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Earthcare News

July 2002

I do what I can, where I am

www.vicnet.net.au/~earthcare

 

NATURAL HERITAGE ACTIVITY THIS MONTH

Planting at Alma Park

Sunday 28th July 11am-2pm

 

28th JULY IS NATIONAL TREE DAY

Alma Park spans the block between Dandenong Road and Alma Road in West St Kilda. Earthcare has had various activities in the park. We helped to clean up the pond and planted the stream and wet land. We have also worked to retain the indigenous orchids and other rare plants on the railway embankment. Come and plant some trees and enjoy a social occasion with other residents of the City of Port Phillip and Earthcare members.

 

FROGS  FROGS  Frogs  FROGS FROGS  FROGS  Frogs  FROGS

 

Ever wondered how many Growling Grass Frogs are living in

West Gate Park, what they eat, where they spend the winter months?

 

All will be revealed at the next Earthcare meeting 7.30pmThursday July 25th

Cora Graves Centre in Blessington Street opposite the end of Herbert St.

 A frog habitat improvement project is being planned for West Gate Park. This project involves the Amphibian Research Centre, Friends of Westgate Park, Parks Victoria, Landcare Australia and the Victorian University of Technology with sponsorship from Holden.

 

Have you contacted Nicki yet about the Water quality Testing? 9527 8834

Details may be found in last month’s newsletter under the heading

 “Want to do a bit of real Science”

 

 

PERCE WHITE The following article appeared in the June issue of Friends of Port Melbourne’s Foreshore newsletter. The Earthcare committee felt this piece of local history should have wider publication.

“This issue of the newsletter is dedicated to Perce White, three times Mayor of Port Melbourne,  who leaves his beloved Port Melbourne soon to join the ‘grey nomads’ to visit ports and friends around Australia. I sat down for a coffee with Perce in Bay Street  a while back to find out how the Reserve where we hold our monthly working bees came to bear his name.

In the early eighties, as now, the government was precoccupied with how to move freight into and out of Webb Dock. A plan was conceived to put rail along the foreshore at Sandridge. That plan was not only resisted, but the rail lines that remained along the foreshore from the Second World War were ripped up, and the indigenous vegetation we see there planted instead. An alternative proposal to route rail along Howe Parade was equally unpopular.

This is what first got Perce involved in Port Melbourne Council. Knowing that port related activity was likely to continue to have amenity impacts for port neighbours, the idea arose that those municipalities abutting the port should find a way of having a voice in the Port of Melbourne Authority. Perce became the MAV (Municipal  Association of Victoria’s) representative on the Board. He was a non-voting  member but fully involved in all discussions. In the late eighties, the process of corporatising the Board began and more matters became confidential. In 1992, under the Kennett administration, the community members were structured out of the Board.

In 1989 the City of Port Melbourne received a letter from the PMA suggesting that in recognition of Perce’s contribution to the Board, an area of land, that we now know as Perce White Reserve be designated a Reserve and take his name.

 

All the issues that concerned Garden City residents in the eighties: traffic on Williamstown Road, freight movement into and out of the dock, continue to bother residents today. We are proud to work in Perce White Reserve, and to take an active interest in the huge unfolding strategic issues confronting the port of Melbourne today.

Meanwhile, at our last working bee, people referred to it as ‘a little bit of heaven’, ‘like a little piece of Mornington’.”

Perce White Reserve Melways 56F3

 

Nearly due for publication: Indigenous Plants of the Sandbelt: A Gardening Guide for South Eastern Melbourne.

This beautifully prepared and illustrated book by Rob Scott, Neil Blake, Jeannie Campbell, Doug Evans and Nicholas Williams, will be available in late August.

 

 

Correction. In last month’s newsletter Yellow Box was wrongly named.

Yellow Box is Eucalyptus melliodora      Yellow Gum is Eucalyptus leucoxylon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EARTHCARE MEMBERSHIP and INSURANCE

Have you paid your membership fee?

Earthcare cannot carry out its activities, especially the penguin research without adequate insurance. Although our insurance has not sky rocketed, it still has to be paid and this comes out of your membership fees. Please check the number on the top left hand corner of the address label if it finishes with anything other than /03 your membership has lapsed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Membership or Renewal Form

Membership of Earthcare St Kilda Inc. is per calendar year, February to January.

Membership includes a monthly newsletter and information about coming events.

 

I wish to join Earthcare St Kilda Inc.

$15 Student Concession  $20 Individual $30 Family

I wish to make a donation$….

Please return to PO Box 287 Elwood 3184

 

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WHAT’S ON July/August

 

20th July  Friends of Port Melbourne’s Foreshore working Bee at Perce White Reserve 9.30-12noon Details Janet 9645 2269

 

25th July Thursday 7.30pm Earthcare Meeting at the Cora Graves Centre (opposite the EcoCentre) in Blessington Street   FROGS of WEST GATE PARK

 

28th July Sunday 11am-2pm NATIONAL TREE DAY at ALMA PARK & Railway Reserve Details Zoe 0402 164 482

 

30th July  Community Workshop re the Elwood Canal Management Plan at Elwood Primary School Hall 7-9pm. Rsvp Heather McNutt 9209 6587

 

4th August  Sunday 7.00pmPenguin Research.  Meet at the start of St Kilda Pier  Details Angela 9527 8334

 

18th August Friends of Port Melbourne’s Foreshore working Bee at Perce White Reserve 9.30-12noon Details Janet 9645 2269

 

24th August Saturday 11am-3pm Working Bee at St Kilda Botanic Gardens

 

29th August Thursday 7.30pm Earthcare Meeting Cora Graves Centre

 REMINISCING, VIEW THE EARTHCARE ARCHIVES (What happened at the first meeting, how many newspaper articles are there, which grants did we use,,,)

 

 

The West Beach planting planned for July 28th has been postponed. Earthcare is joining National Tree planters at Alma Park on that day.

 

 

 

 

PENGUINS The penguins are beginning to pair up ready for the breeding season, but there are quite a few lone females hopefully waiting for the lads to arrive. All those planting sessions have paid off and there is a lot of plant cover for the burrows, and masses of nesting material.

Last year we had a seagull nesting on the breakwater, we had not recorded this before. It was lovely to see the fledgling gulls growing and the care their parents took of them, but it may cause a problem if the breakwater becomes a seagull rookery. The gulls pull up many of the smaller plants and

eat the roots.

This drawing of a penguin was done by a student
 
of St Kilda Park Primary School a few years ago,

it portrays the experience of seeing a penguin at

night on the Breakwater far better than any photograph.

If anyone knows the artist please contact Earthcare we

would like to give him/her credit. For those of you who

 would like to see the picture in full colour go to our website.