WAS THE WATTLES’ SHOW EARLY IN SPRING 2015? MT ROGERS NEWSLETTER, AUGUST 2015

Glorious yellow: When I began this newsletter’s draft the Cootamundra Wattles, Acacia baileyana, were flowering prolifically, lighting up the reserve whether one took in a landscape view or looked closely at the glorious blossoms amid grey-green foliage. Today, a week later, some of the trees show a more amber yellow as the composite balls of tiny flowers begin to brown off. I’ve noticed over the years that, each spring, the wattle blossoms are subjected to at least one drenching and the forecast suggests 2015’s spring will fit in with that pattern.

Even when the flowers are still in bud the wattles are offering food sources for many birds. The Mixed Feeding Flocks (MFF) of Silvereyes, wrens, honeyeater species and thornbills are searching out highly nutritious insect larvae, insects and pollen as they build up their reserves for the breeding season. Grey Fantails will accompany the MFF species but catch insects on the wing, flying after them from amongst trees’ branches. (How do they and Swallows know which flying insects are edible when they’re darting about at speed? Obviously their eyesight is different from humans’.)

Mt Rogers spectacularly shows its large population of Cootamundra wattles as the end of each winter approaches. Both Acacia decurrens and Acacia dealbata flower now on Mt Rogers and elsewhere in the region. The Early Wattle has been flowering through winter with those the Girl Guides planted in 2010, in from the Wickens Place carpark, being particularly floristic. The branches of pale creamy-yellow blossom are prickly, making the locally occurring bushes ideal refuges for small birds. There are other spring-flowering wattle species in the reserve, though some may not be local to the area.

Other wattle species ensure they provide food for pollinators at other times of the year with Acacia mearnsii (Nov), Acacia rubida and A. melanoxylon (Oct-Nov), A. implexa (late summer) all being native to Mt Rogers.

Wattles are indispensible to other plants because their roots contain nodules hosting bacteria capable of fixing nitrogen from the atmosphere. Nitrogen in the soil improves fertility…especially important for the plants which rely on Australia’s impoverished and ancient soils. An Indigenous elder once told us that Eucalypts can’t thrive unless wattles are also growing nearby, alluding to the nitrogen-fixing benefiting other, unrelated, species. 

Other blossoms are worth studying if you’re inclined towards bird-watching. The almond trees on the corner of Flynn’s Schwarz Place surprised us by attracting Scarlet Honeyeaters a year or two ago. So far I’ve only seen Yellow-faced and White-eared Honeyeaters, Eastern Spinebills and honeybees amongst this year’s almond petals. Near here in mid-Flynn, a neighbour’s Ironbark is still attracting the constant attendance of Rainbow Lorikeets. The story was that, nearly 20 years ago, a few Lorikeets were released from an aviary in Hawker. The species is certainly nearly always heard in or from the Pinnacle, and they have spread out from there over the decades. Probably they compete for nest hollows with other less-assertive species. Today we saw Australian Wood Duck flying over Mt Rogers. They also nest in tree hollows and not always as near water as we might expect...but how, then, do the little fluff-ball ducklings safely reach water after they’ve hatched and before their flight feathers can allow them to fly?

Rarer sightings include Margaret’s & Chris’s Crescent and New Holland Honeyeaters visiting their Banksias on 23rd. The ‘New Hollands’ are common in the Botanic Gardens…a good place for birdwatching! The pairs of Wood Duck mentioned above are unusual too.

Cryptandra are in full flower at the moment. The heather-like white flowers show on over 30 low-growing shrubs just to one side of the track that winds south of the two reservoirs. When I first discovered the ‘Cryptandra patch’ there were fewer than 10 plants. There are also Hardenbergia in full purple glory in that same area at the moment so it’s well worth our efforts to prevent the encroachment of African Lovegrass from the track and St John’s Wort from deeper into the bush there. The native grasses are flourishing and I found 2 or 3 Early Nancy lilies flowering, a sure sign that spring is here.

Frogmouths at Carwoola just outside Queanbeyan have begun nest construction but I couldn’t find any piles of twigs on the branch ‘our’ pair used last year. Rosemary L said she’d been shown the roosting Frogmouths in a Schwarz Place garden but the house has recently changed hands.

The Working bee on 3^rd  August involved Angharad, Ted and I in a stroll through the reserve with many interruptions where we tackled isolated weeds, picked rose hips and made a note of the need for return visits for concentrated effort. One target area will be NNE of and down slope from the summit. Another will be closer to the Fraser playground. Today (23.08.15.) Ann, Ted and I worked south-east from Schwarz Place, Flynn. I was prepared for a few woody weeds and a patch of African Lovegrass which has escaped the mowers. We found birds had often perched amongst a thicket of Hakea leaving cotoneaster, pyracantha, privet, Mahonia and Chinese elm seeds to germinate and grow up through the native Hakea. It was a hands and knees job to find the bases of the weeds’ stems and then to cut & daub them. The thicket had been a cubby in the past and would still be a wonderful retreat for young people!

Drainage realities have been visible over this winter, as seepage has reached houses which back on to the reserve. When the infrastructure was established before the suburbs went in in the seventies, embankments were created to prevent surface water rushing down the slopes. These have usually been successful but, underground, gravity dictates different routes which probably weren’t studied by the engineers. When moving round the main path several damp places are obvious after rain events. At least one of these occurs from a spring. Another known spring is amongst large boulders and, when wet, there’s growth of an almost-seaweed-like plant in the fissures.

