Learning at Landcare - Citizen Science and The Good, The Bad ,The Ugly

From the Awabakal seasonal calendar, we’re now entering Wunal, the hot time on Awabakal Country. Days are humid, nights are warm, mosquitoes are biting, and many animals are breeding and active. Afternoon storms often sweep in with lightning and heavy rain, though in some years Wunal brings dry heat and drought instead.

Australia, including Awabakal Country, moves to the rhythm of El Niño and La Niña, global climate cycles that shape whether Wunal brings rain or dryness. Climate change now adds further complexity, with hot weather sometimes arriving earlier or lasting longer. Toward the end of Wunal, as koyiwon (rain) increases, the weather begins moyiyakowa, cooling again.

This awareness of seasonal change reminds us that Country is constantly shifting and that caring for land means observing its patterns closely.

Learning through Citizen Science

In September, Landcare members learned about the iNaturalist citizen-science platform. We’ve since launched a Coal Point project, where locals can log sightings of plants and animals. These observations build a record of the area’s biodiversity and changes over time, valuable data for the community and researchers alike. 

One of our most exciting finds came from a bundle of decaying weeds, a blackish blind snake (Anilios nigrescens). These fascinating, non-venomous snakes spend most of their lives underground, eating ants, termites and their larvae. With their smooth scales, small dark eyes and tapering snout, they look a bit like shiny earthworms. They “taste” the air with their tongue to follow insect trails and use their upper jaw to rake prey into their mouth.

Blind snakes are part of the intricate food web of our bushland, preyed upon by owls, feral cats and foxes. Keep an eye out, though you’ll more likely find signs of them than the snakes themselves.

The Good: Spring in Full Bloom

Coal Point has been showing off a spectacular spring. Gardens are glowing, pollinators are busy, and the bushland is full of life and colour. Our native plants have put on a dazzling display, providing food and shelter for birds, insects and small creatures.

A heartfelt thanks to everyone contributing to this beauty, our Landcare volunteers, hall users, citizen scientists and those simply caring for their patch of land. You all help keep the peninsula flourishing.

One local plant to watch for over summer is Bursaria spinosa, known variously as Whitethorn, Blackthorn, Sweet Bursaria or Christmas Bush, and by the Dharawal names geapga and kurwan. This hardy, prickly shrub provides safe nesting spots for small birds. Its mid-summer flowers are creamy and sweetly scented, attracting butterflies and many other insects. Later, they form coppery, purse-shaped seed pods, hence the Latin name Bursaria (purse) spinosa (spiny). It’s a great native for gardens, growing 3–4 metres tall in sun or light shade with moderate drainage. A light prune keeps it bushy.

You’ll see Bursaria flourishing in West Ridge and Stansfield reserves, two of many local bushland pockets lovingly tended by our volunteers.

The Bad: Spanish Moss on the Move

Another plant catching our attention is Spanish Moss (Tillandsia usneoides), also known as Old Man’s Beard. While pretty hanging from trees, this air plant can smother and damage its hosts in humid conditions. Without roots, it grows in long, silvery chains that can block sunlight and weigh down branches until they snap.

Spanish Moss has been spotted growing wild on Coal Point. You can help track its spread by recording sightings on iNaturalist under the project Tracking Spanish Moss in Australia.

When recording, note the distance from cultivated sources, host species (if known), urban or bushland location and the number of clumps.

If you love Spanish Moss in your garden, please keep it contained. If you find it in bushland, record it, then carefully remove and bin it. Let’s stop this escapee before it shades out and smothers our native trees.

The Ugly: Bagged but Not Beautiful

Finally, a plea from the Threlkeld Reserve team. During a recent Landcare morning, volunteers found four plastic bags of dog poo dumped in the bush. These weren’t the compostable kind, just ordinary plastic, left behind.

Please, if you’re walking your dog, use the compostable green Council bags and dispose of them in the green-waste bin. Our volunteers already give their time to look after the land, let’s not detract from their joy. Most dog owners do the right thing. Be one of them.

Learning from the Land

As Wunal’s warmth builds, Coal Point continues to hum with life, birds calling, cicadas buzzing and the scent of native flowers in the air. Each season brings lessons about resilience and renewal, and Landcare is one way we learn from Country while giving back.

