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CALGAROO A journey into nature Newsletter of the Parramatta and Hills District Group Australian Plants Society NSW Ltd Our vision: inspiring people to admire, grow and conserve native plants
WHAT’S ON IN 2024
| 9 October Wednesday 10am: | Propagation |
| 26 October Saturday | Bushwalk Lake Parramatta. Leader Jennifer Farrer |
| 6 November Wednesday 10am: | Propagation |
| 23 November Saturday | Members’ meeting and end-of-year celebration Gumnut Hall |
| 4 December Wednesday 10am: | Propagation |
If you’d like to come to our propagation days at Bidjiwong Community Nursery and haven’t been before, you can get details from Lesley Waite – phone 0438 628 483
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Members’ meeting Saturday 23 November at 2pm
Gumnut Hall, Gumnut Place Cherrybrook
Jennifer Farrer
The speaker will be James Indsto, one of our own members, and his subject ‘Forensic botany in major crime and drug identification’
You may remember James’ fascinating talk to us last year about the mimicry used by Diuris Orchids to encourage pollination. James will talk this time about his experiences as a forensic botanist.
James has always had an interest in science and horticulture, and started out by training in horticulture. A BSc. in biology led to a role in plant virology research and then in cancer genetics. This led to a position with NSW Police as a forensic botanist, where he has undertaken major crime casework.
In his talk, James will explore some of the techniques used to present evidence such as analysing leaf fragments, wood, pollen and Cannabis.
James says “Simple microscopy techniques can be very useful. Quality photography is a big advantage. Forensic botanists usually have limited time and resources for specimen preparation, so simple is good.
My forte is specialized photography techniques so these will be featured. An important principle in expert evidence presentation is the idea that the expert needs to demonstrate their ability to do the work. Gone are the days when a respected person such as the family doctor might give an opinion on almost anything and be believed. So, showing the actual evidence is important.
Most forensic botanists spend most of their time on drug botany. I am in the process of writing up a project on Cannabis microscopic features photographed using the photomacro technique with image stacking. This has been a reason to develop skills in this area.”
The meeting will conclude with an end-of-year celebratory afternoon tea.
Visitors are welcome.
‘No plantation can ever replace the wild, but if we do plant, we should seek to recreate its wonder and variety.’
— Peter Ridgeway, A Wide & Open Land, 2021
Dead wood as an ecosystem resource
Kevin Mills
From Budawangia August 2024
A recent visit to Shoalhaven Heads encountered a huge amount of timber piled up at the mouth of the Shoalhaven River, brought down in several very large floods over the last two years. As I looked across the hectares of fallen trees, I pondered what value dead timber such as this has for nature?
The value of dead wood in bushland has been mentioned in these pages previously. The wood in and around rivers and lakes also has important values in these fluvial and lacustrine ecosystems.
Timber-covered sand bar at the mouth of the Shoalhaven River, August 2024.
Logs present in these aquatic ecosystems provide habitat for many species. We have finally come to appreciate this fact, and now place logs in rivers to enhance habitat rather than drag them out to ‘clean up’ the river. In-stream timber provides shelter and food for several groups of animals, from fish to invertebrates, and as the timber breaks down it provides nutrients.
Erosion control is also an important function, such as slowing the flow of water and protecting river banks. Flood-delivered timber breaks down on the floodplains with the help of fungi and invertebrates, the resultant humus enriching the soil. Washed onto beaches, strewn timber provides nutrients to the beach ecosystem, shelter and nesting sites for some birds, such as the Red-capped Plover, along with habitat for invertebrates.
Dead wood has as much value as when it is alive, albeit providing a different suite of values to ecosystems. So, resist the temptation to tidy up bushland, river or beach and go bird watching instead.
What is biodiversity?
From NSW Dept. of Environment under Creative Commons
Biodiversity is the collection of different types of life found in any one area. The trees, plants and animals – even the microorganisms, like bacteria, that live on the plants and animals.
To bring that closer to home, we’re talking about the grass beneath your feet and the worms and snails in your garden. From the birds in the sky to the fish in the sea, biodiversity is all around you.
