Summer 2017 Issue 144
Changing of the guard at AGM State Landcare Award presented Silver Daisy secured through funding
CEO’s Message
New President
From left, Greening Australia’s Stuart Collard; Deputy Lord Mayor - City of Adelaide, Sandy Verschoor; Minister for Climate Change The Hon. Ian Hunter and TFL CEO Natasha Davis.
Adelaide carbon offset site launched
Changing of the guard: Jeanette Gellard, left, has taken over as Trees For Life President following the retirement of David Mitchell. They are pictured with TFL CEO Natasha Davis.
Many highlights in a busy year
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elcome to our Summer edition of ReLeaf. Another year has flown by and it has been a great one at Trees For Life. A few highlights from recent months: • Receiving a significant grant from the Australian Government to secure the future of the endangered Silver Daisy Bush (Olearia pannosa). • Completing the second year of planting in the Paddock Tree Project – with a total of 13,500 trees planted across nearly 6000 hectares and 60 properties. • Completing a new shadehouse in the Westwood nursery and installation of 50 new benches and irrigation. • Being out and about at a number of field days and events; it’s always wonderful to talk to people about native plants and how they can get involved in protecting our environment. Of course we couldn’t achieve so much without the wonderful support of so many partners and most importantly our volunteers and supporters. Thank you! Please support our Christmas appeal and lottery. This year we are hoping to invest in some much needed heavy lifting equipment that will help us with environmental work. On behalf of the staff and Board at Trees For Life I wish you a happy and safe festive season. Thank you all for your amazing efforts over 2017. - Natasha Davis PS. ReLeaf is going digital in 2018. In June this year we spoke to you about our push to reduce our environmental impact, as well as our costs, by going digital and sending your ReLeaf by email. Your response has been very positive and encouraging! So, if we have an active email address for you, we will send you your first email copy of ReLeaf in March 2018. But don’t worry if you are unable to access email, we will continue to send your copy by post.
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Trees For Life Summer 2017 Number 144
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rees For Life was pleased to co-host the launch of a carbon sequestration demonstration site near Adelaide High School last month. Working with Greening Australia, Department Of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, City of Adelaide and Adelaide High School, the site aims to show on a small scale what a carbon offset planting looks like. As well as absorbing carbon emissions, native forests have many other environmental, social and economic benefits. We look forward to our growing carbon offset market creating the opportunity for more native forests to be planted across South Australia. Read more about our carbon program on our website.
Contact us ReLeaf is a production of Trees For Life. Editor: Tania Kearney (ph: 08 8406 0500 or taniak@treesforlife.org.au) Production/Graphic Design: Molten Printing: Finsbury Green
Find us on: Want to advertise? Advertising space is now available in ReLeaf. Phone (08) 8406 0500 or email taniak@treesforlife.org.au for advertising rates. Cover Photo: Leptospermum myrsinoides (Heath Tea-tree) by Jim Humphrys
Trees For Life 5 May Tce, Brooklyn Park 5032 Ph: 8406 0500 Fax: 8406 0599 info@treesforlife.org.au www.treesforlife.org.au
Groups form to grow communities - naturally
What’s on…
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ince the early 1980’s when Trees For Life was founded, work and community life in South Australia has changed in many ways. Technology has profoundly influenced the way we communicate and interact; communities are much more culturally diverse and urban expansion has extended Adelaide’s footprint dramatically, with many people having smaller gardens. People are generally retiring later which is changing the nature of volunteering. How can we best respond to these and other changes? Thanks to grant funding from the Myer Foundation, Trees For Life has teamed up with the City of Onkaparinga and Tea Tree Gully Council and The Australian Centre for Social Innovation (TACSI) to learn more about how individuals living in those council areas connect with nature and the aspirations they have for their community. The project, called Growing Communities, aims to find new ways for people to volunteer or contribute towards urban biodiversity through planting natives in their gardens.
General public interviewed After training from TACSI staff Ryan and Robin, Trees For Life staff interviewed people living in Tea Tree Gully and Onkaparinga. With further input from TACSI we collated the themes from these interviews and the key insights that emerged. These included the important role grandparents play in introducing their grandkids to nature; the different perspectives on nature and volunteering amongst people recently arrived in Australia, the important role nature plays in mental and physical wellbeing, and the importance of having flexible volunteering options. Based on this research we have identified three areas to explore for the next phase of Growing Communities: • Overcoming the barriers to having native plants in gardens – in particular lack of access to information and places to buy plants
Staff and partners workshop ideas for the new project, Growing Communities. • Working with businesses to encourage more people to volunteer during working hours; and • Developing partnerships with groups that support people who have recently arrived in Australia, helping to introduce them to nature and connect them with their community. Over the next few months we are going to trial activities in each of these areas to get real time feedback on what is most relevant and engaging. The aims are: • To incorporate successful ideas into existing programs, • Identify areas for new programs that connect people living in urban areas with nature; and • Provide volunteering opportunities with Trees For Life.
