_ Bingi Babbler

Binginwarri Landcare Group Newsletter No. 22                                                                     24th June 2014

Have your say, share your experience or topic of interest in the next Bingi Babbler  -  Submit Here
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Co Chair:  Kevin Heggen                      5185 1322      [email protected] 
Co Chair:  John McClumpha                 5185 1455      j[email protected]
Minutes   : Vacant    Is this your name?
Newsletter: Kaye Proudley                    5185 1398      [email protected]
Social Secretary: Margaret Ferguson   5185 1358      [email protected]
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For interesting articles and plenty of photos, links to the YYLN or the JARR websites, or to read your newsletter online (don’t forget to let us know that you’re reading it online so we can save paper, trees & the ether from being polluted)
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Previous Issues

Newsletter No. 13
Newsletter No. 14
Newsletter No. 15
Newsletter No. 16
Newsletter No. 17
Newsletter No. 18
Newsletter No. 19
Newsletter No. 20
Newsletter No. 21

Hello Landcarer’s,

First up a reminder that your annual subscriptions to Binginwarri Landcare Group were due on 1st June so please send your money ($20 per family) into John McClumpha as soon as possible.  Either personally drop it into his letterbox OR post to 842 Hedley Range Rd, Binginwarri 3966 a.s.a.p. OR bring it to our next activity on Sun 29th June.  We ask you to be as prompt with your payment as you humanly can - it makes everyone’s jobs much easier.                       
QUICK, quick, quick, quick!!!

Two other short reminders please while I have your attention:

*Sun 29th June at 10am, meeting at the fire-dam at Hedley Range Rd and Main Ridge Track intersection for a BBP day at Kay Hill. 

*Sun 6th July at 11am, our AGM at Binginwarri Hall.  Our speaker will be Susan Taylor from the DEPI office, speaking about why the Vict. Wader Study Group work on migratory birds here in Corner Inlet, and she’ll tell you all about Flyways, who uses them and why.  Find out why 5 million sun-loving Aussie birds embark on an epic 13,000km journey. Then please join us for lunch - a variety of free hot soups and breads.    Bookings please: by Tues 1st to Kaye on 5185 1398.

I’ve been asked to send the minutes of the last YYLN Board meeting out to all, so please find that document attached to the covering email.

On page 4 I have included a surprising piece about birds and other wildlife on (possibly) your land - make sure you take a look at that.

  So read on folks, a smorgasbord awaits………starting in lighter vein with Evan’s poem;  

Cantata radiata:  by Evan ‘Elpus

As the hippo marks his empire with a line of pungent pee
So the landed folk do likewise, but they choose the cypress tree
No more useful to the country than are rabbits, cats and foxes
They can no more blend with bushland than a row of thunder-boxes.

Yet a cypress hedge proclaims your place in higher income strata
With an unrelated virtue - it's not Pinus radiata.
For all decline to plant the pine, including people who
Think an Agapanthus native, or that erudite's a glue

Since they've learnt that once it's planted, few can ever halt its spread
From beside the chilly farmhouse where the dogs lie on the bed.
From behind the sagging hayshed with its rusting drums of oil,
From the tax-free hill plantation and its dehydrated soil,

From the municipal parkland with its sundry growth exotic,
Planted when all things indigenous were deemed unpatriotic.
And nought impedes the pinus seeds as, catapulted far,
They stake their claim on hill and plain, or by a river's bar

Where soon their acid needles do to bushland species' home
What the Romans did to Carthage and the Vandals did to Rome!

WHERE WE’VE BEEN  ‘N WHAT WE’VE DONE:

1.  BBP Days – that is, the Binginwarri Biodiversity Project days,  (recording all that we see in the way of plant and animal life to record on DEPI’s database.)  The first BBP day was successful, in that as we learn more, we see (or notice) more to record, so that makes going back over already-seen areas quite valuable to pick up those we missed or that were not showing on earlier visits.  The second BBP Day to the AWSF was cancelled.  Can’t remember why now!

2.  Our Walk, Talk ‘n Gawk at David & Sue MacAulay’s, whilst not well attended, was inspirational.  They have done some amazing restoration activities over the years, though David admits there are follow-up problems with weeds in some of the revegetation areas, and thinks perhaps there should be some help in follow-up to clear these.  We agreed.  We learnt interesting tit-bits of historical information from them and, as the lovely hosts that we know them to be, they put on a lovely morning tea (which we had at lunchtime!) and an interesting walk around their garden before leaving.  Thank you for being gracious hosts Sue and David. 

3. The Wetland Wander was a nice day – and thinking about how it was cancelled last year because of floods made us laugh at our first stop at Lake Guyatt in Sale – this time the lake was almost dry and the expected birds had mostly disappeared!  However we did see what were perhaps our highlights for the day here: a pair of Red-kneed Dotterel’s and a pair of Black-fronted Plovers.  It made for interesting comparisons to see them side-by-side.  We also had to find another lunch venue as the Wurruk Pub was, unimaginably, closed! 

