Contents

! Projects Update

! 2017-18 CCC Land and Coast Care Grant

! 2016-2017 CCC Land and Coast Care Grant Report

! Spring Bushwalking

! AGM Report

! Did you know?

! Birds in the Bush

! What’s in the garden?

! Working Bees, including Clean Up Australia Day

! Membership

! Website

Editorial

Projects Update

Over the past few years, we have managed to secure

funding and supplemented by many hours of volunteer

time, undertake a variety of weed management

projects, . Some of these projects have included

significant work on a few residents’ private property.

This, unfortunately, is not sustainable into the future.

This year, we managed to leverage our funds and

volunteer hours, by providing some residents with

chemicals and advice to complete the work

themselves.

The MRLC Inc. future direction for weed management

on private land will need to extend this model where

most if not all the weed control contributions come

from the property owners who benefit from the work.

In consequence our role will shift towards motivating

owners using incentive and technical support. Our

2017 submission to the Clarence City Council Land and

Coast Grant Application reflects this new model.

We are very keen to encourage and support all landowners in the identification and eradication of the environmental weeds that can be found in our environment, particularly, Spanish heath, serrated tussock, gorse, Paterson’s curse, boneseed and broom.

Helen Gourley

Mt Rumney Landcare Mt Rumney Landcare Group Inc.Group Inc.

Supporting the Swift Parrot

November 2017

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As noted in the editorial, we are moving to a new,

sustainable model of weed management. Our submission to receive funding to engage a weed consultant to work with property owners with priority weeds and high conservation vegetation and habitat, or vegetation that has important landscape connectivity, has been successful. The

weed consultant's role will be focused on 1:1

engagement with property owners to promote

responsibility for implementing regular follow up

weed control. The consultant will provide best

practice weed and habitat management advice as

well as recommending that landowners who have

benefited from previous free support take

responsibility for their weed control into the future.

CCC Land and Coast Care Submission 2017 Spring Bushwalking (by Phil Watson)

When the warmer spring weather and longer days

arrive after a cold winter, walkers are naturally

reinvigorated for a new season of activities. One

benefit of this enthusiasm is an opportunity to enjoy

the kaleidoscope of woodland floral delights and

accompanying insect and birdlife, full of spring-time

zest for feeding and breeding. Walkers are greeted

with colourful carpets of groundcovers, striking

yellow and orange flowers of bush-peas and

attention-grabbing blooms of wattles and gums.

Amongst the many eye-catching forest shrubs are

the distinctive dogwoods (Pomaderris sp.) from the

buckthorn family (Rhamnaceae) which often form

hard-to-penetrate thickets while displaying clusters

of insect-attracting, white to yellow blooms.

Waiting to be discovered are other members of the

buckthorn family, which are somewhat less easily

spotted than the flowering dogwoods. However, the

buckthorn family is littered with a wide selection of

ecologically and culturally intriguing plants. Many

possess distinctive attributes such as stunning

flowers, succulent fruits, traditional medicines and

unforgiving, ferocious thorns.

Clues for spotting buckthorn members

Of the 900 buckthorn family members worldwide,

Tasmania hosts 23 indigenous members. Helpful

features which can assist bushwalkers to identify

family members include hairy younger leaves and

stems and wrinkled and irregularly surfaced older

leaves. These features are clearly visible in most of

the dogwoods (Pomaderris sp.).

With the buckthorn family being very closely allied

to the grape family (Vitaceae) it is not surprising that

later in summer, bushwalkers will see numerous,

non-edible, grape-like clusters of berries forming on

various dogwood members including the slender

dogwood Pomaderris racemosa. Additionally, it

Land and Coast Care Grant 2016 - Report

MRLC employed an experienced contractor,

Justin Hawkins, to work intensively with several

property owners who had/have significant weed

infestation. Four properties in Mt Rumney Rd.

and two in Grahams Rd. benefited from his

advice and spraying. Justin noted severe

infestations of Spanish heath on the Mt Rumney

properities, including many mature plants.

In Grahams Road he worked on two properities

destroying large swathes of serrated tussock,

again noting many mature plants.

It is unfortunate that in some cases, the weed

infestation is more severe along boundary

fences, thus impinging on neighbours. We

encourage all property owners to inspect their

properities, particularly at the perimeter and

plan to undertake appropriate weed mitigation

action. While MRLC is able to assist with advice,

it remains the responsibility of owners to keep

their land free of invasive weeds and mitigate

‘escapees’ onto their neighbours’ property.

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the rusty–brown to grey star-shaped hairs on their

undersides and raised veins.