Everything in biodiversity is linked
All these creatures living together create an ecosystem, and each part is essential. A fungi or bacteria feeds a plant, which feeds a snail, which feeds a small bird or mammal, which spreads seeds that become trees. These trees might be used to shelter or feed other wildlife, while also absorbing carbon dioxide – which keeps the air we breathe clean. Even water is affected by biodiversity – it’s filtered by healthy wetlands and soils.
Biodiversity is necessary for survival
If an ecosystem has biodiversity, it is resilient.
Consider a butterfly in its caterpillar stage. It eats various plants. If one of these plant species fell victim to disease or climate change, the caterpillar could eat other surviving species. But what if it lived in an ecosystem with low biodiversity? That might mean there was only one plant species available to them to begin with. Then, when it disappeared, this caterpillar would die too – disappearing from that ecosystem. Then the birds and lizards who relied on it would go hungry, and without the butterfly, many plants would remain unpollinated, and so vegetation would reduce, and so on up and across the food chain. Ecosystems without biodiversity are at risk of collapse.
Why we should care about biodiversity
We need healthy ecosystems for our most critical survival needs such as clean air and fresh water, and ecosystems need biodiversity to be healthy and survive a changing world. The many unique birds, butterflies and bacteria we share the planet with might seem unrelated to us, but biodiversity underpins human survival. Beyond meeting our core needs, biodiversity also provides us with the things that we simply enjoy. So, if we are to continue enjoying the benefits of healthy ecosystems, we need to protect the very foundations that enable us to exist – our biodiversity.
While browsing old computer files recently I came across this write-up of a trip to the Blue Mountains about five years ago. I’m sure it hasn’t been in Calgaroo before.
Happy reading . . .
Blue Mountains adventure
Ian Cox with Lesley Waite
The number one priority of our trip to the Blue Mountains on 7th September 2019 was to hear Liz Benson’s talk about the Wollemi Pine at the Wentworth Falls History Centre. While we were there, as well as absorbing the views around the falls, we wanted to do some plant exploring on Kings Tableland, and also take a look at the location of Grevillea ‘Lawson Queen’, discovered by Pip Gibian in 1988.
After Liz Benson’s fascinating presentation, our first stop was Wentworth Falls Lake, which was created to supply water for the steam engines on the nearby railway. It’s a delightful park, very scenic and extensive, and features large sandstone sculptures of the seedpods of plants native to the area. Two endangered species, the Giant Dragonfly and the Blue Mountains Water Skink, live here. I probably shouldn’t mention this, but when I was a child, I accidentally fell into the lake from the wharf. And it was wintertime too!
Wentworth Falls Lake. Photo Lesley Waite
Then we drove across to the falls. I should mention the weather. It was extremely cold and windy. I checked the actual weather readings later for nearby Katoomba, and the day’s temperatures ranged between 2 and 4 degrees. The wind blew from the west-south-west at 46 kph with gusts much higher. At the lookouts near the top of the falls, people were getting drenched as the water was blown up by the strong winds. On occasions not a drop of water seemed to be going down!
The upside-down waterfall. Photo Lesley Waite
A small shrub that enjoys these constantly moist situations is Pherosphaera fitzgeraldii (formerly named Microstrobus fitzgeraldii) or Dwarf Mountain Pine.
It’s an endangered species that only grows on wet rocks and ledges on south-facing waterfalls between Wentworth Falls and Katoomba, and we could see it in the distance.
The views of Jamison Valley and Mount Solitary from the falls were magnificent as usual. Now and again, I get envious of people living in the mountains so close to such natural wonders. Except for the sometimes-extreme weather, of course!
In 1836 a young Charles Darwin visited the falls on his way to Bathurst. He wrote: “There is a view exceedingly well worth visiting . . . Below is the grand bay or gulf, for I know not what other name to give it, thickly covered with forest. The point of view is situated as it were at the head of the Bay, for the line of cliff diverges away on either side, showing headland, behind headland, as on a bold Sea coast . . .
This kind of view was to me quite novel and extremely magnificent.”
Jamison Valley and Mount Solitary viewed from the falls. Photo Lesley Waite.
After a quick lunch, we went across to Kings Tableland – along Tablelands Road, parked in Chester Road and took a wander down the bush track to Rocket Point Lookout. Here, right at the lookout and rather appropriately sprawled over the rocks opposite the falls, as if it was keeping a permanent watch over this wonderful scenery, was Darwinia fascicularis subsp.oligantha. This is an attractive decumbent shrub I’ve been growing in the garden for years. It’s very hardy, and where the branches contact the soil, they usually take root.
