Banksia Bulletin winter 2011 by Banksia Bulletin

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bulletin issue number 41 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; winter 2011

2011 Contact List FRIENDS Bayside Environment Friends Network Coordinator: Barbara Jakob Mobile: 0408 032 963 Email: baysidefriends@gmail.com Friends of Balcombe Park Coordinator: Joan Couzoff 26 Balcombe Park Lane, Beaumaris 3193 Phone: (03) 9589 1060 Friends of Bay Road Reserve Coordinator: Michael Norris (Southern Ward Councillor) 5 Deakin Street, Hampton 3188 Phone: (03) 9521 0804 Email: menorris@ozemail.com.au Friends of Brighton Dunes Coconvenors: Elizabeth McQuire 34 Normanby Street, Brighton 3186 Phone: (03) 9592 6474 and Jenny Talbot 71 Champion Street, Brighton 3186 Phone: (03) 9592 2109 Friends of Cheltenham Park Coordinator: Valerie Tyers Phone: (03) 9588 0107 Email: valerietyers@hotmail.com Friends of Donald MacDonald Reserve Coordinator: Kim Croker Phone: (03) 9589 2443 Friends of George Street Reserve Coordinators: Val Tarrant 47 Bayview Crescent, Black Rock 3193 Phone: (03) 9598 0554 Email: vtarrant@ozemail.com.au and Pauline Reynolds 9 Reno Road, Sandringham 3191 Phone: (03) 9598 6368 Friends of Long Hollow Heathland/ Friends of Table Rock/ Friends of Gramatan Avenue Heathland Sanctuary Coordinator: Ken Rendell 33 Clonmore Street, Beaumaris 3193 Phone: (03) 9589 4452 Friends of Merindah Park and the Urban Forest Coordinator: David Cockburn 72 Spring Street, Sandringham 3191 Phone: (03) 9598 6148

Friends of Native Wildlife Coordinator: Michael Norris (Southern Ward Councillor) 5 Deakin Street, Hampton 3188 Phone: (03) 9521 0804 Email: menorris@ozemail.com.au Friends of Ricketts Point Landside Coordinator: Sue Raverty 5 Rosemary Road, Beaumaris 3193 Phone: (03) 9589 2103 Email: sraverty@westnet.com.au Friends of Watkins Bay Coordinator: Moira Longden 73 Dalgetty Road, Beaumaris 3193 Phone: (03) 9589 2725 Bayside Community Nursery 319 Reserve Road, Cheltenham 3192 Phone: (03) 9583 8408 Open Thurs and Sat 10am - 12pm

ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS Beaumaris Conservation Society President: Chris Sutton PO Box 7016, Beaumaris 3193 Email: ggd@netspace.net.au BRASCA Coordinator: Janet Ablitt 4A Fairleigh Avenue, Beaumaris 3193 Phone: (03) 9589 6646 Cheltenham Primary School Sanctuary Charman Road, Cheltenham 3192 Phone: (03) 9583 1614 Enviro Kids Enquiries to Barbara Jakob Phone: 0408 032 963 Marine Care Ricketts Point Inc President: Ray Lewis ray.lewis@greypath.com Mobile: 0408 308 768 NED (New Environment Directions) at Elsternwick Park Coordinator: Neil Blake Port Phillip EcoCentre, 55A Blessington St, St Kilda 3182 Phone: (03) 9534 0413 Email: neilblake.ecocentre@iinet.net.au St. Leonards College Conservation Group Contact: Luisa Ingram 163 South Road, Brighton East 3187 Phone: (03) 9909 9300 Email: Luisa.Ingram@stleonards.vic.edu.au

banksia bulletin — winter 2011

In this ISSUE

From the Mayor

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.

Friends of Watkins Bay Di Rex

Opening a can of worms Thomas Walsh

Fun 4 Over 50’s Expo Di Rex

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.

Young people thinking big about sustainability Thomas Walsh

New to Bayside City Council

New to the Crew

Acknowledgements Thank you to all the people who have contributed to this issue of Banksia Bulletin.

Friends of Brighton Dunes Jenny Talbot

Disclaimer The views expressed in the Banksia Bulletin are not necessarily those of Bayside City Council or its representatives.

Pauline Reilly Michael Norris

Editor Stephen Thorpe, Manager Environmental Sustainability and Open Space. Photography Pauline Reynolds Copy deadlines 2011 Copy deadlines are set for the first Friday of the month of release: Spring 2011 Friday 2 September for release end September. Summer 2011/2012 Friday 2 Dec for release end Dec

Snorkling at Ricketts Point Marine Sanctuary Peter Dedrick Friends of Balcombe Park Joan Couzoff Friends of George Street Reserve Valerie Tarrant and Pauline Reynolds

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Bayside Environmental Friends Network

Enviro Kids

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

Friends of Donald MacDonald 20 Kim Croker Ecological Burn Policy

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.

