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Newsletter June 2020

Greetings Landcare members & associates

As many of you may know, after eight years as Landcare Facilitator for the Mornington Peninsula, I am moving into a full-time role with the Shire as Climate Change Education Officer. I would like to thank everyone I’ve worked with, shared laughs and stories with, learnt with and created with over the years.
 
I’m pleased to have had the opportunity to work with so many passionate, thoughtful, caring people. I’ve enjoyed achieving so much in this role – the reviving of multiple Landcare groups and creation of many new groups, development of the biolinks plan, the creation of the MP Landcare Network, the ongoing delivery of ‘Linking the Mornington Peninsula Landscape’, the ‘Greens Bush to Arthurs Seat Biolink’, overseeing the delivery of three Green Army projects and more! We’ve made such a difference to the local natural environment and I’m sure this will only continue into the future.
 
There are so many people I’d like to thank sincerely for their support and friendship over the years but I would particularly like to thank Bernie Schedvin, David Maddocks and Simon Thorning who were the three who were responsible for organising a facilitator position for the peninsula many years ago and whose ongoing support to me in my role has been priceless.
 
Whilst I am sad to say goodbye, I know that I will continue to see many of you in my new role and I know that I won’t be able to hold myself from occasionally turning up to the odd working bee!
 
Thank you to all Landcare members for the fabulous work that you do and especially to the committee members who work tirelessly to keep the wheels turning! I hope that you keep on kicking goals for our local environment!
 
With warmest regards,
 
Jacqui

All the best in the next stage of your journey, Jacqui. The environment and Landcare are all the better for your having been with us, and your cheerful, can-do attitude will be missed.  Adjusting to climate change will continue to be a major challenge for all of us, and we look forward to continuing productive interactions into the future.
 

Contents

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Feature Article: Halting Karamu in its Tracks

For Your Diary

News and Opportunities

News from the Mornington Peninsula Landcare Network

State of the Environment

Monthly Features

Local Information

Grants

Landcare and Related Contacts

Image at the End: Powerful Owl

 



Feature Article: Halting Karamu in its Tracks

Next time you are out for a drive along Mornington-Flinders Rd, take a short deviation along Meakins Road for a couple of kilometers

What was a tangled jungle of thick, invasive, exotic Karamu scrub (Coprosma robusta) along road verge just a few years ago is now a mix of young native plants and plastic sheaths covering recent plantings.

Meakins Rd verge showing new native growth in foreground and the last section of Karamu in the background.

Credit for this outstanding success goes to our very own 'weedbuster', Michelle Stacey. Michelle has tirelessly organised and coordinated the work coordinating a combination of machinery that chews right through the Karamu, chemical spraying, corresponding with local landowners, obtaining replacement tube stock, and organising volunteers into a number of planting days.

Michelle Stacey out early preparing holes for later planting by volunteers.

But this success is just one step towards achieving the complete eradication of an invasive weed before it reaches the stage where this becomes impossible.

Karamu is a fast-growing, highly-invasive New Zealand native vascular-plant to 6 m that. In addition to the Mornington Peninsula, it has gained footholds in the Dandenong Ranges, and Glenelg regions (VicFlora 2019).

It has been assessed by Agriculture Victoria (2019a) as a high threat to all plant communities that it invades, with the capacity to “destroy understorey vegetation within 2-3 years” and the “potential to displace all species within the ground and middle strata”.

As shown in the image to the right, the Meakins Road infestation had already started to kill mature gums and other trees before it was removed.

Mature eucalypts killed by the dense growth of Karamu along Meakins Rd.

Because of its rapid growth rate and attractive fruits that may be spread over large distances by birds and foxes, Karamu poses a serious threat to our remaining areas of natural bushland and habitat. It ranks in the top 20 invasive Victorian weeds (White et al 2018), alongside such major weeds as Sweet Pittosporum (Pittosporum undulatum).

This capacity for rapid and widespread devastation was demonstrated by recent Tasmanian experiences. A small initial Karamu infestation spread rapidly over substantial areas along the Derwent River, including across wetlands and into the river (DPIPWE 2019). As a result, the Tasmanian government moved quickly to declare Karamu as a Noxious Weed.