The genus Darwinia was named after Charles Darwin’s grandfather, Erasmus Darwin, who was a well-known English physician. He was also a natural philosopher, physiologist, inventor and poet.
On this walk, we noticed that the flora was generally stunted, no doubt due to the harsh conditions and rocky terrain. The Proteacae family had by far the greatest representation here – Banksia cunninghamiana, B. ericifolia, B. oblongifolia, B. serrata, Hakea dactyloides, H. teretifolia, Isopogon anemonifolius, Petrophile pulchella and Lambertia formosa were spotted.
We bumped into (sometimes literally) a Hakea with yellow flowers and needle-like leaves that was vaguely familiar. I pondered over its identity for a few days, and concluded that it must be Hakea propinqua. Now, my reference books are fairly old, and after a bit more time I finally woke up. I noticed in my Fairley and Moore a note under Hakea propinqua that says: “A yellow flowered form in the higher Blue Mountains is now regarded as a new species, H. pachyphylla.” And do you know what? A few years ago, Alan Fairley had given me a plant of it (along with a few other unusual ones), and it’s still growing here in my garden!
Hakea pachyphylla. Photo Lesley Waite.
Next, on to Lawson. Pip’s Grevillea ‘Lawson Queen’ is most likely a natural hybrid between G. sericea and G. oleoides. It has large deep pink flowers and grows in a very small area north of Lawson.
Pip has registered this plant with the Australian Cultivar Registration Authority, and her application notes said: “Thought to be a Grevillea sericea hybrid, possibly with G. oleoides which also occurs in the area. The differences are in the deepness of the pink in the flower colour and the leaf characteristics. The very best-coloured G. sericea comes nowhere near it. The leaves are much wider than G. sericea. The leaf is a much darker green than G. sericea. Grevillea sericea can be quite variable in leaf, and for a while, it was thought it could possibly be a new species however it does not set seed suggesting it may be a sterile hybrid. It has been in the applicant’s garden since it was first collected.”
Today we found that the fire trail leading to the site of G. ‘Lawson Queen’ has a locked gate. It was late afternoon, and although quite close to its location we didn’t have quite enough time to continue our journey on foot. However, we did have a short meander in the bush just past the gate. There was plenty of Grevillea sericea and what I thought was G. oleoides here, the latter having large rose-pink flowers. However, when Pip saw Lesley’s photo (below) of one of these plants she thought it could be a hybrid. After all, there are many intergrades and look-alikes in the area, but there’s none as pretty as G. ‘Lawson Queen’.
Here too was Woollsia pungens, on which most plants had a mixture of white and pink flowers. We had never seen this before – perhaps the pink flowers change colour to white as they age?
On a previous visit, I had seen an unusual form of Grevillea laurifolia growing in this vicinity, with long upright leaves like rabbits’ ears.
Woollsia pungens, with unusual pink and white flowers. Photo Lesley Waite.
It was getting dark. It had been a fabulous day, and we couldn’t have crammed anything more into it. Our passion for being totally immersed in native plants had been temporarily satisfied!
To find out, click here.
Those of you who are members of the Fern Study Group would know Dan Johnston, who is treasurer, newsletter editor and membership officer of that group.
Dan and his wife regularly volunteer at remote sanctuaries for wildlife around Australia, and Dan has written this article to give you an idea of the many tasks that volunteers carry out at these locations.
Very commendable and rewarding work . . .
Our Volunteer Activities at Epping Forest National Park
Dan Johnston
With my wife, Wendy, in the last year our main remote volunteer activities have been caretaking Epping Forest National Park for the Queensland Government Threatened Species Section (October), assisting the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) (June and July)), at Kalamurina Wildlife Sanctuary in South Australia (June), and at Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary in the Northern Territory (July).
We also had about 10 days at Epping Forest in April, which is a haven for the critically endangered northern hairy-nosed wombat, helping prepare for trapping. To do this we were digging into the entrances of selected burrows to neatly fit the traps there. We also checked the operation of the traps, making minor repairs and adjustments to the triggering mechanism where necessary. We also whipper-snipped around the trap locations so the vets could have convenient access when a wombat was trapped which would be at night.
