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Baby Magpies are in every park
1. A current, but 15-year-old development application is having a terrible impact on a local koala population in North Bellingen NSW. After clearing the land 15 years ago, the project was stopped & over the years the cleared area reestablished. Three weeks ago the developers restarted the project & chopped down trees that had re-grown. “Bewildered koalas continue to return to the place in North Bellingen where three weeks ago there was a tree. One Bellingen local, … said she had watched one koala return repeatedly to what is now a septic tank.” Oh, the irony! The Environmental Protection Authority says it can do nothing because the DA is current. Koalas are losing critical habitat at an alarming rate & are thought to be at the edge of real risk of extinction in the wild. See Australian Koala Foundation – https://www.savethekoala.com/koalasendangered.html & http://www.coffscoastadvocate.com.au/story/2011/12/16/displaced-koalas-search-feed-trees/#comments
2. The WA Forest Alliance says mining companies are selling ancient Jarrah trees up to 430-years-old for just $9 a tonne. A specialist carbon dating laboratory determined the age of the wood for the Alliance. “The vast majority of the timber is being used for these extremely low value products fence posts, fire wood, railway sleepers, charcoal & woodchips from the karri forests….” http://bit.ly/th1IRB
3. In 2002, Western Australian conservation group Bush Heritage Australia purchased Chereninup Creek Reserve, 430km southeast of Perth, planting more than 50,000 native seedlings over 60ha the following year. Bush Heritage Australia also purchased 4 other parcels of land to re-vegetate in response to the clearing of bushland over two-thirds of South-Western Australia. This is Australian’s biggest re-vegetation project – Gondwana Link – & it’s working. 40 species of native & endangered birds as well as dozens of mammals have been found living in Chereninup Creek Reserve. “We have found hundreds, if not thousands, of birds & animals & reptiles reoccupying a piece of landscape at Chereninup that had become absent through the clearing of habitat for practices such as farming….” One animal found was the Honey Possum, famous for having the largest testicles of any mammal relative to its weight! http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/special-features/barren-south-west-plot-brought-back-to-life/story-e6frg19l-1226167990273
4. Something that I wish was done for the birds & fish of the Cooks River… the Roads & Maritime Services will put almost 1,000 logs from the trees being cut down as part of construction of the Hunter Expressway into the Hunter River. “We make structures in the river called engineered log jams… They’re basically big piles of logs put together in an engineered way to be able to withstand floods. They protect the river banks from erosion, but at the same time they provide fantastic fish habitat because a lot of this habitat has been removed from the river over the past decades.” http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-11-10/felled-trees-to-restore-river/3656606/?site=newcastle
5. Residents in Warren Parade Punchbowl were left with butchered street trees after pruning by Energy Australia. A residents said, “The trees have been absolutely ruined… They’ve just hacked them down.” The photos along with this article show that the resident was not exaggerating. Energy Australia said, “The idea is that the complaints system serves as a learning tool…. so those people responsible will be able to recognise where they went wrong & know not to do it again.” http://express.whereilive.com.au/news/story/chainsaw-massacre-part-two/
6. I highly recommend this article on the changing landscape, bush fires, new clearing rules & the impact on Australian birds. “A serious consideration here is ”extinction debt” – where local & regional loss of birds can occur several decades after the original clearing. Bird types are already disappearing from some districts that have only 30 per cent of vegetation cover left. When the bush is reduced to fragments, bird & animal populations are extremely vulnerable to drought or other natural disasters. Even in undisturbed areas, according to a new study by Bush Heritage, lorikeet, pardalote, thornbill, honeyeater, red wattlebird, striated pardalote, grey shrikethrush & kookaburra populations are crashing across northern & central Victoria as a result of climate change.” Many bird species are coming to the cities just as the Ibis did. They are being called the first wave of climate change refugees & they are coming in search of food & habitat. The question is, do we have enough food available for wildlife? I don’t think so. http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/time-to-take-in-hand-the-birds-in-the-bush-20091104-hxuf.html
Some of the Tuckeroo trees are providing heaps of food at the moment
7. On 14th December 2011 high school teacher & conservationist Miranda Gibson climbed what is known as The Observer Tree (old-growth Eucalyptus delegatensis) in Mt Mueller Tasmania & is now living on a platform 60mts above the ground. She has vowed to stay until logging of this old-growth forest is stopped. Miranda is blogging from her bird-eye view & intends to upload videos of what is happening with logging & with native wildlife below. Miranda started this action in response to a failure of the state & federal governments to uphold their promises regarding the protection of old-growth forests in Tasmania. “Mount Mueller is a spectacular mountain located near the Styx Valley, Southwest Tasmania. The Weld, Styx & Florentine rivers all flow from this iconic mountain. While the mountain top is protected in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, the pristine ancient forests at its base remain under threat from industrial scale logging. The Tree Top Watch Spot lies in the heart of these forests.” I consider Miranda a brave & committed woman & I hope that she & her colleagues are successful in saving these precious forests. You can watch a short video about Miranda Gibson & the Observer Tree Project here & link to more information about the issue & Miranda’s blog. – http://observertree.org/2011/12/15/new-observertree-video/
8. To end on great news, a survey just done by the Australian Wetlands & Rivers Centre at the University of NSW has counted the third highest number of water birds seen in eastern & central Australia in 29-years. All up 22 species of birds were seen, “including black swan, Pacific black duck, Australasian shoveler, chestnut & grey teal, hardhead, freckled duck, plumed whistling-duck & Australian shelduck. The recent rain has resulted in widespread flooding across the Lake Eyre and Murray-Darling Basins & the birds are loving it – literally. http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/national/bird-numbers-take-off-as-wetlands-fill/story-e6freooo-1226225288284
Tree art opposite Petersham Park
Pink Grevillea
1. Dr Maxine Cooper, the ACT Commissioner for Sustainability & the Environment has released a report recommending that the Urban Forest Renewal Program be tossed out & instead create a new position of Tree Curator to engage with Canberra residents about public trees. She also recommends an extra $4 million a year ongoing to look after the 730,000 trees in the ACT. “So it’s like our health, if you look after yourself better & give attention to health, there’s less need for medicine. The same for trees. If you look after trees they actually will last longer.” http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/03/30/3178188.htm
The Banksias are in flower
2. Mosman Council has a webpage called ‘Big Ideas for Mosman.’ One of the ideas is to plant fruit trees in public places. This is an initiative I see happening a lot overseas. Public fruit trees are also being planted as part of Sydney City Council’s Sustainable Streets project.
