Winter 2021 | No 81 - hobartcity.com.au/bushcare - City of Hobart
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Winter 2021 | No 81 hobartcity.com.au/bushcare
Bushcare Roundup
Talia Sawers
Program Officer Bushcare
B ushcare volunteers have
taken advantage of the cooler
weather and its slower growing
conditions to ramp up efforts
in woody weed control across
Hobart’s bushland reserves.
Autumn saw many groups
targeting the prolific woody weeds
Spanish heath and gorse, and
considerable time and energy Fern Tree Bushcare volunteers controlling the invasive weed karamu.
has also been spent controlling
hawthorn. bandicoot shelters. the soccer fence and starting to
The Friends of Wellington Park Fern Tree Bushcare remain restore another stretch of gnarly
have been busy ensuring foxglove focused on controlling holly, woody weeds!
doesn’t take hold of our iconic foxglove, pines and karamu. Works on the mountain bike
mountain, and maintaining their Troglodyte trail are complete.
grant-funded planting site in Lenah Friends of McAulay Reserve put
Trackcare volunteers will return
Valley. When they aren’t removing their ‘drill and fill’ skills into action
to the foothills of the mountain in
weeds they have been working on at Edith Avenue Reserve, and
winter as they commence works
and recently completed the Thark McAulay Reserve is now one step
on the Tip Top Track.
Ridge to Devils Throne walking closer to a healthy ecosystem
following the removal of 12 pine We’re excited to be working
track on Tasmania Parks and
trees, funded by the Communities with Tasmania’s rock climbing
Wildlife Service land.
Environment Program grant. community to protect and restore
Volunteers from Valley Street climbing sites in Hobart and
Bushcare are continuing efforts Cornelian Bay Bushcare have been delighted to have the
to rid Providence Gully of forget- volunteers were treated to a opportunity to work with UTAS
me-not and thistle as well as fascinating Aboriginal heritage Landcare Society in their efforts to
controlling gorse in Leonard Wall site induction along the foreshore, care for French Street Reserve.
Reserve. and are ready to recommence
works to protect and restore Our winter activities program
In addition to the usual suspects, includes something for everyone,
this ecologically and culturally
the Friends of Knocklofty have including those who love planting!
significant area.
also been targeting thistles, Keep an eye on hobartcity.com.
hawthorn, cotoneaster, ivy, Volunteers from Lambert Gully
au/bushcare-events for details
blackberry, forget-me-not, briar Bushcare concentrated their
of our native plant giveaways so
rose and euryops. woody weed control efforts in
you can create your own wildlife
Waterworks Valley Landcare the riparian zone of Bicentennial
sanctuary at home. We’ll also
expanded their works to Park and also invested some TLC need all hands on deck to plant
McDermotts Saddle and into previous plantings in Lambert 1300 native seedlings at this year’s
Ridgeway Bushcare combined Park. National Tree Day event along the
their woody weed control activity Congratulations to South Hobart Hobart Rivulet. Hope to see you
with planting to create clusters of Bushcare for completing works on there!
Contact Us
Cover photo: Little 16 Elizabeth Street P 03 6238 2884
penguin, Michael
Roberts. GPO Box 503, E bushcare@hobartcity.com.au
Hobart 7001, TAS W hobartcity.com.au/bushcare
Bandicoot Times 2 Winter 2021 | No 81
facebook.com/cityofhobartbushcare
Greg helps stabilise the banks of a stream in Bicentennial Park with native plants at a recent Lambert Gully Bushcare working bee.
Our tireless Bushcare hero
honoured in Tassie awards
If you’ve walked an inch of
Tasmania’s national parks, or
even the bushland tracks around
for swift parrots, control weeds
and create and maintain native
bushland sanctuaries on school
gum woodlands in Bicentennial
Park.
The list of threatened native
Hobart, there’s a fair bet Greg grounds.
species that have benefited
Kidd was there before you. A jack of all trades in the from his work is a long one, and
He has spent an incredible two Bushcare field, his skills include includes our local eastern barred
decades as a Wildcare volunteer, weed control, remote area track bandicoots, swift parrots and the
and nearly as long as a Bushcare construction and hut restoration, Tasmanian devil.
volunteer. And his efforts, as well lime washing, chain sawing, first
aid and teaching. Greg is a vital cog in the local
as his patient and gentle manner
Bushcare machine, and we all
with fellow volunteers, have been He has a special place in his heart benefit from his generosity in
recognised in this year’s Tasmanian for Bicentennial Reserve, Lambert sharing his skills, his experience,
Volunteering Awards. Gully and of course kunanyi/Mt
and his sense of custodianship for
We’ve run the numbers at Wellington.
our natural heritage.
Bushcare and estimate Greg has Greg’s time in the field is priceless.
taken part in up to 400 Bushcare He is a more than worthy finalist
It has led to real and long-lasting
activities over the years. A retired for this year’s Environment, Animal
impacts on our environment,
teacher, he also volunteers including helping to significantly Care and Conservation Volunteer
extensively at schools, and has reduce invasive weeds and Award.
helped students build nest boxes protecting peppermint and black Thank you Greg.
