The Bushcare Newsletter of Mosman Council Spring 2012

What’s in this issue:Living Mosman: Bushcare’s Major Day Out ................... 1 Christmas Party ................. 1

Introducing the New Bushcare Officer ................................ 2

Natalie Has Had Her Baby 2

Weather Watch ................ 2 Bradley’s Bushland Ecological Burn ................................... 3 Failed Tree Removal ........ 3

Becoming a Volunteer ...... 4

Ochna serrulata ............... 4

On Sunday 9th of September Bradley Bushland hosted a ‘Bushcare Major Day Out’ event. It was one of ninety Australia-wide. A better location could not be picked as Bradleys offers a great showcase of Mosman bushland and the applications of bush regeneration techniques.Our volunteers from the Friends of Bradley Bushland Reserve group were joined by a number of others new to the Bushcare experience. 15 people attended the event and all were itching to tackle the weeds. It was heartening to see such enthusiasm.The veterans’ expert hands were at work in the burnt area

of the Reserve following up patches of Trad that survived. James, Mosman’s most active Bushcare Supervisor, took the novices through a few areas of the reserve showing them a range of common weeds and the methods of removing them. After some weeding he led them on a tour through the Reserve pointing out the features of the Reserve.The day concluded with a barbeque under the shade of the figs on Rawson Oval. The day was a great success. It highlighted two of the most important aspects of Bushcare: the love of our unique natural environment and spending time with friendly likeminded people.

Christmas Party‘Tis the season to be Jolly! That’s right, the Bushcare Christmas Party is just around the corner. This year we are celebrating the efforts of our amazing volunteers at the Drill Hall at Rawson Oval on Sunday the 2nd of December, from 11:30am till 2:30pm. There will be an array of delicious food and drink and a few games to keep things lively. Just remember to RSVP by the 29th of November.

Bushcare’s Major Day Out

Bushcare Hints: Sometimes it can be better to not remove weeds. In some areas, weeds like Trad can act as effective barrier to further weed invasion. Your Bushcare site strategies take this into account.

Hello to all our fantastic Bushcare Volunteers. My name is Alexi Gilchrist and I am replacing Natalie as Bushcare Officer while she is on maternity leave. It is an honour to be working in Mosman, where the Bradley Sisters first planted the seeds for the bush regeneration methods we still use today.To help you become more familiar with me let me tell you a bit about my background. I grew up in Parramatta and spent a lot of time in the garden and the bush. Hiking and Scout camps helped instil in me a reverence for our

Natalie Has Had Her Baby!

Natalie gave birth to her second child, and daughter, on Friday 7th of September. They have named her Scarlet Diane Susan Edmonds. She weighed 3.47kg and is 52cm long. We are all delighted to hear that mother and child are happy and healthy. On behalf of the Bushcare Volunteers I would like to send Natalie and her family our best wishes.

unique natural environment. To this day I am still in awe of the diversity and complexity of the Australian bush.As a child I was always interested in science and how the world worked and this led me into ecology. After High School I completed a degree in Environmental Management and Science. Seeking more hands on experience I started work as a Bush Regenerator. In my time have done a lot of work in Mosman and Middle Head, even Bushcare support on the sites I now oversee. This has made the transition into the role of Bushcare Officer much smoother.This is my first role in Local Government and I am finding the change refreshing. I have spent time volunteering for the Nature Conservation Council of NSW and on organic farms in Italy with the WWOOF program. In the last year I have also been a volunteer at the Royal Botanic Gardens working on the Flying Fox relocation program.Since starting at Mosman Council in late August I have been in the office coordinating the Bushcare Program and on site weeding with a few of our volunteers. I have had a

Introducing the New Bushcare Officer

Weather WatchWe have experienced a prolonged La Niña period over the last few years. It has been responsible for the heavy rain periods we have seen. Most recently we experienced a brief El Niño dry spell in late August and early September but appears to have dropped off over the last few weeks. The seasonal projection for the the rest of spring and summer is within the national averages. However, the forecast for the October-December period looks to be hotter and drier than the average. With this forecast in mind, we need to ensure that our plantings are well-watered. Also remember appropriate sun protection and a bottle of water when you are on site. We can’t have our volunteers wilting too.

wonderful time getting to know the volunteers I have met and I am keen to meet and work with all of you in the coming months. As I am working part time we will need to coordinate a meeting time for those groups that meet irregularly.

