Friends’ bat event at Cheltenham Park earlier this year. The results are fascinating in relation to the distribution of bats in Bayside and relative numbers. However two species previously found in Bayside were not recorded by ARCUE. Have they gone? Will other species follow? We hope not. We are encouraging residents to learn about the bats in their backyards and open spaces – as

banksia bulletin — spring 2013

a first step to helping bats to thrive. Over the next few months you could join in by using bat detectors. Better still, you could help to analyse the calls, collate data, and find other people who would like to know about their bats. To get involved, please contact us at bayfonw@hotmail.com or on 0409 010 074. The next step will focus on protecting and providing bat roosts. The one in the photograph attracted 20 bats in a few months and is made out of an old yoga mat! Why bother? Bats are cute, interesting, and crucial in controlling insects including mosquitoes - and Bayside is their home. Michael Norris and Elizabeth Walsh Bayside Friends of Native Wildlife

Photo by Kim Croker

From the Editor: Bayside parents and carers are you looking for a free, educational and fun activity you can do with your children these upcoming school holidays?

Researching local nature How often have we heard our parents say “Go outside and play”? Only to reply, “But it’s boring! There is nothing to do!” Well, this time my mum gave me a challenge - to complete Bayside City Council’s new “Research Local Nature” kit. Armed with my Enviro Kids Bayside research project, my blue explorer hat, my notebook, pencil and a sense of adventure, I stepped out into the wilds of my backyard. The first activity I had to complete was to count all the trees on my street. I asked myself, how big does a plant have to be to be a tree? And what’s the difference between a bush and a shrub? Some of the trees seemed to have lost their leaves

but others haven’t, I wondered why. I drew some pictures of them and decided I would find out later. Lots of the trees had flowers on them and there were insects flying around. The insects seemed busy so I decided I would get started on my second activity and began looking for some interesting leaves to stick on a big piece of paper. I love exploring my neighbourhood and can’t wait to see what else I can find using the Research Local Nature Kit!

banksia bulletin — spring 2013

Look no further than Council’s new ‘Research Local Nature’ kit as brought to you by Enviro Kids. The ‘Research Local Nature’ kit is an environmental education tool which aims to help Bayside families explore the relationships and interactions between humans and nature. With the ‘Research Local Nature’ kit as your guide, your children can expect to: • Research local habitats for birds and insects • Determine if there are different layers of trees, shrubs, grasses and mulches • Listen, smell, see and feel their environment • Discover the uniqueness of our local plants and animals • Learn about the importance of the natural environment and connectivity between all organisms • Have fun in the Spring school holidays Visit www.bayside.vic.gov.au/ researchlocalnature to get your kit.

Terry at Picnic Point

Friend of Picnic Point – three and a half years of endeavour… In January 2010, I was motivated to do something about the reef, the foreshore and acres of coastal woodland on the north side of Jetty Road at Picnic Point that had seen little attention for forty years. Here I found weeds, exposed building rubble, litter, and 150 metres of 1930s promenade buried under tons of dirt - a valuable tidal reef covered by rubble. In the woodland above, there was Kikuyu grass that had for years grown over entanglements of dead coastal wattle, masses of hedge mustard and box thorn and neglected infrastructure. Picnic Point covers about twenty seven acres from the Hampton Life Saving Club to the Sandringham Life Saving Club. It contains the Trevor Barker Oval, the Sandringham Yacht Club, the Hampton Sailing Club, a large Scouts facility, the Coastguard headquarters, the Anglers Club, Triathlon Club, sailboard and kayak hire and school, a café and a popular dog beach and the Croquet Club. It is one of the most used areas of foreshore on the Bay with thousands using it on weekends for football, triathlons, yachting, dogs off

leash on the beach, walking, fishing and swimming. I was involved in organizing public working bees back in the seventies, working under Council supervision to rid the area of blackberries and bone-seed. I successfully campaigned to stop a massive car park being built on the north side of the oval. A compromise was reached with a smaller ribbon car park. One beautiful still and sunny January morning in 2010, I started removing some of the rubble from the reef