The Landcare folks in Main Creek Catchment have applied to the State Government to list Karamu as a Threatening Process under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act (1988). If successful, this would enable a coordinated action plan to be developed to enable full eradication throughout Victoria.

That application was made in May 2019 and their Scientific Advisory Committee has given it serious attention. Sadly, the wheels of bureaucracy move ever so slowly, so we still await a final answer.

In the meantime, Landcare and Royal Botanical Gardens folk have found by genetic analysis that Karamu has started to hybridise with local indigenous species such as Prickly Currant Bush (Coprosma quadrifida). Such hybridisation may pose a serious threat to the evolution of such native species.

Watch this space for further news. if you suspect Karamu may be growing in your area, please email me so we can build up a map for ensuring we treat all infestations before they become a major problem. 

     -Article and images by Greg Holland.



For Your Diary

Note that the full events section has been transferred to the Events Page on the MPLN Web Site. We shall continue with brief notifications of imminent activities here as a reminder.

 

‘VIRTUAL’ FARM WALK WITH ROLLO AT CRITTENDEN ESTATE


Mornington Peninsula Farmer Discussion Group


Unfortunately as a group we currently can't meet in a physical sense, so in this interim period we will meet 'on-line' to keep us connected, and to support & learn from each other!

Our first farm walk is at Crittenden Estate & Rollo takes us on a farm walk & talk about their farm! Rollo talks about compost, the vineyard, recycling, soils, solar & much more!

You can watch the ‘virtual’ farm walk on YouTube and then we will have an online chat (via Zoom) to ask Rollo questions, see each other & share how we are all managing.

Scott Bocskay CEO of Sustainable Australia Fund will join us on Zoom and talk about initiatives to assist farms and businesses on the Mornington Peninsula to become more sustainable!

To get the most out of this experience please watch the ‘virtual’ farm walk here prior to the Zoom event.

Join the Zoom Meeting here

Meeting ID: 849 0764 4268 Password: 933648 Or dial in +61731853730, 84907644268

No RSVP required. Contact Anna Roach for questions: 0404 681 995
anna.roach@gmaol.com.

 

Landcare Week

Landcare Week has Moved to August 3-9
Picture
Landcare Australia, together with the Landcare State and Territory organisations, have agreed to change the date for Landcare Week to be held the first week of August.

This new campaign date for Landcare Week has been changed to align with the activities of a large number of active groups in South East Australia, in particular groups involved in revegetation projects and community planting events. Moving the date to August will provide groups with an opportunity to engage the wider community and increase participation. Click here for more information.
 

Landcare Training and Information Sessions

Landcare lists a wide range of training sessions (online and in situ) coming up over the next month or so. Topics include: soils, rabbits, conservation, etc. Check here for details.
 



News and Opportunities

DIGIVOL from the Australian National Museum and Atlas On Line

Looking for something useful to do without leaving home? Interested in old texts? How about Brazilian diversity or superb parrots?

Then DIGIVOL is for you. The Museum and AOL have developed a digital system where volunteers can check through wildlife camera images, transcribe old texts, and work to move other parts of the museum's overall collections into the digital age.

Check it out here.
 


Survey on Approaches to Weed and Rabbit Removal

The Weeds and Rabbits Project at Agriculture Victoria is seeking support from private and public land managers to help combat pests and weeds which cost Victoria more than $1 billion a year.
 
Landowner and land managers are being invited to take part in a state-wide survey about how they manage weeds and rabbits on their property.
 
The results will provide a better understanding of the barriers people face with implementing weed and rabbit management practices.
 
Agriculture Victoria is the lead agency in the delivery of programs to combat established invasive species, which is underpinned by the Commonwealth Government-funded Weeds and Rabbits Project.
 
Complete the survey at weedsandrabbits.com/survey/
It is open and closes Wednesday 24 June. 
Queries: pestanimalsandweeds@ecodev.vic.gov.au
Web: www.weedsandrabbits.com
 

Victorian Catchment Climate Change Priorities

Following formation of the Victorian Catchment Management Authorities (CMAs)  Climate Change Forum in 2012, the CMAs have collaborated to develop climate change strategies and plans​, establish a set of Statewide CMA climate change priorities, undertake research projects, and implement several initiatives. 

