8 May 2015 – What is the measure of your success? – Nature’s Stocktake
Posted on 28 April, 2015 by Connecting Country
There are still a small number places available for the final session in our Autumn 2015 workshop program which will cover how to monitor and measure the outcomes of your restoration project. Expert presenters Paul Foreman from Blue Devil Consulting and Terri Williams from Bendigo TAFE will provide participants with an understanding of vegetation structure and function and will include learning how to undertake practical, easy and repeatable methods for measuring the health of your patch.
Connecting Country staff will also a give an overview our nest-box monitoring and annual bird surveys, for those with an interest in the animal aspect of bush restoration.
As this workshop will be undertaken on a beautiful bush block in Taradale (which is protected in perpetuity by a Conservation Covenant), attendees will be able to see and feel what might be regarded as an intact reference area for works on their property. The day runs from 10am to 3.30pm (Fri 8 May), with lunch provided by local food legends CAKE. Travel by bus from Castlemaine to the site is included if required.
So snuggly! Monitoring nest boxes can be rewarding and part of measuring the success of your restoration project
If you’d like to come along, please contact Naomi on 03 5472 1594 or email naomi@connectingcountry.org.au.
Connecting Country’s Online Discussion Forum
Posted on 24 April, 2015 by Connecting Country
With the upgrade of Connecting Country’s website in the second half of 2014, the opportunity to include a Discussion Forum within it was too good to pass up.
The main aim of our Forum is to provide a space where members, staff and other supporters of Connecting Country can share ideas about different aspects of Landscape Restoration at the local scale, and also national and international ideas and events. 
It was originally planned as a place where participants in our Education Program could continue their conversations after the completion of a field day – but it has been expanded to include all aspects of Connecting Country’s activities (e.g., education and engagement; flora and fauna monitoring; Landcare; on-ground habitat restoration; plus anything else relevant to Landscape Restoration in the Mount Alexander Region and beyond). Our resident ornithologist Tanya is already excited about the possibilities it has for discussing the latest sightings and surveys for the Feathered Five.
A link to the Forum can be found on the Home page of our website, or by following this link (http://connectingcountry.org.au/forums/). We encourage our members, blog subscribers and other interested people to register as contributors to the Forum. Or, if you’re wary of registering, you can also go to the Forum at anytime to see what others are discussing.
Unfortunately, there are a couple of steps to follow to become a registered user (click here for a step-by-step instruction guide with diagrams), but once you’ve got through this initial process then the Forum is yours to explore. Add to an existing topic of conversation or start a new topic – which doesn’t have to be about Connecting Country. All discussions are effectively un-moderated, but Connecting Country staff will intervene if there are personal attacks or other unsavoury comments made.
Feel free to pose a question or comment within the Forum. And remember, there are no stupid questions – except, possibly, the one that is not asked!
If you have any suggestions about how the Forum might be improved, please let us know. (Many thanks to the Norman Wettenhall Foundation for supporting the upgrade to the Connecting Country website, including the Discussion Forum).
Could we have a local winner for the 2015 Landcare Awards?
Posted on 23 April, 2015 by Connecting Country
There are many amazing Landcare groups individual contributors across the Mount Alexander Shire and surrounds. The work they are undertaking is not just making the local environment a healthier place to live, work and play, but they are making a significant contribution a healthier environment across the region and Victoria.
Through until the 21 June 2015, nominations are being sought for the Victorian Landcare Awards. There are a range of different categories.
If you know of a group, an individual or some other Landcare contributor that you believe is a worthy recipient – why not nominate them?
For more information, see the Landcare Awards website (click here).
Unlocking the Secrets of the Grey Plover
Posted on 23 April, 2015 by Connecting Country
The Mount Alexander Shire and surrounds in is not usually considered a hot-spot for migratory wading birds. Those who follow the Natural Newstead blog will know that Cairn Curran has a restricted range of sandpipers, plovers and other Spring-Summer visitors from the northern hemisphere. And, before there was a change in treatment practices 10 or more years ago, the sewerage settling ponds in Castlemaine also used to be a regular wader haunt at the right time of year. However, one species that has probably not ever visited the local area is the Grey Plover. This migratory wader likes coastal-zone habitats.