Whether you’re a regular Thursday morning Landcarer, a hall helper, or simply someone who takes “one weed out each walk,” your care counts. Together we keep this place healthy, for people, wildlife and the next generation learning to love the land as we do.

Learning at Landcare - from Pam

It’s winter, which on the Awabakal seasonal calendar is Takarir, the cold time when the tall spikes of the Gymea lily (minmai) flower red and the wattle blossoms, reminding us that the humpback whales are heading north. It was the shortest day of the year (winter solstice) on 21 June, so the days are getting longer, and Spring is on its way.

At Landcare we have our eyes peeled for seasonal weeds, aiming to remove weeds before they flower and produce seeds that are spread by birds, wind and water run-off. Landholders can help by removing these weeds, or at least the seeds, before they spread into the bush.

Common weeds which keep us busy each Thursday include Asparagus Fern, Mother of Millions, Lantana, Madeira Vine, Morning Glory, Privet, and Thunbergia.

If you would like to replace your weeds the “Grow me instead’ guides are helpful and Lake Mac Landcare at Teralba has local native plants for sale.

Asparagus Fern – A Pretty Plant Turned Problem Weed

Once popular as a decorative indoor pot plant, Asparagus fern (Asparagus aethiopicus) is now listed as a Weed of National Significance. While it might look attractive, this aggressive invader poses a serious threat to native bushland, growing in a range of soil types, from full sun to shade, and across a range of environments. It has adapted remarkably well to the conditions on the Coal Point peninsula, from the woodlands on the ridge tops to rainforest gullies and wetlands, it can be found everywhere.

Asparagus fern forms dense, smothering mats that outcompete native groundcovers and understorey plants, preventing their germination and growth. This alters the natural landscape and reduces biodiversity. A new climbing variety has even been detected in the Lake Macquarie LGA.

How It Spreads

The plant flowers from spring onwards, producing green to red berries from spring to summer, though berries can be found year-round. These are spread by birds, foxes, reptiles, and even flowing water or dumped garden waste. Significant infestations are found along the west ridge of Coal Point, Stansfield Reserve, and in local gardens, which can serve as sources for further spread into bushland.

Plants can shoot from the central rhizome, a specialsed stem that grows horizontaly underground. The watery tubers don’t regrow, they are just an energy and water store for the plant.

What You Can Do

Seedlings and small plants: Hand-pull or dig up, ensuring the entire rhizome is removed.

Larger plants: Cut around the central rhizome, like doring an apple, this is called crowning.use a sturdy garden knife or mini mattock and remove the ‘cored out crown’ from the site.

Wear gloves: The plant has sharp, prickly stems.

Always remove the berries! Seed dispersal is the main way asparagus fern spreads, with each plant producing up to 600 seeds per year! Cut off any berries and place them in your red-lid bin. Also collect any fallen berries—green ones can ripen and produce viable seeds even after being removed from the plant.

More info on Asparagus Fern 

Watch this short, informative video: Remove Asparagus Fern – Pittwater Ecowarriors  1b

Wattle I grow instead?

There are over 1,000 species of Acacia in Australia, and several beautiful varieties are local to our area. One of the standouts is Acacia longifolia (Sydney Golden Wattle), a fast-growing shrub reaching 3–4 metres. It produces bright golden cylindrical flower spikes and offers a range of benefits—stabilising erosion-prone soils, providing protective shade for young seedlings, and acting as a natural screen.

Wattle seeds grow in pods and have even been traditionally eaten after roasting. Their value in regeneration, habitat creation, and aesthetics makes them a top choice for local gardens.

However, not all wattles are welcome. The Queensland Silver Wattle (Acacia podalyriifolia) is considered a weed in our area. Although it is an Australian native, it doesn’t belong here and aggressively outcompetes local species.

If you’re looking to plant local wattles, consider these suitable options:

Golden/Sunshine Wattle (Acacia terminalis) – flowers early to mid-autumn.

Sickle Wattle (Acacia falcata) – a tall open shrub (4–5m), flowering in early winter.

Hickory Wattle (Acacia implexa) – a small to medium tree with creamy ball-shaped flowers in summer.

Prickly Moses (Acacia ulicifolia) – a hardy, early-flowering shrub.

Heath Wattle (Acacia brownii) – a compact shrub (up to 1m) with bright yellow spring flowers.