Port Phillip and Western Port features prominently in the priorities and actions. More information can be found here on the priorities, and here on the initiatives. A report and discussion on their Catchment Carbon Offset Trial in 2017-18 is available here.



 

Mornington Shire Climate Emergency Plan

 Feedback and ideas is being sought for the Shire's draft Climate Emergency Plan titled ‘Ensuring Our Future’ (Note large files).

Download: Draft - Our Climate Emergency Response from 2020 - 2030 (FULL)(PDF, 52MB)
Download: Draft - Our Climate Emergency Response from 2020 - 2030 (SUMMARY)(PDF, 15MB)
 
Following its declaration of a climate emergency on 13 August 2019, the Shire has developed the Plan in collaboration with the community outlining clear targets, outcomes, estimated budgets and time frames for the Peninsula. The resulting draft Climate Emergency Plan provides a ten-year map including targets around:
  • leadership and governance
  • climate advocacy
  • zero carbon energy
  • a resilient and adaptive community
  • sustainable transport and travel
  • sustainable land use and natural environment
  • circular economy and zero waste.
The draft plan aims to guide the Peninsula towards zero carbon emissions by 2040 through actions described in seven summits and 21 action steps. This can only be achieved by the community and the Shire working together.



A snapshot of the plan and the full document can be found on the Have Your Say page.

During this consultation period, feedback may be provided in several different ways:
  • ‘Have Your Say’ survey
  • Online workshops
  • Online drop-in sessions with Shire Officers.
  • Art competition for school aged children
  • Email your feedback directly to climateemergency@mornpen.vic.gov.au.
Visit the Climate Emergency Plan webpage for dates and times of the online events and registration details.
 
Feedback is invited on all Summits and Actions within the Plan, however as a key stakeholder in supporting the community through knowledge of land care practices and community resilience, a focus on these areas would be extremely valuable. Feedback may be from individuals, but larger community groups also are encouraged to respond.
 
Specifically, Summits ‘Resilient and Adaptive Communities’ and ‘Sustainable Land Use and Natural Environment’, and Action Steps #5, 6, 14 and 15 are directly relevant.

Areas of special interest include:
  • How we can work together to stop climate change
  • What are the barriers?
  • What projects would you like to partner on?
  • What outcomes and targets can you help achieve?
Please share the Have Your Say Page on  social media sites and encourage others to submit feedback.
 
Any questions? Would you like to discuss specifics directly? If so, please email climateemergency@mornpen.vic.gov.au and an officer will be in contact.
 
 

Ant Trivia

Ants are not just those annoying things that get into the cupboard or deliver a painful sting when you stand on their nest. Most of us realise that they are critical contributors to the health of our environment.

But how much do you really know? Test yourself with this quiz from the ABC.

How did you go? I got an OK 7/10. Greg Holland.



News from the MPLN

Blinky says thank you

The Red Hill South Landcare Group and Mornington Peninsula Koala Foundation have through April/May jointly distributed over 900 local indigenous eucalypt tubestock to 170 properties across the Peninsula. The Koala Trees Project will extend habitat for koalas as more landholders plant indigenous trees; especially Coastal Manna Gums; Manna Gums & Swamp Gums.

The provision of trees, guards, stakes and mats to the Landcare group was supported by a Federal Government grant under the Communities Environment Program offered by Greg Hunt, Member for Flinders.

Whilst Blinky and his friends will have to wait a few years for these new trees to mature, he and they expect that the wait will be worthwhile.

If you wish to be notified on more trees being provided early 2021 please forward your name and contact number to the Secretary, Red Hill South Landcare. gr.white@bigpond.net.au or 0400 989 150.
 
      - Reproduced from an article in Hill and Ridge, with thanks to Geoff White - Image by J Coxon


PS:
1. In this short video, Dirk Jansen discusses the history, presence and requirements of Peninsula koalas
2. I recently joined an educational and interesting zoom session on koalas, which included discussions with folks who are actively redeveloping habitat suitable for koalas. The full video (55 minutes) is available here. (Ed.)
 