A tour round, on 6^th August, allowed Brian Bathgate, the TAMS Belconnen & Gungahlin Place Management land manager, to follow up on the $20,000 repairs and resurfacing of the main gravel path around Mt Rogers. Karissa Preuss from Ginninderra Catchment Group also attended. We were able to show them the Landcare Group’s approach to reducing erosion on the tracks and paths people, paws and wheels use to access the cross-country parts of the reserve. By diverting water sideways through run-offs and into the bush’s vegetation, the speed of flow is considerably reduced. Fast flowing water thus fails to reach and gouge out the gravel of the main path frequented by hundreds each week. Seeds, silt and debris flow along the run-offs but at least the Mt Rogers Landcare Group’s volunteers can then see where any seeds have come to rest and germinated.

Creeks and rivers have followed this pattern for millions of years, replenishing the land with water-borne nutrients. The nutrients and the water itself have given rise to fertile land for agriculture for most of the world’s civilisations. I recently came across The First Eden by David Attenborough. It’s a 1987 book which vividly brings “The Mediterranean world and man” to life by describing the history of the sea itself, the influence of the land around its shores and the progression of the great civilisations. The major rivers, the floodplains and the fertile deltas they created were essential to people in each epoch of history. Forests and shrubs covered much of the continent that became Europe and the lands of ‘The Middle East’. Once the vegetation was cleared and the timber used, irrevocable changes to climate, rainfall, soils and livelihoods occurred. We have seen similar changes in and to Australia, especially once dams were built to tame flooding rivers and creeks and provide water for irrigation and stock. 

Erosion occurs when water travels rapidly downhill and grinds the soil away. David Tongway, who became David Tongway AM in the Queen’s Birthday Honours, is an internationally renowned soil scientist, specialising in restoring soils and repairing the effects of erosion. He’s been volunteering his expertise in local reserves for years. Some of his work will be shown at the Park-Care – Landcare display at the Jamison Centre from 4^th to 6^th September. The display is a great chance to see what other landcaring groups’ volunteers are achieving locally.

Our achievements  are recorded on the blog at mtrogerslandcare.blogspot.com

Enjoy spring on Mt Rogers and in your gardens!   

Rosemary 6258 4724

WINTRY WEATHER WITH WHITE IN THE NAMADGI DISTANCE - MT ROGERS JULY 2015

Wintry weather didn’t deter Ted from donating two more hours to Mt Rogers on Sunday 26th. By the time Diana joined us at Snow-Gum Corner we were in a position to see snow on the distant peaks but squally wind-blown clouds obscured the ranges as seen from north of Flynn’s Jacob Place. We saw a rainbow occasionally but didn’t actually get wet as we worked, mostly in the open.

This working-bee and the one David and Phil attended on 6th July saw us taking walk-and-weed routes through the reserve to places where weed species had been recorded. We used a double-ended hoe (a versatile, lighter version of a mattock), secateurs, loppers, a Bush saw, a collecting bag and the little Y-pronged diggers many of us have for garden weeds. Gloves, a couple of buckets and some brute pulling-strength were also equipment-components – as was being “dressed for the expected weather”.

Target weeds included collecting the hips (berries) from several Briar Rose bushes that were then dug up. Small-leafed privets: some were pull-upable and others we cut off leaving the leafy debris to mark the need for a return cut-and-daub visit once the sap runs again in spring. We attacked some Broad-leaved privets, two Viburnum tinus, several Verbascum rosettes and the two large Firethorn bushes Ted adopted as his speciality. Diana applied The Bradley Method* around a cluster of boulders by carefully levering out Plantains growing amongst Rock Ferns. This way of weeding works out from the centre of an area of good vegetation though in this case we were dealing with common lawn weeds which had invaded the native species around the rocks. We located several Serrated Tussock clumps in areas we’ll return to check in 6 months’ time. We pulled out several small Cootamundra Wattles, leaving the larger ones to flower and continue to provide food and shelter for insects and birds. (The two photos immediately below show a display (potted) example of Serrated Tussock, and Serrated Tussocks in situ on Mt Rogers before being dug out - with a woman's glove included for scale.)

The wind didn’t abate, becoming more unpredictable as the morning progressed. I can’t remember hearing many birds but Mixed Feeding Flocks (MFF) did share space with us once or twice. Presumably on stormy days small birds can only wait so long for the weather to clear before hunger drives them out in search of insects which may also be reluctant to emerge from shelter. During an afternoon visit two weekends ago it was encouraging to see several families out and about in the wintry weather. Earlier mistiness then didn’t deter them and they were rewarded with distant snowy peaks as seen from Mt Rogers’ 704 m summit. A MFF that day comprised several Thornbill species, a Yellow-Faced Honeyeater, Red-Browed Finches, Wrens and Grey Fantails higher in the trees’ canopies.

More birds seem to be passing through our mid-Flynn garden this winter in search of insects and spiders. We are a regular source of nectar for Eastern Spinebills whose piping calls show their presence, flitting between one Grevillea and another. Perhaps 50 metres away an Ironbark (probably Eucalyptus sideroxylon) has been in flower for 2 months with the deep pink blossoms supplying copious nectar sips for argumentative Rainbow Lorikeets and bossy Red Wattlebirds. Although they’re a boon to the tourist industries, Lorikeets’ assertiveness has major impacts on other hollow-nesting birds as older trees become increasingly scarce due to humans’ demand for land. Lorikeets have only spread towards Mt Rogers in recent years.