banksia bulletin — spring 2013

expecting it to take a few hours. It finished up taking me over twelve months and 1000 hours to remove bricks, broken pipe, building rubble, road base, large boulders from the breakwater, slabs of concrete, a ton of broken glass, which was mainly placed behind a timber revetment at the point. The cleanup exposed beautiful ironstone and sandstone rock. Soon the sea life came back and the reef became covered in mussels and other forms of shellfish and seaweeds. It regained its former natural beauty and the pools attracted visitors

again to wonder at the beauty they had displayed when I was a child. The many seabirds returned and I witnessed hundreds of gulls at times in frenzies, feeding on massive schools of baitfish trapped in the pools as the tide went out. Pacific Gulls fed on the abalone and at times dolphins herded fish in against the exposed reef. An occasional Rakali could be seen arriving out of the rocks at dusk in the breakwater and penguins just off shore. I spent hundreds of hours slowly digging out the blue stone walled promenade that ran back towards Sandringham, long buried under dirt that had washed down from the slope above. Shovel by shovel full I carried it back up the slope. In doing so I also removed large amounts of box thorn, onion weed and mirror bush and years of rubbish accumulation. I encouraged the regeneration of native succulent pig face along the slope which now spill over like a long wave over the rear retaining wall of the promenade. The pig face should be a picture of beauty when it flowers soon. I expanded the area of salt bush over the building rubble soil at the start of the breakwater which is a haven for wrens and silver eyes. New walking tracks were installed by Council as part of the car park upgrade. I turned my mind to doing small repairs to infrastructure like the half moon shaped rock seat near Linacre Road that had been in disrepair for at least the forty seven years I lived nearby. I removed weed infestations from the sides of the ramps and around the few picnic tables that dot the cliff top. I then attacked the rampant weed growth north of Trevor Barker oval - with metre deep Tradescantia, Kikuyu and Morning Glory vine growing over tall sheoaks, and removed all the building rubble and excess dead material

to give the native plants a chance of revival. The piles of material were massive and were taken away by Council by the truckload. In the harbour I attacked the masses of Kikuyu that enveloped much of the bushland that had colonized the acres of sandbank from the millions of tonnes of sand that had silted up the harbour after the breakwater was constructed in the fifties. Gradually as the dead wattle and the Kikuyu that smothered it was removed, the roadway to the fishing club and scout pavilion became attractive and the bush healthy. People began using the roadway and enjoying it. More recently, there has been work undertaken by Council near the Sandringham Football Club pavilion to remove masses of entangled box thorn which is a hard, painful and thankless job but vital. The site has now been planted out by volunteers on National Tree Day in 2012 and 2013 under Council supervision. Council also created a vital firebreak between the oval fence and the healthy bush after a fire almost took the lot out several years ago one very hot January afternoon and night. The bush has now self generated into very healthy tea tree with the usual spread of she-oaks

banksia bulletin â&#x20AC;&#x201D; spring 2013

being planted amongst it. There is still work to be done, especially on the former harbour cliff slopes that are buried under thousands of tonnes of building spoil dumped there in the fifties and now covered in Kikuyu, and finishing off the last of the Kikuyu on the sandbank. I put in about 2500 hours of hard but enjoyable voluntary work over the past three and a half years and thank Councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Damian Carr and Simon Finlay for their friendship, assistance and guidance. Other volunteers offered to help but I did it on my own because I put in about two to three hours most days, early in the mornings when others are asleep or off to work. I am grateful to the numerous people who expressed their thanks as they saw the area transform back to its more natural state and beauty. My seven Reynolds grandkids from Hampton helped at times - they called it my office as I spent so much time there. I just love the beauty of Picnic Point and the people and at a young 68, my wife and I have still have time to enjoy it - I have always loved Hampton! Terry Reynolds Friend of Picnic Point

Friends of Donald MacDonald kicking goals with the Jets As a Friends group we are always looking for new people to join and enjoy the experience of giving back to our environment. So it was quite a delight to receive a phone call from a young man from the Black Rock “Jets” Football Club whose home ground is the Donald MacDonald Reserve Sports ground who wanted to come join us and help care for the reserve. For their first working bee, Cooper and Andrew enjoyed planting, a new skill for both of them. Unfortunately, as it happens in the world of sport, Andrew did a “hammy”. But so not to disappoint Cooper, Andrew bought not only his dad and mum but his aunt and nephew. What a difference a few new faces can make to a group’s morale! As the football season closes, there is already talk of the work to be done and the possibility of looking at other sites around “Don Mac” that need some loving care. This will not only improve the reserve, but also will enhance sporting community’s enjoyment of their surrounds whilst participating in their winter sport.

