Newsl 2020 Spring full copy - Urrbrae Wetland Learning Centre

Spring2020

FriendsofUrrbraeWetland

OpenDay-18October1-4.30pm

The Wetland is looking terrific andwellworthvisi4ng.

Toensureyouhaveagreatexperience,wehaveupgradedfourdifferentpathsanddevelopedinforma4onsheetsforeachonesoyoucanwalkandlearnasyouexplore.Weares4llgoingtobearoundtoansweryourques4ons,butinformallyaroundtheproperty.

What’stheretosee?Therecentlylaunchedimpressivenewbirdhidewillbeopenforvisits.Bringyourbinocularstoviewthelocalbirdlifeontheponds.Whoknows,youmayevenspytheshyNankeennightheroninthereeds,orfindafamilyofparrotsinthenewlyinstalledbirdboxesperchedhighinthetrees.

TheBeeHoteliscompleted,andyouareinvitedtocheckitsoccupancyrate,andguesswhomightberearinglarvaethere.

Wehavefinishedourseedlingplan4ngsforthisyear,andyoucancheckhowwelltheyaregrowingwithintheirprotec4vecoverings-andjudgewhetherwemadetherightchoicesofloca4on!

Thegrandopeningofourbirdhidewasquitean event. The Mayor, Heather Holmes-Ross,came to cut the ribbon, and severalnotableswerealsopresent,mostespecially,afoundingmemberoftheWetland,GrahamKernick.

SanctuaryforafamilyoutinginCOVID19

times

Covid19hasimpactedonusattheUrrbraeWetland.Therestric4onshavemeantwehavehadtointroducechangestohowwenormallyrunourOpenDays.

OurnextOpenDaywillbeSunday,October18andwehopetoseeyoualltheretoenjoyspringattheWetland.

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AnInterestingPatch

This being my first report,ImustthankJimforhisgreatleadershipduringthelast5years.Thegroupcon4nuestoenjoycomingonTuesdaymornings,enjoyingoneanother’scompanyandcomple4ngvarioustasks.

PriortotheCOVID19closure,wewerebusy:

• Thebirdhidewascompleted

• Jimbeganbuildingthebeehotel.

• Pathsignsplaced&lookgreat.

• AdelaideUniversityRotaractorshelpedusinstallthe16birdboxes.ThankstoKevinformakingthese.

Wese^ledintotheoldTAFEclassroomwhichreplacedtheoriginalroom,followingitsremovaltoallowforthenewtoiletblocktobeconstructed.

COVID19virusrestric4onspreventedusfromcomingtotheWetlandonTuesdaymornings,muchtoourdisappointment.Thankfullytherestric4onswerepar4allyliaedquicklyandfullyliaedsoonaaer.

Weimmediatelybeganplan4ngavarietyofspeciesfollowingtheprocedurewetriedwithgrassesatthefrontgate,whichwassuccessfulwithahighsurvivalrate-consideringthepoorsoilinthatarea.

JimcompletedtheBeeHotel.Wehopetheoccupancyrateincreasesduringthespring.

LeecreatedtheCreekpath.

Weedinghasnowbecomethemaintask.SomeareashavebeensprayedwithRounduporSlasher,whileinlargerareastheWhipper-snipperhasbeenused.Nextyearwewillcomparetheeffec4venessofthetwosprays.Cardboardandmulchretardanthasalsobeentrialled.Theseprocessesdonotreplacethehandweeding,whichwehaveallbeendoing.

AnumberofUrrbraeHighSchoolstudentshavebeeninvolvedinWetlandprojects.Nowcompleted,thisprogram,supervisedbyVanessaofferedthestudentsanopportunityforhandsonexperienceintheWetland.

Itisgreattobeback.David.

This special little part oftheWetland,justoffthemaintrack,keepsmeintrigued.

Duringthehotsummer,itcanbeverybare,butifcondi4onsareright,itchanges,soIgobackoaentocheck.Atthetopofthephotoisaspikyplant,theBlueDevil,Eryngiumovinum.Itdiesdowninautumn,butemergeslatewinter,andifweareveryluckyinDecemberitwillhavebrightblueflowerssimilartothistleflowerheads.

ThemainplantistheSmall-leavedmalleepea,Eutaxiamicrophylla,alowgroundcoverwith4nyyellowflowers.Buttherealtreasuresaretheli^legreenrose^esofleavesofMaroonhoodorchidPterostylispedunculata,whichappearedfirstthreeyearsagoatthis4me.

I'mhopingtherewillbeflowerstalksrisingfromthemsoon.WillletyouknowifIseeeitherofthesespecialplantsinflower!ChrisAdams

ViewfromtheChair

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AnotherskinkinSAhasalsobeenshowntobebimodal.Bougainville’sskinksgivebirthtobabiesonKangarooIsland,whileonthemainlandtheylayeggs.(TheGuardian,April2019.)

Sowholaidoureggnest?Certainlywehavefamiliesofskinksonthesite,andBlue-TongueshavebeensightedattheWetlandpreviously.

Ma4ngformostblue-tonguesbeginsinlatewinterthroughtoDecember.Ifyouseetwoblue-tongueslookinglikethey'rehavingaviciousfight,it'smostlikelyma4ng.Theycanbequiteaggressivetowardseachotherandcanendupwithcutsandscratches.

