Dodgey dumpers

With considerable investment of time and energy going into landcaring the local reserves the recent addition of concrete washout from agitator truck was a very unwelcome addition at Burnage Reserve recently.

If you’re having private work done around your home please ensure your workforce respects the public spaces within the community.

Left over concrete from agitator trucks, and the cleanings at the end, should go back to be dumped at the concrete plant. It is the concrete supplier’s legal responsibility to do this.

Landcare Update

This month apart from some planting and weeding at Burnage we have spent many hours at Gurranba tackling OUR GREATEST FOE, Asparagus Fern.
Fortunately our quote comes in considerably lower than the other 2 we received ($1200 and $1500) and the satisfaction is enormous when we tip a bag of Asparagus “crowns” in the bin as that represents a huge amount of long, very green, seed bearing fronds.
The Green Team Day which was good still left us with a long way to go before we can replant in April. The plants will be supplied by Hunter Water as part of a special program to assist reserves which “house” a sewerage facility. We are getting close to the result we need.
The amazing thing is that apart from some Mother of Millions, a colony of large African Olive and an occasional Broadleaf Privet, some natives keep struggling through the junk – especially Wombat Berry, some Native Olive and many little Rapanea.
On Thursday April 5th REPLANTING BEGINS with assistance from the Lake Macquarie Landcare Green Team and any other welcome volunteers.

Landcaring

There is always Landcare activity happening around Coal Point, weeding, mulching and planting in various places.
 
This month will see a milestone reached in Burnage Reserve. Five years ago the local landcare crew set out to remove a mass of Lantana in “Lilipilly Gully” by mosaic weeding and planting so that we kept shelter for birds and possibly other critters as well and could replace what was removed to “head off” weeds as much as possible.
 
The last patch of Lantana and some of Colonel Burnage’s orchard of exotic fruits will be replaced and with a planting of the Australian Fingerlime, Microcitrus australasica – a rainforest species that will hopefully be happy in the sheltered gully replacing the old and very decrepit fruit trees. The Fingerlimes were donated to the group by Sue Herd who was a horticulturalist with our Hunter Region Botanic Gardens at Heatherbrae, Raymond Terrace. 
 
Congratulations to the local landcarers who received recognition for their contribution to the local environment at the recent Annual Environmental Excellence in Landcare Awards. 
 
The Bushcare In Threlkeld on Thursday group received a Long-Standing Landcare Group award, Jean Austen received the award behalf of the group and was then duly presented with a personal Outstanding Achievement Award in recognition for her inspiring and ongoing commitment to maintain the unique bushland of Threlkeld reserve.
 
Thursday Landcare ladies Lois Simpson and Judy Hughes were awarded Local Legend Awards for their continued regular and enthusiastic work in our local reserves over several years.

Coal Point Reserves Workshop - by Robyn Gill Landcare coordinator

The Carey Bay Wetlands, Burnage and Gurranba Reserves were the focus for the Lake Macquarie Landcare Workshop in October.

The progress of major projects in these reserves was shared with fellow landcarers. A feature of this workshop was the management strategies of two significant weed problems as well as an opportunity to admire the great results of our partnership with the Lake Macquarie Council Landscape Maintenance Team for our area in Gurranba Reserve.

Giant Reed, Arundo donax is a major Hunter Catchment issue and has now arrived here in Burnage Reserve. Also known as Elephant Grass, it is a member of the Bamboo family and grows upto 6m high in thick upright clumps. The most likely way it ended up in the reserve is through dumping and the storm water, it is next to the drainage line on the Excelsior Pde side of the reserve.

A weed featured in Carey Bay Wetlands is another garden escape, Campsis (known as Trumpet Creeper) it is a problem in the rapidly growing National Tree Day plantings of the past 5 years. This native of Texas is a self clinging climber which is extremely persistent and hard to get rid of, but the Landcare team is trying. A transformation has occurred in the area which was previously covered with Blackberry and Wild Rose (with other nasties flourishing among them) so we are working hard to stop the new weed which threatens the growth of the natives.

One of the visitors on the field trip was Garth Chapman from Wangi Ridge Preservation Board.  In October Garth was one of 8 people who witnessed and videoed a sighting of a Koala at Watkins Rd, Wangi Ridge, the 2nd sighting in 9 months...Landcare making a difference!
The new reserve signs were much admired and many thanks to Lake Macquarie Landcare for organising the day.