As for the name 'dogwood', there are a number of

origins3 including a colonially derived name due to

its similarity to the European and American dogwood

genus Cornus. More likely the name comes from the

offensive smell when the leaves are crushed or the

wood is burnt in a camp fire. Hence common

dogwood P. apetala has often been alternatively

called stinkwood

Dogwood’s role in the art of hedge laying

The England tradition of dividing pastures and

properities by hedges was continued in the colonial

Tasmanian countryside, particularly in the north of

the state. Today many thousands of kilometres of

hedgerows divide the farming districts into a mosaic

of pastures and paddocks, with a substantial portion

bordering the roadsides4. Hedges became popular

from the 1820s, and by 1840 parts of the colony

were said to be more English than England!

Although a well-maintained hedgerow is relatively

stock-proof and hence challenging for walkers to get

through, many have become sparse at the base or

tall, leggy and open enough for stock to escape.

Hedgerows are related to the common dogwood in

the following way.

should note that the leaves of some members

can be modified into rather ferocious spines.

Dyes and gentle laxatives

History reveals that a several Rhamnus members

produced yellow-brown dyes used in textiles,

and were distinguished for their abilities to

protect people against witchcraft1 and poisons.

Traditional use of buckthorn barks by American

Indians has resulted in medicinal teas, elixirs or

tablets being extracted from the dried bark and

commonly marketed today as the ‘all-American

laxative’2. They are respected as some of the

gentlest laxatives commercially available. That

said, the dried and granulated bark of the

Tasmanian weed, Italian buckthorn Rhamnus

alaternus, may also relieve constipated bush-

walkers suffering from dehydrated meals.

The ‘Crown-of-thorns’

Many walkers would be aware of the ‘crown of

thorns’! There is a number of Australian species

festooned with sharp thorns including the rare

Tasmanian species, aptly named spiky anchor

plant Discaria pubescens . Luckily from a

bushwalker’s perspective these spiky plants are

scattered along stream banks and stony ridges

without forming thickets like scoparia!

Meet the Australian species

Spotting dogwoods is reasonably easy

Of the 70 Australian species of dogwoods, 10 are

indigenous to Tasmania and as mentioned, are

easy to spot when in flower. They range from low

shrubs in front line coastal habitats such as

coastal bassian dogwood P. oraria, to small trees

found in moist forests such as the narrow-leaf

dogwood P. phylicifolia. Leaves are typified by

Round leaf dogwood

P.elliptica

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Hedge laying is the traditional and best way to

maintain hedgerows in a 'working' (stock-proof)

condition and to re-invigorate old and ‘gappy’

hedges. Used predominantly with hawthorn,

‘binders’ were woven through the top of newly laid

hedgerows to securely hold them together.

Traditionally these were made from flexible

greenwood whips such as birch, ash, willow, etc.

However, due to its pliability and rot resilience, the

Tasmanian ‘binders’ were common dogwood.

Pearl-flowers are a special delight

As an aid to taking your mind off those harder

sections of a bushwalk, there are many lesser

known floral gems partially hidden along the sides

of tracks waiting to be recognised or just

appreciated. Justifiably included in this group are

the three pretty Tasmanian small shrubs known as

pearl-flowers. The pretty pearl-flower Cryptandra

amara, which is festooned in early spring with tiny

sweetly-scented white bell flowers, is the most

common of the 40 members found Australia-wide.

Like other herbaceous buckthorns, pearl-flowers

are palatable to grazing cattle, sheep, wallaby and

other marsupials, which prefer their tender foliage

over most other pasture species. Hence they have

limited distribution and are often found in hard-to-

access bushwalking sites.

Mt Rumney Grassland Flowers continued

Dusty-millers, helicopter and propeller bushes

Most walkers would have unknowingly admired

one or more of the eight Tasmanian dusty-millers,

Spyridium species, which would have been seen

thriving in dry, exposed, coastal locations. When

they occur in thickets, with other wind sculptured

coastal heath plants, such as on the coastal side of

the Three Capes Track, this impenetrable scrub

ensures that walkers stay on the track.

Helicopter bush S.vexilliferum var vexilliferum

They are characterised by velvety or prominently-

veined leaves, bold, white, leafy bracts which look

like flower petals, encircling below the tightly-

bunched, insignificant flowers. So prominent are

these white bracts that they look like little

helicopter or propeller blades. The common

names of helicopter bush (Spyridium vexilliferum)

and propeller bush (Stenanthemum pimeleoides)

are rather apt for two fairly common bushes. The

botanical name Spyridium relates to these

characteristic leafy bracts, while the common name

‘dusty-miller’ derives from the dusting of a flour-

like, ashen bloom over the leaves of some species.