Photographs from Andrea and David some years ago and Joe and Tanya recently show what Mt Rogers looked like when they were building respective homes in Schwarz Place, Flynn. The oldest trees can be seen surrounded by rank grasses and the rocks and boulders which are now refuges for lichens, mosses, Rock ferns, Urn Heath, forbs, native grasses and the reptiles which also thrive on the micro-habitats’ constant temperatures and moisture levels. Shrubs may have been cleared in the previous decades’ grazing years and/or eaten by the stock that used Mt Rogers’ Yellow Box–Red Gum Grassy Woodland that became surrounded by Flynn, Fraser, Spence and Melba in the seventies. YB–RG grassy woodland is a threatened ecosystem in Australia.

Plantings of native trees and shrubs restored the reserve’s landscape though it’s only in the last 10 years that restrictions on what native species are planted, and where, have been tightened. Suburban gardeners were given quick-growing trees, ground covers and shrubs for their bare yards with these being the parents of the weeds the Landcare Groups destroy within the reserves and the ACT’s Canberra Nature Park components.

Management of Mt Rogers is a TAMS responsibility. Mt Rogers Landcare Group has worked co-operatively with the Operations team for Belconnen/Gungahlin over the years. We’ve always sought advice from Ginninderra Catchment Group (GCG), simultaneously, on diverse topics such bike tracks, plantings, events such as the Indigenous walk, rubbish dumping, drainage, mapping native species, weeds, working-bees, and our strong community-spirit. GCG hold regular meetings with Operations Manager Brian Bathgate. When I asked Brian about the cost of the recent resurfacing of the main gravel path he said the approximately $20,000 worth of work was completed via a “competitive quoting process”.  Brian is happy to receive queries about this work: P.O. Box 158, Canberra, 2601 and brian.bathgate@act.gov.au

Spraying of African Lovegrass (ALG) has occurred in early July. This is organised by the Urban Weeds officer in recognition of the fact that Mt Rogers is relatively free of this extremely invasive species. Steve D sprays isolated ALG and Chilean Needle Grass tussocks deeper in the reserve, and Landcarers dig out Serrated Tussock as you’ll have read above. As with most weeds, persistence in monitoring and treatment of the invaders is the reliable solution.

Floriade’s Bush Friendly Garden is being planned to again display local weed species and alternative plants for Canberra region gardens. Between 10 am and 1 pm, or Noon until 3 pm, volunteer explainers from a wide range of backgrounds and with welcoming smiles greet visitors each day. The aim is to highlight the importance of planting wisely in suburban gardens to prevent berries and seeds being taken into the Bush Capital’s reserves and others’ gardens. For the explainers, engagement and conversations with others is the best part of Floriade, and the BFG and the Urban Agriculture display garden are “top attractions” for hundreds of people each year. It would be great to have more Mt Rogers community members as explainers and promoters of nature in Canberra. All the plants are clearly labelled (such as in the photo below, from 2013) and there are handouts, which mean explainers don’t need to be weed experts! Please contact me if you and friends would like to volunteer: 6258 4724.

Spring is showing through the wattles’ preparations for flowering. The prickly Early Wattle has been in flower for weeks, and the ones the Girl Guides planted in 2011 near the Wickens car-park are easy to see. You’ll notice birds’ preparations for nesting also, with the larger species – Ravens, Magpies and Currawongs – possibly being more obvious. I have SWOOPING signs in the garage if the Magpie near the Flynn playground turns rogue this year. Or you could phone Access Canberra/Canberra Connect on 13 22 81 to report his behaviour.

Next Working-bees fall on Monday 3rd August and Sunday 23rd August respectively. According to our E’s-E-2-C calendar, Monday 3rd is Bank Holiday in ACT & NSW but Canberra Connect didn’t have it recorded as a Public Holiday. 

On 3rd August we’ll do a WALK, WANDER & WONDER between the two playgrounds starting from near Mildenhall Place, Fraser from 10 am and winding our way through the reserve to the Flynn Playground for about 2 hours. It will mostly be an exploring, monitoring and information sharing session rather than weeding.

On 26th August we’ll take a look at the weed situation behind Bainton Crescent’s southern end. We’ll meet at Snow-Gum Corner at 09.30. I’ll bring tools, gloves, gaiters and, hopefully, be able to drive in from the eastern end of Schwarz place, Flynn where there’s also parking space should you come by car.

BLOG:  Check out the mtrogerslandcare.blogspot.com for background information and what was happening this time last year!

Best wishes,

Rosemary, Convenor, Mt Rogers Landcare.

*To read about the Bradley Method, try http://anpsa.org.au/APOL4/dec96-5.html, an article in ‘Australian Plants online’, December 1996, by the Society for Growing Australian Plants.

MT ROGERS WINTER NEWSLETTER, JUNE 2015 - and LandcareACT announcement

Normally, according to a saying from my English vocabulary, “rain before 7, fine before 11” is a rule that usually rings true. Why hasn’t that happened today, 16^th June? Perhaps the weather came through to ensure I put pen to paper.

Both recent working-bees were on mornings of significant frost. That didn’t deter Angharad, Ann and Ted where their determined efforts involved collecting & bagging thousands of African Lovegrass seeds and digging out Serrated Tussock plants. We worked in the peninsular of Mt Rogers between Oster and Bird Places, Flynn and up and into the reserve from the notice box respectively. We put in 14 hours land-caring work between us with the aim of keeping the infestations of these two grasses to a minimum in spite of the constant likelihood of seeds being moved into the reserve as we walk, as paws run and as wheels turn. The other day there was an Orienteering event through the reserve: we must balance seeing others enjoying Mt Rogers with the need to vigilantly observe whether any transported seeds germinate in the months ahead.

