Earthcare News
October 2001
I do what I can, where I
am.
Weeding at Alma Rail
Sunday 28th 2pm-4pm
Alma Park East
Come and help care for this
delicate, remnant site.
Details Jo 9533 8707
Melways 58 E8
WILD FLOWER MAGIC
It
is wild-flower time and you don’t have to go out of The City of Port Phillip to
find them. Earthcare hosted a successful planting at Johnson Reserve, recently,
where wildflowers are currently in flower.
The
indigenous section of Johnson Reserve was originally planted by local
residents, in partnership with Nature Links. It is an example of what the area
may have looked like before white settlement 150 years ago. It is also an
excellent example of what residents may be able to enjoy in their own gardens.
"The
site is a mass of colour and covered in butterflies, in spring", said
local resident and Earthcare president, Josephine Samuel-King. "The
wildflowers include the chocolate lily Arthropodium strictum, that has a
delicate purple flower and delightful fragrance, the native blue bell wahlenbergia
gracilis. One of my favorites is a really funky plant is called "the
blue devil" Eryngium ovinum. It has blue, spiky flowers. The
wallaby grass Danthonia sp. stays green most of the year, is hardy,
lovely to sit on and doesn’t need mowing".
Alma
railway reserve is another place to find wildflowers. It is home to a number of
remnant orchids. Earthcare’s subgroup, Friends of Alma Reserve regularly do
hands on practical work at the Reserve to protect these rare, beautiful remnant
species.
Jo-Anne
Thyer says: "Alma Railway reserve contains a particularly precious
community of remnant grasses and wildflowers. If it is not looked after we will
lose this remnant community. Once lost the community it contains can never be fully
restored". Earthcare will be holding weeding at Alma Rail, Alma Park East
(mel 58 E8) on the 28th of October from 2-4pm.
Rosey
Haas from Skinc will be giving us a practical demonstration on how to propagate
wildflowers at our next Earthcare meeting. Thursday 25th 7.30pm of
October at the EcoCentre
ELECTION DAY
WEEDING
Saturday 10th
November
11am-3pm
At West
Beach St Kilda,
Corner of
Pier Rd And Beaconsfield Parade.
Come and
help Earthcare weed out the big ones. Bring your Bathers if it looks warm and
weed out some Northern Pacific Seastars, if you fancy.
Melways 57
J8 Details Alison 9532 4138
Propagation Demonstration
Rosey
Haas from Skinc and long time Earthcare member will be giving a practical
demonsration on Propagating Wildflowers at Earthcare October Meeting. Thursday
25th of October 7.30pm at the EcoCentre, Corner of Blessignton and
Herbert Sts, St Kilda (mel 57 B11)
Vale Minka
Minka Veal was one of the original members of Earthcare. In 1989 Minka volunteered to be the first secretary of Earthcare and was a dynamic force in getting things underway. Goodbye Minka your enthusiasm has helped to get Earthcare to its present well known position in the City of Port Phillip. Minka will be sadly missed.
21st Oct. Friends
of Port Foreshore, Working bee, Perc White Reserve, 9.30am- 12noon Details
Janet 9645 2269 Melways 56 F3
21st Oct. Penguin Research, Meet at start of St. Kilda Pier 8.00pm
Details call Angela 9527 8334
21st Oct. Friends of Sandy Rail, watering, weeding and admiring our handy
work. Riddell Pde Elsternwick, Melways 67 G4. 10am till 12noon
21st Oct. Friends of Westgate Park, Check noticeboard Todd Rd Carpark
for exact location Free Vegie bbq Mel. 56 F1. 11am onwards
25th Oct. Earthcare Meeting, featuring Rosey Haas from
Skinc on Wildflower propagation. 7.30pm at the EcoCentre (Mel 57 B11)
27th Oct. Parks
Vic, Walk, Talk and Gawk Day Trips - Langwarrin Flora & Fauna Reserve and
Seawinds Nursery. Featuring Leon Costermans. Lunch Provided. Departs 8.45am.
