CPPA bits

Plants-a-plenty plenary.

Thanks to all the gardening enthusiasts that purchased plants. It was a successful endeavor and resulted in 884 plants being planted within the community. Proceeds from the sale allowed the CPPA to support the planting of a roadside verge (public land), add some native grasses to the West Ridge reserve and continue the transition of the Hall gardens to demonstrate the use of local native plants.

What’s new on the CPPA website

The feedback on Bonza Bushland Gardening Guide has been very positive. If you missed the guide or would like to download it has its own page, including videos of weed removal techniques on the CPPA website.

There is also a Photopoint & Monitoring report showing the changes in the reserves over the past six years on the Changes in Our Bigger backyard page

July Events

Winter Bird Survey

The Winter Bird Survey is planned for Monday 10th July 7am-11am. Wandering through the local reserves with Tom Clarke’s avian expertise available adds another level of appreciation to our local bushland. Every visit turns up a birding treat. If you’d like to come along meet at the Scout Hall by 7am, wear suitable clothing for walking and the weather, BYO water, snack, binoculars and camera.

Native Trees are Tremendous

The Lake Macquarie Landcare Volunteers Network will be hosting a Super Saturday Session on Native Trees at Progress Hall on Saturday 15th July 9:30am-12:30, including lunch. A variety of speakers will share information on Native Trees endemic to our area, how to protect and enhance Native Trees, backyard Native Trees and the effects of fire on Native Trees. Bookings can be made with the Landcare Resource Centre 4921 0392.

Which Rat is That?

How do you know if that scurrying flash is friend or foe. The Australian museum has a page dedicated to explaining the differences, which is summarised below.

How to tell

Black/ Brown Rat

• Behaviour:
• Active day and night, fearless around humans 
• Agile climber of trees, fences, wires and roofs 
• Nest: Made of shredded materials such as paper, insulation 
• Tail : Long in relation to body, parsley haired and scaly 
• Fur: Sleek smooth coat
• Ears: Big and thin
• Teeth:1 pair of chisel shaped incisors with yellow enamel

Native Bush Rat

• Behaviour :
• Shy, not found where people frequent 
• Nest in dense understorey in short burrows under logs and rocks 
• Nest: lined with grass 
• Tail: Shorter than the body in length 
• Fur:Dense soft fur 
• Ears:rounded 
• Teeth:1 pair of chisel shaped incisors with yellow enamel

Antechinus (Not a rat- it's a marsupial mouse)

• Behaviour: 
• Found in bushland not urban areas 
• Shelter in spherical nests, logs 
• Tail:Sparsley haired, same length as body or shorter 
• Ears:Large and crinkly 
• Teeth: 4 rows of small sharp incisors

The buzz on Christmas beetles

Have you been wondering about the yellow patches in your lawn? Don’t blame the dog for excessive leakage it could be the annual return of the Christmas Beetle.

The Backyard Buddies website explains…Christmas Beetles emerge from the ground to feast on your Eucalyptus trees and lay their eggs in your soil. These large shiny buddies can be different colours depending on the species and where they live – from pale brown with spots to bright green. The larvae have been living underground for the last year, and you might know they are there if you have yellow patches on your lawn – they feed on the grass roots.

They only live a few months so are pretty enthusiastic feeders. They are unlikely to do any real damage, so why not get into the Christmas spirit and let them enjoy their short lives. They are already a food source for possums, currawongs, magpies and predatory wasps.

Christmas Beetles make great little buddies for kids. They are harmless and during the day are a bit tired after their antics of the night before – they go crazy when they see lights at night. They won’t run away or bite and kids can watch them crawl over their hands for ages. What great babysitters!

Progress parlez

Chronicle delivery opt out option

The Chronicle is hand delivered by volunteers to 1500 local letterboxes. We do not consider it junk mail or advertising material but a community communication tool. We do respect your decision to refuse the newsletter though. Please advise us if you do not want to receive one in your letterbox.

Chronicle Sponsors

Sponsoring a space in the Chronicle is one way to support the CPPA and these sponsorships are truly appreciated but products and services are not endorsed by the CPPA.

DA’s and the CPPA

CPPA does its best to monitor and communicate Development Applications to the community as an awareness raising service. If locals are concerned about a DA the CPPA can share our experiences and can assist local residents to communicate their concerns.

LMCC’s Application Tracking website holds all the information related to DAs. The CPPA addresses DA’s with our primary objectives in mind, which are to enhance the natural environment by protecting preserving and regenerating the bushland and advancing social welfare, community spirit and sustainability through community education and engagement.

70 year old photos wanted

The CPPA was founded in 1946…70 years ago! This awesome achievement will be celebrated in April next year and we are hoping to make it a little bit special and compile some local images of the area over the past 70 years.

If you have any happy snaps of events at Progress Hall, picnics in the park, views from the lake or local icons we’d love to see them. Please contact one of the committee.

TSLS Tales

Thankyou TIN

The Threatened Species Last Stand (TSLS) project has been making amazing progress in regenerating our local reserves and public land thanks to a dedicated team of local landcarers and the support from Trees In Newcastle’s (TIN) volunteers, bush regenerators and project manager.

The partnership with TIN has recently come to an end and the CPPA would like to thank all involved at TIN for their support over the past four years.

