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· Seeds and Seedlings: Sunday 25 March 2007
· Walking With the Ants: Sunday 25 March 2007
· Woody Weeds Working Bee and Morning Tea: Sunday 15 April
· Rabbit Control on Mt Majura
· Minutes of Friends of Mt Majura Meeting:
Plans for 2007
Good morning, Friends
I’m running late with this newsletter. I would like to give you a brief update
on upcoming events followed by the rather longish minutes of our meeting held on
the 11 March. The meeting was about FoMM’s 2007 plans and the minutes include a
Draft Year 2007 Program. I would like to encourage you to get involved with your
favourite event or to make suggestions.
Seeds and Seedlings – 25 March 2007
Learn how to identify, clean, store and document seeds collected on Mt Majura,
how to plant grass seeds, and how to pot-up seedlings.
When: Sunday 25 March 10.00 – 11.30 am
Where: 9 Selwyn Street Hackett
Bring: dibble stick or chop sticks
Please consider whether you could take care of seedlings earmarked for
revegetation projects on Mt Majura. I’m looking for people who could take care
of Kangaroo grass and eucalyptus seedlings. The seedlings come in forestry tubes
placed in styro-foam boxes. Pending on people’s time and interest we might head
off to collect some eucalyptus seeds. Alternatively we’ll collect seeds later in
the week or the following weekend.
Reminder: Walking With Ants - 25 March 2007
Join ANU myrmecologist Ajay Narendra for an ant discovery walk on Mount Majura.
When: Sunday 25 March, 4.30 to 6.30 pm
Where: meet at Helms Place park entrance off Rivett Street, Hackett
Bring: sun protection, sturdy boots and a magnifying glass if you have one.
Kids (with adults) are especially welcome.
Woody Weeds Working Bee - 15 April 2007
This will be our last woody weed working party for this season. This time we’ll
start with morning tea before we get into business. Noel will bring his kettle
and I hope for some muffin donations or that like. I also would like to take the
opportunity for a photo for our annual report – there’s no need to dress up!
When: Sunday, 15 April, come for tea at 9.00am, weeding from 9.30am onwards
Where: meet at the fire trail behind Mackenzie Street opposite Hull Place
Bring: sun protection, sturdy boots and full body covering clothing; all
equipment will be provided.
Rabbit Control on Mt Majura
Several people have approached me in regard to the increasing number of rabbits
on Mt Majura. The good news is that government plans to start rabbit control
soon targeting Majura horse paddocks and the eastern slopes of Mt Majura. Staff
will use carrot bait with Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Virus (formerly known as
Calicivirus).
There are two ways volunteers might like to get involved to increase the
effectiveness of control by helping to monitor rabbit numbers and by locating
active rabbit warrens within the nature reserve.
Monitoring will be conducted by spotlight surveys along transects. Contact
Nicloa Webb to get involved with monitoring:
Nicola.Webb@act.gov.au or ph 62072135.
People who possess a GPS device can record the coordinates of active warrens and
send them to my e-mail address or to Nicola. Please contact me about the units
beforehand. If you know about rabbit warrens but don’t have a GPS device you can
contact me as well and I’ll try to find someone who could take GPS records.
That’s it for now. Warm regards
Waltraud
FoMM co-ordinator
ph 6247 7515 or
admin@majura.org
Visit
www.majura.org to stay informed on latest FoMM news and events.
Minutes of FoMM Meeting, Sunday 11 March
2007
Present: Alison Inglis, Chris Paterson Dorothy Mackenzie, Helen Carse, Jenni
Marsh, Jochen Zeil, Len Crossfield, Noel Birchall, Pamela Mathie, Waltraud Pix.
Issues:
(1) Waltraud explained the workings of FoMM, with special emphasis on
organization and planning. She explained, taking the monthly woody weeding
activities as example (they happen every third Sunday in the month during the
warmer part of the year), what needs to be done in order to make them happen:
(a) Identify target weeds and target sites.
(b) Liase with Rangers regarding the availability of the trailer and the
time and location of the next weeding activity.
(c) Write announcement for Neighbourhood Watch Newsletter (deadline first
weekend in the month) and for the FoMM website.
(d) Write and print posters to be distributed to various park entrances.
(e) Distribute posters to the park entrances and check repeatedly that
they have not been taken down.
(f) Be there on the day to (i) check trailer; (ii) welcome participants
and introduce safety measures and suggested activities; (iii) hand out tools
and organize weeding parties; (iv) prepare activity sheet and make sure that
everyone signs; (v) supervise work (novice weeders).
(g) Collect, photocopy and file activity sheets, report activity (in the
3monthly volunteer activity report to the government) and send report and
sheets to the ACT Parkcare Coordinator.
