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To conserve and
enhance the diversity of native flora and fauna of the Glen Fern Valley
Bushlands while preserving community access and encouraging education and
compatible uses for the enjoyment of current and future generations. |
The Official Newsletter of The Friends of Glenfern Valley
Bushlands Inc.
Edition No.15 Autumn 2006
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Autumn
in Glenfern Reserve Autumn is a wonderful time in the
hills. Cool crisp mornings, warm sunny days. Misty mornings especially lend a
magical feel to our bushland reserve. The commonplace takes on a different
look and with the dew on the grass under your feet Glenfern Reserve is a
marvellous place to start your day. Autumn migratory wildlife has returned
while the last of the summer visitors start their annual journey again. In
the last month Gang-gang Cockatoos have arrived in numbers, a sure sign that
Autumn is upon us. Their 'creaky door' calls can be heard everywhere at the moment.
They are marvellous birds indeed. Meanwhile birds like the Rufous Whistler,
Rufous Fantail and Satin Flycatcher leave us until next summer. So why not
step out and explore your Reserve. With the passing of each season new
wonders are there to discover. photo by Mark
Fanthorpe. |
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Help reduce damage by 4WD vehicles and trail bikes and dumping of rubbish within the Reserve by reporting illegal activities to the Shire of Yarra Ranges Ranger on 1300 368 333 24hours/7 days a week. |
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Friends of
Glen Fern Valley Bushlands Inc. PO Box 1283, Upwey Vic 3158 Phone:
AH 9754 8425 (Ian) E-mail:glenfernbushlands@hotmail.com Website:
www.glenfernbushlands.org.au |
President's Message Summer
2005
I would like to express our gratitude
to some of the less visible individual contributors to the efforts of the
Friends of Glen Fern Valley Bushlands.
While they are not always available for working bees, we all benefit
greatly from their contributions. They
include our web page editor, Roger Vize, and newsletter editor, Mark Fanthorpe,
both of whom are so very important to communicating our message and creating
our image in the community. Rob Correa
provides important support with extra first aid training.
You may have noticed the mesh fence and
gate along Glenfern Road is now considerably neater, and more secure, giving
the Reserve that “cared for “ look. This
is largely thanks to the efforts & skill of Andrew & Linda Fullagar,
who have given generously of their time to make this very important
contribution to our Reserve.
Our gratitude also goes to the
Sherbrooke Archery Club that has kindly agreed to our members using their
toilets during Sunday morning working bees.
This should greatly increase the comfort of members. To use the facilities please use the correct
approach track along the creek (ask the working bee supervisor) and remember to
sign the Archery Club’s visitors book.
We are now including our activity
calendar on the back page. It is also at
our website. Why not plan ahead a
little and note one or two of the future dates to join in? You too can contribute to our goal of
removing all the large Boneseed plants in the central 10 hectares this year,
and all of them by the end of 2007. This
will simplify control of boneseed considerably as we will be able to remove
easily handled seedlings before they in turn produce seeds in 3 years
time.
Ian Rainbow, President
Friends of Glen Fern Valley Bushlands
Glenfern
Timelines
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photo:
Doug Moncrieff |
Tracking our ever changing
Reserve throughout the seasons q
Rose
Hyacinth orchids in greater numbers than usual in January q
Gang-gang
Cockatoos return q
New
lizard species seen in the reserve (see photo opposite) Does anyone
know the species? q
Satin
Flycatchers, Rufous Whistlers and Rufous Fantails (summer visitors)
leave the Reserve. q
Kangaroo
Grass going to seed in February, showing its reddish–orange head. |
What's
been happening?
You may have noticed some of the woody
weeds have died back in considerable numbers along the creek. Our thanks to
Melbourne Water who have extended some of their work in Gilmour Park to include
the riparian strip. Already there are
signs of indigenous regrowth where once only Sweet Pittosporum reigned.
On the higher slopes you may have
noticed that Blackberry and Boneseed are also dying back as a result of the
annual spraying campaign arranged by the Shire of Yarra Ranges. This is a huge extension of the weeding work
by the Friends and will help us toward the goal of removing all large Boneseed
by the end of 2007.
Three car bodies were hauled out to the
car park and have now been removed by the Shire soon after Clean Up Australia
Day. This leaves only 1 accessible
“carcass” to remove!
