Professor Mike Cullen of Monash
university began research on the penguin colony in 1986. Mike Cullen and
Neil Blake were able to combine research knowledge and practical expertise
respectively, to actively protect the Fairy penguins at the breakwater.
Prior to 1989 no legislation was in place to protect the breakwater rookery
and unrestricted human access caused many penguin mortalities. Penguin
breeding sites were damaged by Fishermen moving rocks to locate bate.
Many penguins were killed or injured by becoming entangled in litter and
by direct attacks from unleashed dogs. Earthcare volunteers successfully
campaigned for restricted access to the breakwater colony, and by May
1989 a first attempt of a barrier was erected and the area was made into
a nature reserve. By July 1989 a fence restriction was implemented to
deny access to unwanted visitors.
Various indigenous plantings
were started at Albert Park nature reserve and Point Ormond. Earthcare
successfully lobbied to prevent the harmful use of 'Diuron' herbicide
in Albert Park Lake. Earthcare volunteers were able to prevent paper barks
Melaleuca styphelioides from being chopped down on St. Kilda road.
Rob
Scott, at what was to become Skinc Nursey.Several urban management projects
were underway. A restoration project at West Beach aimed to recreate a
historic wetland, to act as a filter for one of St. Kilda's polluted drain
outlets. A $3500 grant from Greening Australia was used to re-vegetate
the railway at Balaclava with indigenous plants. Earthcare volunteers
together with local residents planted hundreds of trees at Elwood canal
and coastal vegetation was planted at Elwood forshore with the help of
St. Columba Primary School and St. Bede's Church. Earthcare established
a community Nursery at the adventure playground, aiming to involve all
generations of the local community. Financially assisted by Greening Australia,
Brighton Rotary and St. Kilda council, the successful nursery grew so
large it had later had to be relocated. Student, Angela Hambling set up
an indigenous seed bank and cataloged the councils indigenous seed collection
for seeding at the community nursery.
Angela Hambling, Earthcare president, raised suggestions at the Cooperative Management Committee for a Landcare Environment Action Plan (LEAP) program. LEAP programs provide a six month training program for the young unemployed. The idea was supported and provided the both the funding and the labor required to meet the objectives for the breakwater management plan, the West Beach and the Adventure Nursery. The LEAP program provided 15 enthusiastic crew members to rebuild and relocate rocks, reduce the amount of litter and plant aquatic vegetation around the breakwater. The LEAP crew also helped plant 5000 plants at the Adventure Nursery and many new species at the West Beach wetland including mangroves, other tidal margin plants and 2000 dune plants near the land-ward end of the walk way. The LEAP crew provided the labor required for Earthcare's practical projects and received training in important environmental concepts and local environmental issues.
The St. Kilda penguins were included in a penguin radio tracking study funded by BHP; showing a 54% increase in the population since 1991. St Kilda established links with a sister city in Japan. The sister sity Obu, had great interest in the St. Kilda penguins and agreed to sponsor the publication of a story book written about the penguin colony by Earthcare member and social worker Meyer Eidelson. Over $5000 was raised to publish 'Alfreda's Gang and the Nasty Gunk' in English and Japanese, to help fund the protection of the colony.
The water rats, Rakali, were
monitored around the breakwater and possum counts around Catani gardens
continued. A heavy metals test on the water and plant material taken from
Coweroy creek supported the theory that plant filtration improves water
quality and hence supported the existing re-vegetation project at West
Beach, wetlands. Re-vegetation projects continued at Elwood, Sunbury and
Balaclava and new projects were established at Blessington Gardens and
Alma and Ripponlea rail reserves.
In 1994 with Angela Hambling as president Earthcare continued ongoing re-vegetation projects and the continual restoration of St. Kilda's break water. Earthcare were represented on the Melbourne Regional Committee which aimed to unite all associations effected in the event on an oil spill to develop networks and an understanding of the issues effecting each organization. The DCNR released 'Response plan to deal with the wildlife affected by an oil spill'. The St. Kilda indigenous nursery continued to supply plants for council plantings and gained financial support from St Kilda council. The barrier at the breakwater was extended as a necessary measure to further protect the colony form human impact.
Rob Scott no longer had enough time to run the adventure nursery, a core group formed the St Kilda Indigenous Nursery Co-operative (SKINC). SKINC continued to provide plants for the various Earthcare plantings. The nursery eventually got so big it moved to Port Melbourne Council Nursery where it had an office, a real glass house and a watering system to replace the old watering can!
Neil
Blake in 1994, demonstrating the care needed for handling Little PenguinsEarthcare week ran form 9-15 sep 1996. It aimed to raise environmental conciousness in the local environment. Earthcare received a $2000 grant from the City of Port Phillip and made Earthcare week a great success. Throughout the week activities were held for local schools, plantings, library visits and guest speakers. School children also received an educational activity kit prepared by Earthcare about the local area.
