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Earthcare News

March 2002

I do what I can, where I am.

www.vicnet.net.au/~earthcare

 

 

Slash and weed

With Earthcare

At Johnson Reserve

Sunday March 24th 1pm-3pm

Come and enjoy this picturesque site, and make it better!

Refreshments, some tools and glove provided, please bring your own weather protection. More details Zoe 0402 164 482

 

 

Earthcare's Annual General Meeting

Thursday March 21st  7.30pm onwards

Speaker Dr Beth Gott expert on koorie use of indigenous plants for:

 - Medicine

-            Hunting

-            Food

-            Lifestyle

Plus hear how Earthcare St Kilda has progressed though the year, see the Annual Report, Join the committee. Eat cake, drink beer, Wine or Tea. All welcome.

People interested in joining the Earthcare committee please contact Josephine mjsk@vicnet.net.au or Zoe zoemh@bigpond.com Ph:0402 164 482 

All positions on the Committee are up for renewal.

Earthcare needs your imput!

 

Ways You can improve Melbourne Air Quality.

For your car:

·        Don't drive your car one day a week, Get into the habit!  Walk, ride or take public transport.

·        Make sure your car is properly tuned.

·        Try "Eco-Driving" - gentle acceleration and deceleration, keep to the speed limit and anticipate road conditions.

·        Where possible reduce the number of short car trips. Plan ahead and combine your errands to reduce extra pollution from cold starts

 

For your home heating:

·        Try not to use open fire places to heat your home

·        If you have a wood heater make sure it is properly installed.

·        Burn only dry hard wood as it causes less smoke.

·        Make sure your home is insulated, close curtains at night, put on warm clothing before the heater.

 

Other home strategies;

·        Use water based paints to reduce toxic emissions

·        Use gas BBq's

·        Properly maintain lawnmower, including sharpening blades, cleaning sparkplugs, and be careful when handling petrol.

·        Reduce mowing time by clearing lawn of obstacles, sticks before turning on engine.

·        Choose hand or electric mowers

·        No farting or burping

More information available from www.epa.vic.gov.au

 

Whats on

                       

14th March      Earthcare Committee meeting 7.30pm at The EcoCentre

16th March      Friends of Port Melbourne Foreshore, Working Bee at the Perc White Reserve. 9.30am-12noon Melways 56 F3 Details Janet 9645 2269

17th Mar          Friends of Sandy Rail, working at Riddell Pde, Elsternwick, 10am-12noon

17th Mar          Penguin Research, meet at start of St Kilda Pier at 8.45pm Angela 95278334

19th Mar          Greening Aust Training, Introduction to Plant Propagation Techniques. Cost $30 Earthcare members. At Seawinds Community Nursery, Arthurs Seat. 9.30am- 4.30pm Bookings John Van Braam Ph:9450 5303

21st Mar         Earthcare AGM featuring Dr Beth Gott, expert on Koori uses of Indigenous plants. 7.30pm At the EcoCentre Corner of Blessington And Herbert Sts, St Kilda. Please note Special meeting date due to Easter

24th Mar          Earthcare Working Bee, Johnson Reserve Slash and Weed. 1pm-3pmJohnson Reserve is at the Cnr of Longmore St and Cowderoy St, St Kilda West. Mel 57 K7

26th Mar          Greening Aust Training Caring for our Coasts, at Seaford Community Centre. 9.30-4.30pm Cost $30 Earthcare Members. Info John Van Braam Ph:9450 5303

7th April           Penguin Research, meet at start of St Kilda Pier at 7.45pm Angela 95278334

14th April.       Friends of Sandy Rail, working at Riddell Pde, Elsternwick, 10am-12noon

21st April         Friends of Port Melbourne Foreshore, Working Bee at the Perc White Reserve. 9.30am-12noon Melways 56 F3 Details Janet 9645 2269

21st April         Penguin Research, meet at start of St Kilda Pier at 7.30pm Angela 95278334

25th April        Earthcare Meeting, 7.30pm at the EcoCentre

27th April        Earthcare are Planting at the  St Kilda Breakwater 11am-3pm Mel.57 H9

 

 

The EcoCentre is at the corner of Blessington and Herbert Sts, St Kilda.