Clean
Up Australia Day 2006 at Glenfern Valley Bushlands
On a warm and sunny Sunday
morning a small group of volunteers from the Friends of Glen Fern Valley
Bushlands set about filling a 4 metre skip with rubbish. Well done to Dianne, Richard, Michael, Ian,
Katherine and at the end Travis and James (2 passing walkers press ganged for
the last half hour for some heavy sawing and lifting!). Along with the last 3 car bodies dragged from
the bush by Andrew, Robert, Trevor & Richard, this marks a very significant
milestone in the development of the reserve.
We have now removed all the
serious rubbish from the reserve, a total of 72 cubic metres since 2002,
not including approximately 25 car bodies. The graph shows that no new rubbish is
accumulating, a real benefit of the new fence.
This leaves us free to concentrate on weed control, finishing the fence
and planning new tracks.
Thanks to SoYR for the skip and the trailer and to Clean Up
Australia for collection gear and bags.
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Our
Reserve Birds The New Holland Honeyeater Phylidoonyris
novahollandiae Streaked with white, yellow and
black, this small bird (16-19cm) is a permanent resident of the reserve and a
common visitor to gardens. A variety of calls can be heard from weak
whistling to loud chattering. The bird opposite, photographed by Mark
Fanthorpe, was seen feeding in a hibiscus tree. |
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Garden Weed Removal Hints from Marilyn Thomas Watsonia – Bulb plant with long
gladiolus-style leaves and a spray of orange to red flowers in early summer.
Cut back with a brushcutter or clippers in autumn. The plants will put out
single leaves during winter, which can be pulled out when about 10-15 cms long.
This starves the bulb, and eventually kills the plant. Remains can be dug out
and dumped, as the bulbs and their fibrous coating are particularly resistant
to composting. Native nurseries can provide plants that are indigenous to the
area, most of which thrive and reproduce on very little care. Enjoy your
garden!
First Aid Refresher Group Session held at Glen Fern
Bushlands Reserve.
Very recently an informal First Aid
refresher session was held at GFVB under the able tutelage of long-term member
Rob Correa. The small group, drawn from
a network of Friends and Landcare groups in the SoYR, really appreciated the
graphic scenarios of potential injuries set up by Rob. It was a good reminder that we should work in
groups and look out for each other when on working in the remoter areas of the
park. It was a great opportunity to
practice some of our previous learnings and served to remind us to check the
book every so often to keep fresh! After
the blood & broken bones were fixed we all tucked into chocolate mudcake
& coffee. Our hearty gratitude to
Rob for making himself available at such a busy time of the year for the
benefit of the Friends, and showing one of the many ways to participate with
the group and advance the cause of Glen Fern Valley Bushlands.
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DIARY for 2006 ·
Sunday 19th February ·
Sunday 5th March –
Clean
Up Australia Day ·
Saturday 18th March ·
Sunday 23rd April ·
Saturday 20th May ·
Sunday 18th June ·
Saturday 15th July ·
Sunday 30th July –
National
Tree Day ·
Sunday 20th August ·
Saturday 16th September ·
Sunday 15th October
– Community
& Weedbusters Day ·
Saturday 18th November 9:30
– 12:30 am Central
car park Glenfern
Road, Upwey Melways
74 G10 |
First Aid after a 'Chain Saw
Incident'!! (photo by Rob Correa)
Working Bees Working bees are held
every 3rd alternating Saturday or Sunday morning of the month.
Members, Committee and interested supporters meet on-site to take part in
weeding, rubbish removal and inspections of previously weeded areas. Everyone
is welcome. Entry for cars is via the Parks Victoria (Fire Access) gate on
Glenfern Rd, Upwey (about ˝ way along the land) The site reference is Melways
74G10. Please bring gloves, hand tools, water, and, depending on the weather,
a hat or wet weather gear. In the event of a Fire Ban or inclement weather
the working bee will be cancelled. See Diary box opposite for working bee dates. |
Corporate Sponsors
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·
Wormhole Books Shop 4/60-68 Colby Drive, Belgrave
Heights Phone 9754 5440. Visit Sandy at her new location www.wormhole.com.au |
·
Blitz Graphics Designer
of and Maintains our Website. Phone Roger Vize on 9754 6910 for your website
needs. http;//blitzgrafx.tripod.com |
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·
Bell Real Estate 1689 Burwood Highway, Belgrave Phone 9754 6888 www.bellrealestate.com.au |
·
Phil Heenan Consulting
P/L Specialising
in integrated business planning Phone 9752 5355 www.heenan.com.au |
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