The happy birdwatchers at Sale Wetlands, photo by Kaye

4. Our bird-watching day at Gelliondale turned out to be a bird-listening day instead, for some unknown reason birds were hard to see this day.  The good thing was it was fungi season so Kaye had fun with her camera.  We also verified that the White-bellied Sea Eagle nest that we found there last year still survives – great news for a bird so rare in this area, especially the breeding pair we saw last year.  We shall check again if they’ve returned when the breeding season advances a little.  The have been reported to DEPI and are on their database.

5. Our planned bike ride was a fizzer at it turned out … terrible weather and not enough willing cyclists!  Seems we don’t have the number of cyclists I thought we might, or maybe you thought we were over-ambitious in how far we could ride, or was it that you all saw the weather forecasts?

Bruce Atkins (Coastcare Facilitator, 5183 9116) tells us that the latest issue of their newsletter - Coastline – is now available online at http://us3.campaign-archive1.com/?u=e8a7883bf6349901e44aeb7f2&id=9e7a245e55 and says that shortly you can access the magazine, in PDF format, on the DEPI website.                                                                  

He also advises that nominations for the 2014 Vict. Coastal Awards for Excellence are now open. Further information and nomination forms are available from the Victorian Coastal Council website www.vcc.vic.gov.au The Awards team can be contacted by email: [email protected] and by phone 03 9637 8893 or mobile 0477 397 657.  NOMINATIONS CLOSE: 5.00pm Thursday 31 July 2014. Entry is open to previous nominations, provided they meet Award terms and conditions.   Winners will be announced at a ceremony on the evening of 11 September.  Bruce is happy to help you with your nominations.

And he says that another round of Coastcare Grants will be opening early in the new financial year and says - get your thinking caps on!

  Private land ‘can help save Australia’s imperilled wildlife’ Published by: http://www.theconversation.com.au   (on-line news-sheet) 31.3.14

In the surprising discovery, researchers from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions (CEED) and The Australian National University (ANU) have found that unprotected areas are faring far better than old conservation reserves as sanctuaries for the nation’s woodland birds.

This is because some private lands, when compared with old conservation areas, contain more flat and fertile habitats where woodland birds prosper; say Professor David Lindenmayer and Ms Laura Rayner of CEED and ANU. The finding indicates that unprotected areas have great potential to conserve and restore native wildlife.

‘Our study focused on Canberra’s protected areas, many of which were established prior to 1995,’ says Ms Rayner. ‘We found that while these long-established reserves are effective in maintaining woody vegetation cover, they are less effective when it comes to protecting woodland bird populations.’

Ms Rayner explains that when compared with private lands or reserves established after 1995, the older protected areas have fewer endangered birds as well as lower and declining species richness.

‘This is because many of the older reserves were created for their scenic value instead of biodiversity,’ says Ms Rayner. ‘Most were established on hilltops or ridges near to the urban centre, so woodland birds are unlikely to thrive in these environments.’

On the other hand, private, non-reserved areas that have high quality woodlands have been extremely effective in keeping the endangered birds, Prof. Lindenmayer says. ‘The endangered bird population in these areas is comparable with well-maintained newer reserves.

‘These private lands are also further from the city compared to protected areas, and many private landowners are enthusiastic about ensuring homes for the native birds.’

‘So as our cities grow, birds in the old reserves have even less chances of surviving due to disruptive noise or invasive land animals,’ Prof. Lindenmayer explains.

‘If we want to protect and save Australia’s endangered native species, we really need to look towards conservation and restoration on private lands, and more national parks that are actually suitable for woodland birds.’

In a separate study, CEED researchers have developed a model to determine where – and who – best to restore habitat for native reptiles and beetles cost-effectively.

Lead author Dr Sacha Jellinek of CEED and The University of Melbourne explains that the model integrates ecological and social data as well as expert opinion to predict the cost-effectiveness of restoring biodiversity on private lands.

‘We focused on agricultural land in northwest and northeast Victoria that has been cleared and gradually degraded for the past 150 years,’ says Dr Jellinek. ‘We found that it was most cost-effective to concentrate on revegetating cleared areas, rather than restoring degraded remnant patches or previously replanted areas.

‘In addition, we discovered that the type of restoration undertaken was very important. So for the same amount of money, you’re more likely to attract reptiles and beetles if you control weeds and add fallen timber, leaf litter and rocks in cleared lands, as well as plant trees and shrubs. The study shows this can increase beetle species richness by up to 23 per cent and reptile species richness by up to 12 per cent.’

The researchers also found that landowners who join Landcare groups or have off-farm incomes are more likely to undertake native revegetation, which may help to restore biodiversity on their lands. Professor Brendan Wintle of CEED and the University of Melbourne says this is one of the first biodiversity models to combine social with ecological data.

‘The model is useful because it takes account of the people involved,’ he says. ‘Whether it’s replanting in cleared or remnant lands, the success of any restoration effort on private lands is critically dependent on the enthusiasm, co-operation and motivation of the landowners.’

