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South West Capes Newsletter
 
December 2020 
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ALL OUR PREVIOUS NEWSLETTERS CAN BE ACCESSED FROM THE WSWA WEBSITE.
RECENT ACTIVITIES

UPPER MARGARET RIVER WALK WITH
JANE SCOTT 
AND JENNY KIKEROS

We had a very enjoyable walk guided by Jane Scott and Jenny Kikeros in an area of the Upper Margaret River. Jane and Jenny have been working with the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) to describe the flora of this important wetland area.
The group car pooled and had several stops to explore the diverse flora within each of the different subtle landscape environments of low-lying wetlands and lateritic rises.
Jane discussed the need for protection of the headwaters of the Margaret River as the area is currently unreserved. Jane mentioned that DBCA botanist, Andrew Webb will be discussing the flora values of the Margaret River at Nature Conservation Margaret River’s upcoming AGM.
Thanks to Jane Scott and Jenny Kikeros for volunteering their time and expertise for us all to explore the wonders of our diverse botany in this unique area.

                                                                                                               Kay Lehman

 

Part of the group  (upper left)
Hypocalymma cordifolium  (upper right)
Gompholobium villosum  (bottom left)
Poranthera huegeli  (bottom right)
Stylidium squamosotuberosum  (upper left)
Stylidium scandens  (upper right)
Anarthria gracilis  (bottom left)
More of the group  (bottom right)
Drosera pulchella (top)
Stylidium hygrophilum- Priority 1 plant (bottom left)
Anarthria prolifera  (bottom right)
         all photos by Kay Lehman                                       
FLORA SURVEY AT MARRI RESERVE, DUNSBOROUGH

Members of the SW Capes WSWA group were keen to undertake botanical survey work that was needed in the region. Consultation was undertaken with regional botanists from the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) to advise on reserve areas that required further floristic assessments. The reserves within the Dunsborough area were suggested by DBCA as needing further work.

Marri Reserve is located in Dunsborough between Cape Naturaliste Road and Naturaliste Terrace and is an area of 9.3 hectares classified as a ‘C’ class bushland reserve vested in the City of Busselton.

The Marri and Armstrong Reserve Management Plan (Green Iguana, 2004) details past flora and vegetation assessments by the Toby Inlet Catchment Group members together with the curators of the Naturaliste Herbarium in 1998 and 2002. The group noted that their flora list is unlikely to be an exhaustive list and further work is required to have a complete flora list of the reserve.

Marri Reserve represents a conservation significant remnant bushland area containing two community types including the ‘Banksia Dominated Woodlands of the Swan Coastal Plain’ (listed as a State Priority 3 and Endangered under the Commonwealth’s EPBC Act and the ‘Whicher Scarp Paluslope Wetlands of the Swan Coastal Plain’ (a State listed Priority 1 community).

Several members of the SW Capes Branch commenced a flora survey in Marri Reserve on 30 November 2020. The group will be recording all flora species and mapping the broad floristic vegetation community types in the reserve. They will be undertaking multiple flora surveys throughout 2021 including in Spring to identify annual and ephemeral taxa.

Thanks to DBCA staff for assistance with the verification of flora species identification and the City of Busselton.

Kay Lehman

Members taking part in the survey: Kay Lehman, Shirley Fisher, Richard Clark, Kelly Lamp, Helen Duff, Jennine Frost, Vikki Viela.
Photos: Kay Lehman
Siloxerus humifusis  (upper left)
Thysanotus multiflorus  (upper right)
Comesperma confertum  (centre left)
Taxandria linearifolia  (centre right)
Dampiera linearis  (bottom left)
Anigozanthos flavidus  (bottom right)
Photos: Vikki Viela
IN THE GARDEN - WITH MARGARET MOIR
Various colours of self sown Anigozanthus flavidus in our garden - shows the birds get around!
WEED OF THE MONTH
This is to be a regular article in the Newsletter, with a different weed, currently flowering, featured each month.
POLYGALA MYRTIFOLIA (MYRTLE-LEAF MILKWORT)
Origin : South Africa
Description: A medium shrub <2.5m, crowded light green leaves, oblong to oval, 1.5cm. Pea like magenta and white flowers in clusters much of the year, followed by circular fruit capsules.A serious weed throughout Australia. Spreading widely from old and current plantings around all settlements into degraded and good condition areas. Forms thickets in disturbed sites. Seed can persist for up to 5 years. It is still widely available in garden centres, often as “Little Polly”, and frequently placed in with the native plants. Seeds are dispersed by birds, ants, wind, water and in dumped garden waste.
 