Relatively little is known about the movement patterns of this tiny species. But, somewhat incredibly, effectively only female birds every migrate to Australia each year from their Siberian and Alaskan breeding grounds. No-one is really sure why the vast majority of male Grey Plovers do not migrate here as well, nor do they know where they go instead!
A group of Grey Plovers in breeding plumage. (Image from BirdLife Australia and Australian Wader Study Group’s Pozzible page)
Our friends at BirdLife Australia, in conjunction with the Australian Wader Study Group, have launched a fundraising campaign so that scientists can learn more about their migratory pathways. The funds raised will allow satellite-tracking devices to be purchased and then attached to a small sample of Grey Plovers. If their crucial habitats and stop-over locations can be identified, then the chances that this declining species can be better protected will improve.
Donations can be made to the project at their Pozzible fund-raising website (click here), with all donations over $2 being tax deductible. And, like other Pozzible campaigns, you can get some nice rewards and gifts depending on the size of the donation. This website link also has much more information about the biology of the Grey Plover and the broader campaign to help this species.
11-13 May 2015 – Grant Writing Workshops in northern Victoria
Posted on 23 April, 2015 by Connecting Country
The North Central CMA is coordinating a series of free one-day workshops. The first half of each day covers Strategic Grant Writing and Grant Seeking for community groups (particularly Landcare groups). The second half of each day explores ideas about how groups can be re-energised.
These workshops are to be held at the following locations and times:
– 11 May in Echuca
– 12 May in Huntly
– 13 May in St Arnaud
For further information, see the attached flyer (click here).
RSVPs are required as places are limited. Contact the North Central CMA by 6 May 2015 at info@nccma.vic.gov.au or call 03 5448-7124.
26 April 2015 – Mayor to launch the resumption of Cactus battle
Posted on 23 April, 2015 by Connecting Country
The Tarrangower Cactus Control Group and Parks Victoria will open their Cactus Killing season this Sunday 26th April 2015. As usual they will start at 10.30 am. The venue for the opening field day is in Watersons Road near the corner of Tarrengower School Road. Follow the signs from the Watersons Road turn off on the Bridgewater-Maldon Road.
Everyone is welcome to join in.
The special guest this Sunday will be Cr Christine Henderson, the Mayor of Mount Alexander Shire, who has agreed to launch the 2015 season.
The cactus injecting will be followed by a free cuppa and BBQ. Further details are in the attached flyer (click here).
For more details about the menace posed to the local area by Wheel Cactus, and the work that the Tarrangower Cactus Control Group is doing to control it, can be found on the Cactus Warriors website (click here).
Nest boxes, Phascogales and Gliders
Posted on 21 April, 2015 by Connecting Country
One of Connecting Country’s main activities is to monitor biodiversity across the Mount Alexander region. From 2009 to 2011, clusters of three nest boxes were installed at approximately 150 locations as a tool to monitor the distribution and health of the Brush-tailed Phascogale (also commonly known as the Tuan). These specially designed nest boxes were installed in both public and private land, and within large and small patches of native woodland and forest habitat.
The nest box entrance has been chewed to widen it – possibly by a parrot or possum.
In April and May of 2011, 2012 and 2014 with landholders’ permission, Connecting Country staff undertook monitoring of a large sample of these boxes. April and May is the time of year that has the least disturbance upon the Tuan. In late 2014, a short report of the overall findings, and the specific results for their properties, was sent to the landholders involved. A copy of this report is available (click here).
In summary from the 2014 surveys, about 30% of sites have Tuans present (which is the same as for 2012) and about 85% of sites have Sugar Gliders present (up from 75% in 2012). We think this is a pretty good result, and indicates a relatively healthy and stable population of both species.