On 10^th June I wasn’t quick enough with the binoculars to see what was the object of a commotion involving Crimson Rosellas, Wattlebirds and a host of equally vociferous Currawongs. I expect the objected presence was a raptor but perhaps it was a dis-oriented Tawny Frogmouth caught out in the daytime. Kevin & Megan and Chris & Margaret have each had a Crescent Honeyeater close to their homes which is a happy but unusual sighting for Mt Rogers. It’s wonderful & great citizen-science to share these observations.

The Scarlet Robin has been declared ‘vulnerable’ in the ACT. The species’ numbers generally have been declining but we’ve been lucky several times on Mt Rogers and been able to watch their un-shy feeding within a few metres of the paths. I was lucky on a (08.0615) walk to One Tree Hill on the from-Hall Centenary Trail, seeing a pair of Scarlet Robins feeding with at least two Diamond Firetails within a few metres of the One Tree Hill lookout. The Diamond Firetails are definitely rarer in recent years in the places where I might find them. Nearer home there has been constant daytime activity in a flowering Ironbark in the next street. The eucalypt’s pink flowers are nectar-pantries for Rainbow Lorikeets and the assertive Red Wattlebirds that can’t abide intruders in their territory.

The moral of these stories could be to be prepared for the unexpected and, if you have time, be prepared to closely check out flowering trees to see which birds might be present. We’re so fortunate on Mt Rogers that we commit time to being there, to being outside and to taking up conversations with others we meet. Overleaf there are two more instances of community engagement and capacity building in our region…proof that more & more people are finding ways to take back control of their lives as a shield against very worrying times and Federally-imposed policies.

I put some copies of the Belconnen Community Services April–July 2015 Newsletter in the Notice box. That is another organisation whose programs makes great contributions to the wellbeing of Belconnen residents. I also took the liberty of creating a laminated information sheet of businesses recommended by our family. If you’d like to add any other businesses to the next sheet please let me know. Maybe we can create a mini-services directory to guide our choices. There’s nothing like ‘word-of-mouth’ for growing communities.

During my cross-country wanders I’ve still come across Meadow Argus butterflies enjoying the sunshine after severe frosts. How can they find warm-enough shelter during the nights? Some may visit the Urn Heath shrubs whose pale cream flowers are heather-like bells. There are a few Bluebells and some dandelion-like Flatweed turning their blooms to the sun. The Guides planted several Acacia genistifolia not far from the Wickens Place car-park. They’re in flower, keeping up the wattle and eucalypt species’ tradition of having flowers ready to entice pollinators, in turn, throughout the year. 

(The photo shows Acacia genistifolia in the rain, but not at Mt Rogers. Photo by A. Zelnik.)

The next working-bees are on Sunday 28^th June and Monday 6^th July. Details later.

Rosemary, Convenor, Mt Rogers Landcare Group, 6258 4724

LANDCARE-ACT ANNOUNCEMENT

I’m hoping that this LandcareACT initiative will morph into further evidence that people around our region are actively supporting ways for community activities to show governments and agencies success stories from working together for mutual benefit now and into the future.

Once you’ve read this try information on the Canberra Transition Town initiative. Transition Towns, universally, bring community groups and agencies together for the benefit of those that need informed help and support in their lives and in their volunteering. http://www.transitionnetwork.org/initiatives/canberra-transition-town

“Many hands – one voice”

Who is LandcareACT?

LandcareACT is a new ”peak body” which is being formed to represent and support the wide diversity of community landcarers in the ACT region.  There are over 60 Landcare groups in the ACT region including urban Landcare, Parkcare Groups, rural, junior and Aboriginal Landcare groups, Waterwatch and Frogwatch volunteers, rural landholders and Aboriginal traditional custodians.

LandcareACT was initiated by the ACT’s three catchment groups (Ginninderra, Molonglo and Southern ACT), who provide support for many landcare groups across the ACT and in surrounding NSW. It will be inclusive of rural landholders in the region and the local Aboriginal community.

Development of LandcareACT is being funded by the Australian Government. It will operate within the ACT and region and will also link to the National Landcare Network, which provides a community voice for landcare programs at the national level.

What will Landcare ACT do?

LandcareACT will work to sustain community efforts to look after their local bush in a number of ways. It will seek to build on government funding for landcare - by promoting the benefits of landcare to the wider community and seeking new partners and funding. It will encourage more people to get involved and try to build the capacity of existing groups. It will also be able to provide a “think tank” for regional innovation and collaboration as well as opportunities to share knowledge and experience across the region. Finally it will provide a forum for identifying and discussing issues important to community landcarers in the context of government policy and programs, which will benefit both landcarers and their government partners.

Who has been consulted about Landcare ACT?

The LandcareACT interim steering committee has consulted widely, including with the ACT government, rural landholders, members of the local Aboriginal community, the business community and other environmental organisations and NGOs. Discussions have been about future opportunities and about what organisation and membership structure will best support the community landcarers in the ACT. A constitution will be finalised in the near future.

To find out more about Landcare ACT you can contact:

Anne Duncan on 0466 108 432, or any of the Catchment Coordinators in the ACT (Molonglo: Bernie Bugden on 62992119; Ginninderra: Karissa Preuss on 62783309; Southern ACT: Martine Franco on 62966400)

Hi everyone,

This came in an email on May 9th.