Friends of Bayside Working Bee Times

Corporate Centre PO Box 27 Royal Avenue SANDRINGHAM VIC 3191 Telephone: 9599 4444 www.bayside.vic.gov.au enquiries@bayside.vic.gov.au Hours of business 8.30am – 5pm Monday – Friday (except public holidays)

Photograph by Pauline Reynolds

Cover image Leaf of a Yellow Box (Eucalyptus melliodora) at the Highett Grassy Woodlands

On the 17 May 2011 I had the great pleasure of attending Bayside’s first Youth Forum in Sustainability for primary school students from a number of schools within Bayside and the wider community. Students were given the opportunity to learn about current issues and were challenged to build their ideal vision of a ‘Green Learning Centre’. Children are a source of inspiration and a reason to strive for a brighter tomorrow. It was a humbling and uplifting experience for me to see their surprisingly deep knowledge of the issues we face and enthusiasm to tackle them head on. As one student put it sustainability can make a big difference in the school, at home, in the community, and the whole wide world. An example of a small project with great environmental outcomes was recently brought to my attention. Many of you may have noticed the new recycling station located in the foyer at the Council’s corporate office. I have been very pleased to hear of the great success of this project due to the way in which the community has embraced it. A fine example of this is that over 100 kilograms of batteries have been diverted from landfill into recycling. Not only does this have a wonderful environmental outcome, but for me it also represents the community’s enthusiasm for environmental programs.

Strategy. This process was recently kicked into gear with an internal presentation to staff by the highly respected Alan Pears. Alan is one of Australia’s eminent experts on climate change and energy policy, and staff were fortunate to hear him speak and answer their questions. As the process continues, we will be reaching out to the community as part of the consultation process. Looking back over the various initiatives and events that have occurred during the last few months, I am reminded about how they are always increasingly more successful, and rewarding, because of the enthusiastic contributions of our wonderful community. Thank you all. Cr Alex del Porto Mayor Bayside City Council

As previously mentioned in the autumn edition of this publication, Council is currently in the process of developing a Climate Change

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It was a beautiful sunny and calm day that reaffirmed our belief that we are privileged to work and live in this beautiful place.

One of the early plantings, 15 years ago, centred on the grassed area near the Exeloo toilet. This is known as ‘Biscuit’s Site’ in memory of one of our dogs. The Burden family worked tirelessly establishing this garden, digging, weeding and planting. The aim was to cover a large Banksia tree trunk. This has now disappeared under a mass of shrubs and small trees.

Today it is looking magnificent with so many contrasting shades of green, and is a welcome habitat for small reptiles, birds and insects.

Friends Of Watkins Bay 15th Anniversary To celebrate the success of the Public Working Bee in May 2010, and coincidentally the 15th anniversary of Friends of Watkins Bay, we revisited the site of last years’ planting of 300 Saltbush (Atriplex). Fourteen enthusiastic Friends established a new planting area near – what we call – the drain site. It will become a grove of lowgrowing plants (Atriplex, Frankenia, Cushion Bush, Spinifex, Karkalla and Rounded Noon-flower) with corridors

for beach access, alongside the avenue of Cushion Bush. We have been thrilled with the results of mulching plants with seaweed which has not only kept weeds down, but helped retain moisture until the plants are established. This practice was initiated during the years of very dry conditions leading to water restrictions. Barbara Jakob, Coordinator of Bayside Friends Environment Network, supplied a delicious chocolate mousse cake for our afternoon tea.

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Biscuit’s site, looking magnificent.

We sang Happy Birthday to ourselves and Moira cut the cake. It was a beautiful sunny and calm day that reaffirmed our belief that we are privileged to work and live in this beautiful place. We were joined by Michael Norris of BCC and Jo Hurse, Coordinator for Citywide Bushland and Foreshore. With regret, we farewelled Katrina, our Citywide helper who has worked with us for many years.

Serious sand and cliff erosion due to normal and abnormal weather patterns has had varying negative impacts on our foreshore. Five years ago, the sand area in front of the Life Saving Club was planted out with Hairy Spinifex, Knobby Club Rush, Pigface, Dianella, Rhagodia, Cushion Bush, and Olearias. We were admiring their healthy growth when a series of storms and high tides covered most of the plants with sand. So, how were these hardy plants going to survive such a beating? Amazingly, over time, they settled down and defensively grew into their ‘new’ habitat, with very little loss, and now this area is firmly established. A small but significant victory.