Greens Bush to Arthurs Seat Update

While the Greens Bush to Arthurs Seat Biolink is technically in its final month of what has been a very successful four years, due to recent circumstances all projects funded through the ‘Our Catchments Our Communities’ and ‘Vic Landcare’ initiatives have been granted a six month reprieve. Nevertheless, steady progress and sheer determination will have the project completed by the end of July.
 
To say reaching our last revegetation target has not been without challenge would be telling a lie, due to it not being possible to hold our usual large-scale community planting events and school group field days due to social gathering restrictions. Yet, with nearly 4,000 plants already ordered in July last year, we decided to forge ahead with small scale planting sessions. From April to mid-May and only one volunteer permitted on site at any given time, tenacity saw us slowly chip away at the task and we managed to get 1,100 plants in during that time.  I must say I was relieved as restrictions eased gradually and we were able to step up our efforts, which saw a further 1,830 installed from mid May to early June. At the time of writing this piece, we have only 1,000 plants left to go. I would like to extend my sincerest and most heartfelt thanks to all the wonderfully vibrant and enthusiastic volunteers who answered our call for help, without your generosity and incredible support there is no way we would have ever reached our goal.                      

Image: Iso-planting volunteers GB2AS 2020
                             
 
As we come to the completion of this chapter, I would like to quickly recap our collective achievements. In summary, we can proudly say that with 26 private landholders engaged, the Greens Bush to Arthurs Seat project has delivered nearly 50 hectares of remnant bushland restoration through the removal of invasive habitat changing weeds, 28 hectares of revegetation with 24,000 indigenous plants, and extensive pest animal control and nest box installations. We have hosted numerous popular and well attended workshops covering a variety of land management issues and held countless planting events attracting over 600 amazing volunteers. The project has contributed greatly to overall catchment health and improved habitat values for local wildlife. In addition, our newly growing forest of trees and shrubs is sequestering 2,000 tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere annually, which is really positive in terms of helping to mitigate climate change.
 
Although we are set to wrap up for now, I would like you all to know that potential funding opportunities for a ‘Stage Two’ of the project are currently being explored. I encourage anyone with private property between Arthurs Seat and Greens Bush National Park to register their interest for potential future opportunities by emailing me here. It is hoped that the project will continue to grow so that we can achieve even greater connectivity across the landscape to provide viable linkages and better support indigenous flora and fauna.
 
If there are any other volunteers with some spare time on Thursday 18th June who would like to help finish up our planting in Main Ridge, please email.
 
The ‘Greens Bush to Arthurs Seat Biolink’ is delivered by the Mornington Peninsula Landcare Network and the Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority through funding provided by the state government’s ‘Our Catchments Our Communities’ and Victorian Landcare Grant initiatives.
 
     - Article and images by Chantal Kelly



State of the Environment

 

Towards a Mornington Peninsula Community Ecosystem  

It has not been a good year for Australia - human and natural. The State of Our Environment Report for 2019 by the Australian National University found that our terrestrial environment is the worst that it has been since 2000 - a result of a combination of searing heat, drought, and extensive bushfires. Eastern Australia also now ranks with Brazil in the degree of clearing of bushlands. Add in COVID-19, and the last 6 months have seen some of the worst (if not the worst) impacts on Australian peoples and the natural environment in recorded history.
 
The scientific evidence also is unequivocal – the heat, drought, and fires responsible for the sad State of the Environment milestone were of an intensity and duration unlikely to have occurred without the creeping influence of climate change.
 
In such difficult times, it is natural to conclude that the scale of what is happening is beyond solution through action by individuals, or even local communities.
 
However, while we cannot change what is, we can change what will be.
 

The good news is that compared to other regions Mornington Peninsula has a high base to work from. We have a higher diversity of species and ecosystems than is found in most similarly sized regions elsewhere, coupled with a diverse, interlocking combination of human activities centred around agriculture, forestry, fishing, health and recreation, and tourism. There is wide national and international recognition through: the National Trust Heritage Classification of a number of areas including Arthurs Seat and our Southern Basaltic Slopes; the UNESCO-designated Mornington Peninsula and Western Port Biosphere Reserve; the RAMSAR Wetlands of Western Port and Western Port Phillip Shoreline; and the unique Tootgarook Swamp.

