Newsletter #76 June 2010

After the storm

Bushland after the storm

The bushland looked like a bushfire had gone through due to stripped trees and dead foliage caused by hail damage.
Three months later life is returning to the bushland – lots of birds are back, and the trees are producing new leaves to replace the damaged or removed foliage.
Jarrah trees began to produce leaves quite soon after the storm. The Allocasuarinas have been the slowest to regenerate.
The bushland was very quiet for a couple of weeks after the storm; most birds had disappeared. The first birds back were Rainbow Lorrikeets and crows.
A month later researchers from ECU doing some bird banding in the bushland found many species had returned. They even found one banded bird – so it seems that some birds escaped the approaching storm, or managed to find shelter.

 

 ECU bird banders at work

In the bushland

In the weeks prior to the hailstorm we had been searching for the endangered sun moth Symenon gratiosa. Vicki’s sharp eyes spotted one and we got a net over it, but it escaped before I could take a photo to get the sighting verified. Then with the storm we lost any chance of finding it again this year. We will look again next year.
Now that winter has arrived we are weeding Freesias and Geraldton Carnation weed. You can see what we are doing in the bushland at our blog site (http://shenton-bushland.blogspot.com/)
Vicki has been liaising with the Health Department to get a management plan for their bushland. This will enable us to address many of the weeds that invade Shenton Bushland from the Health Department, especially Flinders Ranges Wattle (which has been widely planted around the buildings), and other potential weeds such as Japanese Peppers and bulbous weeds.
We are applying for funding to get this management plan developed (the Health Department is paying part of it).

Coming Events

The bush-to-beach walk for 2010 is currently being planned. We are looking at a route that runs from Shenton Bushland, through Hollywood Reserve (for morning tea?) and the Karrakatta Cemetery to Lake Claremont (for a picnic lunch). We could then do a loop of the Lake to view restoration of bushland around the Lakeway Drive-In housing development.
Sound interesting? Pencil it in for Sunday September 12th.

Committee meeting

Our next committee meeting is scheduled for July. We will be planning the bush to beach walk and spring activities. All welcome!
Contact Dani (9381 3470 or Dani's email) for details.

This newsletter is produced by the Friends of Shenton Bushland Inc.
Contributions by Daniel Boase-Jelinek
Edited by Daniel Boase-Jelinek, 117 Derby Road, Shenton Park WA 6008.

Newsletter #75 February 2010

Your Committee for 2010
We held our AGM in January at the Matilda Bay foreshore on quite a hot Sunday afternoon. Our committee members (pictured below from left to right) include John (Secretary), Roz (Fungi), Vicki (Bushcare Officer, City of Nedlands), Dorothy (Treasurer), and Dani (Convenor).

Committee at work



In the bushland
We are continuing our bushland management activities each Sunday morning. Due to hot weather we are currently meeting from 7.30am till 9.30am. Once the mornings cool off we will revert to our 8-10am schedule.

Coming Events
During March we will be looking for the endangered sun moth (pictured below).

This moth (Synemon gratiosa) has been sighted in Shenton Bushland a few years ago, but (despite annual searches) it has not been seen since. This is partly because it spends most of its life underground, feeding on the roots of various lomandra species.
This moth is listed as endangered by both the State and Commonwealth governments. It may also be found in Underwood Avenue Bushland, but has not been sighted there yet.

Bush to Beach Walk Trails Network Project
Over the past few years the Friends of Shenton Bushland have been collaborating with the Friends of Allen Park and Friends of Lake Claremont to organise annual walks through remnant bushland areas in Perth's western suburbs to foster community appreciation for our local bushlands.
Vicki Shannon (Nedlands Bushcare Officer) has helped us take the project to the next level by making it a formal project of WESROC (Western Region Organisation of Councils), so now we have Vicki, Greg Simpson (WESROC), representatives from the BPGA (Botanic Parks and Gardens Authority), Stephanie Clegg (Friends of Bold Park). Heidi Hardisty (Friends of Lake Claremont), Lesley Shaw (Friends of Allen Park) and Melanie Cathie (City of Nedlands) working on the project.
At our last meeting we decided that the name 'bush to beach trail' will be given to the link running from Kings Park to Cottesloe (via Shenton Bushland, Bold Park, Lake Claremont, Allen Park, and Grant Marine Park. This trail will be just the first of a number of trails being proposed as part of a regional trails network. Other trails on the drawing board include a link from Herdsman's Lake to the river, and a trail along the river foreshore.
The project now has specific targets and timelines and we are aiming to have the trail signposted and launched in about 12 months.
We are currently looking at signage and wayfinding strategies so that people are able to find their way along the route.

Wesroc Community Environmental Network
Greg Simpson (WESROC) has been organising a series of get-togethers for people involved in environmental issues in the Western suburbs where we can discuss environmental issues and look at regional approaches to addressing those issues. Participants include environmental groups, local council officers, and agencies such as BPGA.
Some issues discussed at the recent (January) meeting included:
• bush to beach trails network
• developing strategies for sharing information
• review of WESROC strategies and priorities for addressing environmental issues in the region
• funding opportunities

Committee meeting
Our next committee meeting is scheduled for March or April.
Contact Dani (9381 3470) for details.

This newsletter is produced by the Friends of Shenton Bushland Inc.
Contributions by Daniel Boase-Jelinek
Edited by Daniel Boase-Jelinek, 117 Derby Road, Shenton Park WA 6008.

Newsletter #74 November 2009

Thanks to our volunteers
We couldn't deal with all of the weeds that constantly threaten the bushland without the help of volunteers – so thanks to all those who have come along to help this year.

John removing fountain grass flowers
Weed control activities for 2009
We still have a month or so of weeding to do this year, so the maps below may still change before the end of the year.
Freesia – area hand weeded (still to add areas sprayed by City of Nedlands contractors)

View live map
Click here to download the GPX data for this map. Note, this data is an XML file - change the name to .GPX to upload to your GPS.
Flinders ranges wattles removed

View live map
Click here to download the GPX data for this map. Note, this data is an XML file - change the name to .GPX to upload to your GPS.
Geraldton carnation weeds removed (and also marked for future attention)

View live map
Click here to download the GPX data for this map. Note, this data is an XML file - change the name to .GPX to upload to your GPS.
Lachenalia – we only removed isolated plants – will add maps of areas sprayed by City of Nedlands contractors.

View live map
Click here to download the GPX data for this map. Note, this data is an XML file - change the name to .GPX to upload to your GPS.
Miscellaneous weeds – lots of them!

View live map
Click here to download the GPX data for this map. Note, this data is an XML file - change the name to .GPX to upload to your GPS.
Pelargonium are scattered throughout the bushland, and we remove isolated plants as we come across them. This map shows large infestations we dealt with (pelargonium pull) and markers show future areas where we intend to work.

View live map
Click here to download the GPX data for this map. Note, this data is an XML file - change the name to .GPX to upload to your GPS.
We hand removed perennial veldgrass over summer and helped spray in winter. Contractors sprayed the rest of the area this year.

View live map
Click here to download the GPX data for this map. Note, this data is an XML file - change the name to .GPX to upload to your GPS.
Watsonia – hand weeded remnants. Also marked a couple of fresh outbreaks along eastern boundary.

View live map
Click here to download the GPX data for this map. Note, this data is an XML file - change the name to .GPX to upload to your GPS.
AGM
We are planning to hold our AGM early next year – probably a picnic at Matilda Bay – any suggestions for where to hold our meeting are welcome!