"I thought you might like to include in your next Mt Rogers newsletter the fact that the Chief Minister has been approached about remedying the state of the Mt Rogers walking track. This came about after I slipped on some loose gravel last Sunday and injured a knee. I copied the email to Yvette Berry as a local member. So far  all I have received is an automated reply from her and silence from our Head of Government. I’ll keep you updated.

Regards Dennis"

Issues and incidents relating to Mt Rogers can be reported via Canberra Connect 13 22 81, Fix My Street online if it's nearby road issue and GInninderra Catchment Group 6278 3309.

Note from the blog putterupper. At last, Rosemary's April newsletter has been published on this blog and it's below. Do read it. I apologise for the delay.

ALSO Rosemary writes: Copies of the new edition of the Mt Rogers brochure have been placed in the Notice Box.  Ann M, Peter A, Margaret and 'the girls' made important contributions to the Brochure. Several other Mt Roger Landcare Group members advised on the text from time to time. Ginninderra Catchment Group provided significant in-kind help through Dave Wong who spent many hours on the design and the map.

The aim of this brochure is to entice people to visit our special place. I hope, eventually, to create an article 'The Natural History of Mt Rogers' in order to bring together our shared knowledge, observations and understandings of the history & heritage of the reserve. If you can't reach the Notice Box or need several copies to give to new neighbours please contact me.

The next working bees will be from 9 am on Sunday 24 May and Monday 1 June. We'll meet at the Notice box on the Sunday and the Wickens Place carpark on the Monday. We'll take different routes through the reserve seeking out weeds to dig out. This especially includes isolated African Lovegrass and Serrated tussock plants which affect the diversity of the reserve's native plants. Nerolie, Ted and Wolf were introduced to this task behind Woodger place where we were also able to find an array of local native species. Ivan, Lesley and Ted worked on isolated woody weeds on 26th April finishing near the extensive Tree of Heaven infestation.  Chris has adopted the project of buying new Perspex for 3 of the notice boards and already repaired the one that's not in use. Margaret & Chris have found a large, fertile Cotoneaster that they "will attend to".  Steve W saw Speckled Warblers today. Steve & Judy D had a Speckled warbler on their garden's fence on 30th April. Elsewhere this species is in decline. Mt Roger's SW numbers appear to remain steady. Scarlet Robins have also been reported. Local ornithologists are concerned about this species also but, again, Mt Rogers retains its luck in having them present during the winter months. Enjoy your walks and observations, Rosemary.

MOUNT ROGERS NEWSLETTER LATE APRIL 2015

MUSINGS :  After early ANZAC Day musings reflecting on the world we have now as a bewildering contrast to the future for which so many have sacrificed so much…I made a laminated notice to the repeat-offenders who use Mt Rogers as a rubbish dump. Condensed, this is the text:

FROM MT ROGERS TO DUMPERS

Please note that members of Mt Rogers Landcare community object to your dumping garden rubbish in the reserve.     THIS DUMPING IS ILLEGAL

Dumping is contributing to the destruction of the last remnant of intact, natural bush on Mt Rogers.

Unusual and rare birds use this area. There are unusual plant species including spring wildflowers which have survived 145 years of change in ‘Fraser’.

Dead shrubs, rank non-Australian grasses, prunings and weeds    DO NOT BELONG HERE.

Take them FREE to the green-waste recycling site at the west end of Parkwood Road, Macgregor between 07.30 & 16.45 daily.

Mt Rogers Landcare volunteers spend hours protecting the reserve from invasive species. Don’t make this work even harder by dumping weed seeds, diseased plants & other rubbish in a place we love.

 I then installed the notice near the decaying piles of the disrespectful gardener’s waste and continued a stroll through the wonderful nature ‘behind’ Woodger Place, Fraser. I took more photos of the Cranberry Heath Astroloma humifusum  that I found on 18^th. It’s delightful ground-hugging shrubby plant endemic to southern Australia and would probably be classified as widespread but uncommon. It’s possible I knew the plant was there but this is the first time it’s shown its  identifying crimson-scarlet flowers. I expect Eastern spinebills might take a quick dash to sip nectar from the flowers and perhaps the Common Bronzewing pigeons would later harvest the berries.

These pigeons are the ones that make the “ooming” calls around the reserve. They have only become more common in the last ten years…we’ve noticed their calls around the reserve where previously they kept closer to Wickens & Woodger places. Currawongs and Wattlebirds were active and later I checked out several flocks of small birds. Some were honeyeaters, gleaning insects as they moved through on their seasonal migration out of the ACT and towards warmer, winter feeding places. Peter C had brilliant bird-watcher’s luck 3-4 weeks ago, identifying a Regent Honeyeater moving through Mt Rogers with a migrating but feeding flock of Red Wattlebirds.

There’s nothing like a wander through the reserve for restoring equilibrium. Until the storm grumbled through it was a perfect autumn morning with people and dogs enjoying the sunshine.

This newsletter was really to be about the inspiring Wander and Wonder walk we had on 7^th April but writer’s block and Weed Swap intervened….so here’s a resumption:

RUBBISH:  Eight of us gathered at Wickens Place for Tuesday 7^th’s WANDER AND WONDER WALK. On arrival Anne and I noticed a pile of party left-overs near the burnt-out car that (like the one in Scullin) still awaits removal. We collected the bottles and cans into a bag. I found, later, that the two black plastic bags were also filled with similar recyclables. Let’s hope the NO DUMPING signs I’ve requested come soon.