Bandicoot Times 3 Winter 2021 | No 81
We’re so lucky these beautiful little penguins call the Derwent estuary home. Photo: Michael Roberts
SAFEGUARDING
OUR LITTLE DIVERS
O nce a month, like
clockwork, two dedicated
volunteers rise early and begin
experience before starting an
Honours course. Monitoring the
Derwent’s little penguins was
monitoring work, which has
been running for almost two
decades.
a very special journey along the perfect opportunity. “Regular monitoring of the
the Derwent estuary’s western “We spend the day scrambling penguin colonies is critical to
shore. over rocks, making our way understanding what’s happening
Their day takes them from through thick scrub to find each in the local environment now
Hobart’s outskirts all the way out nest, where we check for any and over time, and so that we
to Blackmans Bay and beyond. damage and note down whether can react quickly if any of our
On the way they visit tiny beach there are eggs in the nest, if penguin nests are under threat,”
coves, fossick away in beach there are penguins present when says Zoe.
sheds and riverside gardens we visit, and note the condition “It has also led to some really
and investigate the nooks and of the nest,” she says. important breakthroughs in our
crannies of rocky escarpments. “Sometimes debris has blocked understanding of the breeding
They carry with them a kit bag a nest site, or land slips can habits of the Derwent penguins
of pens, notepads and a desire damage a site, and if that’s the – without it we would not
to help protect the smallest case we report it immediately so know that as well as breeding
penguin in the world, the little that either the City of Hobart or in spring and summer, our
penguin. Kingborough Council can fix the penguins also breed in winter.”
Today Zoe Bucher-Edwards has problem. Volunteers check 20 to 30 nests
called in a favour, and instead of “We also keep an eye out at each colony, and by the end
scouting penguin sites with her for dog or cat attacks. It’s of the day have ticked off just
usual companion Jordy Monash, exhausting work, but also under 150 penguin nests.
her friend Meriem Daoui has exhilarating to know that we are “At the end of the day I feel
volunteered to help. part of a project that is keeping a huge sense of satisfaction
Zoe has just finished her degree the Derwent’s penguins safe.” knowing that I have achieved
in environmental science and It’s impossible to underestimate something greater than myself
wanted some real-life field the importance of this and that I am making a very
Bandicoot Times 4 Winter 2021 | No 81
Good little divers
Weighing in at 1.5kg on average
and topping out at 30cm tall
little penguins are true seabirds.
Their flippers are wings shaped
for swimming and when they’re
in the water they can hit a top
speed of 6km/h. Their scientific
name, Eudyptula minor, means
‘good little diver’ – and no
wonder, they can reach depths
of up to 70m beneath the
surface.
But it’s not easy being a
penguin when you share your
home turf with humans and
their idiosyncrasies, although
a penchant for secrecy goes a
Meriem and Zoe join Mathew Bartlett from the City of Hobart to survey local penguin long way when you’re a little
colonies. bird in a big city.
The Derwent’s little penguins
real contribution to science and little penguins, but ongoing
usually nest in burrows or
the management of these little monitoring of our colonies since
among rocks, but they’ve also
penguins,” says Zoe. 2004 reveals these special little
been found hiding in people’s
birds are only just hanging on
backyards or even shacking up
B-b-b-bird is the word for survival. The latest estimate
in boatsheds.
puts the current Derwent
The Derwent’s penguins are estuary population at about 150 With each colony made up of a
a very special breed of birds. individuals. small number of individuals they
Unlike many other penguin are highly vulnerable to a range
colonies in Australia, they have Clearly, ongoing monitoring and
of threats, not the least of which
managed to keep a foothold in actions to protect our remaining
is roaming cats and dogs. Even
an increasingly urbanised world, colonies are working, but the
venturing near a penguin colony
but the effort hasn’t come Derwent Estuary Program still
with your dog can put the little
without costs. considers our little penguins
birds in jeopardy, and even the
as highly vulnerable and they
It is believed the Derwent best-behaved dog can leave a
need all the help they can get to
estuary once supported more scent that attracts other dogs.
ensure their numbers continue
than 1000 breeding pairs of to grow. continued next page ...
Bandicoot Times 5 Winter 2021 | No 81
THEIR SURVIVAL
If you are near little penguins,
please help keep them safe
by following these simple
• L
ook out for penguin
nests before you
‘tidy up’ your backyard.
DEPENDS ON US!
precautionary measures: Sometimes weeds protect
nests from dogs and cats.
• Keep your dog away.
• P
lant prickly native plants
• D
on’t take your dog to
to keep dogs and cats away
places with ‘No Dogs’ signs.
from nests.
Penguins might live there.
• Do not go near a penguin!
• K
eep your cat inside at night
and if possible during the day. Penguins are easily frightened,
and they might bite if they
• K
eep away from penguin
get really scared. And even
homes, especially at night.
though they might look a little
• D
on’t fish with gillnets or dishevelled when moulting they
throw away fishing don’t need our help, just time
lines or tackle. alone.