Other successes include: 1. Planting under the old Banksia next to the Life Saving Club. We felt it was good protection both for the tree roots and for the numbers of people (and dogs) walking underneath. This took two years as initially a deep layer of mulch was laid down to kill weeds and provide some soil for subsequent planting. The Sticky Daisy Bush (Olearia axillaris) and Boobialla have thrived and we are still vainly trying to grow replacement banksias. If you are passing, please give them a message of encouragement – if you can find them! It all helps. 2. Disguising the bright-blue and white tiled ‘King Canute’ seat. Again the Sticky Daisy Bush has done the job most satisfactorily.

At the end of every working bee we are rewarded for our enjoyment and conviviality with afternoon tea featuring Moira’s tasty cakes, with the sea, reefs and birds on one side and the bush on the other. At times we have even been visited by dolphins. Please join us! Di Rex Member Friends of Watkins Bay Friends of Watkins Bay meets on the last Wednesday of each month from 1.00pm – 3.00pm.

Life Saving Club dunes saved and not just for people.

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Fun 4 Over 50’s Expo The Rotary Fun 4 Over 50’s Expo was held on the 4 -5 June this year at the Kingston City Hall. Di Rex, from Friends of Watkins Bay, attended a Bayside Environmental Friends stand with Erika Anderson, from the Bayside Community Nursery and reported that the day was fun for young and older.

Opening a can of worms What is so interesting about earthworms? No doubt you are probably already aware of Charles Darwin’s famous voyage aboard the Beagle and his observations of the birds of the Galapagos Islands. Observations that led to the formulation of his theory of evolution as famously articulated in his book “On the Origin of Species” first published in 1859. But did you know he also authored a book in 1881 called “The Formation of Vegetable Mould Through the Action of Worms, With Observations on Their Habits”? Darwin wrote: “...it may be doubted if there are any other animals which have played such an important part in the history of the world as these lowly organised creatures.” So what is it about earthworms that made Charles Darwin write this and makes home gardeners the world over sing their praise? Worms are deceptively simple creatures. They have no lungs, breathing through their skin instead. Their bodies are covered with hairy bristles called setae that help them to move and also allows them to tightly hold themselves in their burrow should a bird get hold of their tail. They are hermaphrodites, possessing both male and female organs. 6

The people who visited the stand were mostly very interested in the plants. If they stayed long enough, we were able to talk about the input by the Friends’ groups.

A mating pair align their reproductive organs in order to exchange sperm and then separate to individually lay their eggs in a cocoon. From these cocoons small, but fully formed (though sexually immature) worms emerge.

Did you know that when food is scarce worms will actually limit their population? They are able to do this, and they don’t even have a brain! But they do have five hearts, which perhaps has something to do with it.

Whilst they have no eyes, they do have light and touch-sensitive organs that allow them to sense differences in light intensity and to detect vibrations in the ground. In the United States, worm ‘charmers’ (also known as worm grunters) take advantage of this trait by driving a stake into the soil and rubbing the end with a long piece of steel called a “rooping” iron. This sends vibrations into the soil that fools the worms into thinking that a burrowing predator is near, causing them to flee to the surface, where they can then be collected.

Worms create quality soil that is necessary for healthy and nutrient rich vegetables to grow.

Worms play a critical role in increasing the fertility of our soils through feeding on dead organic matter and soil. Their digestive system concentrates the organic and mineral constitutes in these foods, so their castings are richer in nutrients than the soil around them. Studies have shown that worm castings can release four times more phosphorus, a critical nutrient for plant growth, than ordinary soil.

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Photos in the display were perused with interest, and we were able to point out that the successful indigenous rehabilitation was the result of the work by Bayside Nursery and Friends’ Group volunteers, mostly under the direction of Citywide!

One delightful little boy, whose name was Finn, proudly told me that he had a little garden. We also shared stories of Kinder Surprise toys; he had the latest one with him and I told him about my old collection of native animal Kinder toys – we got on famously! In the midst of all this he thought he’d buy a Correa reflexa tube which was flowering beautifully. Visitors from St. Kilda asked us about walks and trails in the Bayside area and magically, Erika whipped out a

pamphlet and map, highlighting the importance of being prepared at all times! All in all I’d say it was a successful day. A few visitors knew what they wanted, others needed persuading. And that, of course, is why we were there. Di Rex Member Friends of Watkins Bay

Charles Darwin was obviously not joking when he said that no other creature has played as important a part in the history of the world. Perhaps it is time for us humans to step off our pedestals, dig deep into the dark soil and give our offerings of kitchen scraps and garden waste to the true rulers of the planet. Bayside City Council provides Worm Farms to Bayside residents at a discounted price – we’ll even deliver them to your door! Contact us on Ph 9599 4444 or go to www.bayside.vic.gov.au to find out more.

