Rampaging Rutidosis – a FOG visit* to Crace Nature Reserve and its Button Wrinklewort

In northern Canberra, if you drive towards Mitchell along the Gungahlin Drive Extension (GDE) freeway, or towards Watson along the Barton Highway after the GDE underpass, you can see an expanse of grassland or paddock, usually with a few cattle grazing, and sometimes a bunch of parked cars in the far distance. The grassland is Crace Nature Reserve, entered via a locked gate at the corner of Bellenden St and Hoskins St, Mitchell, beside the track to the model aero-club (the reason for the parked cars). The reserve is named ‘Crace’ because of the pointy rocky hill you see from the roads – 'Crace Hill' – though the suburb called Crace is several kilometres north of here. 

At 1.30 on Friday 13 July, on one of Canberra’s beautiful winter days (brilliant sunshine and not too much wind) four of us turned up to join Sarah Sharp at the gate. This FOG activity had been postponed to today from the previous Friday at 1.30 when (if you remember) it had been raining with a bitterly cold strong wind. 

Sarah drove us into our target site, which was about 1 km from the gate, where we disembarked to walk through very nice quality grassland. There was a wide range of forb species (Vittadinia, Velleia, Cryptandra, Lemon Beauty Heads, Lomandra, for example) as well as Kangaroo Grass Themeda triandra and a few other grass species, and cryptogams and bare soil – a perfect mix …. and, of course, the ‘rampaging’ Rutidosis that gave Sarah this activity’s title! (There are almost no flowers on these forbs at this time of year; by contrast, it should be very colourful in spring.) 

 Cryptandra amara, 15-20 cm tall. 

Cryptandra amara, closer. 

A cryptogam (moss), rather dry + Velleia paradoxa.

Velleia paradoxa Spurred Velleia (uncommon).

Sarah explained that she had originally discovered this good patch of Rutidosis leptorhynchoides (Button Wrinklewort) in 1998 during discussions about managing the area for conservation. The Button Wrinklewort was in an erosion scald, and the plants at that time had been thoroughly grazed. 

To protect this threatened species, the population was fenced off (from cattle but not roos) and allowed to regenerate. Since then it has spread considerably. The number of plants is estimated or counted periodically: 150 counted in 1998; 1000 and 4000 estimated in 1999 and 2000; 200–1000 estimated in 2016/17.

We five agreed to count the number of plants for 2018. 

 Sarah and Lorraine counting.... (Note Crace Hill in the distance.)

The plants range from small bushes, up to 25 cm or so across, to tiny seedlings (but completely recognisable) 1–2 cm across. Necessarily, our counts were not accurate, but our tally was over 3000 plants – the population has not shrunk after all! 

 If you zoom in, you can see spectacles (near bottom left, to give scale) and both seedling and bushy Rutidosis leptorhynchoides.

How nice to be able to congratulate the land managers on their conservation. This particular patch is not grazed except by roos – cattle merely pass through it when moving between the surrounding paddocks which they graze for conservation and fire-control. Sarah said that Serrated Tussock, Chilean Needlegrass and African Lovegrass are deliberately controlled in the reserve as a whole, and we could see there had been recent spraying of weed grasses; they were all near the entry gate.

Sarah also told us there has been some recent genomic work on this population of Button Wrinklewort to see if it will be suitable as a donor population to genetically rescue smaller populations. If its vigour is anything to go by, it will certainly be suitable! 

Thank you Sarah. What an interesting and different activity – nice to feel one is doing something useful while enjoying such a glorious winter’s day.

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* This is adapted from my original draft account of the day, with small amendments and additional plant names provided by Sarah Sharp. I expect to publish a shorter version of this account in the FOG newsletter in late August (News of Friends of Grasslands, September-October 2018). That version is likely (space permitting) to include extra information Sarah has added, and photos by Andy Russell. The photos in this blog post are only mine. 

Ginninderra Catchment Group

This blog post is part of the newsletter of the Ginninderra Catchment Group for June 2018. I'm putting it up here while the GCG website is being rebuilt. (I compile this newsletter.) 

Ginninderra Creek is a tributary of the Murrumbidgee River. One-third of the residents of Canberra live in this catchment, which includes all of Belconnen and most of Gungahlin, ACT. 

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GINNINDERRA CATCHMENT GROUP connects, supports and leads local communities to improve the health of Ginninderra Creek & surrounding environments

ACT and Region Frogwatch Program & the Ginninderra and Yass components 

of Upper Murrumbidgee Waterwatch operate from the GCG office

Web: (currently being rebuilt); Office: Kippax Health Centre, Holt ACT; Phone: 02 6278 3309

GINNINDERRA CATCHMENT GROUP NEWS                                                                                           JUNE 2018
Please distribute this newsletter to others in your networks and groups.