An extended season at Writers’ Week
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e have had three great years growing ‘living walls’ for the entrance arch and stage backdrops at Adelaide Writers’ Week. We are excited to announce we’ve been asked to extend our agreement and grow again for next year. 2018 Writers’ Week will be held in the Pioneer Women’s Memorial Garden, King William Street and runs March 3-8. The event hosts some of the world’s great writers and thinkers and will focus its 2018 program around ‘ideas for change’. Many of the plants we provide are available for sale on the last day, so if you are ready to start planting in early Autumn it is a great opportunity to get some native garden plants before our annual May Garden Sale.
Dec 25
TFL office closes for Xmas
Jan 2
TFL office reopens at 9am
Jan 16
Seed collection w-shop @ Black Hill CP
Feb 13
Intro bush regen w-shop @ Willunga
Feb 28
TFL Lottery draw
March 8
Intro bush regen w-shop @ Eden Hills
March 3-8
TFL at Writers Week
March 28
Intro bush regen w-shop @ Marion
April 10
Intro bush regen w-shop @ Nuriootpa
April 26
Intro bush regen w-shop @ Mt Barker
May-Sep
Fleurieu planting
May 24-26
Annual Garden Sale
May 10
Intro bush regen w-shop @ Port Noarlunga
May 26
Intro bush regen w-shop @ Modbury
June 5
Intro bush regen w-shop @ Strathalbyn
June 21
Intro bush regen w-shop @ Port Adelaide
(Come and Try bushcare activities on Page 7). For more information on any of the above events, phone Trees For Life on (08) 8406 0500.
Trees For Life office closure over Xmas
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he Trees For Life office and nursery in Brooklyn Park will be closed from Monday December 25, reopening Tuesday January 2. Board, management and staff wish our members, volunteers and supporters a safe and happy festive season. We look forward to working with you in 2018.
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General News
TFL plant guru wins State Landcare Award
New President, Board members elected at AGM
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rees For Life’s Peter Watton received the Australian Government Individual Landcarer Award at the South Australian Landcare Awards recently. Peter was acknowledged for his long-term commitment to nature conservation and his tireless commitment to supporting and mentoring volunteers and other professionals. In addition to his role as Bush For Life Operations Manager with Trees For Life, Peter is President of the Friends of Scott Creek. The Australian Government Individual Landcarer Award is made to an individual volunteer who has demonstrated leadership in, and commitment to, improving land management practices through practical on-ground or community awareness actions. During the last 16 years Peter has supported and mentored many staff members, landholders and countless volunteers in activities including bush regeneration, seed collection and propagation.
Sharing in-depth knowledge Peter is also well-known as our resident plant guru - the ‘go-to person’ for plant identification at TFL – generously sharing his indepth knowledge. He has been a regular voice on radio talking about South Australia’s precious bushland and methods for effective weed control. “I’m very lucky that Trees For Life provided me with the opportunity to get involved in nature conservation with a terrific group of staff and volunteers. I hope that, in my time, I have and will continue to help motivate a few others to take action in caring for our country,” Peter said. “Landcare is about caring for our country so that it can continue to care for us and, if all of us can do a little bit to help, it will all add together to make a huge difference. “I encourage everyone to get involved in an organisation like Trees For Life or join a Friends group or a Landcare group. No matter how much or how little time you have available,
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M Bush For Life Operations Manager Peter Watton accepts the Australian Government Individual Landcarer Award. it is all valuable. You will be amazed at how much better you feel, both physically and mentally, when you are out in nature.” The Landcare award also recognised Peter’s commitment to developing and delivering a range of training workshops for TFL staff, volunteers and students to develop their landcare skills.
Making a difference Trees For Life Chief Executive Natasha Davis said Peter is proof that one person can make a significant difference to the environment and to other people’s lives. “Peter demonstrates the power one person can make to their local environment and their community. We are very lucky to have Peter on our team and so delighted to see him take out this prestigious award,” Natasha said. “Peter has shared his knowledge and passion for nature with thousands of South Australians through face to face training, mentoring, and contributing to the many publications of TFL and the Friends of Scott Creek Conservation Park.” Trees For Life was also a finalist in the Partnerships for Landcare category for the Paddock Tree Project. The South Australian Landcare Awards are supported by the Landcare Association of South Australia and Landcare Australia with funding through the Australian Government’s National Landcare Programme.