Thomas Walsh Environmental Education Officer Bayside City Council “Even if we gained just one volunteer, the day was worth it.” Erika and Di at the Fun 4 Over 50’s Expo.

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Young people thinking big about sustainability Recently I had the privilege of attending the Youth Forum on Sustainability in Bayside. It was the first of its kind in Victoria, and engaged more than 70 local primary school students and teachers on the topic of sustainability. Students were challenged to think big and design a model green learning centre using only recycled materials and their imaginations. The forum, funded by Bayside City Council, was initiated by the Bayside Glen Eira Kingston Local Learning and Employment Network (BKG LLEN) and Tomorrow’s Leaders for Sustainability. Jane Stewart, one of the co-founders of Tomorrow’s Leaders of Sustainability put it best when she said...

“The aim of the forum is to assist young people in understanding sustainability, whilst participating in fun and challenging activities that foster leadership skills.” During the Forum, students heard from Bayside Mayor, Councillor Alex del Porto who spoke about the

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importance of sustainability, and a variety of other guest speakers. They learned about current sustainability practices in energy, water, construction, recycling and gardens. This knowledge was then put to the test when students worked in groups to build their vision of a ‘Green Learning Centre’.

Throughout the event, the one thing that really struck me was the ability of students to come up with amazing new ways to create a sustainable building. Ideas included buildings that rotated according to the position of the sun, lunar powered (as opposed to solar powered) panels, gardens that were both a classroom and a place to grow food.

It is amazing what can happen when a child’s imagination is given space to be expressive. I couldn’t help but reflect how as adults we all too often dismiss ideas (both our own and those of others), out of a sense of being ‘realistic’. In doing so we may be preventing ideas from growing from possibility into probability. Overall, the event was a wonderful success. Many students and teachers asked to see it repeated, not only in Bayside, but in schools across Melbourne.

LEFT Forum Group ABOVE LEFT

Thomas Walsh Environmental Education Officer Bayside City Council

Completed 3D Model ABOVE Building the 3D Model

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New to Bayside City Council

New to the Crew

Originally from the South Coast of Western Australia, Joe is new to Melbourne. He feels privileged to be working in Bayside, an area of great cultural and environmental significance so close to the city.

Kaley has been working with the CityWide Bushland Team since February this year. Along with the rest of the team, she helps to maintain indigenous plant species in a number of Bayside’s bushland reserves.

I grew up on a farm and have always had a close connection to the bush. My experience includes working in forestry and natural resource management in WA. I have worked with local communities on numerous projects, including landscape scale revegetation, pest plant and animal control, threatened species management and promoting sustainable land management practices. Whilst my experiences have been predominantly in rural areas, I have worked across a diverse range of communities in terms of stakeholders and natural environments. Over the next 12 months I will bring my previous experiences and learnings to the Open Space Projects Officer position. I look forward to working with, and learning from, the numerous Friends groups in Bayside to protect, conserve and enhance our magnificent coast and bushland. Joe Lockhart Open Space Projects Officer Bayside City Council

I travelled from North West England to Melbourne in January. So first of all I would like to apologise for the weeds that have been brought over from England. Back in England I studied BA Honours in Landscape Management. I have always been interested in the variety of landscapes the world has to offer and the importance of their management. From a young age I have enjoyed gardening and really enjoy the satisfaction of making a positive difference to a place through the use of plants. I always wanted to travel, so after completing my degree I decided to come to the other side of the world to find work. Prior to this, I have worked as a gardener and with schools teaching young children how to grow and maintain vegetables at their schools. I have never worked in conservation management before, but working in Australian reserves has inspired me to work with native vegetation back in England. I think it is really important to preserve and regenerate an area’s natural habitat, including indigenous flora and fauna. It is good to see that there are areas that are being maintained and that there are people, including volunteers, that care about their local environment. I feel privileged to be able to work in the beautiful reserves in Bayside, learning about new plants and helping to preserve these areas. Working outdoors in Australia compared to England is also a big bonus!