Free for Earthcare & community group members, Bookings essential Kate Hayes
13 1963
28th Oct. Alma Rail, weeding Alma Park East. (mel 58 E8)
2pm-4pm Jo 9533 8707
28th Oct. Federation Walks, Immigrants Trail. Meet at Station Pier, Port
Melbourne Melways 57A3 bookings or details 9690 9584 10am
4th Nov Penguin Research, Meet start of St Kilda Pier, Bookings 9527
8334
8th Nov. Friends of Port Foreshore AGM Upstairs at the Liardet
Community Centre, Cnr of Liardet& Nott Sts, Port Melbourne, at 7.30pm Janet 9645 2269
10th Nov. West Beach weeding, cnr Beaconsfield Pde and Pier Rd (Mel 57
J8) 11am-3pm
10th Nov Parks Vic, Walk, Talk and Gawk Day Trips - Castlemaine &
Mt Alexander Diggings. Lunch Provided. Departs 8.45am. Free for Earthcare &
community group members, Bookings essential Kate Hayes 13 1963
11th Nov. Federation Walk, Native Flora Trail, meet 10am at Fraser St
light-rail stop Cantebury Rd near Fraser St (mel 57 J7) Bookings 9690 9584
13th Nov. Rakali Watch, meet at start of St Kilda Pier, details Jessica
Ph 0412 103 550
17th Nov. Friends of Port Foreshore, Working bee, Perc White Reserve,
9.30am- 12noon Details Janet 9645 2269
Melways 56 F3
18th Nov. Friends of Sandy Rail, watering, weeding and admiring our handy
work. Riddell Pde Elsternwick Melways 67 G4 10am till 12noon
18th Nov. Penguin
Research, Meet start of St Kilda Pier, Bookings 9527 8334
18th Nov. Friends of Westgate Park, Check noticeboard Todd Rd Carpark for
exact location Free Vegie bbq Mel. 56 F1. 11am onwards
29th Nov. Earthcare Meeting, Celebrating another successful year. 7.30pm
EcoCentre
Take
a look at the rare plants of your area!
Start
a bushfood patch
Your
questions about native plants answered
SATURDAY,
OCTOBER 27TH 10AM – 4PM
(BETWEEN
THE CRICKET GROUND &THE AUSTRALIA POST BUILDING)
Earthcare
thanks Michael Danby and Staff and wishes them luck in the upcoming Federal
Election. Michael Danby has kindly provided the use of his office facilities in
the monthly production of our newsletter and brochures, has attended events,
shared information, as well as giving supporting letters for our grant
applications.
Native Plants of
Melbourne’s South East – A Cultivation Guide
In
Early 2000 Earthcare received a Parks Victoria grant for a local native
plant cultivation guide to be put together with additional funding from Port
Phillip Council. This project was expanded into a book with colour photos
and additional information to be funded by Bayside, Kingston, Glen Eira
Councils as well as Coast Care. Funding was slow but eventually came through
early this year. Meyer Eidelson and Alison Rowe and Rob Scott have helped
coordinate the project.
The book is progressing well and the draft is near completion. Elizabeth
Flann, an Earthcare member from Elwood has done a very professional job on
the editing. Rosie from SKINC has tracked down many excellent photos and
come up with a species list of around 170 plants grown by the local native
nurseries in the region. There has been a committee of representatives from
the councils coordinated by Neil at the Ecocentre. The Australian Research
Centre for Urban Ecology has also helped with some chapters of the book.
Bloomings Books will be the publisher and hopefully the proceeds from the
books sale will go towards electronic versions of the information as well as
future editions. If you would like to know more about the project ring Neil
on 9209 6491 or Rob on 9537 2599.
STIPA
The
Stipa family of grasses are commonly known as spear grasses due the shape of
the seeds. They are tufted perennial grasses with striking flower heads and
right now can be seen in all their beauty in Johnson reserve on the corner of
Longmore St and Cowderoy St. or in the Canterbury Road Urban Forest near Harold
Street.
Stipa elegantissima is the
tallest and has feathery hairs on the stalks and branches.
Stipa nodosa has flat
inrolled leaves and the nodes on the stems are wider than the stem..
Stipa scabra has short stiff
hairs on the leaves.
Stipa mollis has limp, downy,
tightly inrolled leaves.