Leaders: Albury-Wodonga FNC. 24 Jan 2006.

We travelled first to Beechworth's central park where we were welcomed by members of Albury/Wodonga F.N.C.

Trust for Nature. We had a talk on the work of Trust for Nature by Jim Blackney, who is North East Regional Manager for Trust for Nature.

• Conservation Covenants. TFN works to conserve native vegetation on private land. One way it does this is to encourage landowners to put Conservation Covenants on land with remnant vegetation. Conservation Covenants give permanent protection because they are included on the land title. TFN also owns some land such as Neds Corner in northwest Victoria.
• Pre-1750 vegetation. Jim showed us a map of the pre-1750 vegetation and another map showing that little native vegetation remains today. The North East has large areas of crown land but this is mainly in the alpine areas.
• River Flow. 43% of the flow of the Murray River originates in the North East where it is stored in the Hume and Dartmouth Dams. The flow pattern of the Murray has been altered with cold-water flows released for irrigation in summer and autumn.
• Box-Ironbark forests. The most depleted communities are Box-Ironbark forests of which only 4% remains and Grasslands which are down to 0.5% of pre-1750 levels. The plains have largely been cleared for agriculture. Clearing has led to many species becoming threatened.
• Pomaderris subcapitata has been reduced to a population of 130 individuals on one property. The property has been covenanted, and extra plants propagated and planted.
• Significant fauna of the region includes:
  • Regent Honeyeater. Only 600 pairs remain. Droughts and fires may cause local extinction.
  • Bandy-Bandy. Feed on blind snakes in Box-Ironbark and Granite country.
  • Brush-tailed Phascogale. Each animal requires 40 hectare of Box-Ironbark. Nesting hollows are in short supply. When artificial nest boxes were erected most were occupied within weeks.
  • Squirrel Gliders live in River Red Gum forests. They are often trapped on barbwire fences.
  • Brolga, Grey-crowned Babbler, Apostlebird and Barking Owl are also threatened.
  • The Turquoise Parrot, once rare, has recently increased in population.

Mt Pilot. We proceeded to Mt Pilot in the Chiltern/Mt Pilot National Park, about a 15 minute drive from the town. On driving up the mountain we saw that the regeneration from the 2003 fires was well advanced. There was dense undergrowth and much epicormic growth.

Black Cypress Pine.On arrival near the summit, competing with noise from cicadas, we heard from Christine Watson. Christine has been doing a PhD on "Black Cypress Pine and the effect of fire". The area has large stands of the pine in addition to Long-leaf Box, stringybark, peppermint and other trees. There has been gold mining, farms are in the vicinity, and logging in some areas until the 1950's, so there has been a lot of human intervention over time.

The conifers are long living, fire sensitive, and regenerate as seedlings. The reserve has the largest population of the pine in a reserve in Victoria. 44% of the area has either dense or scattered pines. The fire history of the area shows that 43% has been burnt but mainly for fuel reduction burns of low intensity. These fires do not affect the pine population. However, the 2003 fires were of high intensity. On the north ridges many pines have not regenerated. About 36% of the pine areas are regenerating.

The summit. Following out talk, we walked to the top of Mt Pilot. We were now on a large granite outcrop and had a panoramic view of the surrounding countryside. A koala was seen by many at close range. A cicada was noted on a branch and another seen flying.

On the walk back, Deane's and Varnish Wattles and Hop Bushes were seen beside the track.

Val Hocking and John Gregurke (TFN report)

1: ANN and fire tower at the summit of Mt Pilot.
2: Descending Mt Pilot. Photos: Rosalind Smallwood.