Newsletter - Whitsunday Catchment Landcare

Newsletter
March 2015
www.whitsundaylandcare.org.au
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Coming Up:
Every Thursday Plant Propagation at the:
Community Nursery, 33 Kelsey Creek Rd Proserpine—9am—12.30pm
A partnership for the natural resource
management of catchments in the
Central QLD Coast Bioregions.
WCL– General meeting: 14th April 2015-7pm. Guest Speaker – Christina
della Valle presenting her perspective on sustainable management of
livestock & the land.
CATCHMENT COORDINATOR:
Cath Campbell
Ph: 0408 187 944
[email protected]
Society for Growing Australian Plants– Mackay Branch– Contact—Irene Champion–
Ph:49551745
Sunday 5th April– Bird Life Mackay outing to Berri Werri, near Gargett
PROJECT OFFICER:
Aaron Regan
Ph: 0488 768 567
CONTACT US FOR INFORMATION:
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Natural Resource Management
Land management
Native plants
Environmental weeds
Volunteer activities
BECOME A VOLUNTEER:
Come seed collecting; learn to identify
native plants; how to propagate them;
improve your environment; enjoy the
outdoors in a fun, social setting.
If your interested in any of the above to
do your bit for the environment and
socialise with like-minded people? We
have coordinated activities on Thursday
mornings and more. Contact us!
WCL Management Committee:
Graham Armstrong, Chair
Scott Hardy, Deputy Chair
Christine Peterson, Secretary
Jim Dickens, Treasurer
Bren Fuller
Cr John Atkinson
WCL is a community not-for-profit
group, relying on grants & donations.
We are a registered charity; donations of
$2 or more are tax
deductible. To make a
donation please contact
us or go to our page:
www.givenow.com.au
Queensland Water & Land Carers- Reef Range & Red Dust Conference 31/8-02/9 at
Caloundra -registrations now open– www.ReefRangeDust.org
Community Nursery News.
Whitsunday Catchment Landcare, has been successful in their applicaon to the
Philmac Project Grants. The nursery is in need of an irrigaon system upgrade
and with the encouragement & support of New Wave Irrigaon, WCL applied
and has been awarded a BLUEY. Thank you to all those that went online & voted
for our project & many thanks to Jacquie Shiels for preparing the applicaon.
In the Bluey Awards, Philmacs’ aim was to broaden opportunies for groups that
might be considered 'underdogs' compared with applicants from organisaons
that could draw on more supporters in the vong round. The
award is named a0er Philmac's
brand ambassador, Bluey, an
Australian Blue Heeler.
“ Whitsunday Catchment Landcare, Proserpine, Whitsunday
Region - a special Bluey Award
of $3000 in cash to install a new
irrigaon system in the community nursery. The nursery needs
to be able to water more efficiently and reliably the nave plant seedlings its
volunteers spend 1000 hours propagang for the local community. The grant
will help to cover the cost of new piping, modern spray heads and a solarpowered controller that can be adjusted to suit different seasons, plant species
and locaons, helping to ensure a higher plant survival rate and more efficient
water use.”
Still on fund raising….. Whitsunday Catchment Landcare
is preparing to hold a raffle. We are currently looking
for donations of goods and services, that would appeal
to our “Land carer” constituency, enough To make them
want to purchase many raffle tickets.
Please call Cath if you have any offerings.
Supported by:
WCL receives vital support
from Reef Catchments & the
Whitsunday Regional Council.
What’s Showing :
Common names: Nalta Jute, Tossa Jute, tussah Jute
Scientific name: Cajanus reticulatus
Family: Fabaceae
Description: An erect or spreading shrub to 1-1.5m
tall, Stems ribbed and covered with rusty coloured
hairs.
Cajanus reticulatus–
shrub in garden.
PHOTO: Peter Alden
Leaves:
Compound
leaves (3 leaflets—30-80 x
25-50mm) with the petiole
( leaf stem) conspicuously
grooved on the upper
surface. Middle leaflet
usually larger than the
lateral leaflet and on a
longer
stalk.
Veins
prominent on the lower
surface of the leaf blades.