3. Still with Mosman Council, Brush Turkey chicks have been sighted at Reid Park & Millet Road. The birds have been recorded in these areas since 2009, but large numbers have not been seen since the Depression when hungry people ate them. Brush Turkeys are protected under the National Parks & Wildlife Act 1974. Male Brush Turkeys continually rake an enormous mound of leaves to keep their eggs at the perfect temperature. http://www.mosman.nsw.gov.au/news/2011/03/28/next-generation-brush-turkeys?utm_source=council-website&utm_medium=share-buttons&utm_campaign=social-media
4. Myrtle Rust, a serious fungal disease of plants, has been confirmed in world heritage listed Lamington National Park. Myrtle Rust affects Eucalypts, Bottle brush & Tea tree as well as other Australian native plants. It can have a devastating affect in forests – “deformation of leaves, heavy defoliation of branches, dieback, stunted growth & plant death.” It spreads rapidly & procedures have been put in place to try to prevent this from happening. http://www.mysunshinecoast.com.au/articles/article-display/national-parks-on-alert-after-myrtle-rust-detection,20931
Palm tree
On 1st March 2011 Bio Security announced that Myrtle Rust had been found at a Cairns nursery making this the farthest north detection of the fungus. Associate Professor Andres Drenth, a plant pathologist at the University of Queensland’s School of Biological Sciences said, “It’s likely to have a substantial long-term impact. It will affect reproductive rates for infected eucalypts. In the next generation, those resistant species will become more dominant & slowly over time you will get a change of species. This will also affect the animals that are dependent on these species.” http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2011/03/01/3151595.htm
5. Hills Shire Council opened their main street project this week. Unveiled were new street trees & shrubs, new lighting & paving, outdoor-dining spaces & wombat crossings. Wombat Crossings! How fantastic to have wild wombats in Sydney. http://hills-shire-times.whereilive.com.au/news/story/castle-hills-main-street-to-open-tonight/
6. An undefined number of Poplar trees were chopped down by Meriton at a Warriewood Valley development site. Meriton said the tree removal complied with their DA approved by the Planning Assessment Commission & they will replace the trees with native plants. Residents are angry about the tree-clearing saying they bought their properties because of the green leafy view. Now they will be looking onto & into units. Poplars are big dramatic broad-leafed trees with lime green leaves. They are popular with birds & make the most terrific sound when the wind blows through the leaves. http://manly-daily.whereilive.com.au/news/story/not-a-poplar-move-at-all/
7. Currawong, a holiday park opposite Palm Beach in Pittwater has been purchased for $12.2 million by the NSW state government to be made into a new state park. This has been a long battle to keep this iconic park in the ownership of the people. http://manly-daily.whereilive.com.au/news/story/currawong-to-become-state-park/
The Cooks River bank near Mackey park was turned into a crime scene last week. It appears a car was driven into the river
8. Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke has ordered the all cows out of Alpine National Park in Victoria by 8th April 2011. The Victorian government put the cows into the national park in January 2011 as “part of a scientific research.” An Environmental Assessment of the impact of cattle grazing in the park had not been performed. When the paperwork was given to the Minister mid-March he said, “The information that has eventually come from the Victorian government is a joke. For something that is meant to be a university research project, we’re provided with documentation that wouldn’t pass as high school science homework.” http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/government-orders-cows-out-of-victorias-alpine-park/story-e6frf7kf-1226024189122
9. “Gloves are off” regarding community opposition to the Gunns Ltd pulp mill in Tasmania’s Tamar Valley. Over 1,000 people protested at what will likely be the first of many demonstrations since the Federal government approved the $2.5 billion pulp mill. It’s hard for people to say the protests are just the work of green-left radicals when universally loved ex-Gardening Australia host Peter Cundall was one of the main speakers. I.50-minute ABC News video -http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2011/03/20/3168808.htm
10. Staying in Tasmania – whether you like or dislike Senator Bob Brown, his donation of his Liffey Valley bushland home ‘Oura Oura’ in Northern Tasmania to Bush Heritage Australia is a generous act indeed. The 14-hectare parcel of land is environmentally significant & provides habitat to numerous threatened species such as ‘the tasmanian devil, the spotted-tail quoll, the Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagle & the grey goshawk.’ The Liffey River flows through the land. Senator Brown founded Bush Heritage in 1991. http://www.bushheritage.org.au/oura-oura-reserve-handover.html plus a 1.02-minute video showing footage of ‘Oura Oura’ land.
Gum nuts
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