Want to get started? Lake Macquarie residents can join the Backyard Habitat for Wildlife program and receive two free native plants, a planting guide, and discounted tubestock from the Landcare Nursery at Booragul.

Fun fact: Wattles don’t attract nectar-feeding birds—but they do attract insects, which in turn support insect-eating birds. It’s biodiversity in action!

Locals Landcaring

Laudable Landcarers

“What a team! It was amazing to see how much was achieved this morning in such uncomfortable, almost tropical conditions. Bags of Formosa lilies and Asparagus fern were removed from the site. How proud and lucky Coal Point is to have such champions on the job!” – Landcaring Lois

Bonza Bushland Gardening Guide

Living in a bushland suburb where birds, bugs, brushies, bats and bush abound provides a unique insight into the lifestyle of the biodiverse rich and famous few. Along the Coal Point peninsula there are a few threatened species that call our place in space home too. The majestic Powerful Owl, the ever-so-cute Squirrel gliders and the dainty in-hiding Tetratheca juncea are still abundant enough that they have a chance of surviving in the long term if we can retain the bushland that they need for shelter,food and habitat.

We have a mosaic of public-private land within our community which, if considered as a whole, is big enough to support our amazing local wildlife. If it gets fragmented further, it will be death by a thousand blows with the final cut resulting in local extinctions.

Between 2012-2018 a $1million community project, Threatened Species Last Stand on the Coal Point Peninsula, supported locals and landcarers to learn about and protect our bushland assets. A Bonza Bushland Gardening Guide was produced to assist landholders with bushland blocks manage their native vegetation. This guide is available on the CPPA website, with some instructional videos, and as a pdf to download. https://coalpointprogress.blogspot.com/p/bonza-backyard-gardening-guide.html

Another useful resource for all the local bird lovers is the Birdlife Australia’s guide ‘What to feed wild birds’ 

Learning @ Landcare with Pam

Hi, I’m new to Landcare and have been finding that there’s a lot to learn about caring for and conserving our natural environment. Since moving to Lake Macquarie I’ve joined the Coal Point Landcare group where I join in on Thursday mornings when I can, and paddle to Crocodile Point, (Toronto Lion’s park) on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month to join the TASNG landcare group.

Recently, at the Hampton Street link landcare site, next to the Carey Bay shops, I was excited to find some bushes covered in blue berries. They were identified as native Elderberries which had me wondering. Can I eat them? Can I make some Elderberry wine?

A bit more research included asking the experts on a social media group called Australian Indigenous Plant Identification. There were a few wild answers, but we concluded that I had found Polyscias Sambucifolia (Elderberry Panax) which is not related to the Elderberry from the northern hemisphere.

Growing up to 11 metres tall, ours are babies between 300 cm and up to 2 metres. It has a small blue fruit which contains one or two seeds and is described as having a sweet taste with an astringent finish.

I’m happy to leave the fruit for the local wildlife as Currawongs love them and there is also a moth that eats the leaves, and I do wonder what eats the moth in a healthy ecosystem.

Another plant I’ve been noticing a lot and learning about is an invasive called Guinea grass, Megathyrus maximus. It’s easy and quite relaxing to pull or break the stems and put the seed heads in a bag to slow down its spread. (One year’s weeding stops 8 years of seedlings). By removing these exotic grasses we are reducing the competition for water, light and nutrients which gives our native plants a better chance.

There’s a lot to do and a lot to learn at Landcare. Ultimately, when we get involved we are caring for the country we live on and, as a bonus, we get to spend time with other people who care too.

Hope to see you there at landcare - Pam

Want to find out more about the local native plants? Visit the Plants in our Bigger Backyard page.

Landcare calendar 

If you'd like to receive an email each week with details about where we are landcaring and what we'll be doing contact cppalandcare@gmail.com and you'll be added to the email list.

Trees In Newcastle is still open

You can view the species available here

Celebrate Science Week August 11-19

Celebrate Science Week August 11-19 by joining in the

Great Aussie Bioquest

In our community we are surrounded by some amazing plants, animals and fungi. We have lots of tracks to trek along as well. This makes for a fun adventure to join in for Science Week, The Great Aussie BioQuest, the largest bioblitz in Australia’s history.