Small yellow glands, visible Cajanus reticulatus flower &
with a lens, on both upper & leaves.
lower surfaces of the leaf PHOTO– Christine Peterson
blades. Leaves covered
with pale hairs.
Flowers: Pea shaped
yellow
flower,
petals
12mm long, 10 stamens,
the
filaments
of
9
stamens are fused to
form a tube about 911mm long open on one
side, one stamen free.
Cajanus reticulatus flower &
leaves. Photo– Peter Alden
Fruit: Are flat, 2-3cm long
pod with 4-5 seeds per fruit. Seed are 3mm long with a
distinct aril at the base.
Propagation: Propagate by seed.
Notes: Occurs in WA, NT, CYP & NEQ extending to
SE QLD. Usually grows in open forest but also found in
vine thickets & monsoon forest. A variable species that
is widely distributed. Can be confused with many
Cassia, Senna or Sickle Pod species. Aborigines
roasted & ate the roots.
References:
http://keys.trin.org.au/key-server/data/0e0f0504-0103-430d-8004-060d07080d04/
media/Html/taxon/Cajanus_reticulatus.htm
Plants of Magnetic Island- Betsy R. Jackes 2nd Edition JCU School of Tropical Biology
page 82
Whitsunday Catchment Landcare
Peri– Urban Project.
Are you a rural residential landholder of
5– 50 acres?
Have we got a deal for you !!!!!
Other news:
Brachychiton compactus– Whitsunday progeny. News of the
seed that was sent to the National Botanic Gardens for propagation & storage has been received. Toby Golsen from the
Bot Gardens sent a couples of photos of their first few
weeks. They had an almost 100% germination rate!! which
is pretty exciting. In a recent email Toby outlined the plan
that the Gardens have for the Brachychiton compactus, from
the Whitsundays -“We too are very excited with the germi-
nation rate as it will allow us to trial the species' cultivation
tolerances across a wide range of planting situations here in
the gardens. I am becoming more and more impressed with
Brachychitons as a genus for their hardiness, quick growth and
morphological quirks. Given the success with which B. australis,
garrawayae and albidus are having here in Canberra I'm pretty
confident compactus will be OK too (hope I don't have to eat my
words...)
I will also distribute a
small number of plants to
our partner on the south
coast, Wollongong Bot
Gardens who certainly
won't have the same problem with cold we have
here. Unfortunately the
species is not on the National Arboretums' grow
list.
I look forward to keeping you up to speed and please don't hesitate to forward us any excess
seed of other species you may have in the future.”
Thanks, Toby Golson
National Botanic Gardens
That time of year -TICKS! I can highly recommend reading the
transcript of a recent Catalyst report on the ABC. ( http://
www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/4177191.htm) Recent findings
have attributed a spate of anaphylactic reactions in a cluster of patients attending her practice. The report lead-in below, I hope, will
pique your interest.
“Mammalian meat allergy is on the rise in Australia and the
surprising cause - a tick bite. Dr Jonica Newby meets Dr Sheryl van Nunen, the
clinician who discovered the link. She found that if the tick had fed off another
mammal first, the tick's blood was infected with a sugar called alpha gal. Once
bitten by the infected tick some of our immune systems react to alpha gal causing
an allergic reaction. This story is a must see if you want the latest tips on how best
to remove a tick.” Catalyst-Tuesday, 17 February 2015- Tick allergy
I highly recommend you watch the video clip on how to remove a tick- “Freeze don’t squeeze”
is the new motto.