Trees For Life Summer 2017 Number 144
ore than 30 people attended this year’s AGM, during which program reports were given and long-term Trees For Life President David Mitchell was farewelled (see story opposite page). We welcomed new President Jeanette Gellard and two new ordinary Board members, Anita Crisp and Ngaire Henderson. Jim Humphrys has stepped into the role of Vice President. Anita has served on a number of community and government committees and boards and has experience working in a range of fields including local government, natural resources management, climate change, education and regional economic development. She has a degree in natural resource management, is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds an MBA from the University of South Australia. Anita is also is a member of the Coast Protection Board and the Local Government Association of South Australia’s Regional Organisation of Councils. Ngaire is a marketing and fundraising professional with more than 20 years experience working with non-profit organisations. Ngaire’s work experience covers global overseas aid (Oxfam Australia and Plan International), State health promotion (Arthritis Victoria), State animal welfare and environment (Royal Zoological Society of South Australia). She is currently working as the Fundraising Manager for the Adelaide Botanic Gardens Foundation. Our annual report can be viewed on the TFL website and map of work undertaken throughout the State can be found on Page 9 of this ReLeaf edition.
Ngaire Henderson
Anita Crisp
General News
Thanks for the memories Mr President
Paddock Tree Project still going strong
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NATASHA DAVIS
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ong-standing TFL President, David Mitchell AM, retired at this year’s AGM after serving in the role for 17 years. David was tireless in his devotion to this organisation. He must have attended thousands of hours of meetings to represent Trees For Life and advocate for a good deal for the environment and volunteers. And it is thanks to David’s efforts that we were able to secure our current premises in May Terrace after months of searching, fundraising and discussions with the CMV Foundation. David was not only dedicated in his leadership, he was extremely ‘hands-on’ in a practical sense. David worked for many years as a volunteer bushcarer and grower, only hanging up his safety glasses when the troublesome legs could manage no longer.
The early days of Trees For Life with our original logo.
Gearing up for Phase 3 David was a hands-on President; a grower and bushcarer.
I got to know David when I joined the TFL Board in 2010. I was immediately impressed with his in depth knowledge of the environment sector and his passion for everyone involved in TFL. He is deeply committed to volunteering and the extensive TFL community. While supporting changes that added value or helped us stay relevant, David also ensured TFL stayed true to the original vision and values. Aside from his leadership qualities, David is also an extremely nice bloke and has been a pleasure to work with; despite his preference for a certain football club! We all wish him the very best of health and happiness in his ‘retirement’ from TFL, knowing he will never be too far away if we need to draw on his wisdom. I dips me lid to you David.
his year Phase 2 of the Paddock Tree Project saw us plant and guard 8535 scattered seedlings and guard 167 seedlings that had naturally regenerated. We planted more than 2450 hectares across 48 properties to connect areas and expand the clusters that were established in Phase 1. We linked up properties in the Sanderston and Woodchester areas, in addition to the Bremer Valley, RockleighHarrogate, Mt Pleasant-Eden Valley, and Keyneton-Moculta clusters. Vegetation and bird surveys continued to inform our property selection and planting designs, while also dramatically improving our knowledge of the biodiversity of this landscape.
We are very happy to report that Phase 3 of the project is going ahead in 2017-18. This is being funded solely by the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Board and will focus on low intensity sheep grazing properties in the Northern Mount Lofty Ranges and Barossa region. We are also investigating ways to partner with other organisations to continue and expand the project in the future.
Project interest grows
As President he led the charge to secure TFL a new home in Brooklyn Park.
We have been overwhelmed by enthusiasm from landholders throughout the region and, since the project began in 2016, we have received almost 250 registrations of interest totalling more than 61,000 hectares. Over two winters we have planted 13,500 paddock trees and guarded 183 naturally regenerating seedlings across nearly 6000 hectares!
SA Landcare Award finalist
He was at the helm of TFL for many prestigious awards, both personal and for the organisation and its staff.
The Paddock Tree Project was one of three finalists in the Partnerships for Landcare category of the 2017 State Community Landcare Awards! We weren’t successful in winning the award but it is acknowledged that the project is an innovation in landcare practice. It achieves both biodiversity and productivity benefits without asking landholders to set aside land especially for conservation.
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Tree Scheme
Grower workshops well-received
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TFL Seedbank Manager Rohan Cleeves and Revegetation Services Manager Vicki-Jo Russell attending the Pinery Fire native seedling give-away.
Pinery fire recovery
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rees For Life was able to offer a second year of subsidies on Tree Scheme orders to landholders affected by the Pinery Fire, thanks to the generous support of Viterra and Glencore Grain. The funding has been warmly welcomed by landholders and enabled more than 50,000 seedlings, tree guards and stakes to be provided at half price to support the recovery effort. Trees For Life also participated in the annual native seedling give-aways organised by the bushfire recovery committee and will be contributing a significant number of seedlings to the 2018 event.