(2) At the moment these and other responsibilities are
shared among only four FoMM Members: Waltraud Pix (coordinator), Noel Birchall
(weed officer), Susan Campbell (website-manager) and Andrew Blankensee
(currently fugitive treasurer) and ways need to be found to involve more people
for routine tasks.
(3) Other FoMM activities that involve small jobs, which people could do and
for which contributions from FoMM members are invited
(a) The continuing development of the website (writing
articles);
(b) The reporting to Government and to media outlets (like the
Neighbourhood Watch Newsletter);
(c) Planning and organization of events.
Outcomes:
(1) Helen and Noel volunteered to distribute and check the posters at the
park entrances.
(2) Len has agreed to help Waltraud with coordinating the Project Dragonfly
Follow-up (see Draft 2007 Program below) conditional upon return help for his
project of creating a floating island on one of the dams.
(3) Pamela has volunteered to help organize FoMM talks, starting with Beth
Mitchell (ANU) on the Urban stewardship for the Environment; Jochen Zeil has
agreed to help with venue hire and projection equipment.
(4) People asked to break up jobs into small tasks, which would make it
easier for people to get involved in activities.
Alas, below is a list of tasks that would need to be done for some of the major
activities planned for 2007. Please let me know if you are prepared to help with
any of these and please keep in mind that I can provide support - there’s no
need to re-invent the wheel.
I will call for another meeting at the beginning of May to see how we are
going.
Warm regards
Waltraud
Plans for this year (see Summary FoMM
Draft 2007 Program below) and lists of tasks
(1) Project Dragonfly Follow-up: Erosion control at lower Majura dam.(
Work includes loosening of soil, placement of erosion matting, direct seeding of
native plants.
Tasks:
(a) Agree on date (proposed weekend 20./21.05.07);
(b) Liaise with rangers about soil preparation (ie loosening of compacted
soil). Rangers have been asked, confirmation pending;
(c) Write and distribute announcements for Website, Neighbourhood Watch
Newsletter, Posters for park entrances;
(d) Co-ordinate erosion matting delivery (currently stored at the Ranger
Headquarter in Mitchell) for on-ground work;
(e) List and arrange for required tools and seeds;
(f) Co-ordinate work on the day (placement of matting, fastening pegs,
collect and place logs, direct seeding) including collect activity sheet;
(g) Create small display informing the public on “Environmental work in
Progress”;
(h) Write report for Neighbourhood Watch Newsletter.
(2) World Environment Day Walk Talk and Tea: Sunday, 03. 06.07, afternoon.
As in the previous two years this will be a guided walk to showcase Mt Majura
and FoMM activities, with tea & biscuits at the former Sheep Camp on the Ridge
Tasks:
(a) Liaise with Rangers; rangers already agreed to provide hot water, tea &
coffee facilities at the sheep camp;
(b) Promotion (note, templates for posters and flyers from previous events
are available): Write and coordinate adverts for FoMM website, Communities
online / Chronicle, Canberra Times (find out whether CT runs a Special for WED),
CT Fridge Door, Hackett Neighbourhood Watch Newsletter; Flyers for shops etc;
Posters for park entrance and community board;
(c) Organize on-ground activity:
Ask for cake & muffins etc donations (Hackett IGA?)
Collect donations and transfer to rangers
Prepare materials that feature FoMM projects along the walk
(d) At the event:
Collect activity sheets
Collect voluntary gold coin donation (???)
Organise a walking team for elderly participants
(e) Write report and distribute.
(3) Tree Planting
Greening Australia (GA) currently raises 80 eucalyptus and 40 Hardenbergia and
Lomandra seedlings for FoMM in exchange for seeds we’ve collected for GA’s
‘Seeds for survival’ Program. The euc seedlings are earmarked for replanting the
vandalized sheep camp area and for supplementary planting opposite the Majura
horse paddocks; the Hardenbergia and Lomandra are planned for the edge of the
drain line at the lower Hackett reservoir.
The Australia wide celebration of ‘National Tree Day’ would be an opportunity to
invite community for planting the seedlings. The dates are
Friday 27.07.07 Schools day.
Sunday 29.07.07 General day.