Control Methods: Young plants may be removed by pulling or shallow digging. Fell mature plants and follow up removing germinating seedlings for art least 5 years. If fire is used as a control measure, some or most of the plants in a population will need to be killed sometime before the fire, as green plants do not burn well.
 
Alternative Native Planting Suggestions: Local nurseries have lots of alternatives - look for medium-sized drought tolerant shrubs such as Alyogyne huegelii, Templetonia retusa, Boronia alata or Diplolaena dampieri.
 
For more on weeds to protect our precious bushland 
These resources are a great place to start:

Nature Conservation's Woody Weeds of the Capes
Shire of Mundaring's Plants out of Place 
and the Weeds of Western Australia Facebook page for posting, or identifying through previous posts.
ABSENCE MAKES OUR BIOSECURITY SAFER!
DPIRD  is looking to monitor myrtle rust by absence reporting - your observational reports are important! Please examine all Myrtaceae plants and make a Myrtle rust absence report if in WA. Kiwis and other folks, please avoid transferring spores when you begin travelling again and help us protect plants.
'TAILS OF URBAN BUSHLAND - birds, bugs, bush and buildings'
 
There’s an exhibition on at the Subiaco Museum, 239 Rokeby Road, Subiaco - just north of the Subiaco library in the old brick building.
 
13 November to 23 December 2020
TAILS OF URBAN BUSHLAND - birds, bugs, bush and buildings
 
Ten photographs on canvas by Margaret Owen, ten artworks by Barbara Haddy. The exhibition has been especially designed so that the art works compliment the photographs.
 
Barbara reinforces the fact that our city was built on swamps and bush.
Margaret has worked to save our last precious areas.
 
The pair hope that their combined exhibition is enjoyed for its beauty and for the links that become apparent. What we didn’t know then, we know now.
 
Museum hours: Tuesday to Friday -   1 pm to 4 pm
                             Saturday                 - 10 am to 2 pm

 
Small Grants for Environmental Projects
For further information please visit our website

Replacement for Sybil Speak and interest in attending events for WSWA
 
An opportunity has arisen for WA Wildflower Society members to take on the role of book ordering/sales - as well as managing the service - that Sybil Speak has performed to date.  It has been based at head office in Perth, but it may be worth inquiring if you travel to Perth regularly and are interested in this very useful Society activity.  Book sales is also a good fund raiser when things go well, and it would be good to grow this activity so those interested are encouraged to apply. 
 
Associated with this, is attendance at events, and taking books and information along to them.  With the COVID issue such recent events have been cancelled, but all being OK when the time comes, there is the  Garden Clubs & Societies Fair – 20 & 21 Feb 2021 to be held at South Perth Community Centre https://horticulturalcouncil.com.au/event/garden-clubs-societies-plant-fair/ and Sybil plans to attend this and needs folk to assist her to get the stock ready for it and attend on the days.

 If you are interested in any aspect of this, including perhaps anything that can be done online, please email Kerry at head office using this email address so that she can progress the matter: enquiry@wildflowersocietywa.org.au
 
GEORGIANA'S FLORAL CALENDAR
2020

Janette Gathe from Augusta has produced a wonderful floral tribute to Georgiana Molloy with her 2020 calendar, and she explains:

During 1997 to 2021 I coordinated many Regional Botanic Groups collecting, identifying and documenting native plant species across much of Western Australia. The enthusiasm, hard work and local knowledge of so many people contributed to the WA Herbarium Collection and Knowledge and also resulted in many Regional Herbaria, still functioning today. 

I now live in Augusta where Georgiana Molloy first developed her love and knowledge of the WA flora. She was one of this States’ first plant collectors but there has been little recognition of her contribution to the present day knowledge of our remarkable flora. 

Here's hoping this calendar will in some small way enable more people to appreciate the importance of her work, often done under very difficult conditions. 

Calendar Size 34 x 24 cms;

There is some historical background; and with each month a species is illustrated together with interesting information.

Sample calendar page: each month page has selected entries from the Molloy Diaries and important dates in the life of Georgiana Molloy of Augusta.

The cost of the calendar is $20, including postage
Contact: Janette Gathe on (08) 9758 0224 to order, or leave your name, phone no. and you will be contacted asap.

INTERESTING TIDBITS
 Wooditjup Bilya Community Update
& Nature Conservation Margaret River Region
Annual General Meeting
Tuesday 8 December 6.00 - 8.15 pm Fair Harvest Permaculture
 
We are excited to invite our members, stakeholders and the community to join us for the 2020 Wooditjup Bilya Community Update and our Nature Conservation 2020 Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 8 December. 