Busy time of year for volunteer growers
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y now many of our volunteer growers will have filled their tubes, treated their seed, sown their order and are tenderly caring for their Tree Scheme orders. 2017 was a great growing year and we look forward to another. Despite experience and best intentions sometimes growing does not go to plan. If this happens to you – give us a call! The problem may be seed viability and we are able to provide seed replacement until the end of February. Or there may be another issue that a simple chat on the phone with one of our experts can identify and resolve. We want your growing experience to be a rewarding one and are always keen to help. Getting in early is always best so please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
ur Volunteer Grower Workshops held in October-November each year were once again well attended and lots of fun. The workshops are free and open to volunteer growers or members who have chosen to self-grow their Tree Scheme orders. Attendees range from first-time growers, to people who have grown for years (or taken a break), who want to refresh their knowledge on the basics. This year, 11 workshops were scheduled, including two Friday morning timeslots which proved quite popular. The practical, small group workshops always seem to hit the mark for participants who provided positive comments on how informative and enjoyable they are. Several new growers commented that they found it a “very useful session” and were “glad to get the chance to meet other growers”. Many found the session “cheerful, helpful and informative”. “I’m so excited” said one new grower, the workshop “has made me feel more confident to grow the plants/trees”. An experienced grower was relieved to find out their tube-filling technique was up to scratch. One reported he had “grown for many years but still picked up some new ideas”. We are open for workshop registrations each year from June when we put out the call for Volunteer Growers – look out for next year’s dates in our Spring ReLeaf. Our Volunteer Grower Workshops are proudly supported by SA Power Networks.
Trees For Life Nursery The 2017 summer sowing season closes soon! Order quality provenance seedlings for bulk or specialised projects. Choose from our provenance species lists or we can collect and grow seed and cuttings to order. Phone (08) 8406 0500 or email info@treesforlife.org.au
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Trees For Life Summer 2017 Number 144
Tree Scheme
Thanks to our great depot managers
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ollection Day 2017, when volunteer growers pick up their growing supplies, was November 12 for most depots across the State. Our depots are run each year by our resourceful team of volunteer depot managers and we couldn’t run the Tree Scheme without their help. We had some unexpected challenges this year, with our South Australian foam box supplier unfortunately closing its business and a number of depot venues being unavailable, but our depot managers rose to the challenge as always. Our thanks to the private landholders and partners who make their land available to run the depots including councils, schools, SA Water, country showgrounds, the Arid Lands Botanic Garden, State Government, and Centennial Park.
Shiny and new at the nursery
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hanks to support from CMV and Harvey Foundations we have been able to do some valuable upgrades at the Westwood Nursery. We’ve replaced the shadehouse and rolled out benches and new irrigation across the site. Thanks also to our wonderful team of construction volunteers Trevor Bright, Trevor Carmichael, Jon Kirwan and Bruce Smith. The new shadehouse can hold more than double the amount of seedlings of the old one, and has a retractable roof so we can adjust it to best suit weather conditions and stages of growth. The benches greatly improve access around the site for our volunteer workforce and protect our growing infrastructure, such as irrigation, so we expect to be saving maintenance costs long-term. Thanks to local supplier Ellul Fabrications for their quality work and in-kind contribution towards the cost of the benches. We are now ready to display more native plants for you to enjoy at next year’s annual May Garden Sale (May
Need help planting on the Fleurieu?
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Top: Our new shadehouse has been completed and can now hold twice as many seedlings as the old one. Above: Nursery Manager Brett Oakes and CEO Natasha Davis show off one of the new benches.
he Fleurieu Trees For Life Volunteer Tree Planting Team works across the Peninsula, from the South Eastern Freeway to Cape Jervois, Callington to Yankalilla. If your planting site is in this area they may be able help. In 2016-17 the team put in nearly 170 volunteer hours across the region. Contact Bunti Pellen, Volunteer Planting Coordinator, early in the new year to organise a time. The team is available to plant May to September each year. It is essential to book early to avoid disappointment as the team is very popular. Phone Bunti on (08) 7329 2889 or email bunti@adam.com.au to find out more (please don’t call after 7pm Sunday-Thursday).
24-26, 2018).
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Bush For Life
Summer is the time for batting
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Family fun day proves electrifying
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rees For Life recently held a ‘Family Fun Morning’ for ElectraNet and SA Power Networks staff at the Cherry Gardens substation, an ElectraNet-owned Bush For Life site. The site supports a range of threatened and rare species and the event was timed to coincide with Threatened Species Day. Around 30 people came along for a range of activities: • Come & Try Bushcare • Threatened species walk • Bird mist-netting demonstration by the Friends of Scott Creek • Kids nature craft and adventure walk • Lions BBQ lunch Connecting with and learning about nature was the main motivation for people to attend – and feedback was that everyone found the event enjoyable and interesting. Family activities are something that we are keen to do more of so look out for future events.