Earthcare St Kilda Ph: 0500 832 784  Postal  PO Box 287 Elwood 3184

Email aliart@bigpond.com

 

NHT Urban Bushcare Funding for the Sandringham Rail Reserve

Earthcare and Friends of Sandringham Rail Reserve received funding from the Natural Heritage Trust this year for more planting and weed control on the Sandringham Rail Reserve. The Cities of Stonnington, Port Phillip and Glen Eira have also contributed funds. The plants which have been planted over the past 2 years are doing well apart from some at Elsternwick which died due to being pot bound when they were planted.

Dates for 2002 are

Sunday14th  April, 12th May, 9th June, June 29th at Grosvenor St, 14Th July, 11th August, 8th September, 13th October, 10th November. Activities planned for late Feb/early Mar include seed collecting/ sowing, collection of and propagating cutting material, mulching and then more planting in Autumn (assuming it rains) and June/July. All event will take place at Riddell parade site unless listed otherwise. Please check Earthcare newsletter or website, www.vicnet.net.au/~earthcare  for conformation. For more info. Call Rob Scott on 9537 2599

 

 

 

Management plan for Catani Gardens  Edited from a letter by Jo-Samuel-King

Having learnt nothing from recent experiences, CoPP has yet again failed to consult the community, this time on the Management plan for Catani Gardens. The following was written by Jo Samuel-King on Earthcare's behalf

The emphasis of the proposed plans on clean lines and exotic plants risks turning The Catani Gardens into something resembling a Lego construction, disconnected from Captain’s original vision, its Natural Heritage and its neighbor-West Beach Reserve. 

 

The proposed management plan labels the indigenous vegetation of Catani Gardens as  “of no significance”.  We believe this classification to be an error.  In fact we believe that these species are highly significant and deserve to form a major part of the future planting schemes for the Catani Gardens.  We believe this to be the case for the following reasons:

 

·         The current label is in direct contradiction to Jason Pilcher’s  “The conservation Analysis and management plan for Catani Gardens, St Kilda” 1993.  On page 53 it says: “Specimen plantings of Leptospurmum laevigatum (Coastal Tea Tree) and Banksia integrifolia (Coastal Banksia) reflect some of the indigenous vegetation found along this coastal area and were planted for this reason.  These significant trees offer a valuable gene pool for future scientific research and landscape rehabilitation.

 

·         Indigenous vegetation provides a link back to Catani’s original vision.  The files of the St. Kilda Foreshore trust committee, 1933, record the following: “The greatest work of the Committee was …Catani gardens…Rockeries, flower beds…. ti trees, honey suckle, she-oak and other indigenous trees from Wilson’s Promontory…the one man to which most credit is due is the late Carlo Catani, he designed the improvements…we still work in his scheme”  (cf. Page 39 of Jason’s Pilcher’s work, detailed above).  It is abundantly clear from this document that indigenous plants were a key feature of Catani’s original vision and therefore should be not only retained but reinstated to their former abundance.

 

·         The Catani Gardens has one clear “next-door neighbor”, West Beach Reserve.  These two areas are distinctly different spaces, however indigenous vegetation provides a thematic link between the two sites.  

 

·         The Catani Gardens are located not in Naples but on the Coast of Port Phillip bay.  There is little of the original Natural Heritage left.  However indigenous vegetation provides a link between the Gardens and its Natural Heritage.

 

·         The City of Port Phillip has a sustainable environment strategy where biodiversity is encouraged.  It has also recently endorsed the St. Kilda Foreshore Urban Design Framework.  In this framework, a preference of the planting of indigenous vegetation along the foreshore  is clearly documented. 

 

 

 

Earthcare Needs a new team leader for the Seastar Eradication Program. Duties include organising dives, liasing with both Earthcare and the dive group, writing reports, and keeping up to date with removal practises. More details contact Josephine Mjsk@vicnet.net.au

 

 

 

Water Aid

An article in the Guardian said that Thames Water (UK) has set up a website associated with Water Aid - they said that if 2 million people click on it, they will donate $150,000 to provide safe

drinking water in Africa and Asia for 10,000 people. Since then they have reached that target so now they've set a new one. If they get 4 million clicks then they'll donate another 50,000 pound (or $150,000 Australian) for tool kits.The target date is June 2002 and when I did my click the total was sitting at 2330000, we've a long way to go. Please take a hit at:www.givewater.org