There also are many active and committed community organisations, including the Mornington Peninsula and Westernport Biosphere, Landcare, SPIFFA, the Victorian Farmer's Federation, the MP Shire, and hundreds of Friends Groups – all supported by thousands of volunteers.

Perhaps we could join together to build on what we already have and strive towards a stable and sustainable Mornington Peninsula Community Ecosystem (MPCE) - one in which humans are an integral part and have a robust and enduring relationship with the natural system through adopting environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable approaches to maintaining our common environment into the future, to the mutual benefit of both humans and natural systems.
 
A Community Ecosystem approach that closely follows the Biosphere goals of achieving “a sustainable balance between the goals of conserving biological diversity, promoting economic development, and maintaining associated cultural values”. One that will become a model for other regions.
 
Details on the basis for establishing an MPCE and how it might be achieved can be found here (please email here if it does not download). .

     - Summary and images by Greg Holland. Please email me with any questions or feedback.
 

How to Get Rid of Ferals: Eat Them!

A rather quirky cookbook by Kaechele (2019), proposes an innovative way of eradicating feral animals by turning them into food.

Called "Eat the Problem", Kaechele's 500-plus pages compendium includes articles and recipes with images in both colour and monchrome. It is described as "gob-smackingly deluxe".

Crispy-skinned cane toad anyone? How about a full roasted camel - though that might require a bit of an upgrade to the barbie? The boor's-eye bloody Mary has to at least be worth a sip!

And just think, you can keep the skins and turn up to the next formal do replete with a fur coat. Guaranteed talk of the party and no guilt trips!

The book is available from MONA (Museum of Old and New Art) in Hobart, where it accompanies an exhibit that includes performances, feasts, and treatments that are "scientifically proven to make you less boring and ordinary".

So why not go the whole hog and head down for a genuine culinary and educational experience once COVID-19 has relaxed its grip.

      -Article by Greg Holland, image from here.


Land Clearing Revisited

Remember the Commonwealth plan to plant 20 million trees by 2020? It was a laudable effort "to deliver real environmental benefits at the local level" with the following strategic goals:
  • Environmental conservation – support local environmental outcomes by improving the extent, connectivity and condition of native vegetation that supports native species
  • Community engagement – work cooperatively with the community
  • Carbon reduction – contribute to Australia reducing its greenhouse gas emissions.
Sadly, no-one seems to have considered the accelerating removal of native vegetation and habitat by state governments - NSW alone has routinely been clearing the equivalent of an MCG every two minutes. The result is that the entire $62 m for replanting 20 million trees brought about under Tony Abbott was wiped out by the amount of land clearing in just two years.

This level of clearing places eastern Australia on the same level as the much-criticised destruction of Brazilian rainforests. If it is maintained, the WWF has estimated that 3-6 mHa will have been lost by 2050.

A graphical indication of the scale of just 3 m Ha is shown to the left. Also added in red is the area that might reasonably be expected to be planted under the entire Linking the Mornington Peninsula Landscape program during the same period.

It would be easy to blame rogue farmers or slack politicians, but that is unfair and simplistic. The price we are prepared to pay for quality food is continually forced downward - while farmers are experiencing increasingly harsh times and agriculture moves more towards huge agribusinesses. This  drives a focus on the here-and-now rather than strategic considerations of sustainability.

There is hope. a growing community of landholders appreciate the value of keeping bush and wetlands to improve productivity although they appear to be in the minority at present.

See also the earlier article on Towards a Mornington Peninsula Community Ecosystem.

      - Article by Greg Holland
 


Our Jekyll and Hyde Moggies: In the time it takes you to read this, over 100 natives were killed by cats!

Cats have a complex relationship with humans. At home, they are cute, cuddly creatures, each with its own endearing character. What could be more endearing than a kitten playfully batting a ball of wool around and becoming all tangled up in the process?

But let a cat wander outside and it reverts to its primeval hunter-self, to the serious detriment of local wildlife. Escaped cats that have gone feral, quickly evolve into killing machines from which native animals have virtually no innate protection.

Reported impacts vary considerably, but a new, comprehensive review of cats in Australia by Woinarski et al (2019) has surveyed the literature and available information on cat (domestic and feral) and their findings are horrifying.