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I have learnt a lot from my job, including conservation management techniques for plants of the Sandbelt. I am very fortunate to have been able to take part in a controlled burn, and enjoy visiting the Gramatan Avenue Heathland Sanctuary to see which plants have regenerated. I have made good friends at work and have also met many nice people at the Working Bees.

“I feel privileged to be able to work in the beautiful reserves in Bayside, learning about new plants and helping to preserve these areas.” Kaley Green

I hope to enjoy the rest of my time working for CityWide within the reserves. Kaley Green Bushland Team Member Citywide Open Space

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Friends of the Brighton Dunes (Dr Jim Willis Reserve) Thanks to the rain, our vegetation is flourishing to an unbelievable extent, more profuse than it has been in decades. The Spinifex (Spinifex sericeus) has put out incredibly long runners. I hope this La Nina event lasts a while longer before we move back into drought. The past 14 or 15 months have saved Melbourne’s reputation as a “Garden City.”

Our area is rich in fungi and lichens, of which the late Dr. Jim Willis said most are indigenous. These organisms (which are a separate kingdom from plants and animals) play an important part in the health of the plants and the soil, and our Reserve.

I believe the worth is a pearl beyond price, a wonder of nature of which we are a part. When we mutilate and attack nature we are ultimately hurting ourselves. This planet is our home; our only home and this is the most important truth of our time. Nearly 40 years ago J.S Sawyer, the then Director of research at the U.K Meteorological Office, published a paper in the prestigious Nature magazine titled Man-made Carbon Dioxide and the “Greenhouse” Effect. This shows that the science has been in for decades. In Europe most do not debate the fact of man-made global warming. All that is debated is which strategies to use to deal with the problem. Trees must be planted. Parks and Reserves must be preserved. Anyone who chops down a tree on public land is treated as a vandal.

During the last few weeks we have been planting along the foredune, to prevent soil erosion, with seeds collected from the Reserve which are propagated by the dedicated staff and volunteers at the Community Plant Nursery. As we work by the Bradley Method of Natural Bush Regeneration we only plant where there is never going to be natural regeneration.

As for the huge importance of our bushland reserves, 12 countries (including Australia) contain about 75 per cent of the world’s biodiversity. The best way to conserve biodiversity is by saving ecosystems rather than focussing on a single species. For example, the koala cannot be saved unless the specific forest systems which contain the eucalypt leaves it eats are conserved.

What is the worth of Bayside’s bushland reserves? Why all the fuss when some householder decides to cut down a Banksia or a Tea Tree which is blocking their view of the sea? Why do dedicated professionals and volunteers work endlessly in the reserves? What’s one tree less?

Long spinifex runners bind the sand

“Our area is rich in fungi and lichens, of which the late Dr. Jim Willis said most are indigenous. These organisms (which are a separate kingdom from plants and animals) play an important part in the health of the plants and the soil, and our Reserve.”

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The Friends of the Brighton Dunes welcome new volunteers, so if you would like to play a role in the conservation of the beautiful area in which you are privileged to live please join us, or another environmental group. Jenny Talbot Coordinator Friends of the Brighton Dunes

Friends of the Brighton Dunes (and the Jim Willis Reserve) meets every Tuesday from 8am – 10am. Please contact Jenny for details on Ph 9592 2109.

Boneseed Chrysanthemoides monilifera

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In memory of Pauline Reilly

Snorkelling at Ricketts Point Marine Sanctuary

Pauline Reilly passed away in late April at the age of 92. She was a leading light during the early days of research on Little Penguins at Phillip Island, and a member of the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union (RAOU) from 1956, serving as its publicity officer and President (1972-75). She was the first female Fellow of the RAOU, and awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for services to ornithology in 1994, the John Hobbs Medal for her amateur contribution to ornithology, and the Australian Natural History Medallion. I believe one of her lasting contributions will be the initiation and leadership of the first Atlas of Australian Birds that ran from 1977. This is just one memorial to her commitment to getting ordinary people to study, popularise and conserve birds and other animals.

Pauline wrote at least 40 books, amongst them the magnificent Penguins of the World, translated into many languages, several on the penguins of Phillip Island, and many children’s books. One of her publications was Common Birds, No. 1 part of the remarkable Sandringham Environment Series, published by the Sandringham Council from 1977 onwards. At that time, the Reilly’s lived in Hampton with Pauline’s husband Arthur serving as a Councillor (197478) and Pauline being a member of the Council’s Flora, Fauna and Natural Environment Panel that later became the Natural Environment Advisory Group.