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Trees For Life Summer 2017 Number 144
oin our Summer Bush Action Team (BAT) and get your bushcare fix until the full Group Activity Schedule returns in April. Develop your bush regeneration and plant identification skills in a fully supported and friendly environment with two experienced staff members. Groups are limited to 12 volunteers. Activities run from 9am-3:30pm. You can also join us for a half day if you wish. Take an air-conditioned BAT bus service from Brooklyn Park, with select pickup points along the way, or meet us onsite. Drinks and nibbles are provided at end of the day. The location of the activities is decided weekly according to the weather. If it’s forecast to be hot on the Wednesday or Saturday, another more suitable day during the week will be offered. If you register for an activity you will be contacted on the Monday prior to confirm your attendance and the location for the activity. If you do not receive a phone call on the Monday prior it means that the activity is cancelled due to an unsuitable weather forecast, or that all volunteer positions have been filled. To register your interest contact Randall Bates on 0407 606 578 or email randallb@treesforlife.org.au
Bushcare dates Saturday
February 3
Wednesday
February 7
Wednesday
February 14
Saturday
February 17
Wednesday
February 21
Wednesday
February 28
Saturday
March 3
Wednesday
March 7
Wednesday
March 14
Saturday
March 17
Wednesday
March 21
Wednesday
March 28
Bush For Life
BFL picnic now a season launch
Silver Daisy future secured through project funding
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big thank you to all Bush For Life volunteers for another excellent season of bushcaring! We’ve listened to your feedback and as a result BFL will be holding another season launch picnic in April 2018 instead of an end of year picnic. We hope you can join us next year.
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onsider two future scenarios. It’s 2057 and the climate has warmed by two degrees celsius from 1900 levels. Native ecosystems have struggled to adapt to the speed of change in temperature and rainfall and there have been dramatic changes to the structure and diversity of vegetation communities. The Eyre Peninsula (EP) and the southern Flinders Ranges (SFR) have been particularly impacted and Silver Daisy Bush (Olearia pannosa) is now extinct in these areas. Where the species is still hanging on at great cost, populations are declining as the species struggles to adapt. Fragmentation has prevented migration. The Silver Daisy Bush is now nationally endangered. In an alternative scenario, thanks to early action, we have supplemented genetic material from the more arid-adapted populations into the more southerly populations of Silver Daisy. We have also established new populations in areas with a more suitable climate.
No longer vulnerable While the EP and SFR populations have still gone extinct, genetic information from these populations is present in more southerly populations, making these populations more resilient, healthy and better able to adapt to the changed climate. The area of occupancy and size of populations means that Silver Daisy Bush is no longer vulnerable. Community action across South Australia to secure the future of Silver Daisy Bush in a changing climate is a new Trees For Life project funded through the Threatened Species Recovery Fund due to start in January 2018. We are thrilled to be one of five South Australian threatened species projects to receive this funding from the Australian Government. We will partner with six Natural Resources Management Boards, Adelaide University and multiple
community groups across South Australia to: • Investigate the genetics of Silver Daisy Bush across its range, and in particular the genetic diversity and adaptive capacity of the species in response to a changing climate; • Prioritise existing populations for onground action; • Collect seed and propagate 3000 seedlings; • Store seed in Trees For Life’s seedbank; • Undertake planting events to establish new secure populations, and supplement existing populations; • Engage the community in the management and recovery of the species. This project will address the key threats to Silver Daisy Bush, as well as the emerging threat posed by climate change. Plant response to climate change is either adapt, migrate or die, and our project will assist with the first two options hopefully to avoid the third. Ultimately, we hope that this project will play a role in the downgrading of the species and secure its future.
Your feedback is important to us
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f you’re a Bush For Life volunteer and haven’t sent back your end of year questionnaire to us, we’d appreciate your feedback. We know that this is a busy time of year for everyone but this questionnaire is the main way we can report back to our partners and funding bodies about our achievements. Your responses are still valuable, even if you didn’t do any bushcare this year. Every response helps us build a more complete picture of your volunteering efforts and will help support our bushcare program next year. If you have misplaced your survey please contact bfl@treesforlife.org.au.The survey closes January 12 2018, but if you complete the survey before December 15 2017, you’ll go in the draw to win the wonderful reference book Focus on Flora: Native plants of the Adelaide Hills & Barossa by the Kersbrook Landcare Group.
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Trees For Life Summer 2017 Number 144
Direct Seeding - TFL Works
Challenging but successful year for TFL Works
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Above: Direct Seeding at Ferries Mcdonald Conservation Park. Below: team member Alex Mason collects Acacia notabilis seed from revegetation at Mannum.