We undertake a comprehensive survey of boxes every second year – so 2016 will be another big one. In the intervening years (including 2015), we encourage landholders to observe their boxes on dusk during April and May, and to let us know which animals come out of them, if any. An instructional guide which describes how to passively monitor nest boxes was produced by Connecting Country in 2013 (click here) – and a recording sheet can also be downloaded (click here). If time allows, we hope to visit a small number of boxes during autumn 2015, particularly those that have not been checked in previous years.
A local landholder in the Yandoit area has a remote surveillance camera set up to watch his nest boxes. The short videos he has recorded provide interesting (and often amusing) insights. (NB: We have found that these videos work on most, but not all, computers. Apologies in advance if they don’t all work on your computer!).
– Click here to see a video of two young gliders gliding off from the top of the box
– Click here to see a video of a female Tuan entering the box with a young one clinging to her back
– Click here to see interactions between a glider and a Tuan
Many thanks for these great videos.
Watch this website over the coming weeks for more information about the Tuan. And if you do see a Tuan anywhere across the region, please send us the details to add to our database (info@connectingcountry.org.au).
(If we checked the boxes on your property last year, and you haven’t yet received your individual results – I apologise. We are missing some contact details for landholders. Please let us know, and we’ll send your update through straight away).
Have Your Say on The Next 10 Years…
Posted on 20 April, 2015 by Connecting Country
The Mount Alexander Shire Council is about to release a draft of of its much anticipated ‘Environment Strategy 2015 – 2025’.
The strategy will outline the Shire’s eight environmental priority areas for the next ten years. All residents of the Shire are invited to provide feedback on the strategy.
Photo courtesy of the Friends of the Box-Ironbark Forests.
How to provide feedback?
The draft strategy will be available online via the Your Input section of Council’s website from Thursday 23 April until Thursday 14 May 2015. Comments can be made via email to info@mountalexander.vic.gov.au or in person at the workshops.
Workshops will be held:
- Tuesday 28 April from 6.30pm until 8.00pm, Newstead Community Centre
- Wednesday 29 April from 6.30pm until 8.00pm, Leisure Centre, Harcourt
- Thursday 30 April from 1.00pm until 2.30pm, Town Hall, Castlemaine
- Thursday 30 April from 6.30pm until 8.00pm, Town Hall, Castlemaine
To attend please register with Dallas Giles, Healthy Environments Administration Officer with the shire, on 5471 1768 or via email d.giles@mountalexander.vic.gov.au .
Click here to download an invitation to the workshops.
Mount Alexander Landcare Forum – 19 June 2015
Posted on 17 April, 2015 by Connecting Country
If you’ve ever wanted to grow your own timber, learn more about using fire to manage pastures, save a plant from local extinction, organise a successful festival or meet a whole lot of Landcare members then the Mount Alexander Landcare Forum is the place to do it!
The forum will include a series of presentations on topics including: Agroforestry & Landcare (Ben Boxshall), Applying Indigenous Fire Knowledge to Pasture Management (Brendon Kennedy & Paul Foreman), Saving the Silver Banksias of Baynton Sidonia (Clare Claydon) and a dinner presentation on the Lake Bolac Eel Festival and Healing Walk (Una Allendar & Brett Clark).
As well as the talks there will be a social dinner and music from forum presenter and Gunditjmara man Brett Clarke.
The Forum is for Landcare and Friends group members, NRM professionals and anyone with an interest in the topics or Landcare volunteering in the Mount Alexander Region. The Forum is free for Landcare members and $10 for non-members.
Click Here for more information about the forum presenters and their topics.
Date: Friday 19th June 2015
Time: Starts at 3pm (Click here to view flyer with program)
Location: Campbells Creek Community Hall, Elizabeth St, Campbells Creek (map here)
RSVP: To Max Schlachter by Friday 12th June to max@connectingcountry.org.au or 5472 1594
The Mount Alexander Landcare Forum is being organised by Connecting Country’s Local Landcare Facilitator with funding from the North Central Catchment Management Authority.