Another local publication was A Thirteen-month Study of Birds in a Suburban Coastal Environment (Australian Bird Watcher, 1981) that compares the foreshore areas around Picnic Point and Love Street. It involved many local bird lovers and its recommendations are, to me, as relevant today as they were then. Pauline returned to Bayside from her new home in Fairhaven to launch the study that eventually led to the publication of Local Birds of Bayside (1995), which I helped write, with contributions from around 100 residents. Her preface to the booklet summarises the changes in the avifauna of Bayside with a concluding – and true – warning that “birds are one of the first indicators of environmental problems”. Unfortunately she could not contribute her own local records as most of her papers were lost in the Ash Wednesday fires in February 1983.

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Ricketts Point Marine Sanctuary’s underwater treasures. Photograph by: Ray Lewis

I owe her a debt of gratitude for her help editing Local Birds of Bayside (1995), and for the pleasure of her company at her and Arthur’s home. It was there that she showed me the yet unpublished Japanese edition of Penguins of the World. It was a brief meeting and I treasure this memory, as well as the time that she took me to see my first Rufous Bristlebirds in a friend’s garden, and by the Airey’s Inlet lighthouse. Cr Michael Norris Coordinator Friends of Bay Road Reserve/Friends of Native Wildlife

The Marine Care Ricketts Point Snorkelling Program usually begins in November each year and runs from 9am on Saturday mornings, through to the end of March the following year.

there are many). We also adopt the ‘buddy’ system under which snorkellers pair off and look after each other throughout the dive.

We normally snorkel at three locations in the Sanctuary: McGregor Rock (at the northern end), Tea House Reef (out from the wooden access ramp), and Table Rock. Each of these sites contains underwater ledges, caves and a good range of marine life.

As well as introducing people to the wonders of our Marine Sanctuary, we also monitor the diversity of its marine life. On occasions we have recorded between 25 and 30 different fish species, including the harmless Port Jackson Shark which migrates to the Sanctuary from New South Wales waters in spring, before returning after Christmas. One of the incentives in learning to free dive is to be able to poke your head under a ledge and come face to face with a Port Jackson. Other highlights have been large schools of Snapper and Australian Salmon (over 1,000 on some estimates) and Big Bellied Seahorses, which are occasionally found.

Did you know there is brightly coloured coral in the Sanctuary? Our season begins with an introduction to snorkelling session during which new members can seek advice about wetsuits, masks, snorkels and other gear from more experienced members. Each snorkelling session begins with a briefing about the route to be followed and possible risks (not that

We average about 12 people per snorkel session, with more than 20 participants on a couple of occasions. Ages range from pre-teen to 80 plus, which shows that age is no barrier to enjoying the underwater environment.

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Our 2010-2011 program was, however, nothing to write home about. Strong winds and dirty water, following heavy rainfall, meant we spent more time drinking coffee than snorkelling. It did produce some things of interest though, such as a line of ‘suds’ heralding dirty water as it moved through the Sanctuary. Snorkelling continues throughout the year for the hardier and properly equipped members. The winter normally produces better visibility, although the range of fish life is less.

For further information about snorkelling in the Ricketts Point Marine Sanctuary, please visit our website www.marinecare.org.au

Peter Dedrick Vice President Marine Care Ricketts Point

Ground covers such as Kennedia prostrata (Running postman) and Dichondra repens (Kidney weed) are thriving and covering a vast area. Billarderia scandens (Common appleberry) twined around the Solanum laciniatum (Kangaroo apples) which covered the site, providing great protection until plants underneath became established. Plants such as Correa reflexa, Hibbertia and Ricinocarpus pinifolius (Wedding bush) are also flourishing. In May this year, the Enviro Kids playgroup came to the park. Fourteen children and their mothers planted 80 tube stocks near the front entrance from Balcombe Road. The bushland crew and Balcombe Park Friends group lent a helping hand with the planting. Joan Couzoff Coordinator Friends of Balcombe Park

Friends of Balcombe Park Since the heavy summer rains the growth in the 2008 burn site area has been incredible.

Friends of Balcombe Park meets on the last Sunday of each month from 10am – 12 noon.

ABOVE RIGHT Silky Guinea-flower (Hibbertia sericea var. sericea) RIGHT Long Purple-flag (Patersonia occidentalis)

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Friends of the George Street Reserve Friends of the George Street Reserve and their supporters planted a section of the Tulip Street nature strip on the south side of the Reserve. The planting is a show-case of indigenous flora and creates an extension of the heathland. The project has proved to be a success. In early June, Kangaroo Grasses (Themeda triandra syn. T. australis) were sending up long stems with greenish seed-heads and Running Postman (Kennedia prostrata) was creeping over an increasingly large area. Correas (Correa reflexa) are also beginning to show their pale green and red and green fuschia like flowers.