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he Direct Seeding Program had a busy year with on-ground works carried out on 22 sites across South Australia. The biggest project of the year was a shielded spraying contract for Landcare Australia in which 1600 kilometres of seeding rows were sprayed at Dakalanta on Eyre Peninsula. This saw the team working away for 15 days and presented many difficult challenges to overcome, including machinery breakdowns and getting bogged several times. During the year we successfully procured funding to revegetate 746 hectares of land at Swan Reach through Landcare Australia and the Federal Government’s 20 Million Trees Project, but due to poor rainfall, the anticipated 2017 planting will be undertaken in 2018. We also completed the five-year Biodiversity Grant project at Pt Yorke on Southern Yorke Peninsula.
t’s been a great year for TFL Works, but also a challenging one, thanks to wet and stormy weather conditions that increased weed species across all sites. This year the team finished bush regeneration and revegetation maintenance in Meningie as part of the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources – Coorong Lower Lakes Murray Mouth project. We also concluded a four year contract for Northern and Yorke Natural Resources Management Board which included weed control, revegetation and maintenance at Melrose; and weed control in Mt Remarkable National Park. Other highlights included the opportunity for Works staff to provide monitoring services to the Bush For Life Paddock Tree Project planting, and our Coastcare sites have never looked better with reduced invasive species such as succulents and woody weeds. Next year promises to be busy too with new contracts for City of Holdfast Shores and City of Marion. TFL Works staff are looking forward to restoring areas with high biodiversity outcomes for existing and new clients in the new year. - Matthew Endacott, Manager
we were pleased to welcome a new partner in Statewide Super. Seed collection was again a major focus of both programs with approximately 300 kilograms of seed collected for our direct seeding sites. - David Hein, Manager
An independent stem audit in June 2017 returned 598,153 plants against a target of 131,000 across 191 hectares. We also maintained important relationships with established clients, such as the Department for Environment and Landcare Australia, as well as welcoming new clients. The Carbon Program was incorporated into the Direct Seeding Program this year to streamline and bring about efficiencies and, while the demand for carbon sales remains flat,
TFL Works site at Hallet Headland.
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For Members
Remember Trees For Life this Christmas
E Reduce your power bill with solar and Trees For Life
arth Greetings is supporting Trees For Life again this Christmas. Each boxed set of 10 Christmas cards sold generates $1.65 to Trees For Life to plant a tree. Why not buy matching gift tags and wrapping paper too? Trees For Life calico bags are good value at $13 each including postage. Hurry, place your order today using the form below. Thank you for supporting Trees For Life this Christmas.
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t’s official: South Australians now pay the highest electricity prices in the world. Chances are you’re feeling the hurt from higher bills – and fear worse to come over summer. Trees For Life wants to help you go solar by sharing an exclusive community offer on solar and battery systems to cut your electricity bills by up to 90%. We have teamed up on a new program exclusively for South Australia using the ‘Solar 2.0’ platform created by ShineHub and backed by the Australian Solar Council. You can choose from two options: • Invest in Solar For Less: If you want to purchase your system outright and cut your bills by up to 90% you’ll receive unbeatable community pricing with discounts up to $2500 off regular retail prices. • Switch and Save: Get a solar and battery system for $0 upfront and repayments starting at just $17/week for solar only packages or $35/week for solar + battery packages. Trees For Life receives a donation every time one of our supporters goes solar which will go towards maintaining South Australia’s environment. For more information and to register for the free community event, just go to www.treesforlife.org.au and click on the link ‘Reduce your power bill with solar - Special offer to Trees For Life supporters’ under Latest News.
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Trees For Life Summer 2017 Number 144
Follow us on social media!
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o you want to keep up to date on Trees For Life news? Want to know when we’re having events, get advice on weed and native species or simply follow what’s going on in the wider environmental sector? By following our Facebook page you’ll get all of that and more. We currently have more than 10,000 followers on our social media platforms and would love to have you on-board. Log in and like us today! (You can also see some of our beautiful photos on Instagram).
For Members
Trees For Life workshops
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f you are interested in becoming a volunteer on one of our Bush For Life sites or would like to learn more about managing your own bushland then come along to an Introductory Bush Regeneration Workshop. Phone (08) 8406 0500 to register for workshops.
2018 Introductory bush regeneration workshops (B1) Tuesday
February 13
Willunga
Thursday
March 8
Eden Hills
Do you want more lottery books?
