newsl 2020 spring full copy - urrbrae wetland learning centre
TRANSCRIPT
Spring2020
FriendsofUrrbraeWetland
OpenDay-18October1-4.30pm
The Wetland is looking terrific andwellworthvisi4ng.
Toensureyouhaveagreatexperience,wehaveupgradedfourdifferentpathsanddevelopedinforma4onsheetsforeachonesoyoucanwalkandlearnasyouexplore.Weares4llgoingtobearoundtoansweryourques4ons,butinformallyaroundtheproperty.
What’stheretosee?Therecentlylaunchedimpressivenewbirdhidewillbeopenforvisits.Bringyourbinocularstoviewthelocalbirdlifeontheponds.Whoknows,youmayevenspytheshyNankeennightheroninthereeds,orfindafamilyofparrotsinthenewlyinstalledbirdboxesperchedhighinthetrees.
TheBeeHoteliscompleted,andyouareinvitedtocheckitsoccupancyrate,andguesswhomightberearinglarvaethere.
Wehavefinishedourseedlingplan4ngsforthisyear,andyoucancheckhowwelltheyaregrowingwithintheirprotec4vecoverings-andjudgewhetherwemadetherightchoicesofloca4on!
Thegrandopeningofourbirdhidewasquitean event. The Mayor, Heather Holmes-Ross,came to cut the ribbon, and severalnotableswerealsopresent,mostespecially,afoundingmemberoftheWetland,GrahamKernick.
SanctuaryforafamilyoutinginCOVID19
times
Covid19hasimpactedonusattheUrrbraeWetland.Therestric4onshavemeantwehavehadtointroducechangestohowwenormallyrunourOpenDays.
OurnextOpenDaywillbeSunday,October18andwehopetoseeyoualltheretoenjoyspringattheWetland.
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AnInterestingPatch
This being my first report,ImustthankJimforhisgreatleadershipduringthelast5years.Thegroupcon4nuestoenjoycomingonTuesdaymornings,enjoyingoneanother’scompanyandcomple4ngvarioustasks.
PriortotheCOVID19closure,wewerebusy:
• Thebirdhidewascompleted
• Jimbeganbuildingthebeehotel.
• Pathsignsplaced&lookgreat.
• AdelaideUniversityRotaractorshelpedusinstallthe16birdboxes.ThankstoKevinformakingthese.
Wese^ledintotheoldTAFEclassroomwhichreplacedtheoriginalroom,followingitsremovaltoallowforthenewtoiletblocktobeconstructed.
COVID19virusrestric4onspreventedusfromcomingtotheWetlandonTuesdaymornings,muchtoourdisappointment.Thankfullytherestric4onswerepar4allyliaedquicklyandfullyliaedsoonaaer.
Weimmediatelybeganplan4ngavarietyofspeciesfollowingtheprocedurewetriedwithgrassesatthefrontgate,whichwassuccessfulwithahighsurvivalrate-consideringthepoorsoilinthatarea.
JimcompletedtheBeeHotel.Wehopetheoccupancyrateincreasesduringthespring.
LeecreatedtheCreekpath.
Weedinghasnowbecomethemaintask.SomeareashavebeensprayedwithRounduporSlasher,whileinlargerareastheWhipper-snipperhasbeenused.Nextyearwewillcomparetheeffec4venessofthetwosprays.Cardboardandmulchretardanthasalsobeentrialled.Theseprocessesdonotreplacethehandweeding,whichwehaveallbeendoing.
AnumberofUrrbraeHighSchoolstudentshavebeeninvolvedinWetlandprojects.Nowcompleted,thisprogram,supervisedbyVanessaofferedthestudentsanopportunityforhandsonexperienceintheWetland.
Itisgreattobeback.David.
This special little part oftheWetland,justoffthemaintrack,keepsmeintrigued.
Duringthehotsummer,itcanbeverybare,butifcondi4onsareright,itchanges,soIgobackoaentocheck.Atthetopofthephotoisaspikyplant,theBlueDevil,Eryngiumovinum.Itdiesdowninautumn,butemergeslatewinter,andifweareveryluckyinDecemberitwillhavebrightblueflowerssimilartothistleflowerheads.
ThemainplantistheSmall-leavedmalleepea,Eutaxiamicrophylla,alowgroundcoverwith4nyyellowflowers.Buttherealtreasuresaretheli^legreenrose^esofleavesofMaroonhoodorchidPterostylispedunculata,whichappearedfirstthreeyearsagoatthis4me.
I'mhopingtherewillbeflowerstalksrisingfromthemsoon.WillletyouknowifIseeeitherofthesespecialplantsinflower!ChrisAdams
ViewfromtheChair
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AnotherskinkinSAhasalsobeenshowntobebimodal.Bougainville’sskinksgivebirthtobabiesonKangarooIsland,whileonthemainlandtheylayeggs.(TheGuardian,April2019.)
Sowholaidoureggnest?Certainlywehavefamiliesofskinksonthesite,andBlue-TongueshavebeensightedattheWetlandpreviously.
Ma4ngformostblue-tonguesbeginsinlatewinterthroughtoDecember.Ifyouseetwoblue-tongueslookinglikethey'rehavingaviciousfight,it'smostlikelyma4ng.Theycanbequiteaggressivetowardseachotherandcanendupwithcutsandscratches.