The WCL Nursery is still keen to source endemic seed
so please keep an eye on your flowering native trees,
shrubs & grasses for the volunteer nursery. Some of
the species on our list are:
Archontophoenix alexandrae Phoenix palm
Cassia tomentosum/ Paluma Range Native Cassia
Casuarina cunninghamiana
River she-oak
Commersonia bartrami
Brown Kurrajong
Corymbia tesselaris Moreton Bay Ash/ Stocking gum
Eucalyptus raveretiana
Black Iron Box
Ficus virens
White fig
Flindersia schottiana
Bumpy Ash
Glochidion apodogynum
Buttonwood
Jagera pseudhorus
Foambark
Lomandra histrix
Matt Rush
Lophostemon grandiflorus Northern Swamp Box
Macaranga tanarius/ involucrata MacarangaMaytenus disperma
Orange Bark
Melaleuca leucadendra
Weeping paperbarkMelaleuca dealbata
Blue paperbark
Melia azederach
White cedar
Millettia pinnata
Pongamia
Parachidendron pruinosum Snow Wood
Pipturus argenteus
Native Mulberry
Polyalthia nitidissma
Canary Beech
Premna serratifolia
Creek Premna
Scolopia braunii
Brown Birch
Guidelines for seed collecting:
• Only collect seed from your own property or with written
permission
• Source plants must have grown from seed from the
Whitsunday Region
• Collect ripe, mature seed & no more than 10% of the
seed from any one plant
• Collect from several parts of the plant, mainly the middle & upper branches
• Use paper bags to store the seed, not plastic, & keep
them in a cool place
• Label the bag with the species, location, date and your
name. Not sure of your identification? Include a stem
with some leaves & /or take a photo.
Pest Hall of Fame
Common name: Sickle
Pod, Java Bean
Scientific name:
Senna obtusifolia
Family: Caesalpiniaceae
CLASS 2 WEED
Origin: Native to Tropical
America
Description: Annual
or
short leaved perennial shrub
to 2m. Young stems with
short hairs. Has a foetid
smell when leaves are
crushed.
Leaves: Compound leaves
30-100mm long with a 15200 channelled stalk. 3
pairs ( 6 leaflets) of blueishgreen
obovate
shaped
leaflets (40-50 x 20-30mm).
Prominent orange 2-3mm
long
cylindrical
gland
between the basal leaflets.
Sickle Pod leaf.
Photo: Carolyn Burnie
Flowers: Yellow 5 petaled
flowers about 10mm long,
usually in pairs in the upper
leaf axils. Late summer to
winter.
Other interesting Info:
www.bowerbird.org.au– a new place to share &
discuss Australia biodiversity. On this site you can
add your own sightings, join projects, get help
identifying a new discovery or chat to like-mined
people. It operates like a Naturalist Society.
New app. for the tech savvy: Coastal Life of South
East Queensland. Designed for those that love
exploring rocky shore, muddy sand flats &
mangroves. Contains 540 invertebrate animals &
marine plants that thrive in intertidal & shallow,
sub-tidal zones. Avail: Apple App Store/ google
Sickle Pod flower
Photo :NT Govt. /weeds
Fruits/Seeds:
Sickle
shapedpods,(120-180 x 3mm)
cylindrical
shape
with
spares minute hairs. 30-50
plump
shiny
chestnutbrown seeds(4-6.5x 2-4mm)
Centro: Immature seed pod.
Photo: Christine Peterson
Spread by: Seed are
explosively released from
ripe pods. Seeds and pods,
are most commonly spread
by water, vehicles, in
contaminated soil, mulch or
in livestock dung. Remain
viable in the soil for many
years
Problem: Can form dense
stands that impact on
productivity of commercial
crops.
Roots
exude
compounds that reduce
growth of nearby seedling of
other species
Prevention: In the natural
environment fence out stock
from remnant vegetation
and waterways. Break the
seed cycle by implementing
mechanical
&
chemical
controls before the plant
flowers and set seeds.
Mechanical
Control:
Regular monitoring of area
to
hand
pull
newly
germinating
seedlings.
Cutting the stem and
swabbing/ brushing the
rooted section of stem
(within15 seconds to ensure
absorption of the chemical )
with
the
appropriate
chemical control.
Chemical: 2,4-D 500g/L,
Picloram 75g/L; Dicamba
700g/kg) Dichlorporp (600g/
l); Paraquat (13g/l) + Diquat
(115g/l); Triclpyr (300g/l) +
Picloram (100g/l)
Refer to label directions for
use & PPE advice.
Source: MRPMG– Weeds of the
Mackay Whitsunday Region
Disclaimer: Information in this newsletter is offered as a guide only and while every care is taken to ensure its accuracy, Whitsunday Catchment
Landcare does not invite reliance upon it, nor accept responsibility for any loss or damage caused by actions based on it.
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0408-187-944 to request one.