Wednesday
March 28
Marion
Tuesday
April 10
Nuriootpa
Thursday
April 26
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f you offered your services as a ticket seller in TFL’s major annual fundraising event, thank you so much for your time and efforts. If you have already sold your tickets and would like to sell more, please contact our office as soon as possible. All ticket butts and money must be returned to our office by early February 2018. The first prize winner can choose from either $12,000 cash or a week’s stay in an apartment in Paris with a $7000 travel voucher and $3000 spending money. There are many other wonderful prizes totalling more than $32,000 to be won. Good luck in the draw!
Thursday
May 10
Port Noarlunga
Saturday
May 26
Modbury
Tuesday
June 5
Strathalbyn
Thursday
June 21
Port Adelaide
Friday
July 13
Aldgate
Wednesday
July 25
Adelaide
Saturday
August 11
Elizabeth
Friday
August 24
Burnside
Monday
September 10
Gumeracha
Saturday
October 13
Mitcham
Monday
November 19
Victor Harbor
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Are you collecting seed for TFL?
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rees For Life is granted an annual permit to collect seed to support TFL activities such as the Tree Scheme, Nursery, Paddock Trees and Direct Seeding. The permit is issued to our Seedbank Manager, Rohan Cleeves who supervises other staff and volunteers to collect on our behalf. If you intend to collect seed for TFL in 2018 it is important you contact us and register under this permit. Email info@treesforlife.org.au.
(Bush Action Team activities on Page 7). For more information on any of the above events, phone Trees For Life on (08) 8406 0500.
2018 Advanced workshops Saturday
July 7
Broadleaf & Bulb Weed Control in Grassy Ecosystems
Friday
August 10
Brushcutter Use & Maintenance
Thursday
September 27
Plant Identification
Saturday
September 29
Plant Identification
Thursday
October 25
Grass Identification
Saturday
October 27
Grass Identification
2018 Seed Collection Workshop Tuesday
January 16
Black Hill Conservation Park
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Sponsors & Supporters
Yondah + TFL = eco tourism at its best
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ix years ago, Trees For Life won an Australian Government Biodiversity Grant of $381,000 to undertake a major revegetation project at Yondah Beach House. Yondah is a multi award-winning (and pet-friendly!) holiday home set on 300 secluded oceanfront acres on southern Yorke Peninsula. Yondah’s owners, Michele Bain and Nick Cureton, have a long association with TFL. They began ordering TFL seedlings 20 years ago to convert their empty paddocks into habitat for local endangered wildlife including the Malleefowl, Heath Goanna and Western Pygmy-possum. TFL’s recent input has really moved this project forward. More than 600,000 seedlings have germinated - 4.5 times better than expected! This year, Michele and Nick have also established both a butterfly garden and a rare and threatened plants garden, and Yondah has become 100% water self-sufficient. Yondah now holds Advanced Ecotourism certification and offers its lucky guests a unique ‘luxe-innature’ experience complete with private sandy beaches, dramatic cliff top walks, abundant bird life and opportunities to view iconic marine wildlife including sea eagles, fur seals, and whales. Accolades for Yondah Beach House this year include entry into the SA Tourism Awards Hall of Fame and Yondah was named ‘Australia’s Best Deluxe Accommodation’ for the second time at the QANTAS Australian Tourism Awards. Michele and Nick have generously donated a stay at Yondah Beach House, valued at $1100, in the TFL lottery. Contact us at (08) 8406 0500 or email info@treesforlife.org.au to order your tickets.
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Trees For Life Summer 2017 Number 144
The award-winning Yondah Beach house on southern Yorke Peninsula features stunning native vegetation sourced through Trees For Life over a 20-year period. The landscape now provides vital habitat for a range of native fauna.
Service Directory
Trees For Life Trees For Life, 5 May Tce, Brooklyn Park 5032 Ph: (08) 8406 0500 Fax: (08) 8406 0599 info@treesforlife.org.au www.treesforlife.org.au
Trees For Life Board President: Jeanette Gellard Vice President: Jim Humphrys Treasurer: Janine Mildren Secretary: Sarah Van Maarseveen Board Members: Tracey Shepard, Morgan Muirhead, Andy Lowe, Andrew Dolley, Anita Crisp and Ngaire Henderson.
Trees For Life Contacts Chief Executive Officer: Natasha Davis Reveg Services Manager: Vicki-Jo Russell Bush For Life Manager: Amelia Hurren Fundraising + Marketing: Angela Gordon Direct Seeding Manager: David Hein TFL Works Manager: Matthew Endacott Office Manager: Julie Holloway Carbon Manager: Dennis Hayles Seedbank Manager: Rohan Cleeves Nursery Manager: Brett Oakes
Sustainability at the heart of new book PHIL BAGUST*
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hat are our forests for? How should they be managed? If you are a Trees For Life supporter then it’s likely you’re going to come down on the side of the trees - especially in this dry and treedenuded State. After all, it’s concern about native plant loss and its attendant ecological and social effects that gets us motivated to change things, right? But hang on, we still depend on tree products for so many things; buildings, furniture, fences, paper and even firewood, and managed correctly, trees can be a sustainable, infinitely renewable resource. This is where Rowan Reid steps in to play something of the Devil’s advocate. Reid, a professional forester, is a passionate supporter of sustainable agroforestry, especially at small, farm-sized scales. To that end he has presented us with Heartwood, a gorgeously lush, colourful and glossy-papered homage to useful trees and their husbandry.