From the Convenor

I am pleased to provide good news on our funding position. Mick Gentleman (Minister for the Environment) announced that the Catchment Groups were successful in gaining $352,000 for the next year. Karissa, Ken and I met with Ian Walker (Director for the Environment, ACT Government). Ian emphasised the Government’s priority on maintaining community catchment management and to develop a proposal on its longer term financial sustainability. We hope to have a contract in place shortly, which will detail the deliverables.

We recently presented information to the select committee on budget estimates regarding the Frogwatch submission. ICON water is to assist in funding the ACT tadpole kits, and Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate have indicated that additional funds will be provided to keep the annual census and other Frogwatch activities going for the year, more to come.

We submitted a Grassland Restoration component of the ACT NRM’s tender to the National Landcare Program’s funding – and we hope for a Commonwealth announcement shortly.

As detailed below in the news, GCG has undertaken many activities recently. I was involved in the CSIRO planting and the regenerative agriculture workshop. At the recent GCG General Members meeting, there was discussion on the funding position, possible future funding models, Urban Landcare, the ACT Government Inquiry into the value of the natural environment (GCG will be providing a submission), and update reports. We will be following up on a number of actions arising from the meeting.

I would like to personally thank our catchment community, including our volunteers, member groups and Executive particularly in supporting our budget bid and in driving strong catchment outcomes. Our staff need a specific mention: Karissa, Anke Maria, Bruno, Fiona and Julian – we appreciate your tireless efforts and your passion in your work.

Sandy Lolicato

Acknowledgement of funding is at the end of this blog post. 

GENERAL GCG & LANDCARE – news from GCG Office

LOOKING AFTER COUNTRY WITH CSIRO GINNINDERRA PROJECT 

GCG has again collaborated with CSIRO to revegetate the site of the Ginninderra Project. This year over 100 volunteers planted 1500 shrubs into Box–Gum woodland and dry forest, which will attract a wide range of woodland birds. These plantings complement the 3500 shrubs planted in Box–Gum woodlands at Ginninderra in 2017, which have recorded a 90% survival rate and excellent growth rates. The planting events were held over two days and involved people of all ages and walks of life, with a strong presence from the Well Station Cubs. The second planting day, which was held at the start of National Reconciliation Week, included a welcome to country by Ngunawal Elder and Custodian, Wally Bell. During a break in planting, community members took the opportunity to visit a scar tree in the nearby scribbly gum forest, where Wally shared his knowledge about the indigenous history and heritage associated with the area and broader Ginninderra catchment.

 

For more information, including a short video, see https://ginninderraproject.com.au/thanks-a-million-for-a-mountain-of-planting and https://ginninderraproject.com.au/looking-after-country

LANDHOLDERS LEARN ABOUT EROSION CONTROL AND WATER MOVEMENT IN THE LANDSCAPE

On 24 June, rural landholders from within the Ginninderra Catchment and beyond participated in a workshop led by Cam Wilson, Head Designer at Earth Integral and Project Officer, with Mulloon Institute for farming, environment and society. Cam provided an informative and engaging workshop, which involved both theoretical and practical components. In the theoretical component, workshop participants learnt about the movement and storage of water within a functional local landscape and a range of low-cost, human-scale techniques, using locally available materials to tackle a variety of erosion issues. In the hands-on component participants gained hands-on experience in addressing erosion through installing four erosion control works. This activity was supported by Yass Area Network and National Landcare Program and built on a previous workshop funded by a Landcare ACT sustainable agriculture grant. Thanks to Paul Newall for hosting the practical component and the Wallaroo Fire Shed for use of the venue.

CULTURAL BURNING

Karissa, Ken and Wally attended a Cultural Burning Forum, which highlighted the importance of Aboriginal burning processes. GCG and Mulanggang Aboriginal Landcare Group ran a joint stall at the event (see photo) and many forum participants were interested to hear more about the Aboriginal land management work being undertaken in the Ginninderra Catchment.

The Forum, titled ‘Cultural Burning: Evolving with community and Country’, was an opportunity to learn, and establish collaborations with others committed to cultural burning and caring for Country. Keynote speakers included: Bruce Pascoe (author and historian), Dean Freeman (ACT Fire Management Unit), Oliver Costello (Firesticks), Terrence Taylor (Jigija Indigenous Fire Training Program) and Victor Steffensen (Mulong Indigenous Fire Management).

A cultural burn was to be undertaken at Gubur Dhaura, a site where Mulanggang works, as part of the conference. This was postponed due to weather. Karissa and Wally are now working with Dean Freeman to ensure that the burn at Gubur Dhaura, as well as another cultural burn at Umbagong, will be undertaken as soon as weather permits. Wally was involved in a pre-burn at Gubur Dhaura in preparation for the burn of the cultural zone.