Places available for Revegetation Workshop – 19 April 2015
Posted on 15 April, 2015 by Connecting Country
Connecting Country’s community planting day in Elphinstone 2014
We’ve received a little bit of rain this week. So, is it time to start planting?
We have less than ten spots left for this Sunday 19th of April workshop titled ‘To Plant or not to Plant”. On a working farm in Elphinstone, our three excellent presenters will take you through different methods available for actively restoring the bush. See our earlier blog for more details (click here).
We’ll have a delicious lunch and afternoon tea by the local organisation CAKE.
The day runs form 10am-3.30pm and there is a courtesy bus departing from Castlemaine going to and from the site . If you’d like to come along, please contact Naomi on 03 5472 1594 or email naomi@connectingcountry.org.au.
Making Connections: A bird’s eye view
Posted on 14 April, 2015 by Tanya Loos
On Friday 27 March 2015, some 30 people gathered together with me (Tanya Loos) and other Connecting Country staff in the Sutton Grange area to explore landscape ecology using the feathered five as our practical examples – these being the five focal species for the Habitat for Bush Birds project; the Jacky Winter, Painted Button-quail, Hooded Robin, Brown Treecreeper and the Diamond Firetail.
Dr Pia Lentini, an ecologist from Melbourne University brought her considerable expertise to the Sutton Grange hall to introduce us to concepts such as landscape connectivity and landscape ecology. Pia also introduced us to some principles of conservation planning – In particular, how do we prioritise our actions? We dipped our toes into this complex field by looking at a case studies and plenty of pictures of woodland birds. Pia concluded with mapped examples of conservation planning work that she has undertaken using the eleven priority woodland bird zones identified for the Habitat for Bush Birds project. Watch this space – as Pia’s research is completed we will let you know more!
After lunch, David Merrick from Tarrleah Drive in Sedgwick shared the story of the revegetation work that has been achieved in his small community over the past fifteen years. As one participant said, David’s talk summarised beautifully “ the community interaction to create the habitat, and the ongoing interaction required to continue the work”. Resident Tamsin Byrne also kindly lent us her photo albums from the Tarrleah Drive revegetation works. We visited Tamsin’s property after lunch for a bird walk.
We were most fortunate to have Shane Carey present on the day to take some photographs. Shane is a photojournalism student at Latrobe University, who is taking photos of Connecting Country and our activities for his university requirements. Thanks Shane!
For more photos, pdfs of the presentations and further reading from the Making Connections workshop, visit the webpage (click here).
Birdwatchers dwarfed by Tamsin Byrne’s incredible Red Box tree.
23 April 2015 – Why music happened; birdsong, music and the evolution of listening
Posted on 10 April, 2015 by Tanya Loos
The Castlemaine Library is set to come alive later this month with the sounds of bird calls, frog choruses and drumbeats. “Why music happened; birdsong, music and the evolution of listening” is a sonic journey presented by Andrew Skeoch.
Andrew will explore how nature – through birdsong, animal calls, insect and frog choruses – uses sound to communicate, survive and adapt, and will discuss how music has evolved in our own species.
Andrew is a bioacoustic researcher, musician and sound recordist. His intriguing conclusions are supported by audio recordings made over 20 years in wild habitats the world over, and will have you appreciating music from an entirely fresh perspective.
This free event is being hosted by the Castlemaine Library – Bookings are essential – please click here or phone the library on 5472 1458.
Light refreshments provided.
Thursday, 23 April 2015 – 6:00pm to 7:30pm
Castlemaine Library
1 May 2015 – North Central Volunteer Recognition Event
Posted on 9 April, 2015 by Connecting Country
If you’re a Landcare or Waterwatch volunteer from the North Central region then you’re invited to a special event to celebrate your achievements.
The volunteer recognition event being run by the North Central Catchment Management Authority on Friday 1st May 2015 will have a range of activities on offer, including:
- Guided tour of a local Landcare and Waterwatch projects
– Discover borth central Victoria’s rare Yarra Gums and Snow Gums.