Domestic cats kill an average annual number of 230 million reptiles, birds and mammals - plus an unknown number of frogs and insects.

Feral cats are much worse, killing 576 million natives each year. A worrying characteristic of these ferals is that their numbers can triple in wet periods, which means they are catching breeding native species at their most vulnerable.

Taken together, that means that cats kill at least 2.2 million native animals every day - or 25 every second!

Because the domestic cats mostly are concentrated in population centres, they have a much greater impact on their local environment than the more diversely-spread feral cats - the result being that our cities tend to be dominated by mynahs, starlings and sparrows, which already have evolved innate defence mechanisms.

It does not have to be, we can love our cats and save the natives too! All we have to do is ensure the cats are not allowed to wander freely. And this can be done to no detriment to the cats. According to the RSPCA: "cats don’t need to roam. In contrast, indoor cats can live longer lives, protected from (external) dangers. And, if provided with everything they need, they can be just as happy at home."

Please enjoy both your moggie and the local wildlife by following the above advice.
 
Reference
Woinarski, Legge and Dickman, 2019: Cats in Australia: Companion and Killer, 344 pp. CSIRO Publishing, ISBN: 9781486308439.
Further details also are available in a Guardian article here.

     - Article by Greg Holland.
 

Cat Program on French Island

And now for some good news - congratulations to a consortium of Landcare, PPWCMA, Parks Vic, and the Biosphere folks, who are winning the battle against predation by cats on French Island.

Over the past decade over 1,100 feral cats have been removed, and they are continuing efforts to trap the remainder. Residents with cats are participating in a Responsible Pet Ownership Program and registering their moggies so that they can be returned if trapped - presumably to be restrained from future wandering.

As a result, thousands of additional small natives on the island are prospering, to the benefit of the entire ecosystem, including humans.

Programs on other islands report similar results.

    - Article by Greg Holland.



Monthly Feature: Ruddy Groundfern


Species name: Ruddy Ground-fern (Hypolepis rugosula).
 
Family: Dennstaediaceae.

Origin and Distribution: Australian native, found almost exclusively in the Southeast.

Status: Common in range. On the Peninsula found only in and near Greens Bush.

Growth Habit: Found in moist gullies and beside waterways. May form dense thickets
 
Reproduction: Multiple spores develop under the fronds. Ferns also spread locally spread via underground rhizomes.
 
Dispersal: Based on their spontaneous regeneration at isolated Carranya, presumably transport by birds is one mechanism.
 
Toxicity: None known.
 
Similar Plants: They can easily be misidentified as bracken (Pteridium esculentum) - look for the softer fronds together with reddish-brown and hairy stems (not all stems are red-brown). They also are similar to the related harsh ground-fern (H. muelleri), which have much stiffer fronds. Hybrids between these two have been observed.
 
Further reading: Here.

     - Article and images by Greg Holland; distribution from Atlas of Living Australia.



Grants

Regular Grant Opportunities




Local Information

Shire Community Information: For a wide range of information on Peninsula Community activities and needs.

Land for Wildlife: If you wish to create or protect wildlife habitats on your property, then the Land for Wildlife scheme can offer advice and assistance. Participation is free and membership doesn’t alter the legal status of your property in any way. A Land for Wildlife sign is provided free of charge to acknowledge the efforts being made for wildlife conservation. Contact Peter Johnson Statewide Coordinator (DELWP) - ph. 5430 4358 Fax: 5448 4982.
 
Home Harvest exchange: Too many lemons and not enough parsley?  Why not take part in a Home Harvest Exchange?  This community initiative allows people to bring their own excess produce and go home with someone else’s for free! Bring home grown edibles, eggs, preserved produce, honey, seeds and seedlings. No minimum amount and no money changes hands.
 
Eco Living Display Centre: Open: Fridays 1-4pm & first Saturday each month 9.00am-1.00pm at The Briars with activities and workshops - ph. 5950 1259.
 
Report Environmental Crime: If you observe any environmental crime such as wildlife smuggling, removal of native species, keeping endangered species in captivity, please report it to DELWP - ph. 136 186.
 
Wildlife Contact Information about wildlife rehabilitators, rescue organisations and veterinarians in your local area who can care for the type of animal in need of help, such as a kangaroo or koala.
 