Earthcare held two community plantings at St Kilda West Beach, 1500 seedlings were provided by the St Kilda Indigenous Nursery Co-op (SKINC). Burnt and painted artworks created by Bunnurong Aborigial artists were positioned along the walking trail.
A great deal of work was carried out for the Corroboree tree revegetation project. A massive 1370 seedlings were planted and the area was completely cleared of litter. Planting was also carried out on the Elwood forshore project.
The fauna survey group prepared a schedule of fauna walks incorporating the possum tracking survey walks in the St Kilda Botanic gardens.
The second phase of the breakwater reconstruction was carried out in May and June 1996. An ingenious boom was constructed in an attempt to stop penguins entering the work site. The boom was unsuccessful and Neil blake valiantly went to the breakwater every day before dawn to remove the mischievous penguins that got around the boom. After the reconstruction work school children planted Noon flowers which rapidly covered the bare rocks.
The Japanese sister city of Port Phillip, Obu, in Japan,vistited the breakwater in November 1996. The Obu International Association and Obu Lions Club gave a $2624 donation to the Penguin Fund.
Alfreda the City penguin was made into a musical and made really good sales.
· See annual report for Mike Cullen's penguin report.
· Grants
City of Port Phillip $2000
Melbourne Parks and Waterways $3100
City of Port Phillip Earthcare week $2000
Earthcare week suffered due to the effects of El Nino and no rainfall, it meant that planting had to be carried out in Autumn as opposed to spring so the format of the week was some what changed from the previous year.
It was 3rd stage of the reconstruction of the breakwater in May 1997. Early morning patrols were necessary once again to remove the penguins form the breakwater during working hours. Noon flowers grown by Earthcare members were planted once again to cover some of the bare rocks. Penguin research continued to record any changes in the population due to the breakwater repair and the pilchard crash in 1995.
A 'Wild places' exhibition took place in the Linden Gallery, comprising a photographic competion on the wildlife of Port Phillip and Earthcares 'what environment' display including a litter survey. The exhibition ran from 24th September to the 13th of October, it's aim was to raise general awareness of the beauty of wildlife and the problems it faces.
Earthcare designed plans for a new Alma Park indigenous wetland. The council were to construct the wetland and improve the existing drainage.
Grants
City of Port Phillip $2000
Coast Action $3150
Alfreda Book raised $3386
Proffesor
Mike Cullen, on the Breakwater in 1996Earthcare week included plantings at Catani gardens again involving children from local schools.
The St Kilda breakwater penguins were monitored throughout the year to assess the impact of the reconstruction as stage 4 of the reconstruction commenced.
Work continued on drainage improvement at Alma Park Wetland. Water grasses and other small plants were planted in the area. Planting and litter clearance continued at West Beach.
Plantings were carried out on the Mallee section of the Canterbury Road Urban Forest. It is an area of urban forest consisting of six areas of vegetation representing climate and soil zones in Victoria; The Grampians, Cann River and Mallacoota, Malee, Otways, Box Iron Bark and in the Indigenous swamp vegetation as it was in Koori times. Zoe Hogg published a booklet on the area.
Members of SKINC and Earthcare got together to campaign to save the remnant salt marsh at Webb Dock, the last remnant of the flora which dominated the landscape at the mouth of the Yarra prior to industrialization.
Earthcare became involved in the development of the Port Phillip EcoCentre.
Grants
Coast Action $4800 City of Port Phillip $2000 Timelines $6000
West Beach $770 Wild Places $6838
An underwater team carried out St Kilda harbour underwater research. They completed the coast and clean seas timelines project by making dives around the breakwater recording flora and fauna species. Sea grass research of the underwater sea grass meadows was carried out, they found an area providing habitat for a variety of invertebrates including sea horses and nudibranchs.
Earthcare built nest boxes for a variety of local indigenous fauna, the City of Port Phillip were to assist in their placement.
West Beach was continually monitored and cleaned and 2 wooden seats were added to the transformed area. Earthcare members carried out water quality tests on the polluted water from Cowderoy Creek which runs along side West Beach.
Plantings of trees and shrubs continued along Canterbury Road Urban Forest, between the light rail fence and the road.
With the St Kilda breakwater completely restored, schools helped to re-vegetate the upper surfaces. Penguin research was continued but the penguins were largely left undisturbed as the research no longer required any handling of the birds.
A journalism sub-committee was created to write and edit all press releases and publicity material released by Earthcare. They begun preparing a series of articles for a proposed environmental column in a local newspaper.
Grants
Coast action $5100
City of port Phillip $1500
Donations
City of Obu $663