Andrew Ferguson and Cooper Ferries of the Jets and Don Ferries and Deb Blaber help take care of the special reserve

Kim Croker Friends of Donald MacDonald Reserve

banksia bulletin — spring 2013

Andrew Magdis, Justin Gorwell and Julie Shepherd from Citywide, with Rob Saunders, Coordinator of Friends of Long Hollow, Sue Raverty, Coordinator of Ricketts Point Landside, Bayside Councillor Laurie Evans, and Heath Kerr with daughters Millia and Eddie. This group came together to celebrate the beginning of Bayside’s Spring Open Days. Photo by Pauline Reynolds

Editor’s apology We would like to apologise for some mistakes in two articles in the Winter 2013 edition of the Banksia Bulletin. Alan Sherlock wrote a fantastic article titled ‘Arid Recovery’ and provided some amazing photographs of this conservation initiative taking place in the South Australian outback. To clarify, Rabbit Calicivirus was not trialled in Roxby Downs. Calicivirus was trialled on Wardang Island off the South Australian coast. Experiments were conducted there to establish the possible risks of the rabbit virus to native

animals. Unfortunately it escaped to the mainland, probably carried by insects and proceeded to move through South Australia and eventually the whole country. When it passed through Roxby Downs, rabbit numbers plummeted, providing the incentive to start the ‘Arid Recovery’ project. Roxby Downs is the town in central South Australia built to support the BHP Olympic mine and the ‘Arid Recovery’ site is located on the outskirts of the mine. In Moira Longden’s enchanting article, ‘Autumn Birds in Beaumaris’, the far left photo was a Scarlet Robin, not a Flame Robin as captioned. Additionally, one of the first birds in autumn is usually the Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater

(Acanthagenys rufogularis), not the Spring-cheeked Honeyeater. We do take extra care to ensure that species names are correctly represented. However, if images or drawings are not provided by the author, graphics need to be outsourced from the web where they may not be labelled correctly. We would like to encourage contributors to submit their own local photographs when possible. We also would like to kindly remind our contributors to please take extra care to write clearly when submitting handwritten articles. Articles should be approximately 500 words in length and have accompanying photographs, drawings or graphics with complete captions by the author.

Get the Banksia Bulletin via email! If you would like to receive the next edition of the Bulletin by email please write to the Banksia team at banksia@bayside.vic.gov.au

banksia bulletin — spring 2013

Volunteer Opportunities FRIENDS/ENVIRO GROUPS

MELWAY REF

CONTACT DETAILS

Friends of Balcombe Park

86 C4

Coordinator: Joan Couzoff Phone: (03) 9589 1060

Friends of Bay Road Heathland Sanctuary

77 B11

Coordinator: Michael Norris Phone: (03) 9521 6879 Email: menorris@ozemail.com.au

Bayside Bushwalking Club (Charman to Cromer Rds, Beaumaris)

Contact: Jo Hurse (Citywide) 9283 2052

Bayside Environmental Friends Network

Coordinator: Barbara Jakob Mobile: 0408 032 963 Email: baysidefriends@gmail.com

Bayside Community Nursery

77 D12

Contact: Erika Anderson 319 Reserve Road, Cheltenham 3192 Phone: (03) 9583 8408 Open Thurs and Sat 10am â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 12pm

Beaumaris Conservation Society

President: Ron Morris PO Box 7016, Beaumaris 3193 Email: info@bcs.asn.au

Black Rock and Sandringham Conservation Association

President: Bob Whiteway Phone: (03) 9502 0060 Email: bobwhiteway@optusnet.com.au

Cheltenham Primary School Sanctuary

Contact: Cheryl Clark Phone: (03) 8585 3200 Email: cheltenham.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au