The valiant Litter Patrol people are not directed to separate the rubbish they collect from recyclables so we thought it best to take away the lazies’ left-overs. At the sorting point, plastic bags are not opened by the operators as the bags’ contents could pose risks to their safety. This applies around the suburban collections as well as for the Litter Patrols’ finds in public open spaces.

LERPS & EUCALYPTS:  As we signed-on I dealt out some useful reference books. The Field Guides were no match for the first observations when we paused to examine eucalypts with pinkish leaves. On some trees near the car-park and around the region it’s hard to find any remaining green, functioning leaves. Searching for Number_6 Lerps_Insects leads to a South Australian Primary Industries article on lerps and the small to minute psyllid insects which make their marks on millions of hapless leaves. Under a hand-lens or a good microscope the lerps are seen to be shelters which the sap-sucking insects secrete to cover themselves. Some can seem like filigree, miniature palaces. Insectivorous birds forage for the lerps’ sugary secretions but the sheer density of the 2015 infestation seems to have overwhelmed the gleaning birds.

LICHENS:  After yesterday’s rain the lichens we found beside the narrow dirt track looked subtly colourful and almost lush. Like mosses they absorb water quickly. Here, as in the drier parts of the continent, lichens play a vital role by colonising bare soil and holding the soil’s particles together prior to vascular plants establishing themselves from seeds. Erosion of Australia’s soils has increased dramatically since hard-hooved stock were brought in to graze ancient land where soft-footed macropods didn’t break up the surface or displace lichens and mosses. Damage to lichens and surface-hugging alpine plants and the highly adapted Alpine flora is the main reason for keeping horses and cattle out of the High Country.

WATTLES & SHELTER:  We stopped to check the deep amber-coloured sap oozing from a wattle’s trunk. Tyronne said the Ngunawal people would heat the sap and use as glue for, for example binding shaped stones to wooden hafts for axes. Mixed with ash the sap made a sore-healing poultice. Maybe the 15ml rain had softened the sap as it was malleable but, as Rosalie & Tony noted, not sweet for those contemplating eating it.

Nearby there was a partly broken-down, dead wattle. It already looked like a ‘cubby’. This reminded us of the cubbies we’ve seen young people build on Mt Rogers. Usually they collect branches and arrange them tepee-like. Great to realise that the being-outdoors-adventure isn’t completely lacking in the current youngest generation.

Indigenous people knew, by ancient trial and error, which trees yielded bark for shelters. Pause to consider, as we reach for the central heating’s switches, how the people would have sheltered from the recent days’ stormy weather and sudden cold after the summer’s warmth. More details on plant-use are illustrated and explained in Ngunnawal Plant use: a traditional Aboriginal plant use guide for the ACT region.

MORE TREES :  Kirsty pointed out the tunnels laid bare on a bark-less, fallen branch. Borers had eaten their way under the bark, writing hieroglyphic messages until death took over the tree, its bark was shed and the ‘script’ was revealed in a range of subtle colours. Near some stumps, piles of powdered dust showed where beetles had attacked them and reduced their timber cells to rich nutrients for younger plants. Timber, which looks rotten and useless to us hosts a range of insects, beetles, larvae and bugs that are essential food for birds especially in winter.

Barbara related bird-calls to species we came across, sharing the messages about the distinguishing features and the honeyeaters’ migration. Tony found the Golden Whistler illustration as custodian of the McComas Taylor local bird Field Guide. On several occasions autumn colour drew our attention but, on Mt Rogers, this is for the wrong reasons. Usually the colourful leaves were found under a branch where bird’s droppings had left Chinese pistachio, Cotoneaster or Pyracantha berries’ seeds to develop into saplings. Fortunately Anne specialises in seeking out these environmental weeds and cutting & daubing them before they’re mature enough to have their own berries. Angharad, Ann and I found our first Chinese Rain Tree on Mt Rogers during our March 22^nd working-bee. Watch this space as the deciduous trees produce thousands of black, fertile, ball-shaped seeds! The seedlings form a mini-forest in gardens. Take care when buying invasives from nurseries!

GRASSES:  Olga has an artistic interest in native grasses. We were able to find a range of species, albeit rather autumny, near the Cryptandra Patch. Quite close by is a residual grouping of Barbed Wire Grass. The number of tussocks is increasing steadily. Mt Rogers probably has at least 20 different native grass species and some are scattered throughout the reserve in small patches and probably where the soil is shallowest. Chris D has worked on bagging Verbascum seeds and then cutting down the 1m tall flowering spikes. Often this also involves searching amongst the grasses for the newly germinated plants with their soft greeny-grey leaves.

OBSERVATIONS:  So many people help with the working-bees and with our monitoring of plant and animal activities on Mt Rogers. This all feeds into knowing where the next efforts are needed. And observations build into a valuable record of the natural world of Mt Rogers.

Rosemary, Mt Rogers Landcare….6258 4724……25.04.15.

22 March working bee; Notes, incl. recent activity on Mt Rogers; dates for Weed Swap (11-12 April)

THE NEXT WORKING-BEE IS ON SUNDAY 22ND MARCH FROM 9am. We'll meet at the Wickens Place Car-park and walk through the bush, SE towards the Notice box. Angharad and I found several woody weeds needing our attention. They have been hidden by the Cootamundra wattle thicket that spreads up almost from the gravel path. I'll supply gloves, gaiters, tools and volunteers will need sturdy footwear, to be dressed for the expected weather including long-sleeved top and long pants and sun-shading hat. Bring water to drink & possibly a snack.

