Friends of Mt Majura (FoMM) January 2008 newsletter pdf
- Saffron thistle this Sunday morning
- Working Bee around the dams, Sunday 20 January
- 3-monthly report due: please send yours stats / activity sheet
- FoMM Website under reconstruction
- House keeping: e-mail lis
- Help: monitoring regrowth of woody weeds at the drain line.
- FoMM meeting, Sunday 10 February: activities for the first half of 2008
Dear Friends
Happy New Year everyone!
Rain in December has assisted more Saffron thistles to grow at the sheep camp. If you plan an early walk this Sunday 13 January please lend a hand for half an hour or so to pull some thistles. There’s also a patch of Indian hedge mustard and plenty of horehound so we’ll not run out of weeds. Bring your gloves and a bag if you have one. I’ll be there from 8.00 to about 10.30 am. Sorry for this short notice.
Working Bee around the dams, Sunday 20 January
We will celebrate the arrival of 2008 with a working party around the dams.
When: Sunday, 20 January 2008, 8.30 – 11.00am, or when the heat drives us home
Where: meet at the lower dam off Mackenzie Street nature park entrance, Hackett
Bring & Wear: sun protection, water, sturdy boots, and body covering clothing; all equipment will be provided
What: woody weeds and erosion control around the lower Majura dam
We’ll tackle briar roses and other the woody weeds that grow around the dams and along the creek line. The coir erosion matting requires fastening with pegs and timber logs. If there are enough hands we’ll also collect seeds of Clustered Everlastings for our revegetation projects. Feel free to choose your pet activity.
3-monthly report due: please send yours stats / activity sheet
FoMM’s 3-monthly report covering the months October to December 2007 is due. Could everyone who has done work outside our working bees please send me the statistics and the filled in and signed activity sheet? Please contact me if you need a copy of the activity sheet.
FoMM Website under reconstruction
Adam Bell is currently reconstructing our website. The website is operational and you can check “Upcoming Events” under this heading. Any suggestion for a new look website is welcome.
House keeping: e-mail list
Some FoMM members had problems subscribing to our website based email list, therefore I still use and maintain the manual list. If you receive the same email twice you’d likely on both, the manual and the subscriber list. Please tell me if you wish to be removed from the manual list. There are currently more than 100 entries and it would help me too if I can reduce the number.
Help: monitoring regrowth of woody weeds at the drain line.
We’ve completed the removal of woody weeds at the drain line close to the lower Hackett reservoir with the exception of a few vines of Japanese Honey suckle. It was a huge task and we can be proud of ourselves. From time to time however seedlings of woody weeds re-appear. Could anyone monitor and if need be remove the seedlings? Please contact me if you can help.
FoMM meeting, Sunday 10 February: activities for the first half of 2008
We will meet at 9 Selwyn Street Hackett 7.30-9.00 pm. Please make a note in your diary. You can find a draft program for 2008 on the “Members” site of our website. At the time of the meeting we should have information whether our grant application to cover the costs of the planned talks on Biodiversity and Conservation has been successful.
You are probably aware that Monash Drive has raised its head again. The route is located below the ACTew powerlines cutting through Endangered Grassy Woodlands of Mt Majura and Mt Ainslie. We might start discussions on how FoMM deals with this major threat to our nature reserve.
Many thanks
Warm regards
Waltraud