LANDCARE ACT REGIONAL FORUMS

GCG supported two Landcare ACT Regional forums in May. One was: ‘Aboriginal Cultural Land Management and Sustainable and Productive Rural Practice for the 21st Century’: an early evening conversation with renown authors Bill Gammage and Bruce Pascoe, which was facilitated by Peter Bridgewater (Chair Landcare ACT) and Wally Bell (Ngunawal Elder). If you missed the workshop a film can be seen here https://landcareact.org.au/indigenous-land-management/. The second forum was: ‘Regenerative Agriculture’ with guest speakers Charles Massey and Martin Royds. Both events were successful, with over 90 attendees, including mostly rural landholders.

NATIONAL LANDCARE PROGRAM REGIONAL DELIVERY COMING TO A CLOSE

The National Landcare Regional Delivery Program funding, delivered through ACT Government, which has supported extensive GCG Catchment work over the last five years, is coming to a close on 30 June. GCG have achieved all agreed milestones. Communications regarding key outcomes of the project are being developed and will be uploaded to the new GCG website, when the website is active again. GCG is grateful for the support we received, and look forward to working with ACT NRM and National Landcare Program phase 2 into the future.

GCG WEBSITE

Our website went 'down' in May, and we are taking the opportunity to have it rebuilt.

Karissa Preuss, GCG Executive Officer

WATERWATCH

WATERWATCH EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES

Our Waterwatch educational activities are being well received by the community. We have visited several schools and other groups in the North Canberra area, such as Giralang Primary School (Pre-school), Kirinari Child Care at University of Canberra, Birralee Ventures Group in Gungahlin, Canberra Naturalists Group, Weetangera Primary School (Year 4) and Florey Painting Playgroup – Florey Primary School. In addition, Bruno teamed up with Ben Huttner-Koros from Molonglo Catchment Group to deliver an educational activity at Narrabundah College (Year 11), Kaleen High School (Year 7), and Karabar High School in Queanbeyan. The educational activities focus on water bugs and broader Catchment health and are tailored to the age of the particular students.

RISK ASSESSMENT WORKSHOP

Bruno has joined the other Waterwatch coordinators and our Waterwatch Regional Facilitator for a Health and Safety Workshop conducted to streamline the control of risks within the Waterwatch program. A draft document is being prepared and it is based on the risk assessment for ACT Parks & Conservation. The Waterwatch team will adapt the document to our circumstances. 

QAQC

Waterwatch program recently hosted another Quality Assurance Quality Control (QAQC) event at Jerrabomberra Wetlands. We had around 30 Waterwatch volunteers from the ACT and Cooma participating. Bruno gave a talk to the volunteers about ‘Turtles in the ACT’, following the event, which received positive feedback.

WATERWATCH BEING USED IN FURTHER RESEARCH AND COMMUNITY PROJECTS

Bruno has provided information about the GCG Waterwatch program to a citizen science survey project (PhD candidate Pat Bonney, Federation University), and has coordinated with Geoff Williams from the Australian Platypus Conservancy, to host a public talk on rakali (water rat) monitoring project in Lake Ginninderra/Belconnen area on 01/08/2018. In addition, Bruno has given feedback on a Yass Gorge book written by Geoff Robertson and others, from ‘Kosciusko to Coast’, where the Waterwatch program is highlighted and the importance of citizen science projects in the gorge.  

RIPARIAN CONDITION ASSESSMENTS

Bruno has started riparian vegetation surveys in Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve and within the next month he will conduct several surveys in the Ginninderra catchment. Riparian condition is one of the parameters used to measure catchment health, together with water quality and water bugs.

Bruno Ferronato, Waterwatch Coordinator

FROGWATCH

The Climate Change project has kicked off! Dedicated volunteers are monitoring 14 sites across town on a weekly basis. More rain is much needed – so keep going with your rain-dancing!

AND bookings are open now for Tadpole Kits. Here is the link to the booking form (because the GCG website is still ‘down’). Please share the link with your teacher colleagues or class teachers to help advertise the project. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfTuQds1oFZqoeL_-_sFvKBePoQunqxZ1APMb5jZo-rFfe7RA/viewform?c=0&w=1

Anke Maria Hoefer, Frogwatch Coordinator

Catchment member groups ‘happenings’

North Belconnen Landcare (Evatt)

See Open Groups on Facebook for updates on our group.

The Scrape and Sow project has now been scraped and sown in our Landcare Patch near the Spain Place footbridge. This is a joint ACT Government and Greening Australia venture and our Group will assist with ongoing care. The “baddies” (Chilean Needlegrass and African Lovegrass) have been scraped off mechanically and the seeds of the “goodies” (native grasses and forbs) have been planted in their place. Fifty species have been included in this wild flower project which is to be named the “Betty Davis Wildflower Patch” after our very precious landcarer who died recently at the age of 91 years. Her husband and family are very happy to have a wildflower patch named after her. (The photos show the patch, viewed from the footbridge (left) and the Greening Australia staff preparing to fill the seeder with the seed mix.)

