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Friends of South Surrey Park 
Sunday Working Bee 30th May, 2021
10.00 a.m - 12 noon 



 

FRIENDS OF SOUTH SURREY PARK

MAY 2021 NEWSLETTER


Sunday Working Bee - 30th May 2021 10.00 a.m.-12 noon

We will be planting in the area below Anderson street but will be meeting at the Scout Hall behind Riversdale Road at 10.00 then carrying the tools etc to the site.   Wear strong shoes and be prepared for rain.   There will be morning tea at the end of the morning.
Contact person is Peter Hannay - 9830 5493

Sunday Working Bee Report - 25th April, 2021


Thirteen people met at the Scout Hall for a morning's weeding in the area behind Australian Engineering beside the creek.   This area has plenty of lomandra as can be seen in the photo above. We tried to make sure we worked around indigenous plants, removing the weeds so that they could flourish.   Most of the weed taken was ehrharta but below is a  plant which has been growing in this area since we began planting indigenous plants here.   It would be good if someone could identify it.  Is it friend or foe?



We were joined by two new people Max and Nilofar.   Max was a keen weeder and Nilofar gathered a bag of rubbish from far along the creek. After we had made a large pile of weeds beside the park we returned to the Scout Hall for morning tea.   It was a great way to celebrate Anzac Day.
Tuesday Toilers

The Tuesday Toilers have been going from strength to strength.   New people are coming along which is great to see.
On Tuesday, 18th May, there were eight of the regular hard workers preparing the site below Anderson Street for Sunday's working bee. Pam worked in Delta street area planting microlaena seeds.   Microlaena is a fine indigenous grass which seems to grow well in our area.   It also makes a good lawn and responds well to mowing. Another name for it is Weeping grass, so named because the seed head bows down.
Fran reports that she found a lot of fungi as she worked weeding this week.   
Conditions continue to be ideal for fungi.   Although some of them are tiny, they are all wonderful.

General News

Ursula attended Boroondara's National Volunteer Week celebration on Tuesday, 18th May,  when Councillor Jane Addis thanked volunteers for their contribution to Council's work in Boroondara. Our work in the park is valued by Council as is that of a wide variety of people who give their time.

Lyn, Phyl and Ursula have enjoyed working with the Aspect group on Thursday afternoons for several weeks now.   They are dynamic ehrharta removers and they really earn the fish and chips they enjoy under the angophera tree for lunch.   There are around ten participants and they have now each planted an indigenous plant in the gardens below Delta street.   It was a privilege to be there with them as they contributed to the park.

In my search for the identity of the plant above, I referred to Dr. Graeme Lorimer's survey of Boroondara's parks in 2004.   There is a link to it here.  Then I came across this very interesting talk by him which gives a different and more complicated view of weeds and how to treat them.   You can find that here.

In the Park this month - Fungi

The rain has brought out a wide variety of fungi and there will be more as the month goes on.   It is fascinating to see how varied they are.   They occur under trees, in mulch or in amongst ground cover plants or even in a nature strip across from the park.

On the top left side of the photograph is the fungi we found on the nature strip.   It is called Lawyer's Wig, Shaggy mane or coprinus comatus.   Beside it is Stinky Squid or pseudocolus fusiformis. This stinkhorn fungus attracts flies with the dark very smelly material in its centre.   The flies then help to distribute the spores.

On the bottom left is Death Cap fungus which we have in the park in several places under deciduous trees.   Its botanical name is amanita phalloides.   
Even half one will kill an adult if eaten.  Beside this fearsome thing is a picture of birds nest fungi growing in the mulch.   They are quite tiny and here you can see the membrane which covers the little nest at first.   When it recedes the spores can be seen as tiny eggs.   When rain splashes into the little cups the spores are washed out and thus distributed. 
There is a very good video by Stephen Axford called How Fungi Changed my Worldview.   You can find it here

Membership of Friends of South Surrey Park

You can join in the work of the group and contribute to running expenses by becoming a member.     If you would like to become a Friend of South Surrey Park you can find the application for membership form at the end of this newsletter.


Facebook and South Surrey Park website

You can see some of what is happening in the park on Facebook and South Surrey Park website.    


Work in South Surrey Park is brought to you through the efforts of the Friends of South Surrey Park, a voluntary group working with the local community, City of Boroondara and Melbourne Water.  For information about your local Park, contact any committee member below.
 
Pam Welsford (President) - 9830 5178  - pamwelsford@gmail.com
Ursula Povey (Vice President) - 9836 6149 -  ursulapovey@gmail.com
Maggie White (Secretary) - 9888 4479 - john_maggie@hotmail.com
Lyn Read (Treasurer) - 0408 377 668 - lynmread@gmail.com
Jenine Fleming - 0418 561 238 - fleming.jenine@gmail.com
Peter Hannay - 9830 5493 - phhannay@bigpond.com
 
MEMBERSHIP FORM

FRIENDS OF SOUTH SURREY PARK INC ABN 71 979 859 196.
Registration Number A 0032389N.
APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP TO 30th June, 2022.
NAME:............................................................................
ADDRESS: ...................................................................................POSTCODE:........
PHONE (HOME).................................................(MOBILE):........................................
EMAIL:...................................................................................................................
MEMBERSHIP $15/$30/$100: + $ DONATION:=                $...................TOTAL..............
A single subscription is $15, or $30 for a household, or $100 corporate/group. (This covers our insurance with Victorian Landcare and some expenses). It is payable to Hon Treasurer, Lyn Read, 6/136  Through Road, Vic, 3127 telephone 0408 377 668 or direct deposit to our Bendigo Bank account, BSB 633 000, A/c No 1205 19285. Remember to put your name in the ‘reference’ box so we’ll know you’ve paid.



 

Friends of South Surrey Park is supported by Boroondara Council and Melbourne Water

 







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Friends of South Surrey Park · 26 Albion Street · Surrey Hills, Victoria 3127 · Australia

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