Trees For Life Rural Gawler: Sylvia Nieuwenhuizen 8406 8419 Noarlunga: Graham Greaves 8386 1018 Willunga: Saskia Gerhardy 0412 135 698; Paul Rosser 8557 7483 Mt Gambier: Briony Schleuniger 8724 9759 Mt Pleasant: Ruth Charlesworth 8524 6661 Clare: Dean Schubert 8843 4317 Strathalbyn: Jo & Sue Scheiffers 7501 6006
Trees For Life Works professional services For government, business and private landholders: • Bushland management • Fuel reduction control • Roadside vegetation management • Woody weed control • Bulk seed collection • Revegetation and bushland buffering • Tubestock planting • Tubestock grown to order • Direct seeding using locally collected seed • Site visits and land management advice Call TFL on (08) 8406 0500 to arrange a quote.
Heartwood by Rowan Reid is for sale through Trees For Life at $54.95 incl. postage.
This is neither a ‘nature’ glossy, nor a professional how-to-guide, but rather a unique hybrid of both. Reid lovingly introduces us to his favourite species and discusses how their growing might be incorporated into the operation of a mixed use farm to the benefit of both the farm’s bottom line and the environment. Some species will be familiar to TFL members, Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon) and Messmate Stringybark (Eucalyptus obliqua) for instance. Some others, like Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans) are well known Eastern States natives, while a few, like Poplars (Populus ssp) and Willows (Salix ssp) are exotics and potential weeds that challenge our preconceptions about what a ‘good’ forest can be.
Your generosity is appreciated
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y remembering Trees For Life in your Will, you join a special group of supporters safe-guarding the future of our natural environment. If you are considering a gift to Trees For Life in your Will, please contact Angela Gordon on (08) 8406 0500 or angelag@treesforlife.org.au. Thank you for your generosity.
Reid maintains that “… all our native forests are the chance result of the natural processes of physiology, ecology, and genetics being played out over time under the influence of biodiversity, geology, fire, climate and us (humans). We live in the anthropogenic era; there is no wilderness in Australia, no forest that is untouched by humankind …”. If we accept this and it is hard not to, given what we now know about the 60,000+ years of indigenous ecosystem management in this country, the choice we have left is to be wiser managers and accept that enormous responsibility. For Reid, this includes reintegrating timber harvesting back into our broadacre farm systems without harming their ability to support ecosystem services. While some might find this controversial or even too hard to swallow, what can’t be ignored here is Reid’s passionate, calmly argued voice. The book is also incredibly useful for anyone who is interested in learning more about both tree anatomy, tree growing, and the technical aspects of sawlog production. Recommended! * Phil Bagust is author of The Native Plants of Adelaide.
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Get crafty this Christmas with help from nature
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f you’re looking for something to do these school holidays, just step outside and gather up some seed pods, leaves and flowers and make some great creations. Adelaide author Kate Hubmayer’s book Nature Crafts for Aussie Kids features 15 fun crafts to “encourage people of all ages to use their imagination and connect with nature”. This great little book also includes information on 18 useful and beautiful Australian native plants to grow. We thought you’d like to give just a couple of designs a go.
Aussie Christmas Angel Use a low-melt glue gun to join the native seedpods and caps together to create a cute little angel. She has a large gumnut cap for a body (Eucalyptus macrocarpa) and a small gumnut for her head. Large hakea pods make perfect wings, and her hat is a small gumnut cap. I’ve used small plastic eyes, but you could use tiny gumnuts, or small round seeds for eyes.
Native Mandalas Arrange native leaves, flowers and seedpods on the ground to form a beautiful symmetrical mandala shape. Mandalas are also fun to make on a plate of wet sand or on top of a mud pie. For something longer lasting, dried leaves and seedpods can be glued onto a round paper plate. Collect some native materials and see what you can create! Other crafty ideas include seedpod jewellery, mobiles and boats and rafts. If you want more ideas visit Kate’s website at naturecraftsforkids.com. You can also buy a copy of Kate’s book from our office at 5 May Terrace, Brooklyn Park, or on our website for $20.
Trees For Life. 5 May Tce, Brooklyn Park, SA, 5032. (08) 8406 0500 www.treesforlife.org.au