The TSLS project will continue till 2018 and the CPPA will still be overseeing and coordinating the project maintaining continuity and supporting the local landcarers and landholders.

Show and tell and Carey Bay Preschool

Providing habitat for native animals is all about have the right furniture, the right size rooms and the right restaurant.

On 9/11/16 at Carey Bay Preschool a healthy habitat was created for the children. A rich soil foundation was laid down with mulch to protect it and keep the moisture in.

The furniture installed included logs for lizards to lounge upon, rocks for reptiles to sunbake on and hide under, prickly plants to protect birds from cats and dogs and nest boxes for shelter, as hollows take over 100 years to form.

The local wildlife eateries included flowers for feasting upon by possums and nectar feeding birds, seeds for snacking and cracking by parrots, native grasses for the small seed eaters and of course fresh water.

The Threatened Species on the Coal Point Peninsula is available to assist locals to care for their land and are happy to provide resources and advice on what furniture, rooms and restaurants the local wildlife are using in your backyard.

Landcare Report –Robyn Gill

October was THE RIDGE month and this year, since the burn in April, it’s possible to see both STANSFIELD RESERVE and the WEST RIDGE as part of the same “crowning glory” of the special part of the world that we care for.

The western part of the ridge contains the historic walking track used by miners and the few Coal Point residents & visitors who were around in the time when horse and a rowing boat were the other means of transport. The ridge vegetation had tended to be in almost pristine state but in this century the effects of increasing population and spread of garden escapes such as the Ground Asparagus were taking their toll and almost covered STANSFIELD.

As the council continued to buy land to add to the reserve, African Olive, Weed Wattles, lots of Formosan Lilies and even coastal Bitou Bush were adding to the mix and the landcaring load. The Lilies continue to be a challenge.

The presence of the great diversity of the natural vegetation is a joy to behold and helps to keep the local birds happy even as trees have come down in major storms, the resilience in the bushland means new plants are always popping up.

At STANSFIELD the challenge is big but native regrowth is amazing and gives hope that the invaders can be more effectively managed than before.

A happy surprise was provided recently when some of the VOLUNTEERS from TIN who have been landcaring with us as part of the TSLS Project decided to become local landcarers and continues to work with us.

What will your World Environment Day awesome action be?

Leave a log alone?

With winter almost feeling like winter it would be tempting to trundle out into the local reserve and pick up some logs for the fire, but what about the animals whose home depends upon these logs? Lizards, snakes, the bugs that feed birds and threatened species further up the food chain, the bacteria and fungus that breakdown the wood and return valuable nutrients to the soil…all of this goes up in smoke when you lose a log. 

Could your WED action be to fuel your fire sustainably and leave the logs on the public land for the wild life that needs them?

What will your World Environment Day awesome action be?

Plant a tree?

Climate change is a big issue but can planting one tree help? It depends where you plant it! A strategically planted tree or shrub can provide shade from the sun and protection from the wind, significantly reducing the energy needed to heat and cool your home which reduces the use of fossil fuels which lowers green house gas emissions. Trees also store carbon and add to the variety of life as we know it. One tree can make a difference.

Backyard Habitat for Wildlife members can now purchase local native plants from Council’s Landcare Resource Centre, 80 Toronto Road, Booragul

Available Mondays only 8am - 1pm. Cost $3.80 / tubestock with discount for quantities over 40 plants. Cash only.

Please wear enclosed footwear and bring your Backyard Habitat for Wildlife member card.

The Backyard Habitat for Wildlife program encourages households to set aside a small area of their garden to assist local wildlife survival though wildlife- friendly plantings. Register for this free program now or at the field day.

Backyard Habitat Health assessments

Would you like to find out what bushland treasures are on your block? What plants are natives and which are weeds and what to do about them? Do you know what makes good habitat and if you have any? These questions can have the answers provided with a Backyard Habitat Health Assessment.

A bush regeneration expert will wander across your block with you answering any questions you have about what is it and what do I do with it? The information collected will then be compiled into an informative guide for you to keep as a handy reference.

There is no cost as it is funded through the Threatened Species Last Stand on the Coal Point Peninsula project. 

You will have to be or become a member of the Progress Association to access this opportunity.  Contact Suzanne via the Progress Association coalpointprogress@gmail.com

What’s on your block?

Are you interested in having someone who knows a lot about local bushland sharing their knowledge with you on your block? Planning is underway for the next round of Backyard Habitat Health Assessments.

One of the goals of the Threatened Species Last Stand on the Coal Point Peninsula project is to support landholders with the resources they need to better understand and implement on-ground actions that will ensure the long-term survival of the local flora and fauna.

The Backyard Habitat Health Assessment aims to provide local landholders with a picture of the current condition of their bushland block. An onsite survey is conducted with you and a detailed report is produced that provides information about how to maintain your land for vegetation diversity, health and structure. This in turn will enhance the habitat values and strengthen the green corridor along the Coal Point-Carey Bay peninsula and support the local wildlife.

The document contains hyperlinked text to assist with plant identification and weed treatment methods and is a summary of the good, the bad and the beautiful on your block. Contact Suzanne to arrange for a visit or for more information. (cppa.tsls@gmail.com)