October - November 2005
We do what we can, where we are.
Antarctic Adventure
Paul Rees went on an expedition to the Southernmost Continent early in 2005.
He will be talking about the diverse Antarctic continent and illustrating
the amazing Flora and Fauna. He will also discuss some of the threats to
this unique environment.Thursday 27th October 11
8 .00 pm at the Ecocentre.
Corner Herbert and Blessington Streets St Kilda
MORE THAN JUST A RAT
A Symposium on the Australian Water Rat (Rakali)
Saturday 29th October 10am-2pm
Port Phillip Eco Centre
Free Event Morning tea and lunch provided.Come and learn more from Rakali researchers about these fantastic creatures.
Find out where they live, what they eat, how to tell a rakali from an
ordinary rat and the problems of keeping Rakali in captivity.Sue Pennicuik President Earthcare will MC the Symposium
Bob Tammik Earthcare Rakali Watch
Michelle Smith Research and Development Manager Applied Biotechnologies
(ABT)
Animal Control Technologies (ACTA)Amy Weir Environment Research Officer Bayside City Council
Adrian Nifsud Platypus and Rakali Keeper Healesville Sanctuary
Tiana Preston Earthcare Rakali WatchAndrew McCutcheon Earthcare Rakali Watch
Kristin Connell from NSW will talk about her Rakali research
Phone Bob or Alyson on 03 9531 5001
BEST FRIEND
The "Best Friend" award was established at the 5th Friends Network
Conference in 1991. The criterion for the award is:
An outstanding contribution through exceptional dedication as a Friend. This
will usually involve constant honorary involvement in the work of the group
over a period of at least ten years. The award is particularly special
because recipients are nominated by their peers in the local group and
nominatations are assessed by an independent panel.
The Victorian Friends Network exists to help represent the common interests
of all Friends groups in Victoria. It is coordinated by a committee elected
at the biennial conference.For more information, go to http://home.vicnet.net.au/%7Efriends/
Zoe Hogg , who is a founding member of Earthcare, has held the position of
either President or Secretary every year since 1988.
As a tireless and long time worker Zoe set up the Penguin Survey Group, and
has actively been involved as a volunteer in numerous fore shore
re-vegetation projects. The St Kilda "Little Penguin" study has always taken
first place in her heart and she has spent many hours on projects associated
with these wonderful birds.
Some of Zoe's other projects in the City of Port Phillip are the West Beach
Nature reserve: (Zoe and her helpers have pulled out tons of thistles and
juncus acutus), the St Kilda breakwater and the Corroboree tree grassland
area.
Her van full of tools and crates of "yummies", has and still keeps
volunteers well equipped, fed and happy.
One of Zoe's talents is drawing and painting. She has displayed her art in
numerous exhibitions and has recently helped to illustrate a book,'
Indigenous Plants of the Sandbelt', now about to be republished after the
first edition was completely sold out.
Zoe's great qualities of friendliness, quick thinking, practicality,
reliability and humour make her a most worthy recipient of a Best
Friend Award
Port Phillip Nature Watch
Since writing the last Nature Watch article, I have had more reported
sightings of Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos from other people via Michael
Norris, and from Geoff Parr-Smith, who has seen them repeatedly on his
rounds of golf at Albert Park. Despite this I have still not spotted them
myself in City of Port Phillip, or in other parts of inner Melbourne.Neil Blake emailed me a reported observation of a Kookaburra laughing from a
TV antenna near Gasworks Park on August 26 by Judy Slattery (Friends of Port
Melbourne's Foreshore). He also submitted his recent fauna observations,
which include:
- August 5: Barn Owl. In She-oak at Perce White Reserve (reported by Natalie
Moore).
- August 27: c. 40 Australasian Gannets (500m offshore of Middle Park and
Albert Park beach) some resting in groups on the water and others were
flying back and forth, diving.
- August 27: 3 Sulphur-crested Cockatoos in Spotted Gum, corner of Acland St
and Shakespeare grove.
- August 30: 1 Grey Fantail in peppercorn tree near Robe St, St Kilda Hill.
8am.
- Sept 2: 4 Pied Currawongs in St Kilda Botanical Gardens.
- Sept 3: 1 long-necked turtle (hatchling) found on Herbert St footpath.
Possibly dug out of leaf litter by fossicking blackbirds.
- Sept 5: Australian Admiral butterfly (1st sight for the season) corner
Dickens & Mitford St.
- Sept 5: Barn Owl (dead) found at Westgate Park by George Fotheringham.Hopefully it was not the same Barn Owl that was found dead, and that these
birds are doing well in the Port Melbourne area.