Epping Forest National Park was declared in 1971 to protect the only remaining population of northern hairy-nosed wombats, which was believed to have less than 40 members at that time. The population is now believed to be over 300. There has also been a small relocated insurance population at Richard Underwood Nature Refuge (RUNR) north of St George in southern Queensland since 2008 for which AWC has recently taken over management from Qld Threatened Species. Wendy and I have also volunteered there for a month on several occasions. In June this year, 15 wombats trapped at Epping Forest were transferred to a third site, Powrunna State Forest, NW of St George. This new site (2400ha) is much larger than RUNR (about 150ha) so could support a much larger population than RUNR. Epping Forest NP is about 3000ha. There is also a predator-proof fence at Powrunna, but it is not intended to have caretakers at Powrunna.
As caretakers at Epping Forest, each day we document prints in several sand plots at track junctions, check half of the Dingo-proof fence, and check and top up the header tank which provides water to small water troughs distributed through the park. Other tasks that are done weekly, although typically spread over a couple of days, are: cleaning the water troughs; collecting cards from wildlife cameras and changing their rechargeable batteries; monitoring selected burrows for signs of activity; using a water trailer to top up the tanks on a couple of water troughs that aren’t connected to the main header tank; and a maintenance check on the Suzuki Jimny we use while on the park.
Probably the most time-consuming task is checking the camera cards and culling the pictures or videos that don’t have anything of interest regarding wombat conservation. We keep any that have wombat or cat footage. The fence at Epping Forest is not cat proof and there are occasional cat culling efforts by National Parks staff. Some of the discarded camera material is quite interesting although not relevant to wombat conservation. A camera on a water trough will pick up quite a variety of animals using them: kangaroos, wallabies, bettongs, echidnas, possums, and a variety of birds. It is not unusual to see animals with young, as many of them prosper in the favourable environment provided in the park.
If we were to see a dingo on camera or a dingo print on the sand plots, we would contact National Parks who would act to eradicate it as soon as possible as dingos are the main immediate threat to the wombats. We haven’t personally encountered this issue, but it has happened. The most likely fence issue is a wombat burrow near or under it, which will be filled in, perhaps with other measures – stakes, mesh – to discourage the digging. There are sometimes water issues – we see the header tank low or empty, most often caused by an echidna disrupting the float valve on a water trough – which has to be found and fixed.
There are quite comfortable donga-type quarters, with a kitchen, showers, and toilets in one donga, the office with internet-connected computer equipment, etc, in another and two with bedrooms. Normally only one couple will be there caretaking, but periodically more staff are required. There is a large roofed, but open, central area.
There are other less regular tasks. We do basic maintenance of the facilities. There is a small tractor as well as the Jimny, and competent caretakers are encouraged to do servicing on the vehicles. When it rains, we can be isolated for some time. At these times it is the caretakers’ responsibility to fill large tanks near the quarters from the normally dry creek nearby and also other tanks from gilgais on which they are located. A gilgai is a small depression that forms naturally in some soils with a clay content.
As wombats are nocturnal, we don’t often see a wombat in the flesh – never at RUNR as the accommodation there is outside the fenced area – but one will occasionally be seen grazing at night adjacent to the accommodation, or might even wander right through in the dark, perhaps banging something on its way through.
Interesting Links . . .
The Wild Deserts program is trying to reverse our mammal extinctions – from The ABC.
The cheapest, easiest ways to deal with weeds in gardens – from The ABC.
Restoring degraded land by mimicking nature – from The ABC.
A sea of spectacular wildflowers is bringing hope to the outback – from The ABC.
Rewilding Suburbia – from Gardening Australia.
Wildflower season in full bloom after record rain in WA’s Midwest – from The ABC.
Where did all these dragonflies come from? – from The Conversation.
Buried treasures: how seeds help us learn about fire in the Australian landscape – from The Conversation.
Restoring the land after the largest dam removal in US history – from The BBC.
It’s about time they restored Lake Pedder!
Bushwalk Lake Parramatta Saturday 26 October 2024 at 2.00 pm.
Jennifer Farrer
Our next walk will be at Lake Parramatta.