22 August 2011 26 September 2011

Nodding Greenhoods (Pterostylis nutans) re-emerge within the Tulip Street fenced area at George Street Reserve Photograph by Pauline Reynolds

Are you interested in native plants and animals? Do you have a passion for the environment? Then the Bayside Environment Friends Network may be just for you! Members of Bayside’s 17 Friends groups and others interested in the natural environment of Bayside meet regularly to discuss latest projects and other environmental issues.

Next to Coast Tea-tree (Leptospermum laevigatum) just inside the Tulip Street fence, Nodding Greenhoods (Pterostylis nutans) have re-emerged, with healthy clumps of leaf rosettes and hooded flower heads.

Enviro Kids

The heathlands in early winter are mainly green, with Correas and Twiggy Daisy Bushes (Olearia ramulosa) providing some colour. Eggs and Bacon (Bossiaea cinerea) buds form in readiness for their later rich gold and bronze flowering.

Enviro Kids is a fun activities-based environmental playgroup in Bayside coordinated by Barbara Jakob of the Bayside Environmental Friends Network. Activities have been developed by Barbara and qualified teachers. Children from three to five years, with their carers meet monthly in one of Bayside’s beautiful bushland or foreshore reserves to discover and appreciate their local environment through play.

Keep an eye out for details of upcoming activities here, or on Bayside City Council’s website in the ‘What’s On’ page www.bayside.vic.gov.au or contact Barbara at BaysideFriends@gmail.com

Valerie Tarrant and Pauline Reynolds Joint Coordinators Friends of George Street Reserve

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28 November 2011

Hampton Community Centre 14 Willis Street Hampton Vic 3188 4.00pm – 6.00pm.

12 August 2011 Ricketts Point Tree telling stories. Banksias in Bayside 9 September 2011 Table Rock How do they do it? Nest building workshop 14 October 2011 Basterfield Park How many are there? Ducks and ducklings 11 November 2011 Donald MacDonald Reserve Imagination! Art work with nature’s treasures.

Session times are from 9.30am to 11.30am and fees are $5 a session to help pay for materials.

Friends are always delighted to be working in the Reserve – weeding, planting, walking, enjoying the birdcalls, and guiding visitors. Volunteers are welcomed to work parties on the third Sunday of the month from 10.00am – 12 noon.

24 October 2011

Meeting Dates

Mums, Dads and Kids! Come along and discover the magic of Bayside’s bushlands and learn about your local environment.

Bayside City Council has affirmed the current management of the Reserve with its winding sandy tracks and a few low fences protecting significant vegetation, some of which is rare in the bioregion.

Meeting Dates

9 December 2011 To be advised Do caterpillars have teeth?

banksia bulletin — winter 2011

Friends of Donald MacDonald As one of the youngest volunteers at Don Mac, I continually marvel at the dedication and determination of my older and long standing volunteer compatriots. You would imagine there should be an interesting parallel between the changes in temperature and the number of hardy volunteers on the first Sunday morning of each month. But with the obligatory morning tea on offer at Friends of Don Mac the only thing that seems to keep someone away is a need to be somewhere else. We all read inspirational stories of how people come together and achieve great things. But what is not often told is how people recognise the abilities of each other, and work together using each other’s talents to the best advantage. When part of the Don Mac Friends group found a very large patch of Smilax (see notes on the right) this is exactly what happened. The keen eyes of one, the botanical knowledge of a second and the no-giving-up of another, urged the strength of a fourth with a very large pickaxe to remove not one, nor two but three large loads of this invasive weed.

If the cold of winter is putting you off being part of a Bayside Friends group, there is always a warm cuppa waiting for you at Don Mac. Kim Croker Coordinator Friends of Donald MacDonald Friends of Don Mac meet at the Reserve on the first Sunday of each month from 10.00am – 12noon.