  

  

The recent very welcome rain has helped our landcare group. Weeding is now the main agenda with much removal of African Lovegrass taking place as well as St John’s Wort and Chilean Needlegrass. Our group benefited from the hard labour of Telstra employees who volunteered a day to assist our group. Three trailer loads of African Lovegrass were removed from one of our native grassland patches. Themeda seeds were spread in spaces left after the removal of this weed.

Our group continues to grow with the help of the Facebook group which now has 126 members – which means nearly that many families, as most members are representing a family. Our students are more active in Uni breaks and in school holidays.

The Wednesday morning group has a wide variety of age-groups, ranging from babies who like to crawl around the older children who dig up the weeds and plant grassland species, to older home-schooled children and sometimes some oldies as well. See the photo (right) taken last week on a lovely winter’s day after digging up some Lovegrass and singing Happy Birthday to my husband Ken.

Our ongoing Landcare times need adjusting at this time of year as it gets cooler. Current start-times are 9.30 am on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Please check our Facebook page for any further adjustments of start times. Look in “Open Groups” and type in North Belconnen Landcare Group.

Lenore Hodgkinson, Convenor

Friends of Mulligans Flat

The Friends of Mulligans Flat has over 500 members who have registered on our MyVolunteer database. It is through this database, supported by the Woodlands and Wetlands Trust, and Facebook, that we communicate news updates about the Mulligans Flat Wildlife Sanctuary, upcoming events and activities. Apart from the ‘standard’ park care activities (weeding and rubbish) the Friends can get involved in turtle relocation, Echidna counts, Bettong monitoring, Bush-stone Curlew feeding and assisting in a range of ANU projects.

Monthly work parties are held on the second Wednesday of each month. Meet at the Woolshed at 9:30 am. Seasonal work parties are held on a Sunday morning once each season, actual dates being advised closer to the activity. We usually meet at the Woolshed at 10:00 am.

MONTHLY WORK PARTIES
Over the last two months, with the Bettong fence completed, the Friends have returned to the usual and never-ending cycle of weed removal. But it still gets us out for a lovely walk through the Sanctuary – we even spotted a few Bettongs out and about in the sun!

MOTHERS’ DAY BIRD WALK
Our annual Mothers’ Day bird walk was held on Sunday 13 May. It was quite a blustery and cold morning so attendance numbers were down quite a bit. But 15 people braved the elements and once sheltered from the wind by the trees it was very pleasant with a surprising amount of birds spotted, including small mixed flocks. Not to be outdone, some of Brian Bettong’s family also made a fleeting appearance.

UPCOMING ACTIVITIES 
Winter Work Party: First up, on Sunday 1 July we will hold our Winter Work Party. Meet at the Woolshed at 10:00 am and we will finish around 12:30 pm. Ranger Dave would like our help to identify and remove some Cootamundra Wattle. Bring a hat, water, snack and gloves. Dave will provide everything else we will need and he even has a supply of extra gloves.

Monthly Work Party: The next monthly work party will be on Wednesday 11 July from 9:30 am to 12:00 noon, meeting at the Woolshed.

Science in the Sanctuary: On Thursday 19 July starting at 6:45 pm will be this year’s "Science in the Sanctuary". This is always a very popular event and numbers are limited, so if you are interested book early! See https://mulligansflat.org.au/event/science-in-the-sanctuary-2/ for details.

Mark Smith, Convenor

NOTE: To contact the Landcare or ParkCare Group Convenors, email or phone the GCG office. The groups’ webpages will be up again on the GCG website when it has been rebuilt: www.ginninderralandcare.org.au > Landcare > Landcare groups

‘Sanctuary: A Year at Mulligans Flat’ – an exhibition of paintings,
28 June – 22 July

At ‘Strathnairn’, 90 Stockdill Drive, Holt ACT (10–4, Thursday – Sunday), this is an exhibition of paintings of the unique & vulnerable creatures who live in Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary, by emerging Canberra artist Emily Birks. 

Official opening: by Dr Kate Grarock, Sanctuary Ambassador, Superstar of STEM and Ecologist at Mulligans Flat Woodland, on Saturday 30 June at 4 pm.  

(The images below show two examples of Emily’s work.) 

 

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NOTE: GCG has 17 landcare and ParkCare groups at the moment (mid 2018), and most of our newsletters have news from 9 or 10 of them at a time. The newsletter is sent out to anyone interested. The complete June newsletter also contains notices of events coming up around the region. However, I've omitted them from here, except for Emily Birks' exhibition which is within the catchment.

Ginninderra Catchment Group is grateful for support from