– Learn about Birch’s Creek and its resident Platypus. - Twilight picnic against the backdrop of Anderson’s Mill at Smeaton.
- Moonlight cinema showcasing short films from the EnvironmentalFilm Festival Melbourne.
When: Friday 1 May 2015
Time: 4.00 pm – Guided tour
5.30 pm – Twilight picnic and moonlight cinema
9.00 pm – Event close
Where: Anderson’s Mill, Creswick-Newstead Road, Smeaton
Cost: FREE. BYO warm clothing, picnic and drinks. BBQ dinner and cheese platters available for purchase.
RSVP: Is essential to the North Central CMA by Wednesday 29 April 2015 via email info@nccma.vic.gov.au or phone 03 5448 7124. Please advise if you are buying dinner and/or cheese platter
Click here to download the official invitation from the North central CMA website.
New Edition of ‘chat’ – March 2015
Posted on 9 April, 2015 by Connecting Country
The March 2015 edition of the North Central CMA publication ‘chat’ is now available and can be viewed by following this link (Click here). Amongst other articles, this edition includes details for a Landcare volunteer recognition event at the end of April, a summary of the Future Farming Expo held in early March, a Wheel Cactus forum and a nice piece about Doug Ralph from Robyn Haylett of the Castlemaine Landcare Group.
The ‘Landcare Trailer’ is back in business
Posted on 9 April, 2015 by Connecting Country
The Landcare trailer has been in a ‘transition phase’ since October last year when the Mount Alexander Shire Council decided that they could no longer house it and Connecting Country said that they would take it on.
And now, like a strangely patterned reptile emerging from hibernation, the trailer is ready to go out into the world again.
It has had a going over by a mechanic; it’s been hosed out; it’s got a shiny new number plate and a new adapter. The only thing still missing is a coat of paint!
The Landcare trailer can be used by Landcare and Friends groups in the Mount Alexander region who would like to use it on a group project. It can also be used by landholders who are undertaking a project that is supported by Connecting Country. In the past the trailer has found most use at planting days where its 400 litre water tank, buckets, mattocks, mallets and other tools come in very handy.
The full list of equipment that the trailer contains can be found on the ‘Landcare Trailer’ page of the Connecting Country website. While you’re there take a look at the other resources that are available for loan to groups such as wildlife cameras, binoculars and bird guides, GPS units, market stall tent and more.
If your group would like to borrow the trailer contact Max at max@connectingcountry.org.au or 5472 1594. Its new home is the Connecting Country depot on Campbell Street, Castlemaine – only a block or two from it’s previous address.
Saving the paddock trees
Posted on 7 April, 2015 by Connecting Country
Successful revegetation at its best.
Arie and Erica Eyles’s stunning property near Kooroocheang contains rich grazing country on a plateau, giving way to a steep escarpment that drops into Joyces Creek. The property has a long history of environmental works including erosion control across the escarpment, remnant vegetation protection, riparian restoration and an impressive amount of revegetation. Some of this revegetation was planted as part of Connecting Country’s Woodland Bird program in 2013 and is yielding impressive results with a nearly 100% success rate which Arie attributes to good site preparation and rainfall at the right time.
Just as impressive are the 400 year old River Red-gums that dot the property. Paddock trees are incredibly valuable – both ecologically and on the farm. In addition to providing shade and shelter for stock, they are important refuges and breeding sites for some local fauna species and provide a crucial ‘stepping stone’ between isolated bush patches for other bush-dependant fauna.
400 year old red gum’s dot the property.
Unfortunately these giants are having trouble establishing the next generation of trees on the Eyles property. With support from Connecting Country, Arie has come up with an ingenious solution – moveable, cattle-proof guards. Made out of stockyard panels, the ‘temporary’ fences involve higher initial costs than some other solutions, but they are certainly effective in protecting vulnerable regenerating saplings from the cattle and they are reuseable. Once the saplings reach a height where they can withstand grazing and rubbing by cattle, the guards can be moved to protect a new set of regenerating saplings. Over the longer term, this recycling of the guards reduces the cost of this solution.