Ivan and I worked up and west of Magrath Crescent on 22nd February and found quite a few bushes that had matured since we last weeded in that area...Viburnum tinus, privet, Chinese pistachio, pyracantha and there are some briar roses to return to in that general area. A pity we can't persuade someone to come up and collect the rose hips as I believe they are rich in pectin for jam making!

On 2nd March Angharad, Kathy and I walked east from the Wickens car-park. On the way we pulled some St Johns Wort (SJW) that was in flower and bagged any heads that had seed-capsules on. We moved towards the rocks where the mosses look so soft and stroke-able when rain's fallen. This time they and the Rock ferns looked sad & desiccated. We dribbled some water on one area and within 10–15 minutes the moss looked green & lush where the water had touched it. Some years ago Flemming & I planted 8 Dianella revoluta plants near the boulders and at least six seem to be well established. Wally mentioned the Dianellas (Flax lilies) on Saturday. We found one of the two original Mt Rogers clumps then. 

We were watched by two very tall kangaroos and their small mob as we added Skeleton weed into the bagged SJW. Skeleton weed, I recently found out, was the subject of another successful biological control program beginning in the 1960s. The weed had severely infested wheat growing areas in the eastern states and Western Australia. Research was carried out from Montpellier in France, as Skeleton weed came from the Mediterranean countries originally. CSIRO scientists were the diligent investigators then, but the Montpellier station has since closed as being too expensive to maintain ... a shame that present day governments don't believe in the value of scientific research to the extent needed.

Mowers have opened up some of the main tracks again. 

There have been hunting Kookaburras in mid Flynn and also a calling Grey Butcherbird. It's probably been through Mt Rogers recently too. Denise took photos of one on her patch close to the creek at Giralang Ponds. Barbara spotted and recorded Gang-Gang cockatoos not far from the Mildenhall–Spence playground I believe. This is an exciting sighting for Mt Rogers even if it happened a week before the official Gang-Gang Muster began. Anytime now we may see groups of honeyeaters gathering prior to moving out of the ACT to avoid the cooler weather. 

If you're interested in Australian native plants the Society has launched its magnificent new Australian plants for Canberra region gardens and other cold climate areas. 934 species are illustrated and described in detail. The photographs and the text have all been provided by the Society's members. There's an excellent introduction to gardening in our area preceding the plants' descriptions. 365 pages of value for $30 from the Botanic Gardens Bookshop now and possibly nurseries & bookstores later in April.

The Society's WEED SWAP is on 11th & 12th April, so take the murdered woody weeds from your gardens, plus Agapanthus heads, out to Canberra Sand & gravel and claim a free native plant or 3. 

If anyone needs help in their garden please contact me as I have names of several recommended horticulturalists who can do a range of tasks for reasonable cost.  6258 4724.

If any rain comes it might be easier to see some of the magnificent spider webs when misty-dew's on the threads. There are quite a few Leaf-curl spiders around also. Maybe we'll have toadstool displays again.

Try to track down European Wasps and have the nests treated. They are seeking water now and sweet foods or, maybe, drinks around BBQs. The number to phone is  6162 1914. 

I have written in about getting the signs we suggested installed at the main entry points. These would explain the dogs off-leash status of Mt Rogers to newcomers. It would be good to think that bins for bags of dog-poo would be provided, but I suspect more agitation for the bins will be needed. We may be able to have NO DUMPING signs installed. I've asked Jasmine from Parks and Conservation Service if we might have several of their WOOD IS GOOD signs also. They explain that fallen timber and small branches are essential for biodiversity and to healthy reserves and shouldn't be taken for firewood or kindling.

Wood-smoke doesn't help suburban fresh air and is a hazard to the health of some people ... as some of us have found out even with the recent official Hazard Reduction Burns.

I was thinking we might have a  Walk and Wonder on Tuesday 7th April as we'll miss the ‘official’ working-bee date on the first Monday, Easter Monday 6th. 

Please let me know if you're interested & we'll see what's changed in the reserve by then ... or go over the Indigenous walk route for those who missed it, perhaps.

MT ROGERS: RECONNECTING WITH LANDSCAPE & INDIGENOUS CULTURE. SATURDAY 14th MARCH 2015

The summer day was perfect. Mt Rogers was very dry but there was plenty of shade from the 26°C sunshine. Over 30 people, of all ages, assembled at the Wickens Place carpark. For newcomers there were copies of the Mt Rogers WELCOME which is about to be superseded by the new Mt Rogers colour brochure.

Karissa, Ginninderra Catchment Group co-ordinator, introduced the concept of Thunderstone and Buru Ngunawal Corporation’s series of walks around our area which aim to introduce present-day locals to the Indigenous heritage of the nearby reserves, creek-side open spaces and the properties that have been spreading over ancestral lands since the 1820s.

We moved into the shade of one of Mt Rogers’ 300-year-old eucalypts, where King Parrots had earlier been feasting on Mistletoe berries.

Wally & Tyronne Bell: Wally Bell introduced himself and his younger brother Tyronne, explaining that he came from Jerrawa and later the family moved to Yass. Tyronne was born in Yass. They both live locally and play active parts in their suburban communities. In recent years they have been surveying and consulting about Aboriginal sites threatened with adverse change due to development, and working with Greening Australia and Friends of Grasslands.