Bioquest is run through the QuestaGame App. Your sightings contribute to real research and conservation , it’s free to join and there are even prizes.

All you need is a camera, and it can be the one on your phone or in the app. You don’t need to know what the lifeform is, but you get bonus points if you can identify it.

To better protect life on Earth (including ourselves), we need to learn more about what is out there. So far, we have only described a fraction of the species of life on our planet - and even for those we know of, there is a lot more we can learn about their distribution.

QuestaGamer’s sightings are shared with CSIRO’s Atlas of Living Australia and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility - the world’s premier collection of biodiversity records. As of April 2017, our data has had 50 million record downloads - helping researchers understand how we can better manage and protect biodiversity in a changing world.

This image by John Sharples provides amazing detail of a local Orchid. There are a few tricks to getting an image to look like this...as John explains.

The Acianthus is a small ground orchid some 80mm high. The flower head is about 5 or 6mm high. The size of the flower dictated the type of photography applied; a process known as focus stacking.

To achieve the image a camera was set on a tripod with a macro lens and tethered to a laptop computer. The lens front was some 150mm from the front of the flower with a resulting in focus area, depth of field, of approximately 1 to 1.5mm. The software controlling the camera was set to take 60 images over a focal distance of 15mm. After each image is stored the software inches the camera’s focal distance forward about .25 of a millimetre.

This process takes around 10 seconds per image so about 6 to 10 minutes for the photography and nearer to half an hour for the setup. The 60 images are then taken into the stacking program where the in-focus part of each image is used to slowly build up the final, stacked, image.

After a small amount of cleaning up in Lightroom the flowers were cut out of their natural background and pasted into the uniform dark background you see.
From first observations of the bud to the image before you, I checked the plant over a period of some three weeks and then photographed the plant on four separate occasions plus some 10 or more computer hours to produce the final image.

Unfortunately, the flower head has wilted and a clearer middle image is not possible, but watch this space as a multiple headed stem is in bud. I think it was worth the effort.

Please enjoy.John Sharples

Last chance plants-not-so-plentiful

 It was great to be able to move along several hundred plants from the plants-too-plentiful project but there are still over a hundred left. 
If you would like some devine vines there are still Wonga-wonga vine, Dusky coral Pea and Purple climbing Pea available.

If a drought tolerant and mowable lawn is what you’re after, there is lots of Weeping meadow grass to make your meadow with.

Perhaps some feature grasses for a border… Tussock Grass will do the job, or if you have a slope that needs stabilizing there are Spiny-headed Mat Rush. 

If any of these plants interest you contact Dianne 4959 8152 to arrange a vegetation inspection/acquisition. Plants not sold by 31/8/18 will be returned to the grower…and it is still four plants for $10, which is a real bargain.

Native Plants-a-Plenty too plentiful and now 4 plants for $10

An unfortunate oversight has meant that the CPPA has hundreds of plants that are in need of a home. If the thought of never having to mow again appeals there is a selection of native grasses and ground covers that are just perfect for transitioning an awkward slope into a no-mow meadow or a garden bed of feature plants. The move ‘em along rate is four plants for $10.

The plants available include:

• Tussock grass (Grass) 1m tufted grass with green to purple spikes in summer & spring 
• Spiny Mat Rush (tufted herb) -1m tufted herb with cream flower spikes in Sept-Nov 
• Blue flax Lily (Erect herb) – 0.5m herb with bright blue star flowers and purple edible berries 
• Kidney Weed (Creeping herb) – a ground hugging herb that forms a carpet of green where turf-type grass doesn’t grow well 
• Weeping meadow grass (Grass) - a native grass that is drought and shade tolerant
  
  and mows well. 

There is also a selection of small shrubs. Contact Suzanne for details or send and email to coalpointprogress@gmail.com

The website has pictures and more information.

Plants-a-Plenty Orders- extension till 18/5/18

Did you mean to order some plants but it slipped your mind? Don’t worry, there’s still limited time to place an order. The plants are 3 for $10 and there is a selection that will suit most garden features. Borders, bird-attracting-berry producers, feature grasses, and enthusiastic climbers.

Orders, images and details of the plants available can be viewed on the CPPA website .

Orders can be lodged online via a survey or by hardcopy order form available on the CPPA website and posted to PO Box 329, Toronto.