Tasks
(a) Agree on dates;
(b) Liaise with rangers; rangers already agreed to drill planting holes at
specified sites opposite the horse paddocks, to bring water and tools up to the
sheep camp and provide wire mesh for tree guards for the sheep camp site (wire
mesh guards are less obvious than the previously used plastic guards and
hopefully this reduces the risk of vandalism);
(c) Liaise with schools for planting activity opposite Horse paddocks
(Hackett Pre-School and Blue Gum Community schools, both have shown interest);
(d) Write and distribute announcements for Website, Neighbourhood Watch
Newsletter, Posters for park entrances;
(e) Specify planting sites for drilling holes opposite horse paddocks;
(f) Arrange for required tools and materials (stakes, hammer, mattocks, weed
control pads, water crystals, guards, tools for making wire mesh guards);
(g) Co-ordinate seedlings delivery from GA;
(h) Arrangement for initial watering (organize watering tank from rangers,
FoMM’s water containers, buckets, hose);
(i) Co-ordinate work on the day including collect activity sheet;
(j) Demonstrate planting: someone with horticulture background or experience
in planting tree seedlings;
(k) Write report for Neighbourhood Watch Newsletter
(4) Talks and Walks
Tasks (depending on type of event):
(a) Ideas for interesting topics of FoMM Talks (Walks; see draft 2007
program);
(b) Decide on a series of dates and on venue;
(c) Contact potential speakers, agree on dates, identify required
infrastructure (laptop, data projector, slides, overhead etc.);
(d) Organize venue and projection equipment (don’t forget extension leads);
(e) Write and distribute announcements;
(f) Organize venue access, seating arrangement, projection set-up, activity
sheets;
(g) Give introduction, facilitate discussion, close the meeting;
(h) Write report for Neighbourhood Watch Newsletter.
(5) Seed collection and raising seedlings
Please note that collecting seeds in the nature reserve requires permission from
the government! FoMM has a permission to collect seeds in the Mt Majura nature
reserve for our revegetation projects; Greening Australia holds a license to
collect seeds in Canberra Nature Park for the ‘Seed for Survival’ program.
Tasks (seed collection):
(a) Identify purpose of seed collection eg revegetation of a certain area;
(b) Identify appropriate plant species;
(c) Identify collection site (eg stands of healthy tree specimens, access);
(d) Identify time to harvest seeds and monitor the ripening of seeds;
(e) Seed collection equipment: personal protection (sun protection, sturdy
boots, leather gloves), bags, extension secateurs, secateurs, pen and paper, GPS
to identify location and seed collection form (required if seeds collected for
GA: Seed for Survival program);
(f) Seed drying, cleaning and storage: clean dry space, sheets of cloth,
sieves of different mesh width, (ideally airtight) storage containers and paper
bags; if seeds are dried and stored in garage etc check for mice / ants stealing
grass / euc seeds.
Tasks (seedling raising):
(a) Pre-treatment of seeds (eg Acacia, Hardenbergia) if applicable;
(b) Material: seed raising or potting mix for natives, seed raising trays,
pots or forestry tubes, dibble stick, watering can, trays or styrofoam box to
hold pots;
(c) Space & timing (eg euc seedlings require about 4-6 months before planting
out).
Friends of Mt Majura (FoMM)
Draft Program 2007 |
|
Month |
Date |
Event |
Leader |
Contact |
Feb-07 |
18.02 |
Woody Weeds |
wp |
wp |
Mar-07 |
2.03 |
Seed Collection |
wp |
wp |
|
11.03 |
FoMM mtg |
wp |
wp |
|
18.03 |
Woody Weeds |
Noel
Birchall |
NB |
|
25.03 |
Seeds and seedlings |
wp |
|
|
25.03 |
Walk: Walking with Ants |
Ajay
Narendra |
wp |
Apr-07 |
15.04 |
Woody Weeds & Morning Tea |
Noel
Birchall |
NB, wp |
|
25.04 |
Talk: Suburban Stewardship |
Beth
Mitchell |
Pamela Mathie |
May-07 |
20./21. |
Install erosion matting |
Len
Crossfield |
Len Crossfield |
Jun-07 |
3.06 |
WED Walk Talk and Tea |
?, wp |
wp |
|
17.06 |
sheep camp: follow up stage 2 |
wp |
wp |
Jul-07 |
1.07 |
sheep camp: erosion control |
wp |
wp |
|
27.07 |
NTD Tree planting, schools, lower slope |
? |
? |
|
29.07 |
NTD Tree planting, general, sheep camp |
? |
? |
Aug-07 |
19.08 |
sheep camp: follow up stage 2 |
? |
? |
Sep-07 |
16.09 |
Woody Weeds |
Noel
Birchall |
NB |
|
? |
sheep camp: thistle control (pending) |
? |
? |
Oct-07 |
? |
1Walk:
Wildflower |
Michael Doherty |
? |
|
? |
1Walk:
Orchid (depends on rain in winter) |
Dean
Rouse |
? |
|
? |
FrogWatch (National Water Week) |
? |
|
|
21.1 |
Woody Weeds |
Noel
Birchall |
NB |
Nov-07 |
? |
1Walk:
Early Bird |
COG |
? |
|
18.11 |
Woody Weeds |
Noel
Birchall |
NB |
Dec-07 |
pending |
Seed Collection |
wp |
wp |
1
proposed |
|
|
|
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