Thefemaleblue-tonguegivesbirthtoliveyoungthreetofourmonthsaaerma4ng,whichisveryunusualinlizardsastheynormallylayeggs.Thebabies,whoareabletolookaaerthemselvesjustfourdaysaaerbirth,cangrowover20yearsto50cminlength.
ASkinkoraBluetongue?Skinkscreatenestsinmoistsoilunderobjectsinthegarden.Femaleslayaboutfiveeggseach,some4mesincommunalnestswhichholddozensofeggs.Eggslooklikeminichickeneggsbutaresoaandrubbery.Theybecomeenlargedastheyabsorbmoisturefromthesurroundingsoil.Sourcedfrom:backyardbuddies.org.au
Couldoureggsbelizards’?
Evolution has been caughtintheact,accordingtoscien4stsdecodinghowaspeciesofAustralianlizardisabandoningegg-layinginfavouroflivebirth.
AlongthewarmcoastallowlandsofNSWtheyellow-belliedthree-toedskinklayseggstoreproduce.Butindividualsofthesamespecieslivinginthestate'scoldermountainsmainlygivebirthtoliveyoung.
Evolu4onaryrecordsshowmanyrep4lemakingthetransi4onfromegg-layingtolivebirth,andtodayabout20percentofalllivingsnakesandlizardsgivebirthtoliveyoungonly.(fromBHandwerk,NaIonalGeographic,Sept2010).
UniofSydneyresearchersobservedathree-toedskinklaythreeeggs,andweekslatergivebirthtoalivebaby.
ThisisthefirstImethatanyonehasobservedlivebirthandegglayinginasingleliLer…it’svery,veryunusual,
Dolizardslayeggsorgivebirthtoliveyoung?Asyoucanseefromourphotos,wefoundsomeeggsinamoundofmulchandit’sopenedacanofworms-oroflizards-andsomeveryinterestingfacts.
ObituaryItiswithgreatsadnessthatwemarkthepassingofGrahamKernick(picturedbelowwithDonBuicklastyear)whowassuchaforceintheearlydevelopmentoftheWetlandandaconstantsupporterofourworkasitevolved,andastheWetlandestablisheditsownecosystem.Heandhisfamilywerewelcomea^endeesatourChristmascelebra4onsformanyyears,andhewouldalwaystakeaturnaroundthepondstorefreshhisapprecia4onofthismarvellousfacility.Itisacredittohim,andtootherfoundingmembers,andweappreciatedhisregular,informedandgracioussupport.
Graham,leawithvolunteerDonBuick
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Chemicalhandlingworkshop
In February most volunteers attended this workshop arranged by Kat Hill (Volunteer Coordinator, NRM) and facilitated by Dave & Peter, both very knowledgeable in their areas.
Participants were from various bushland around Adelaide. The result was an informative and targeted session that highlighted old and new practices at the Wetland.
Key points for developing a Friends’ policy: • Glyphosate was reinforced as safe if
used as per directions • use multiple gloves to protect and
keep from overheating • note difference between poisonous
and hazardous labels • do not to disturb the soil, as weeds
will invade the area • brush cut before seed heads form • never allow seed heads, even
immature green ones, fall to the ground, as they could germinate
• Slasher will kill weeds and only slow native grasses for one season
• mobile sprayers, sponge-ended dabbers, tongs with sponges attached - ways to apply poison.
Some individual plant advice: • Plantain (Plantago coronopus) - cut
and swab with Glyphosate • Guildford grass (Romulea rosea) -
use the ‘Tongs of Death’ with sponges saturated with poison
• Chickweed (Stellaria media)- use Slasher
• Soursobs (Oxalis pes caprae)— Glyphosate - don’t hold your breath!
Currently we are absorbing/adapting this advice and turning it into pilots of different weed suppression methods.
FocusonVolunteers
AYOUNGWOMANGOINGPLACESSHIVANIPRESTON
“Having finished studying Conservation and Land Management at TAFE last year, I have some free time as I job-search. As I was familiar with Urrbrae Wetland it seemed a good use of my time and skills, and I could learn about wetlands biodiversity first hand.
I am hoping my volunteer work will help to prepare me for a practical contractor job with Trees for Life or as a Ranger. The environment isn’t my only passion though.
Also I’m involved in the Adelaide Arts community as a musician, dancer, stage manger, and sound tech. For example our family performs the puppet show Punch & Judy in many festivals around SA.”
Wanttoknowmore?Wikipedia:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urrbrae_Wetlandandsearch‘UrrbraeWetland’Contact:DavidGooley,Chair,forinforma4on:[email protected]
UrrbraeWetlandLearningCentre:
www.urrbraewetlandlc.org/
Sitevisits:WetlandManagers,Ann-LouiseBreeding&VanessaGreenslade82747455
Pictured:ourtwoWetlandManagers
Newvolunteersarewelcome.DropbyanyTuesdaymorningbetween9.00-11.00tomakecontact.
STOPPRESS!Wearesorrytoloseourwonderfulsupporterandadvisor,Ann-Louise,whowillbeleavingtohavehersecondbabysoon.
Volunteersenjoythecompanyofothersinterestedintheenvironment