The event will combine an update on collaborative activities to protect Wooditjup Bilya, the Margaret River with a report on Nature Conservation's achievements during the 2019-20 financial year. 

We are also extremely fortunate to have a number of eminent speakers joining us to provide insight into the natural values and current condition of Wooditjup Bilya and its catchment.

Join us for the presentations and to share a celebratory drink to kick off the festive season. 

Places are limited so register now https://airtable.com/shrImP9Stx1uuZ0Mc
 
SUPPORT NATURE CONSERVATION
 
Nature Conservation Margaret River Region has joined the Containers for Change campaign.  It positively impacts our environment and our Margaret River regional community.
 
Making change is easy. It all starts with you. Collect your eligible containers instead of tossing them in the waste, then drop them off at the MR Refund Depot at 22 Kinsella Road and donate your 10c refund to our Nature Conservation Public Fund.

Nature Conservation's Scheme ID is: C10289458

Save the Scheme ID to your phone so that when you return your containers you can help Nature Conservation help our environment.

Containers for Changes starts 1 October 2020. Learn more about the program here: https://www.containersforchange.com.au/wa/ or watch the Containers for change video https://youtu.be/KHFD8yu1PXQ

Leech- Partington Botanical Art Prize

Denmark Western Australia

 

Penny Leech 1947-2018 was a gifted botanical and natural history artist. Many of her detailed works are in world - wide collections. She lived in Denmark, Western Australia for 14 years painting every day using local specimens which included her favourite eucalypts. It was in Denmark Leech reached her zenith. Knowing it would have thrilled her. Jennie Partington, Penny’s partner decided to set up an annual art prize.

Western Australia is well known for its wildflowers, yet does not have an exclusive art award dedicated to its unique flora and fungi. With collaboration from the Denmark Community Foundation Incorporated [DCF] and many others this award has come to fruition. The exhibition is to be held at The Gallery, Denmark Community Resource Centre, 2 Strickland Street Denmark 6333, from 4th to 18th January 2021

ENTRIES CLOSING THIS MONTH:   works to be delivered by 31st December 2020 4pm.  Further information here.

 

IN THE BUSH
Photography by John Hill - flowering in November.
Chorizema spathulatum, Margaret Rd. (top left)
Conospermum caeruleum, Margaret Rd. (top right)
Grevillea manglesoides, Margaret Rd. (bottom left)
Hakea ceratophylla, Horned Leaf Hakea, Margaret Rd. (bottom right)
 
Kunzea ciliata, Gracetown (top left)
Levenhookia stipitata, Common Stylewort, Gracetown (top right)
Hibbertia diamesogenos, Margaret Rd. (bottom left)
Lobelia anceps, Gracetown (bottom right)
 
Olearia elaeophila, Gracetown (top left)
Stylidium amoenum, Lovely Triggerplant, Gracetown (top right)
Stylidium guttatum, Dotted Triggerplant, Gracetown (bottom left)
Andersonia involucrata, Gracetown (bottom right)
 
Viminaria juncea, Swishbush, Gracetown (top left)
Thysanotus tenellus, Gracetown (top right)
Thelymitra villosa, Custard Orchid, Gracetown (bottom left)
Thelymitra cucullata, Swamp Sun Orchid, Gracetown (bottom right)
 
FURTHER AFIELD:
FLORA OF THE FITZGERALD NP AND STIRLING RANGES NP
I was lucky to get a few days in the Great Southern in mid - November and these are some of the many delights I discovered.  
Vikki Viela
Calothamnus pinifolius (top left)
Calytrix leschenaultii (top right)
Chamelaucium megalopetalum (bottom left)
Goodenia scapigera (bottom right)
Fitzgerald River NP November 2020
Grevillea nudiflora (top left)
Hakea victoria (top right)
Halgania andromedifolia (bottom left)
Verticordia habrantha (bottom right)
Fitzgerald River NP November 2020
Gastrolobium rubrum  (top left)
Glischrocaryon aureum  (top right)
Goodenia brendannarum  (bottom left)
Gompholobium polymorphum  (bottom right)
Stirling Ranges NP November 2020
Goodenia coerulea (top left)
Sphenotoma squarrosa (top right)
Xanthosia rotundifolia (bottom left)
Verticordia sp. (bottom right)
Stirling Ranges NP November 2020
BLUE AND SHOULD BE BLUE...?
and other blues flowering now
Photos by Vikki Viela taken around Yallingup Siding, first week of December
Goodenia eatoniana  (upper left)
Goodenia eatoniana alba  (upper right)
Comesperma calymega. (bottom left)
Scaevola globulifera  (bottom right)
Seed Collecting Frustrations
 
Seed collectors find seed all the year round, but the busiest times are when summer approaches and during summer, and then in the autumn, especially March to May.