There are other ways to protect large old paddock trees and encourage the next generation of them. Some people place a 44 gal drum around the sapling, secured with a star picket – although you need to remember to remove the drum before the sapling gets too big! Other people build stock-proof fences around remnant paddock trees with a bit of extra room to allow additional trees and shrubs to establish. All of these options will contribute to a healthier environment for the trees, the local fauna and the farm.
Connecting Country congratulates Arie and Erica on their efforts. When asked why he is undertaking all this restoration work, Arie responded that “It’s good for the pasture. It’s good for the animals. It encourages birds, and birds eat pests.” If you would like to find out more about our on-ground works program, click here or contact us on 5472 1594.
Arie’s cattle proof fences protecting regenerating saplings.
For further interesting information on the biodiversity value of large old paddocks trees:
– A useful fact sheet on the importance of paddock trees from Project Platypus is available (click here).
– One of Ian Lunt’s Blog posts – The Candles of Dunkeld (click here) – provides a fascinating insight to the persistence (and slow decline) of these giant trees in a somewhat similar landscape to Arie and Erica’s property.
– By searching in Google for ‘Linda Broadhurst’ and ‘paddock trees’, you will get a plethora of websites to read about research from Linda’s CSIRO team which suggests that the seeds from large old paddock eucalypts are more genetically diverse – and therefore potentially more valuable for revegetation – than seeds from the same tree species in forests and ‘seed’ plantations.
Twitcher Picture – kids, birds and art at the Castlemaine State Festival
Posted on 2 April, 2015 by Tanya Loos
At Connecting Country, most of our education programs involve adults – so we were delighted to be a supporter of local illustrator/author Trace Balla’s recent activities as part of the 2015 Castlemaine State Festival.
For five days, the Castlemaine Art Gallery was buzzing with round 500 local students from grades 2 to 6. Trace Balla ran a local bird poster-making program, facilitating 20 workshops with around 500 students. She showed them pictures from her illustrated book “Rivertime“, which is about a boy and his bird-watching Uncle’s canoe journey on the Glenelg River – which sparked lively conversations about bird identification and bird behaviour. This was followed by a sketching demonstration by Trace.
Next, the students entered the art-making space, surrounded by bird sounds from a CD of recordings made by Andrew Skeoch and Chris Tzaros from the book “Wildlife of the Box Ironbark Country“. The walls were adorned with bird photographs by Geoff Park. Students chose information sheets from Birdlife Australia and photographs from Geoff Park as inspiration to draw their own stunning bird posters with quirky facts.
“I loved inspiring the local kids to get to know more about their local birds . Hopefully this is just the starting point for many of them to develop a lifelong interest in our beautiful neighbours!” said Trace Balla.
Each student received a copy of the Woodland Birds of Central Victoria brochure, donated by Connecting Country.
This was such a successful project that there is talk that the gallery may continue to use the space as a children’s art space rather than a storeroom. And many students have been spotted drawing birds since!
We also send our congratulations to Trace as her book, “Rivertime” has just been shortlisted for the Readings Children’s Book Prize (click here for further details).
10 April 2015 – A Twitching Odyssey
Posted on 1 April, 2015 by Connecting Country
Although they are locally-based, you may not have met Albert and Eleanor Wright around the Mount Alexander region. As often as not, they are traveling Australia and the world in search of the perfect photo – with a particular interest in bird photography. Appropriately, they describe themselves as the Gypsy Twitchers.
The Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club (CFNC) are very excited to have Albert and Eleanor as the guest speakers at their April meeting. All the way from from their latest adventure in India, they have emailed the following information about their upcoming presentation:
“We will be talking about ourselves: “The Gypsy Twitchers”, who we are and what do we do? We will outline our life for the past 7 years as traveling birdo’s, touching on some favourite locations, birds and anecdotes. Included in the presentation will be a selection of bird photographs.”
As a taster, you can also see some of their photos on their website (click here).