Plants-a-Plenty orders due 30/4/18

Autumn is a great time to plant with rain guaranteed at some point before the summer heat hits. The CPPA is coordinating a bulk purchase of plants at a discounted rate to support locals in their native gardening endeavours and to raise funds for the local landcare activities.

There are plants for all garden areas including edges, hedges, quick covering climbers, plants you can sit on, no mow grasses and bird attracting berry producers.

Native plants, especially ones local to our area are well suited to our local climate, require much less water than exotic plants and support the local wildlife.

The native plants-a-plenty can be bought as individuals or as a ‘plant pack’, 3 for $10. There is an order form on the website , which will provide us with a good idea of how many plants to order.

TSLS To-do

The six-year Threatened Species Last Stand on the Coal Point Peninsula project (TSLS) is on the last leg, with the project completion date of 30/6/18. There are some activities that are already completed, still quite a few activities to be enjoyed and of course there will be some that keep on going on after the TSLS project finishes.

The Summer survey was completed on 22/1/18 by the adventuresome avian expert Tom Clarke. 

Young Dollarbird waiting patiently
for parents to return (Tom Clarke)

Tom’s consistency and commitment to the project has been commendable, as are his reports all 23 of them! There is final report to come which will be looking at any trends and summarising the information collected over the past six years. If you are avian-orientated and would like to continue with any of the surveys please contact the CPPA, Tom is keen to share his process.

The Summer Survey Highlights included:

• The uncommon record of White-throated Needletails, at least 14 individuals could be accounted for travelling directly overhead and not too far above the canopy. These birds appeared to be following the ridge from Stansfield Reserve to Carey Bay as they passed by. It is interesting to note that this species was also recorded at this site in April 2017; that would have been right at the end of the previous season before they headed back to Northern Asia.
• Some indications of breeding success were noted with two separate sightings of juvenile Dollarbird and a Grey Butcherbird family group consisting of two adults and a very dependent fledgling at Stansfield Reserve. Grey Butcherbirds have nested in the Stansfield (non-burn) area several times over the course of the surveys. Both juvenile Dollarbirds were found sitting quietly with no hint (you cannot mistake their calls) of parent birds at all. Perhaps they were taking it easy in the heat also.
• The most widely recorded species for these surveys were Rainbow Lorikeets, Noisy Miner and Grey Butcherbird. They were recorded at every survey site and this is hardly surprising of course. Over the last five years, 22 rounds of formal surveys have been completed and the dominance of these birds is strongly confirmed on every occasion. With regards the honeyeaters, it is almost a complete shut-out for the smaller less-aggressive birds.

For the complete Summer Survey visit The Animals in our Bigger Backyard page on the CPPA website.

Another tick on the TSLS to-do list has been for the professional bush regeneration support provided by LMCC’s Natural Areas crew. 

Over the summer they have spent four days building on the success of the April 2016 burn at Stansfield Reserve, targeting woody weeds such as Ochna- Mickey Mouse plant, a garden escape, that has survived and thrived. The team of four also spent four days at Hampton Street Link focussed on the ‘heavy lifting’ of Lantana removal and Cassia control (another garden escape). This work is preparing the ground for the National Tree Day planting that is planned for May 20th to reinstate the rainforest remnants and kickstart the recovery of the ground covers.

The support of the LMCC Natural Areas Team has been greatly appreciated, their willingness to share their knowledge and their enthusiasm for undertaking the physically demanding work has helped the local landcare group to keep their spirits and enjoyment of bushland activities high.

A fun-filled five months is ahead with projects on the go including the mega mural on the Hunter Water Reservoir, an Awesome Art & Craft show and Plant-pack purchases.

The mega-mural: 

Enthusiastic street artists have already begun preparing the surface of the reservoir and Hunter Local Land Services recently awarded the CPPA a grant to cover the Youth Week mural completion celebration on 17/4/18. Throughout February we’ll be lining up the local schools, and community artists to sort out how the space can be used. 
In March it will be cans in hand to put the artwork out there. A mural webpagehas been set up which lists the local plants and animals that can be emblazoned upon the water tank walls. If you’re keen to pick a subject and practice your style there’s quite a few to choose from. A facebook page is being set up by Graffiti Dan, the street artist mentor overseeing the mural.