Thefemaleblue-tonguegivesbirthtoliveyoungthreetofourmonthsaaerma4ng,whichisveryunusualinlizardsastheynormallylayeggs.Thebabies,whoareabletolookaaerthemselvesjustfourdaysaaerbirth,cangrowover20yearsto50cminlength.

ASkinkoraBluetongue?Skinkscreatenestsinmoistsoilunderobjectsinthegarden.Femaleslayaboutfiveeggseach,some4mesincommunalnestswhichholddozensofeggs.Eggslooklikeminichickeneggsbutaresoaandrubbery.Theybecomeenlargedastheyabsorbmoisturefromthesurroundingsoil.Sourcedfrom:backyardbuddies.org.au

Couldoureggsbelizards’?

Evolution has been caughtintheact,accordingtoscien4stsdecodinghowaspeciesofAustralianlizardisabandoningegg-layinginfavouroflivebirth.

AlongthewarmcoastallowlandsofNSWtheyellow-belliedthree-toedskinklayseggstoreproduce.Butindividualsofthesamespecieslivinginthestate'scoldermountainsmainlygivebirthtoliveyoung.

Evolu4onaryrecordsshowmanyrep4lemakingthetransi4onfromegg-layingtolivebirth,andtodayabout20percentofalllivingsnakesandlizardsgivebirthtoliveyoungonly.(fromBHandwerk,NaIonalGeographic,Sept2010).

UniofSydneyresearchersobservedathree-toedskinklaythreeeggs,andweekslatergivebirthtoalivebaby.

ThisisthefirstImethatanyonehasobservedlivebirthandegglayinginasingleliLer…it’svery,veryunusual,

Dolizardslayeggsorgivebirthtoliveyoung?Asyoucanseefromourphotos,wefoundsomeeggsinamoundofmulchandit’sopenedacanofworms-oroflizards-andsomeveryinterestingfacts.

ObituaryItiswithgreatsadnessthatwemarkthepassingofGrahamKernick(picturedbelowwithDonBuicklastyear)whowassuchaforceintheearlydevelopmentoftheWetlandandaconstantsupporterofourworkasitevolved,andastheWetlandestablisheditsownecosystem.Heandhisfamilywerewelcomea^endeesatourChristmascelebra4onsformanyyears,andhewouldalwaystakeaturnaroundthepondstorefreshhisapprecia4onofthismarvellousfacility.Itisacredittohim,andtootherfoundingmembers,andweappreciatedhisregular,informedandgracioussupport.

Graham,leawithvolunteerDonBuick

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Chemicalhandlingworkshop

In February most volunteers attended this workshop arranged by Kat Hill (Volunteer Coordinator, NRM) and facilitated by Dave & Peter, both very knowledgeable in their areas.

Participants were from various bushland around Adelaide. The result was an informative and targeted session that highlighted old and new practices at the Wetland.

Key points for developing a Friends’ policy: • Glyphosate was reinforced as safe if

used as per directions • use multiple gloves to protect and

keep from overheating • note difference between poisonous

and hazardous labels • do not to disturb the soil, as weeds

will invade the area • brush cut before seed heads form • never allow seed heads, even

immature green ones, fall to the ground, as they could germinate

• Slasher will kill weeds and only slow native grasses for one season

• mobile sprayers, sponge-ended dabbers, tongs with sponges attached - ways to apply poison.

Some individual plant advice: • Plantain (Plantago coronopus) - cut

and swab with Glyphosate • Guildford grass (Romulea rosea) -

use the ‘Tongs of Death’ with sponges saturated with poison

• Chickweed (Stellaria media)- use Slasher

• Soursobs (Oxalis pes caprae)— Glyphosate - don’t hold your breath!

Currently we are absorbing/adapting this advice and turning it into pilots of different weed suppression methods.

FocusonVolunteers

AYOUNGWOMANGOINGPLACESSHIVANIPRESTON

“Having finished studying Conservation and Land Management at TAFE last year, I have some free time as I job-search. As I was familiar with Urrbrae Wetland it seemed a good use of my time and skills, and I could learn about wetlands biodiversity first hand.

I am hoping my volunteer work will help to prepare me for a practical contractor job with Trees for Life or as a Ranger. The environment isn’t my only passion though.

Also I’m involved in the Adelaide Arts community as a musician, dancer, stage manger, and sound tech. For example our family performs the puppet show Punch & Judy in many festivals around SA.”

Wanttoknowmore?Wikipedia:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urrbrae_Wetlandandsearch‘UrrbraeWetland’Contact:DavidGooley,Chair,forinforma4on:davley60@internode.on.net

UrrbraeWetlandLearningCentre:

www.urrbraewetlandlc.org/

Sitevisits:WetlandManagers,Ann-LouiseBreeding&VanessaGreenslade82747455

Pictured:ourtwoWetlandManagers

Newvolunteersarewelcome.DropbyanyTuesdaymorningbetween9.00-11.00tomakecontact.

STOPPRESS!Wearesorrytoloseourwonderfulsupporterandadvisor,Ann-Louise,whowillbeleavingtohavehersecondbabysoon.

Volunteersenjoythecompanyofothersinterestedintheenvironment