Prof. Wintle explains that the model can help government and conservation groups prioritise where to invest their funds: ‘It also quantifies what you can gain in biodiversity per dollar spent, which means you can use it to predict where and which landowners can bring you the best results.’

Dr Jellinek adds that it’s still important to encourage landowners who haven’t been involved in Landcare to restore biodiversity on their farms.

‘Many landholders are concerned that revegetation will attract pests and weeds or increase fire risk on their properties, so helping them to manage these risks may encourage them Source: ARC CoE for Environmental Decisions (CEED)

SOME PUNS FOR YOU

How does Moses make his tea?  Hebrews it.

I tried to catch some fog.  I mist.

When chemists die, they barium.

Corduroy pillows are making headlines!

Jokes about German sausage are the wurst.

A dyslexic man walks into a bra.

 When you get a bladder infection, urine trouble.

What do you call a dinosaur with an extensive vocabulary?  A thesaurus.

I stayed up all night to see where the sun went.  Then it dawned on me.

  Why were the Indians in America first?  Because they had reservations.

I have kleptomania but when it gets bad, I take something for it.

A soldier who survived mustard gas & pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.

I know a guy who is addicted to brake fluid.  He says he can stop anytime.

I'm reading a book about anti-gravity.  I can't put it down.

An interesting thing about our website that surprises me (only because I think of us as a small group with not a lot to say, and not because of any lack of professionalism or variety in its offerings) is that our site generates an average of 60 hits a day.  Sixty people looking at our pages daily…that’s enough to warm the cockles on the coldest of hearts! I think our Co-Chair John deserves a great clap on the back.  Well done.

COOK’S CORNER:  Possibly our last post here, is this most unusual cake – a challenge for our champion cake-maker extraordinaire!  Go to it Margie, we expect a taste test next time you come along to an activity!!

TOMATO CAKE:

2 tbsp Brown Sugar

2 tbsp Coconut

1 tspn Cinnamon

4 ripe Tomatoes

3 dried Figs (chopped into small pieces and soaked in apple juice, port or sherry, overnight.)

2 Eggs

1 cup Raw Sugar

1 cup SR Flour

Mix together sugar, coconut and cinnamon.  Slice tomatoes into 1-2cm rings, place onto 2 layers of kitchen paper and cover with another 2 sheets.  Press down gently.  Turn the tomato/kitchen-paper ‘sandwich’ over and replace the top two sheets with fresh paper.  Turn again and put aside.  (There is no need to remove skin or seeds from tomatoes.)

Prepare your 21cm round cake pan by lining the base and sides with baking paper.  Cover base with the sugar/cinnamon mixture and arrange tomato slices over the mix.  Fill any spaces with the soaked fig.   Beat eggs with a fork, add sugar and beat again.  Add flour and beat until smooth.  Pour the cake mixture over tomatoes.  Bake in a slow oven of 180 degrees for about 45 minutes and test with a skewer.  If done, turn off oven and leave cake there for a further 15 minutes.  When cool, turn carefully onto serving plate and remove baking paper.

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And another tomato surprise is Tomato, Apple and Passionfruit jam. Everyone says uuuugh! But try it and see… you’ll find it de-e-e-e-licious!

TOMATO, APPLE & PASSIONFRUIT JAM:

Step 1:  Bring to the boil –

              1kg. ripe, firm Tomatoes (skinned and sliced)
              2 good-sized Grannysmith Apples (grated)
              1-cup water
              Cook till soft.

Step 2:   Add 350g. Sugar
              Juice of 1 Lemon
              Cook for a further ¾ hour, stirring occasionally.

Step 3:   Add pulp of 6 to 8 Passionfruit
              Cook till a spoonful jells on a cold saucer.

Step 4:  Sterilize jars in oven and bottle jam whilst hot.

WHAT DO YOU THINK AND CAN YOU TELL US?

I first put this in the Bingi Babbler No 9 way back in September 2011.  We need more input again, so I repeat….

Now is the time we need to be thinking about areas we’d like to see planted next year.  When I say ‘we’ I actually mean YOU – ‘you’ the members.  You’re the ones that know where there are blank spots alongside roads needing a few trees and bushes, OR shelterbelts needed on farms, OR paddock trees required for stock shade, OR connections from one block of trees or bush to another, OR alongside river and stream banks, OR weeds removed and replaced with indigenous vegetation.  On your land or public.  We need to update our list of work needing doing.  Please have a good think and put your ideas to our Co-Chair John McClumpha on 5185 1455.  He’s sitting at home by the phone waiting, right now, for your calls.  He is expecting to be inundated with ringing phones!!

Clean-up Australia Day participants: Ric, Kath, Roy, John, Jude & Kaye behind lens!

Well - that’s another wrap for this edition of The Babbler, Landcarer’s. Please remember we would love to have input from you, items or photos for the newsletter or ideas towards the running of the group.  

Don’t forget to open all the other attachments for a great read.

Look after your land, look after yourselves, enjoy the school holidays if you have children or grandchildren, and meet us back here in about two months time.

Kaye Proudley

Editor – The Bingi Babbler