From a Tasmanian perspective one of the most

handsome shrubs to be seen on bushwalks is the

endemic velvet dusty-miller S. obovatum var.

velutina with its floral-like, elliptical, hairy upper-

surfaced leaves and compact bunches of

cream/yellow flowers. Found only in dry sunny

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rocky areas of eastern Tasmania, they have a lot to

offer the water-wise gardener.

REFERENCES

1 Kershaw L.J., Edible and medicinal plants of the Rockies, Lone Pine Publishing, 2000, Canada 2 ibid. 3 Wapstra M., Wapstra A., Wapstra H, Tasmanian Plant Names Unravelled Fullers Bookshop, 2010. 4 Mathys J., Tasmanianlife, Volume 6 No. 1 July/August/September 2010, Tasmanian Publishing Co Pty Ltd

About 60 species of birds live in southern Tasmania.

More than 20 of these have been identified in the

Mt Rumney area including threatened species like

the swift parrot, masked owl and wedge tailed

eagle. Not all of these birds live in the same area all

year round; some migrate to and from Tasmania.

In choosing where they live, birds have three main

needs: a source of their preferred food; a place to

rest and hide from danger and inclement weather

and a safe place to raise their young. Different

species of bird need different types of bush. Intact

bush usually has a full range of vegetation types

from understory grasses and herbaceous plants to

small and tall shrubs and different aged trees

including eucalypts with hollows.

When landowners look at clearing any bushland

they should consider whether it’s really necessary

and how a variety of vegetation types can be

retained. A useful guide landscape planning is the

Property Planning Guide for Landholders from NRM

South www.nrmsouth.org.au.

Native birds need native bushland. All around there

is increasing development. The Mt Rumney area is

fortunate to maintain a large amount of native

vegetation and to enjoy the birds that call that

vegetation home.

AGM Report The minutes of the recent AGM can be found on

our website, visit the page ‘About’. The

president’s report can be found in the same place.

The committee remains unchanged for 2018:

President – Phil Watson Treasurer – Robert Hogan Secretary – Helen Gourley Committee Members

- Keryn Fountain - Mark Fountain

There is a vacancy for a further committee member; we would love to hear from anyone willing to fill this role.

Mt Rumney Grassland Flowers continued Birds in the Bush

Did you know?

Native fauna can consume large numbers of crop and pasture pests. For example, magpies will consume 40 scarab larvae a day.

Insectivorous bats can consume up to half their body weight in invertebrates in a night and some species feed extensively on agricultural pests.

Source: nrm south ‘Healthy Environment,

Property planning guide for landholders, The Superb Fairy Wren builds its nests in

Lomandra and other ground level tufts.

By Robert Hogan

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It was nice to see a lone little Wahlenbergia gymnoclada pop its head up in my garden. These delicate little native flowers are named for the Greek gymnos (naked) and clados (branch, shoot) hence the common name ‘naked bluebell’.

Alas, the depicted photo is not from my garden, but a photo of more abundant examples of this pretty little wild flower. (Photo by Keryn Fountain).

Don’t forget to visit our website to find all past

newsletter, membership information and lots of

photos of local flora and fauna. We will also be

adding information about invasive weeds in the

new year.

Find us at https://mtrumneylandcaregroup.wordpress.com/

Working Bees Although it’s been difficult for some of us to get to the working bees, a small group of keen volunteers have met on a bi-monthly basis to continue weed eradication at the Centauri-Canopus Reserve and along various parts of Mt Rumney Road. We can report that the reserve is now just about free of its burden of Spanish Heath, blackcurrants and briers. We were very happy to welcome some new residents and volunteers to the July working bee and encourage all residents, whether members of MRLC or not, to come along and spend an hour with your neighbours to undertake the various weed projects to be worked on in 2018. No experience needed, just a degree of agility and a willingness to help. The final working bee will take place on Sunday 19th November, starting at 3 pm and concluding with the annual BBQ at 4.30 pm. Please meet at the summit of Mt Rumney to work on Spanish heath and gorse eradication.

Working bees for 2018 will follow the same format as previous years, alternating week days with weekends (using both Saturday and Sunday) to provide opportunities to both us lucky retirees and to the ‘workers’. Working bees will take place as follows • Clean Up Australia Day. Please meet at the

base of Mt Rumney Rd. at 9.45 on Sunday 4 March 2018

• Tuesday 1 May • Saturday 7 July • Tuesday 4 September • Sunday 18 November These dates will be advertised on our website and a reminder send by email at an appropriate time.

Membership renewals Many members renewed their tri-annual membership in July 2015. This is a preliminary reminder that if you are in this situation, your membership runs out on 30th June 2018. We are a small group, so we don’t want to lose anyone; please look out for new membership forms in the first newsletter of 2018 and rejoin our group. Alternatively look for the form on the website, under the membership page.

What’s in the garden? 2018 Dates