Sunday Working Bee - 28th June, 10.00 - 12 noon
Following the gradual relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions, we will, at last, be able to gather in the park on the fourth Sunday of the month. Of course we will still be keeping our social distance of one and a half to two metres apart.
We will meet at Delta Street at 10.00 a.m where we will be weeding so bring along your gloves and weeding tools, and wear strong shoes; it is a sloping site. Please also carry your hand sanitiser.
To ensure we are keeping safe, we repeat guidelines from last newsletter-
1.No training of new volunteers. All workers must be able to work independently.They must also be able to correctly identify weeds, especially when they are interspersed with native grasses.
2.They must work at least 1.5m apart with their own tools
3.They must work away from the path so that walkers have at least 1.5m clearance.
4.No worker is to attend if they feel unwell or are uncomfortable working in South Surrey Park.
After we have made a difference to the weeds which are flourishing after the
recent rains we will come together, but apart, for our morning tea and chat.
This means, bring your own drink and cake/ biscuits etc. together with your own
mug.
Contact person for this working bee is Peter Hannay - 9830 5493
Tuesday Toilers - 16th June. 2020
Fran and Eleanor planting Kennedya seedlings
Tuesday 16th June was the last planting of Seed Orchard seedlings. Naomie
came with seedlings and the Toilers happily settled them in place in the area behind the Riversdale Road shops.
One we haven't had before is Blushing Bindweed or Convolvulus angustissimus
From anpsa.org.au - Convolvulus angustissimus is a trailing or creeping plant with entire to lobed leaves that are variable in shape and size. The circular, pink flowers are about 20-25 mm diameter and have a shallow, funnel shape. They occur mainly in spring to summer but can be found at other times of the year. Like most members of the Convolvulaceae, the individual flowers last only a single day.
Naomie says that:-
The key point with this species is that it often dies down to a tuber – which is important for the weeding crew to know. It will die down in unfavourable conditions – which will be either when it’s very cold or very dry and will re-emerge when conditions are more favourable. If the weeder familiarise themselves with the leaves, they should recognise them when they emerge.
So here is a photo of the flower and leaves from the above website:-
It is very small and grows in amongst the grasses and even though it twines like other plants in this family it is too small to be a threat. This link to the
Vicflora website will give you more information and more photos of leaves, seed pod and flowers.
Naomi and Lyn enjoying their work.
Kennedya seedling looking fine.
General News
AGM - 7th October at 7.30 in The Cottage, Surrey Hills Neighbourhood Centre.
It is our 25th Annual General Meeting and we are celebrating this milestone
with two local speakers who have known the park for many years. We have set the date and the venue but we will still be waiting for guidelines on how many people can attend and what form this meeting will take closer to the date.
Tracks in the park
Some mountain bike tracks have been built in the park beside the creek. While it must have been fun to make these and then to try them out, unfortunately plants have been damaged and there is a risk to walkers, unaware of the hazard, tripping over the jumps.
Fran took this photo to show some of what has happened.
In the Park this month - Rainbow Lorikeets
Pam took this photo with her phone of a Rainbow Lorikeet in the large eucalyptus tree in the park just below Essex Road.
Rainbow Lorikeets live in diverse habitats such as rainforest, eucalyptus forest, woodland, farmland, paperbark woods and heath, and mangroves. As there have been lots of them around this winter I think we can add urban areas to this list!
They feed on fruit, nectar, blossoms, seeds, berries and orchard fruits.
They nest in large, deep, often nearly vertical hollows in trunks or major limbs of usually a live eucalypt or dead callitris. The floor of the nest is lined with wood dust and chips chewed from the walls. Eggs are laid in a clutch of 1-3 and hatch within 25 - 26 days in August to December months in the south of Australia. May to September in the north.
This information comes from the Morecombe and Stewart Australian Birds App which I can recommend.
Membership Renewal Time