Enviro Kids

Enquiries to Barbara Jakob Phone: 0408 032 963

Friends of Brighton Dunes

76 C2

Co-ordinator: Jenny Talbot Phone: (03) 9592 2109

Friends of Cheltenham Park

86 G1

Coordinator: Valerie Tyers Phone: (03) 9588 0107 Email: valerietyers@hotmail.com

Friends of Donald MacDonald Reserve

86 B6

Coordinator: Kim Croker Phone: (03) 9589 2443 Email: kcroker@bigpond.net.au

Friends of George Street Reserve

86 B1

Coordinator: Val Tarrant Phone: (03) 9598 0554 Email: vtarrant@ozemail.com.au. Coordinator: Pauline Reynolds Phone: (03) 9598 6368 Email: pauline.reynolds@bigpond.com

Friends of Gramatan Avenue Heathland

86 C6

Coordinator: Ken Rendell Phone: (03) 9589 4452

Friends of Long Hollow Heathland

86 D5

Coordinator: Rob Saunders Phone: (03) 9515 3383 Email: srednuas@hotmail.com

Friends of Merindah Park & Urban Forest

77 B12

Coordinator: David Cockburn Phone: (03) 9598 6148 Email: davidcoc@optusnet.com.au

Friends of Native Wildlife

Coordinator: Michael Norris Phone: (03) 9521 6879 Email: Bayfonw@hotmail.com

Friend of Picnic Point Sandringham

Coordinator: Terry Reynolds Phone: (03) 9598 2978 Email: Reynolds_family@hotmail.com

Friends of Ricketts Point Landside

86 C9

Coordinator: Sue Raverty Phone: (03) 9589 2103 Email: sraverty@westnet.com.au

Friends of Table Rock

86 E10

Coordinator: Ken Rendell Phone: (03) 9589 4452

Friends of Watkins Bay

86 D9

Coordinator: Moira Longden Phone: (03) 9589 2725

Marine Care Ricketts Point Inc

86 C9

Phone: (03) 9589 4452

NED (New Environment Directions) at Elsternwick Park

Coordinator: Neil Blake, Port Phillip EcoCentre Phone: (03) 9534 0413 Email: neilblake.ecocentre@iinet.net.au

St. Leonards College Conservation Group

Contact: Luisa Ingram Phone: (03) 9909 9300 Email: Luisa.Ingram@stleonards.vic.edu.au

banksia bulletin â&#x20AC;&#x201D; spring 2013

October, November, December 2013 TIME

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

10am – noon

DECEMBER

Contact Jo Hurse (Citywide) 9283 2052 4.30 – 6.00pm

Bayside City Council encourages people from our local community groups to submit articles of interest, share experiences and news about any upcoming events. All articles are reviewed prior to publication and Council reserves the right to omit or edit submissions.

10am – noon

1, 15

5, 19

8am – 10am

Every Tuesday morning

10am – noon

9am – noon Contact School 9583 1614

Editorial Policy The purpose of publishing the Banksia Bulletin is to circulate information, report on events, and to profile relevant environmental issues important to our community. The Bulletin is also published to support the network of people involved in enjoying and protecting our local environment.

3, 17

Acknowledgements Thank you to all the people who have contributed to this issue of Banksia Bulletin. Disclaimer The views expressed in the Banksia Bulletin are not necessarily those of Bayside City Council nor its representatives.

9.30am – 11.30am

Editor Simon Hill, Manager Environmental Sustainability & Open Space. Content Coordinator Triér Murphy Sustainability Promotions Officer. Copy deadlines 2013/2014

10am – noon

1pm – 3pm

Summer 2013 8 November for early December release

Banksia Bulletin is published quarterly by Bayside City Council to service people interested in enjoying and protecting the local environment.

10am – noon 9.30am

12.30pm – 2.30pm

10am – noon

Autumn 2014 7 February for early March release

12.30pm – 2pm

banksia bulletin — spring 2013

If you would like to be added to the Banksia Bulletin mailing list, please contact Bayside City Council on 9599 4444 or email: banksia@bayside.vic.gov.au Please indicate whether you would prefer to receive your Banksia Bulletin by post or via email. Corporate Centre PO Box 27 Royal Avenue SANDRINGHAM VIC 3191 Telephone: 9599 4444 www.bayside.vic.gov.au banksia@bayside.vic.gov.au Hours of business 8.30am – 5pm Monday – Friday (except public holidays)

Do you want to know more about Bayside and the Banksia Bulletin? Please refer to our website

www.bayside.vic.gov.au/ environment_banksia_bulletin

banksia bulletin â&#x20AC;&#x201D; spring 2013