The summer species are peas and acacias, but also many species that drop their seeds if you don't do timely collecting.

This year, I have had trouble collecting Billardiera fusiformis and Dodonaea ceratocarpa. For the seed collector, this is not an unusual occurrence (and in good years, we collect a lot, as we know there are bad years - "we make hay while the sun shines"), but these two species are generally reliable.

Through going through the process of making a new website for the nursery I'm involved with - the Geographe Community Landcare Nursery - we discovered from one of the businesses giving us a quote that our first website, which I created, was still online, but in the dark recesses of the web. It is called the Wayback Machine.
On this website, I wrote a page on seed collecting. It is still there, but looking a bit dated, and some of the links probably don't work.

We are always needing new seed collectors, and as I am becoming older, I am worried about who will continue my work. Please contact me if you would be interested in obtaining training. I am happy to mentor anyone who is prepared to put in the work to learn careful plant identification.

Richard Clark
rmc@swisp.net.au
Some Summer Flowering
Richard Clark
Comesperma integerrimum at Wonnerup. Also found at Point Picquet in Meelup. A hardy salt-tolerant twining climber. This species has never been collected in Busselton - we have many species that have never found their way to the WA Herbarium. More photos.
Nitraria billardieri (Nitre Bush).
Gracetown 3rd December 2020
This species grows in coastal Australia and also inland. It has an edible fruit much relished by birds.
 
Lechnaultia expansa
Ambergate 4th December 2020
THE WANPIC PROJECT
WESTERN AUSTRALIAN NATIVE PLANTS IN CULTIVATION
The WANPIC PROJECT was launched this year in the May edition of the Wildflower Society of Western Australia newsletter (you have to be a WSWA member to receive this), and in our South West Capes May e-newsletter.

It is an attempt to gather as much information as we can about the Western Australian plant species being cultivated in Western Australian gardens, in revegetation/restoration/rehabilitation plantings, and in amenity plantings including Main Roads, landscaping, parks, and botanical gardens.

We are asking gardeners to list the Western Australian species growing in their gardens. If you would like to participate, please send a short email to me with the subject WANPIC, and I will email back to you some information on how to go about listing your garden plants. 

The project is going quite well, with the lists being added to a database. We are about to send out a WANPIC newsletter to let participants know the current results.

We are delighted that we have received some lists from local South West Capes' gardeners, but we'd love to receive more! 

This is a long-term project which will take some years, but we are slowly buidling a picture of the WA species and plants being cultivated in Western Australian gardens.

Richard Clark
rmc@swisp.net.au
Time for planting
We expect it is always time for planting as far as nurseries are concerned, but it is quite difficult to establish native Australian plants in our climate here in the SW in late Spring-Summer. If planting, you need to make sure the plants are watered over the Summer, and perhaps shaded.
The easiest method is to plant in the late Autumn - Winter with the rains, and let the rains establish the plants. Even then, you need, these days, to water over the first Summer.
 
With the soil ready to go, it's time to plant!  We have listed local nurseries in the past, but here is a short list.
More nurseries and plant sales can be found in the metropolitan area.
This is a new page I have created for the Wildflower Society  (Richard). It needs further editing I expect, but there are a surprising number of nurseries specialising in our native Australian flora
AND ON A FESTIVE NOTE !
Courtesy of the Australian Native Plants Society, an article on our very own Christmas Tree
Bits and Pieces
Membership
Info on the Wildflower Society website here. You can join online, or phone the office Tuesdays and Thursdays 10.00am to 2.30pm (08) 9383 7979
Richard has a fairly up-to-date membership list, but he would appreciate new members letting him know that they have joined. rmc@swisp.net.au


Our newsletter archive

ALL OUR PREVIOUS NEWSLETTERS CAN BE ACCESSED FROM THE WSWA WEBSITE.
 
Other groups
Updates from other groups in our region concerned with the environment:
South West Capes Committee -  2020/21
President Kay Lehman kaywinny@bigpond.net.au  
Vice-President Shirley Fisher fishergs@iinet.net.au 0417 179 763
Secretary Richard Clark rmc@swisp.net.au 0427 385 551
Treasurer Vikki Viela gravik_oz@hotmail.com 0403 438 573
Committee Margaret Moir, Pia Parker, Kelly Lamp, John Hill & Jennine Frost
John Hill (newsletter)  dihill@iinet.net.au
If anyone has interesting articles or photos that you would like included in the newsletter, please forward them to John Hill at dihill@iinet.net.au
Copyright © 2020 South West Capes, All rights reserved.


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