Botanical name: Asparagus asparagoides (L.) W. Wight (synonyms: Myrsiphyllum asparagoides, Asparagus medeoloides, Dracaena medeoloides, Elachanthera sewelliae, Luzuriaga sewelliae and Medeola asparagoides) - Family Asparagaceae (Asparagus family) in the narrow sense or Liliaceae (Lily family) in its broad sense. Standard common name: Bridal Creeper. Other common names include Bridal Veil or Smilax (not to be confused with the indigenous plant genus Smilax, which is unrelated). Origin: Bridal Creeper comes from a range of climatic regions in southern Africa, including Ethiopia, Swaziland and the Cape Province, Natal, Orange Free State and Transvaal regions. Introduction: First recorded in Australia in 1857 in a nursery catalogue, by the 1870s Bridal Creeper was a common garden plant. Its flowers are used in floral arrangements, particularly in wedding bouquets. Within 50 years of introduction, Bridal Creeper had become naturalised in many areas across most of southern Australia. Persistence: The plant is able to persist mainly by way of the ‘bud bank’, with numerous shoot buds located along the underground rhizomes. Although over 1,000 berries per square metre may be produced, the carryover of viable seeds between years is minimal. Viable seeds can germinate from a depth of 10 cm, though most buried seed germinates and the remainder rots within two years. Dry seeds may remain viable for at least three years.

It was a job extremely well done and provided a large virgin patch of ground for the group to plant this year’s cache of native vegetation.

An important biological characteristic of Bridal Creeper is its robust tuber mat ,100% of the live plant weight is below ground when the shoots die back each year, and at least 87% of the plant weight is below ground when it is actively growing. Legislation: Bridal Creeper is listed as one of Australia’s 20 Weeds of National Significance. Legislation relating to its control exists in Tasmania, South Australia and New South Wales but is not declared in Victoria or WA.

With a number of shuffles within the Citywide Bushland Crew, we have said goodbye to Liam who has ventured closer to the water and welcomed Kaley, who will be our go-between for the next couple of months.

Donald MacDonald Reserve Smilax removal. From left to right: Betty Knight, Moira Longden, Kim Croker and Alison Johnston.

Bridal creeper, Bridal Veil Creeper, Smilax, Florist’s Smilax, Smilax Asparagus (Asparagus asparagoides)

Reference: Government of Western Australia, Department of Agriculture and Food www.agric.wa.gov.au and CRC Weed Management Systems www.dpi.nsw.gov.au

Bridal Creeper

banksia bulletin — winter 2011

Ecological Burn Policy Fire is a critical component in the ecological functioning of some of Bayside’s native vegetation systems such as heathlands.

Working Bee Dates August to October 2011

28th

25th

30th

Bay Rd

2nd Saturday 10am – noon

13th

10th

8th

22nd

26th

24th

Bayside Community Nursery

In some cases, species that have not been seen in Sandringham heathland vegetation communities have returned, after an absence of more than 70 years, following a fire.

The adoption of the Ecological Burn and Post Burn Management Policy means that we are likely to see an increase in the biodiversity of Bayside’s bushlands with the use of fire as a management tool.

4pm – 6pm Every Thursday & Saturday 10am – noon

BRASCA

Contact coordinator (Janet Ablitt) : ph. 9589 6646

Brighton Dunes

Tuesdays 8am – 10am

2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th

6th, 13th, 20th, 27th

4th, 11th, 18th, 25th

Cheltenham Park

1st Sunday 10am – noon

7th

4th

2nd

Cheltenham Primary

9.30am – 12.30pm Contact school 9583 1614

Donald MacDonald

1st Sunday 10am – noon

7th

4th

2nd

Enviro Kids

9.30am – 11.30am

12th

9th

14th

George St

3rd Sunday 10am – noon

21st

18th

16th

Gramatan

1st Sunday 1pm – 3pm

7th

4th

2nd

Long Hollow

Last Sunday 1pm – 3pm

28th

25th

30th

14th

11th

9th

6th

3rd

1st

Photograph by Pauline Reynolds

Burning stimulates the germination of native flora and controls weeds, such as Coastal Tea-tree, opening the plant canopy to allow native flora species a chance at growing.

OCT

Last Sunday 10am – noon

Friends Network

To establish guiding principles for ecological burning, Bayside City Council adopted the Ecological Burn and Post Burn Management Policy on 14 June 2011. This policy provides a basis for the use of burning in Bayside’s seven bushland reserves and outlines a post burn management procedure.

SEPT

Balcombe Park

Bayside Environmental

Ecological burn in progress at Gramatan Avenue Heathland Sanctuary, April 2011

AUG

Merindah Park and Urban Forest Friends of Native Wildlife Contact M. Norris

2nd Sunday 10am – 2pm

1st Saturday 9.30am

Ricketts Point Landside

3rd Tuesday 12.30pm – 2.30pm

16th

20th

18th

Table Rock

Last Tuesday 12.30pm – 2.30pm

30th

27th

25th

Watkins Bay

Last Wednesday 1pm – 3pm

31st

28th

26th

Post burn regeneration at Gramatan Avenue Heathland Sanctuary Photographs by Jo Hurse

banksia bulletin — winter 2011