The Art and Craft show 

For the traditional artists The Awesome Art and Craft Show planning has begun. If you are a local artisan and would like the opportunity to showcase your art or craft please contact Barbara Lawrenson at artandcraftcppa@gmail.com or 0409 839 428. As this event will be celebrating the completion of the TSLS project any works of art-craft that relate to the flora and fauna of the area would be most appreciated. There is a webpage where details of the event will be housed.

Plants-a-Plenty Purchases

Do you have a spot in your garden that needs filling? Would you like a plant that is perfect for our area and the local wildlife? Would you like to support the local landcare project after the grant has finished? If you answered yes to any of these questions read on.

A selection of local plants are being grown by Hunter Indigenous Plants for locals to purchase at 3 plants for $10. Funds raised will go towards supporting the weekly landcaring projects. They’ll be ready for pick up at the Art and Craft Show. Orders and payment are needed by 30/4/18. Orders can be lodged online or with the hard copy order form available at the members morning tea and in the March Chronicle.

• Feathery fields of swaying swathes : Kangaroo Grass , Plume Grass , Blady Grass
• Edges and Hedges: Tussock grass ,Spiny Mat Rush, Sweet Pittosporum   
• Berry Abundant borders: Hairy Clerodendrum, Coffee Bush  , Blue flax Lily
• Quick Covering Climbers: Wong Wonga vine , Dusky Coral Pea , Climbing Guinea flower , Old Man's Beard, Purple Twinning Pea
• Gracias-plants you can sit on and mow: Scurvy Weed, Kidney Weed ,Weeping meadow grass

Want to plant a tree in your backyard for your own personal National Tree Day?

Tuckeroo

There’s lots of good reasons to plant a tree, the recent native tree workshop hosted by Lake Macquarie Landcare provided some great information about local native trees. 

Ann Loughran from Warners Bay Landcare & Trees In Newcastle provided list of suitable not too tall, local native trees that could serve a variety of functions such as shade, privacy, screening, windbreaks, be ornamental, bird attracting, have featured flowers, edible fruit and just look real pretty.

Seven local lovelies  

Banksia serrata

Forest Oak - Allocasuarina torulosa
Grey Myrtle Backhousia myrtifolia
Old Man Banksia - Banksia serrata
Willow Bottlebrush - Callistemon salignus
Tuckeroo - Cupaniopsis anacardioides
Blueberry Ash – Eleocarpus reticulatus
Snow In summer – Melaleuca linarifolia

The Landcare Resource Centre at Teralba sells local native plants to the public. Phone 49210392 for more information on plant availability.

Roadside Verge Embankment Planting Guide

Have you ever wanted a biodiverse bank instead of a hard to mow hill? Thanks to the Threatened Species project and the skills of Nature’s Magic Garden Designs a landscape concept plan has been put together to guide and inspire the transition of those tricky verges and embankments into low maintenance habitat havens.

Designed with sight lines and slopes in mind there is a concept plan, an alternative plant list and information on the habitat benefits available for downloading on the Plants In Our Bigger Backyard tab  on the CPPA website .

Workshopping with LMCC

Workshop – Tips to design your native garden

Wednesday 23 March, 10.00am – 12noon

Build your knowledge on key features when designing your native garden; whether a small courtyard or garden remodel.

Location: Cardiff Library, Ground floor, Cardiff Marketplace, Corner Main and Macquarie Road.

Bookings essential via Lake Mac Libraries or phone Cardiff Library on 4954 8575.

How to reduce your power bills, and your carbon footprint

Wednesday 16 March, 6pm for 6.30pm

Learn practical steps you can take at home to reduce your power bills as well as your carbon footprint. Lake Macquarie City Council will also share how they reduced their greenhouse gas emissions by a whopping 30%, largely through the installation of 400kW of renewable energy generation.

Part of the ‘Renewable Energy Futures’ public event series. CLEANaS is hosting a series of informative events focused on renewable energy, energy efficiency and how communities can support the uptake of renewables in their area. Come to one or all of these free events. Simply register online at www.eventbrite.com.au/e/how-to-reduce-your-power-bills-and-your-carbon-footprint-tickets-21603286010.

Location: Toronto Workers Club Auditorium, 9 James Street.