Bushcare Hints: Many of the woody weeds found in our bushland can regrow from underground structures if not treated correcly. Consult your supervisor for the best methods to remove them.

It was a clear day on Tuesday, 21st of August when the NSW Fire Service ignited the prescribed Ecological Burn at Bradley’s Bushland. It was one of a number of ecological burns taking place around the Northern Suburbs at the time. We had been preparing for the burn for some months and conditions were favourable enough for us to proceed. Contractors had cut down the pittosporums that were beginning to dominate sections of the burn area to improve burn conditions. These were left in situ as fuel to increase the intensity of the burn.The area burnt is located to the south and east of the tennis courts and adjoining Rawson Oval. There were approximately 2800 square metres burnt on the day. The burn was very successful and we are all looking forward to seeing the native regeneration that it has triggered. Given the results of the 2009 burn we are expecting great results. All we need is a little more rain.For the time being, the area is

Bradley’s Bushland Ecological Burn

very sensitive to disturbance. Luckily we have experienced volunteers who regularly work the area along with the contractors who performed the maintenance weeding on the last burn to maintain the site in the coming months.

Failed Tree RemovalEarlier this year Mosman Council applied to have some Jacarandas removed from Reid Park, one of our Buchcare Sites.Due to complaints from neighbours, the Jacarandas have been left in place.There have been a number of Pheonix Palms removed from Reid Park and Millet Road Bushcare sites in the intervening months.

Ochna serrulata - This tough shrub from the south of Africa can grow to 2.5 metres. It has stiff brown stems that develops raised corky spots, called lenticels, that aid in gaseous exchange. It has alternate narrow oblong leaves with finely toothed and undulating margins. New growth is bronze in colour, developing into a darker green as it reaches maturity.

Weed Watch

How to become a Bushcare VolunteerMosman Bushcare has been offering support to groups and individuals for many years now. In that time we have created new sites and groups while others have fallen into inactivity. We understand that Bushcare is an evolving program and are always on the lookout for new volunteers.The process of becoming a volunteer in Mosman has changed recently and there have been some teething problems so we would like to clarify things. The same procedures that apply to volunteers working with children and the elderly now apply to the Bushcare program. This means that applicants will need to include contact details for 2 referees in their application, similar to a job application. Unlike these other programs applicants do not need to undergo a police background check. New volunteers still need to fill out an application form, available from the Bushcare website. Forms should be delivered to the Community Volunteer Services and an interview with a Community Volunteers coordinator will be made to get the ball rolling.

Dates for the Diary

DECEMBER 2, 2012Annual Bushcare Christmas Party11:30 am - 2:30pm January 5, 2013Sunrise Birdwalk7:00 am - 10:am

March 27, 2013Bushcare Quaterly MeetingTime TBA

Bookings: Bushcare Officer 9978 4038 or email: bushcare@mosman.nsw.gov.auOnline: www.mosman.nsw.gov.au/events

Ochna flowers in early spring producing clusters of 5-petaled yellow flowers. When fertilised, the petals drop off and the green sepals swell and turn a vivid red. Several fruit are produced from each flower. These small drupes start out green but turn black as they ripen. The woody seed is distributed by gravity or when the fruit is eaten by birds. An arrangement of three black seeds is said to resemble Mickey Mouse which gives the plant its’ better known common name.

Removal of Ochna can be difficult because it has the capacity to regrow from woody root tissue. Usually, just below the surface there is a small ‘kink’ or bend in the woody stem. If the stem is broken or damaged above this point the plant sprout additional stems. Depending on soil conditions, it may be possible to hand pull small seedlings. Mature plants will need to be scraped and painted to properly kill the plant. A good rule of thumb is to scrape for half the height and width of the stem down to the cambium. Apply undiluted glyphosate within 30 seconds of scraping the stem.