            Ngunawal: Wally explained that Ngunawal was more correctly pronounced ‘Noon-a-wool’ and that the name should only have two ‘n’s. Tyronne had recently returned from a conference in Hawaii where participants focussed on indigenous languages. Both combined their talents in order to ‘read the landscape’. They had always lived on Country and now were dedicated to sharing their findings, their knowledge and stories with other communities. A program bringing Indigenous culture to an eventual 15 schools was being planned for trial at Fraser Primary School. They and neighbouring clans, people and groups had been successful stewards of Country for 40,000 years ensuring survival in often-harsh places.

            The route: The walk took us to the Mt Rogers summit via the track ‘above’ the twin tanks, past the turn-off to the single tank’s gate, up to views over Belconnen at the summit, to the Second summit with its dead tree, down to the gully and up again to the Benchmark tree near the spreading infestation of Tree of Heaven suckers and back to the carpark. There Tyronne enthralled the crowd with his collection of artefacts as each had fascinating origins and stories ‘to tell’.

            Sap: A 4 m tall wattle was oozing sap from its trunk. It provided the opportunity to reinforce how Ngunawal people had no option other than to live off the land. The sap could be eaten, though a critical use was as a glue. When heated it could be applied to the fibrous material used to bind handles to stone axes, other tools and spears.

            She-oak, Casuarina trees: Although Casuarinas were part of Fraser Primary’s plantings 25–30 years ago, Tyronne used a Casuarina to explain that the species’ timber was used for handles and boomerangs. Seeds could be crushed into a paste and eaten. 

            Wattle seed & stones: Collecting wattles’ seeds was the women’s responsibility (along with other food-gathering). Seeds were crushed between stones to make a form of flour and subsequently bread which was cooked on special stones. Later we were shown a cooking stone. It and grinding stones were heavy in terms of being carried around. They would be left in specific places to be used when the groups next passed through. We also noted Cauliflower bushes whose seeds were also ground into flour. They’re finishing flowering now.

            Artefacts & tools: Volcanic rocks were prized for producing the finest edges on tools. For modern surgery some volcanic rocks provide superior edges on instruments. Two chips of rock (approximately the size of a 20 cent piece) found near graded edges served to illustrate that artefacts could still be found by knowledgeable searchers. It was likely these pieces were discarded during the work that produced other tools.

            Cherry Ballart: Mt Rogers has two of these cypress-like trees. The fruit is edible and sweet. The timber can be used for digging-sticks. A Hardenbergia growing near the summit illustrated that the twining stems could be made into rope. The Flax-lily or Dianella, found near the Second summit, has blue berries. These could be eaten and parts of the plant chewed as people journeyed. Curiously it’s classed as a toxic plant in a 2010 book, reinforcing Wally’s point that selecting bush foods to eat is based on aeons of experience and plants may have to be treated for toxins before being edible. Lomandra’s strappy leaves could be used like a whistle whose tone suggested ‘animal in distress’ to snakes. The fibrous leaves of both Dianella and Lomandra were used to make baskets.

            Journeys and pathways: At the summit Wally explained the journeys made by the creator-being, a water spirit named Budjabulya. These began after time resting near Lake Ngungara, now called Lake George. Budjabulya explored and scoured out the creek-lines, turning up the Pialligo valley towards Red Hill. From near the present Parliament House he journeyed towards Gungahlin before returning to Lake George to sleep. When he’s happy there’s water in Lake George, and drought and dryness signify displeasure.

            Camps were held on Black Mountain and an important ceremonial ground existed where the gates of the Botanic Gardens are now. (In those days Aboriginal Groups were not consulted about new buildings being violations of important sites.) Different groups met via three pathways at Red Hill. Mt Rogers was part of the minor pathway network. Its summit wasn’t as important as we’d like to imagine, as it lacked water.

            Bracket fungi on the Benchmark tree were among those used to keep mosquitoes away when tossed onto a fire to produce smoke. Below the huge landmark eucalypt tree were a few Bluebells, the roots of which could be used for food. Mistletoe berries are sweet and sought after by birds. There were several on the ground near where Tyronne had set up his artefacts collection.

Thanks to Karissa for organising this walk for the Mt Rogers community. At least 15 people attended from our community. Others attended as a result of publicity elsewhere and through the Bells’ Thunderstone and Buru networks.

Thank you Wally and Tyronne for giving us a broad and fascinating picture of how plants from Mt Rogers would have been used by Ngunawal people. It was a privilege to hear insights into cultural history, heritage and above all the millennia of stewardship of Country; the land that sustained them, through which they travelled and that each generation knew intimately.

I think we felt very glad to be able to continue to care for Mt Rogers through our diverse daily caring and monthly landcaring activities.

More information

www.ngunawal.com.au and the page ‘Ngunawal past, present and future’.

Thunderstone Aboriginal Cultural Land Management Services www.thunderstone.com.au

If you missed this walk or want to visit a different place there’s
another walk at Strathnairn, off Stockdill Drive, HOLT
on 19 April.

The book
Ngunnawal Plant Use: a traditional Aboriginal plant use guide for the ACT region, published by ACT Government, 2014 
is available from the Ginninderra Catchment Group (between the Kippax shopping centre and the playing-fields), ph 6278 3309
and from the Botanical Bookshop at the Australian National Botanic Gardens.

Rosemary
Convenor Mt Rogers Landcare Group,   phone 6258 4724  
14.03.15.