This free talk on Friday 10 April 2015 (from 7.30pm) will be held in the Fellowship room; which is in the hall behind the Uniting Church in Lyttleton St, Castlemaine (next door to the Museum / Art Gallery). Visitors are very welcome.
European Wasps – Unwelcome Return Visitors
Posted on 31 March, 2015 by Connecting Country
European Wasps covering a Golden Point pear (copyright John Ellis, 31 March 2015).
Many locals have been reporting large numbers of European Wasps over recent weeks. And we are apparently not alone in this observation (see other reports here and here). According to leading entomologists, Victoria is experiencing its worst infestation of European Wasps (Vespula germanica) in about 20 years. This introduced species first become established on mainland Australia (near Melbourne) in 1977, and was relatively abundant through the 1980s up to the mid-1990s. However, until this current summer and autumn period, they have since been uncommon to rare. It is thought that the combination of a mild winter followed by a mild summer has allowed them to come back in early 2015 with a vengeance. In most years, 90% of colonies do not survive Victoria’s cold winters.
(c) Copyright John Ellis
If a colony is disturbed, they can sting humans and pets repeatedly. A number of people have also accidentally swallowed wasps when drinking sweet drinks or eating fruit or sugary foods, leading to stings in mouth or in the throat. They have also been known to destroy grape crops and will attack native insects and other local animals. It was often described as a ‘Killer Wasp’ soon after its arrival in Australia, but thankfully so far no human deaths have been recorded in this country (according to the Museum of Victoria website).
While there are traps available that can allow you to kill a few hundred individual wasps, this is unlikely to make a big difference overall, as a typical wasp colony will often have between 30,000 to 100,000 wasps. To make a lasting impact, the nest needs to be eradicated. Most wasps will forage within 50 to 250 metres of their nest. Nest colonies can be either on the ground in a range of concealed sites (e.g. uncovered compost heap, a hole in ground, piles of rubbish) or above the ground (e.g. in the roof or wall cavity).
The Museum of Victoria website contains a wealth of information about European Wasps, including:
- Their identification (click here)
- Their Impacts (click here)
- Their Life History (click here)
- Their Nests (click here)
- First Aid treatment (click here)
- Control Measures (click here)
The Mount Alexander Region Subspecies? (From www.horrorfilmhistory.com)
While control can be attempted by anyone (and there are instructions on the Museum website about how to do this), the use of professional exterminators is strongly recommended due to the risks involved.
Taradale’s ‘Gorse Must Die’ Project – 3 years on!
Posted on 30 March, 2015 by Connecting Country
In 2012, Connecting Country and Taradale Landcare embarked on an ambitious project to restore Kangaroo Creek. The project involved seven private properties, important roadsides and water authority land. Connecting Country developed the site management plan and provided a financial contribution towards the implementation of this project. Financial support was also received for the project from the Victorian Gorse Taskforce and from the Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment (as it was then known) with the invaluable in-kind support from by the landholders and the Taradale Landcare Group. Today, the field of gorse that once surrounded the creek has been eradicated and the local landholders continue to do the necessary follow-up control of gorse regrowth and are starting to revegetate the area. The following piece was written by one of the landholders, Suzanne Donisthorpe. A huge congratulations to her and the other landholders involved for their incredible and inspiring efforts.
Taradale gorse warriors; Alex Panelli, Suzanne Donisthorpe, and Frank Veldez with his custom-made gorse pick
We live in Taradale in central Victoria- or Taradise as some of us call it – and life is good. The country is beautiful and the community is close-knit and vibrant. We live up the top of a hill and our property backs onto the forest- so there are a vast variety of birds: thornbills, choughs, magpies, parrots, kookaburras and finches, a big mob of kangaroos, a very tame family of possums and an echidna that makes the occasional visit. We have had a koala sighting and an emu popped up one day – although apparently it was someone’s pet and had escaped from Elphinstone. There has even been a sighting of the legendary Black Panther – but that’s another story. All these animals and birds are native to the land – apart from the panther- and they provide nothing but joy.