Snake Catcher:  For advice or accredited snake catchers on the Peninsula.
 
Wildlife Help on the Mornington Peninsula (WHOMP): All hours 0417 380 687 or 0417 395 883.
 
Animalia Shelter: For help with injured or stressed native animals - ph. 0435 822 699 All hours.
 
Crystal Ocean Wildlife Shelter (Rye): 0407 787 770


Snap Send Solve for Wildlife Injuries: an easy and efficient way to report injured wildlife. If you see injured wildlife, simply start a report with Snap Send Solve and select ‘Wildlife - Native Injured’ to send the report to Wildlife Victoria.
 
Advice on Removing Native Vegetation: For assistance and advice in relation to the removal of native vegetation.
 



Newsletter Feedback

Do you any questions or complaints?

How about a story to tell? Is there a weed, plant, fungus, slime mould, or animal that you want to know about? Have you identified a new, rare, or interesting species? Or a good book? How about a great photo? Submissions are always welcome.


Lost your earlier newsletters? Or just want to check something out? Go to here and all will  be revealed.

Please feel free to pass on or reuse any of our articles, all we ask is acknowledgement of the Mornington Peninsula Landcare Newsletter.


Greg Holland (Editor).



Landcare and Related Contacts

Greg Holland: Newsletter Editor.
David Maddocks: President of MPLN ph: 0429 990 518
Michele Sabto: Project Coordinator for ‘Linking the Mornington Peninsula Landscape’ project.
Chantal Kelly: Project Coordinator for ‘Greens Bush to Arthurs Seat Biolink’ Project.
Sarah Saxton: MP Shire Agribusiness & Food Industry Officer.
Lizzie Younger: Melbourne Water River Health Officer.

Landcare Trailer Available for Members
Landcare groups are welcome to borrow the new trailer for working bees, etc - it comes with a wide range of tools for weeding, planting, and other landcare activities. Our new gas burner also is available to tackle annual weeds (in wet conditions only). Please contact Michelle to book
 



Image at The End: Powerful Owl

Wander out after sunset or before sunrise and listen carefully. With a bit of luck a "whooo-hoo" will pierce the silence.

Relatives of the boobooks, powerful owl wingspans of up to 1.4 m makes them our largest owl species and the only Australian bird capable of carrying more than their bodyweight in flight. Medium-sized mammals such as ring-tailed possums or gliders make up the bulk of their diet, but they will utilise a wide range of species if needed. They have been observed to take koalas and there are even reports of powerful owls eating cats!. In areas deficient with mammals, they will supplement their diet with  birds and insects.

Powerful owls are spread across SE Australia, but are listed as vulnerable in Victoria, largely due to loss of habitat, They are particularly vulnerable to loss of the tree hollows that are essential for both their breeding and the species that form their main prey. Interestingly, they are not averse to living in cities provided their is sufficient habitat.

This is their time of year for courtship and the best time for listening, as powerful owls call regularly to reassure each other and strengthen their bond.

Their range is large, being typically 1,000-1,500 Ha in good habitat, and as much as 5,000 Ha in areas of scattered bush. Their calls also can carry up to 2 km, which means that if you can hear them, it is probably the same pair every night.

At Carranya, I am hearing one or two on roughly 30% of the nights, calling from when I am up to just before dawn. We are on the edge of Greens Bush, so that is likely a large part of their range.

Another way of noting their presence is to scan the ground under mature trees for scats, which may be in the form of huge white splashes (not unlike a can of whitewash has been dropped), or messy turds full of hair and bone.

I rarely see the powerful owls, but one day our ever-vigilant noisy miners were having a field day harassing a bird in one of the gum trees. Over I went, camera in hand, to see what the commotion was about. Ducking under the low-hanging branches, I looked up straight into an evil-looking pair of eyes with outstretched wings. I never did get a decent picture, but the sight of that huge bird lumbering past through the branches sure got the adrenalin flowing!

If you do find or hear a powerful owl, please record the occurrence to the Birdlife Australia Powerful Owl Project, which is trying to assess their presence in the vicinity of major cities such as Melbourne.

     - Article by Greg Holland, image by Sarah Holland.
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