We will be walking on the West side of the Lake which is more rugged. There is a large variety of plants growing on the sandstone here. However, the recent dry spell means we probably won’t see many flowers. The challenge will be to identify plants without them. Walkers will still be rewarded with beautiful views over the lake. We may have time to walk to the dam wall with views down the Hunts Creek valley.
We will meet at the car park accessed from North Rocks Road. If the car park is full, there should be space to park in Whitbread Place on the opposite side of North Rocks Road.
Please wear closed shoes and a hat. Bring water.
Please register your attendance by sending an email to apsparrahills@gmail.com.
Visit Fairfield Indigenous Flora Park – Saturday 21 September 2024
Jennifer Farrer
Eight members ventured west to Prairiewood for this visit. This small area of Cumberland Plain Woodland is on the opposite side of Orphan School Creek to the Fairfield Showground. There is also an extensive vegetation corridor along the creek.
The Flora Park was created in response to a residents’ campaign more than 30 years ago. The event that sealed the decision was the discovery by Fairfield Garden Club members of several plants of Acacia pubescens growing on the site. Some of these plants can be seen from the footpath outside growing through the boundary fence.
The park is enclosed on all sides and access can only be made on a guided tour. The residents’ Bushcare group which maintains the park with assistance from Fairfield Council meets on the third Saturday of every month. This is why our visit was organised a week earlier than our usual meeting date.
Our guide was Bob Ward, the group’s leader. Unfortunately, the recent hot dry weather has finished off the flowers. Apparently, the park was a picture a month ago. We could see the faded remnants of pea flowers such as Bossiaea genistifolia and ulicifolia. The remnants of clouds of Clematis glycinoides could also be seen. Still flowering were several species of Dianella, Goodenia and a dainty creeper Geitonoplesium cymosum. A list of the plants we noticed is on our website.
When we had finished our visit, we found out that the Council Nursery was holding an open day. What a bonus! We walked the short distance across Orphan School Creek to the Showground where it is located. It is quite extensive and well-equipped. Members were impressed with the facilities but even more so by the free plants on offer.
We then adjourned for lunch in the adjacent Deerbush Park. This is another remnant vegetation park. Amongst the tall Eucalyptus fibrosa, the Council has installed a large playground and picnic facilities. The understorey has been fenced so that it can still flourish.
On an earlier visit, I saw a rare creeper Marsdenia viridiflora growing in the park but we couldn’t find it this time.
NSW Region Gathering 14 September 2024
Oatley Park Walk
Jennifer Farrer
Members of the Harbour Georges River Group and Oatley Flora and Fauna Society led us on The Headland Walk at Oatley Park. This is a scenically beautiful walk with continuous views over the Georges River through sandstone woodland dominated by magnificent Angophoras. The track was developed with assistance from Alan Fairley who lives nearby. Many members will be familiar with the book he co-authored with Philip Moore, Native Plants of the Sydney Region.
We saw many familiar Hawkesbury sandstone plants, some still in flower such as Daviesia corymbosa and some which were new to me such as Leucopogon amplexicaulis and a climbing orchid in full flower Erythrorchis cassythoides.
After lunch, the Quarterly meeting was held. The speaker was Rhonda Daniels, from Sutherland Group who will be well known to many members. She gave a comprehensive presentation on “Amazing Acacias” which included not just an exposition of their amazing diversity but also their use in Indigenous culture and European history.
It was appropriate to have this talk in September as 1 September was proclaimed as Wattle Day in 1992 in response to a campaign led by APS Armidale member Maria Hitchcock. Maybe next year our Group can undertake an activity on Wattle Day.
Share your stories . . .
Your contributions to Calgaroo are always welcome.
If you have interesting observations of plants in the garden or the bush, photos, or any other news, please send them to me at itcox@bigpond.com for the next edition.
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In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of our Country, the people of the Dharug Nation, whose cultures and customs have nurtured, and continue to nurture, this land since time immemorial. We honour and celebrate the spiritual, cultural and customary connections of Traditional Owners to Country and the biodiversity that forms part of that Country.
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Parramatta and Hills District Group
SECRETARY: Jennifer Farrer apsparrahills@gmail.com 0407 456 577
EDITOR: Ian Cox itcox@bigpond.com