FoMM Newsletter November 2011

Friends of Mount Majura (FoMM) Newsletter November 2011  pdf link

  • Rabbit Mapping Volunteer Information Meeting – Tuesday 8th November
  • Bird Walk – Sunday 13th November
  • Working Party – Sunday, 20th November

Dear Friends

I hope you all will be patient with this November FoMM Newsletter.  In Waltraud’s absence, I am standing in for her to bring you all up to date on the activities during October and the things planned for November.

Meetings were held with the rangers during October and the exciting news is that the rabbit control contractors should start their work on 18th January. This means that time is quite short for us to organize a re-mapping of Mt Majura and Mt Ainslie to identify all the currently active rabbit warrens.  Posters have been displayed to advertise a meeting on Tuesday  November 8th at the Phillip Street entrance to the reserve from 6-7 pm for everyone who has an interest in helping with the rabbit mapping project.  Our local ranger will be there to talk about the project and show people how to identify active warrens (plenty of warrens in that area).  Volunteers will be encouraged to adopt a mapping block and sign up for a GPS training session. See more details and links below.

Plenty of activities happened during October.  In particular there was a working party at the Majura Paddock on October 16th.  One of the volunteers from that working party, Will Floyd a Crowajingalong scout, wrote a lovely description of the working party and this account and its accompanying photos can be seen on the www.majura.org website at Report-on-spring-working-party link

The wildflower walk was held on Sunday 30th October.

October 16-22 was the week for the annual Frogwatch census.  I can say from personal experience that the unusually dry conditions for most of October lead to a very quiet frogwatching event!  Last year at the Lower Majura Dam (up the Blue Metal Track from the McKenzie Street entrance) the night was filled with a cacophony of frog noises with at least four different species being identified.  This year during my recording period one, solitary whistling tree frog was calling out over the dam.  The water level in the dam seemed to be dropping as I watched.  Luckily in the last few days of October we had some welcome rain and the frogs and the new seedlings at the Majura Paddock were all very grateful.

The Mt Majura/Mt Ainslie Bird Walk to be led by ornithologist, Terry Munro on November 13th has already been oversubscribed and there is a waiting list of people who are hopeful that another walk can be planned.

This month’s working party joint with the Watson Woodlanders will be on Sunday November 20th from 9am-noon    Please come and help us tackle woody weeds on the north-west slope of Mount Majura.  More details and links for this event are shown below.

No news to report on the Centenary Trail.

I hope Waltraud is enjoying her time away from Mt Majura and that she returns refreshed and rested.  Somehow I doubt she is relaxing on a beach and suspect she is working as hard as ever!

Best wishes Louisa Barnsley

Email :  Louisabarnsley@gmail.com

Rabbit Mapping Volunteer Meeting – Tuesday 8 November

When: Tuesday, 8 November 2011, 6 – 7pm

Where: Mt Majura nature at the Phillip Street entrance

Meet: Access and car available off Kellaway Street

click on Kellaway Street parking to see parking area and park entrance.

What: Meet the ranger, learns about identifying active warrens, adopt a mapping block and sign up for a GPS training session.

Click on this link for a poster you can download and distribute to advertise this meeting.

Enquiries committee@majura.org

 

Woody Weeds Working Party – Sunday 20 November

When: Sunday, 20 November 2011, 9.00 am – 12.00 noon

Where: Mt Majura nature park off Antill Street south of “The Fair” construction site, north Watson

Meet: Access and car parking opposite Prime TV; walk along the horse track towards “The Fair” until you hit the

PCS trailer; click on this map to view the meeting point and working area. Note: due to stormwater augmentation

work, the nature park access and car park further north will be not accessible until further notice.

What: Cut-&-daub Sweet Briar, hawthorns, and frilling of Cootamundra wattles.

Bring: Sun protection, appropriate shoes, body-covering clothing; tools and morning tea will be provided.

Please come early for an introduction.

Enquiries and more information: visit this link

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