You may have noticed that the City of Port Phillip and the rest of Melbourne
for that matter has been inundated by lots of white butterflies.They are Caper Whites, which are regular spring visitors south of the
Dividing Range in their migration south from inland Australia. Why they
migrate to areas beyond their normal breeding range is unknown according to
an expert on butterflies Michael Braby, author of the book The Complete
Field Guide to Butterflies of Australia. This recent photo of a male Caper
White feeding on Cape Weed nectar shows the intricate black and white
markings with blotches of yellow on the under wings.
On Friday 14 October I had a very pleasant experience listening to
and taking photos of a female Rufous Whistler in the large She-oaks just
south of Elwood Canal. Accompanying the bird and most likely being
attracted by its loud and beautiful call was a single Grey Fantail,
White-browed Scrubwrens, Silvereyes and of course the local Superb
Fairy-wrens. While on the topic of the blue wrens all the males in the
family group are now bright blue! The Rufous Whistler was still there
calling when I left the area an hour later. Hopefully a mate will find her
and she will stay in the general area along with the blue wrens.Andrew McCutcheon
BLUE WEDGES FUND RAISER
Dinner at the Vietnamese Gate Restaurant 545 Church St Richmond, November
10 at 7.30pm Cost $45
It promises to be an excellent night, with a high probability that you or
your friends will go home with a great value item from the Auction. (That's
if you come primed with the money and the skills to bid!)Could you please do everything you can to advertise it amongst your
contacts? The flyer has all the details (download from website). If you
could manage to circulate it either by mail or by printing out a few copies,
that would be very helpful.NOW IS THE TIME TO FOCUS ALL OUR ENERGIES ON MAKING THIS A HUGE SUCCESS.
THE BAY NEEDS THE BOOTY!DON'T MISS OUT -- AND CONTACT YOUR MILLIONAIRE FRIENDS TODAY!!
Visit the WEB site http://www.bluewedges.org/ for more details and flyer
downloadsBest wishes, Patsy Crotty, Blue Wedges
Earthcare Committee will meet on 24th November you are all welcome to share
the planning for 2006. Our final event for 2005 will be the Book Launch on
4th December.
Indigenous Plants of the Sandbelt Book Launch
The Second Edition of this very popular book
Indigenous Plants of the Sand Belt
has been printed and will be launched on
Sunday 4th December 2005
1-3pm
Port Phillip Ecocentre
During the launch a video funded by the City of Port Phillip Community
Grants Scheme
'Growing Local Knowledge' will be shown.'Growing Local Knowledge' is a short documentary directed by Bronwyn
Weingott about local City of Port Phillip identity, Dr Beth Gott and her
work as an ethnobotanist. Dr Beth Gott is a research associate at Monash
University, and is also an active member of Earthcare St Kilda.As family legend has it, Dr Beth Gott's first words were in Latin. She tells
a story about her early beginnings as a botanist growing up in Mentone: "My
father was a pharmacist and in those days, back in 1922, pharmacists learnt
a lot about plants because there were still quite a number of herbal
remedies which were sold by pharmacists. The family story goes that when I
was a toddler and just learning to talk, my father used to take me around
the garden and tell me the Latin names of the plants".This video focuses on her research into Koorie plants and their uses in
Southeastern Australia, and her intimate knowledge and understanding of the
plants in Port Phillip. More broadly, it is a portrait of Dr Beth Gott as an
inspiring environmentalist in the local area.
Care of City of Port Phillip's Natural Heritage Areas
In recent times some members of Earthcare have been concerned about the
increasing weed problem in our highly valued Natural Heritage Areas,
especially in the spring months when weed growth is vigorous, closely
followed flowering and setting of seed. These concerns have been expressed
to City of Port Phillip.In response Michelle Ritchie, Parks & Open Space Technical Officer with CoPP
has organised a program of weeding days with Conservation Volunteers in
conjunction with Spotless, the contractors.The dates and locations of weeding activities commencing at 9.00 am and
finishing at approximately 2.00 pm are:
· Wednesday 26th October- HR Johnson Reserve meet cnr of Canterbury Road and
Cowderoy Street
· Wednesday 2nd November- Fraser Street Dunes- meet at the dunes
· Wednesday 9 November- Elwood Foreshore, meet at Beach House Café
· Wednesday 16 November- Lagoon Reserve- meet at Liardet Street
· Wednesday 23 November- Perce White Reserve- meet in carpark
· Wednesday 30 November- Port Melbourne Light Rail - meet under Graham St
light rail.It would be good if Earthcare members have the time to appear and assist
with weeding on some of these days, especially where it is happening on your
favourite patch of NHA. I spent a couple of hours at Point Ormond on
Wednesday 5 October, when lots of weeds met their fate.Andrew McCutcheon
Penguins are alive and well and have been raising young since June. The
colony size is increasing rapidly.
All is well on St Kilda Breakwater. Zoe Hogg
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