But there is a Snake in every Taradise and ours was a substantial and growing gorse problem that had spread from the Kangaroo Creek at the bottom of our property and up the hill in a vast prickly impenetrable mass. When visitors admired the sea of yellow flowers in spring and autumn, we felt sick. Over the years the gorse had been occasionally slashed down from a monstrous towering beast, big enough to hide an old 1890’s harvester, entirely buried in 8 foot high gorse. But that did nothing really, except give it a good pruning that merely encouraged more vigorous regrowth.
And every year that sea of yellow flowers spread the sea of gorse ever further. It was a Triffid and it was gaining power. We needed help. Fast.
The sea of gorse once found of Suzanne’s property.
One day, our friend Eliza Tree -the self proclaimed Weed Queen of Castlemaine- came visiting. She suggested we get in contact with the good people of Connecting Country and see if they could help. We thought the best way to tackle the Gorse Monster was to form a band of Mighty Weed Warriors- so we called in the neighbours whose properties connected to ours along the creek and together we formed the Gorse Must Die proposal. Altogether we had seven property owners involved. Over tea and scones and sometimes wine and dinner we plotted how this would work. We were delighted when Chris Timewell from Connecting Country agreed to come and talk to us about what might be done. Apparently our part of the world was in yellow box country which was of particular interest to Connecting Country at the time, so after a bit of umming and ahhing, Chris took away our hopes and dreams and turned them into a solid, very bureaucratic and therefore properly serious proposal. This was a huge amount of work, and we are forever grateful to Chris and the team for dotting all those i s and crossing all those t s.
Then we planned the attack.
Like all enemies, it’s best to know what you are up against and Chris and the Kate Smith from the local Landcare group were well versed in the Battle of the Gorse. They planned chemical attack, hacking, burning, revegetation and diligent follow up. Poison, Slash and Burn. Practically Viking!
As artists our contribution was to create the Giant Gorse Rabbit, a mythical creature- half plague species- half noxious weed, towering over 14 ft high. We took the story of the Evil Gorse Rabbit to shows in Melbourne, the Mornington Peninsular and Lot 19 in Castlemaine – where it even won the converted Spring Sculpture prize.
Frank’s famous ‘Evil Gorse Rabbit’
And on a glorious winter solstice night – we set light to the rabbit and danced through the night. It was all very satisfying, but to really Make Gorse Die, you need more than art. You need Vikings.
One still morning, a few months after the seeds of the project were planted, all the obstacles and problems had been sorted out and the truck with the spraying hose came.
The Terminator had arrived. It was a very happy day.
The Terminator turned out to be a very lovely family of local weed control experts who really knew what they were doing. Over the course of a couple of weeks – after the spraying- we began to notice a kind of yellow pallor taking over the previously vigorous gorse. It was suffering. It was wilting. It was like that moment when Dorothy poured water on the Wicked Witch of the West.
We raised our glasses. What had been a formidable enemy was retreating. The gorse at our place was sick as, as was the gorse on the other properties.
A few months passed. Now the gorse was as dead looking as your average zombie. We slashed it down where it rotted to almost nothing, while providing some cover for the small natives to grow. Suddenly in spring, instead of a sea of bilious yellow gorse, there were chocolate orchids, starry pink flowers, flax lilies…it was a miracle.
But like all zombies- just when you think it is dead, it may just be sleeping. Sure enough, after rain and sun, the rise and rise of the evil infant gorse was discernible.
Time for some spray pack action.
And to this day you will find us, most weekends, walking the killing fields of Taradise, with spray gun at the ready with a back-pack of appropriate poison generously supplied by Connecting Country – continuing the battle. Frank has even fashioned a custom made gorse pick. There is a kind of evil glee in seeing the yellowing forms appearing once again as the mighty enemy attempts to stage a resurrection and falls once again.
We know the battle is on-going, but we now have an enemy that is persistent rather than impenetrable. Many many thanks to Connecting County and the Mighty Warriors who helped us Make Gorse Die.
Suzanne’s property and Kangaroo Creek – 3 years on..