• P
ut litter in rubbish bins.
Don’t use plastic bags.
And if people or dogs are more native species has played the ongoing protection of the
on the beach at night their a key role in giving the colony little penguins in the Derwent
presence is enough to scare off the shelter, safety and space it estuary,” she says.
penguins returning home to needed to grow. “Not only do the project
feed their chicks. Also key to the success of volunteers need passion and
In safe hands these colonies has been the commitment, which they have
caring and watchful eyes in spades, but they also need
Keeping the penguins safe of neighbours, who keep a to be highly disciplined and
hasn’t been easy, and relies on lookout for threatening cats meticulous in how they gather
strong relationships between and dogs, disturbance from the data to ensure it meets the
councils, scientists, volunteers beach parties and the impacts high standards required for the
and neighbours. of harsh weather patterns that scientific community.
Running for almost 20 years can damage the fragile nesting “That’s why we’ll soon be asking
and facilitated by the Derwent sites. for public donations to ensure
Estuary Program, the Derwent Penguin colonies can be noisy our volunteers have all the
Estuary Little Penguin Project at night, and sometimes a bit support they need to help keep
has been critical to ensuring smelly, and so we thank these this project alive.”
the survival of the Derwent’s neighbours dearly.
penguin colonies. If you would like to support
this project and the work of its
Kingborough Council has faced Where to from here? wonderful volunteers keep an
very serious threats to its eye on the UTAS website, which
Kingborough Council’s Bridget
colonies from roaming dogs, will soon have a donation portal
Jupe has been a part of this
and at one site was forced to via the SEA Sentinels Project at
collaborative project for more
put up a dog-proof fence to www.utas.edu.au/giving/give-
than 12 years. She says the
protect penguin nests. now.
monitoring work carried out by
The City of Hobart has put in a volunteers once a month is a You can also follow
huge amount of effort at one of highly skilled undertaking, and @sentinelssea on Instagram
its most important nesting sites, builds on one of the best little and Twitter, and the Derwent
building first ‘penguin igloos’ penguin datasets in the country. Estuary Program has great
and then wooden nest boxes to information on little penguins:
“The survey data generated by
provide safe breeding shelters www.derwentestuary.org.au.
the volunteers is essential to
for its birds. We are now seeing
this penguin colony, which at The Derwent Estuary Program coordinates the Derwent Estuary Little Penguin Project and facilitates the Derwent
one point was on the brink of Penguin Advisory Group, which includes the City of Hobart, Kingborough Council, Clarence City Council, NRM
South, DPIPWE’s Marine Conservation Program, Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service, Tasmanian Conservation Trust,
collapse, expanding in numbers. Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) and independent wildlife experts. The Penguin Advisory Group’s
work includes overseeing monitoring of estuary penguins, analysing penguin data, providing advice to councils and
Stabilising the area by planting individuals, and organising working bees.
Bandicoot Times 6 Autumn 80
Winter 2021 | No 81
Cragcare volunteer Shumita helps clean tools after a working bee. Photo: Rosie Hohnen
Cragcare: The social climbers
C ity of Hobart Cragcare is back
in action with new convenors
and a whole lot of energy! After
a two-year hiatus, Cragcare has
returned to the Bushcare family
and the group is busily making
plans to care for Hobart’s much-
loved climbing sites.
Like any climber, Cragcare’s new
southern convenors Rosie Hohnen
and Michael Hitchcock have set
their sights high. The pair have
generated plenty of interest
among the climbing community
already and along with Steve
Postle have kick-started a
statewide Cragcare program, in Cragcare volunteers planted almost 100 tussocks and shrubs at Fruehauf to help create
partnership with Wildcare. habitat for bandicoots and small birds. Photo: Rosie Hohnen
Here in Hobart, Cragcare aims to
provide an outlet for climbers to popular climbing spot in South for those on belay duties!
take on informed stewardship of Hobart. The group intends to continue
climbing routes, abseil landings, After a successful two-year stint of revegetating and caring for
approach tracks and link-up weeding, planting and picking up Fruehauf, but their plans don’t
tracks. litter, the group took a breather stop there. Cragcare also hopes
Cragcare started in 2016 as an while their plantings grew. Today, to get stuck into caring for the
initiative of the Bushcare program the former quarry on Hobart sensitive alpine environment on
to connect climbers with the City Rivulet is a restored woodland, kunanyi/Mt Wellington.
of Hobart and to work together with flowering trees and shrubs Keep an eye on wildcaretas.org.
caring for our local climbing providing habitat for local birds au/events for upcoming Cragcare
areas – particularly Fruehauf, the and bandicoots, as well as shade working bees.
Bandicoot Times 7 Winter 2021 | No 81
Weed Watch
stemmed thickets rather than
single trees. It supports less native
biodiversity than natural bushland,
Bec Johnson
Team Leader Bushcare and harbours feral species such as
blackbirds and rabbits, reflecting
Hawthorn can be a beautiful a gradual ‘homogenisation’
or mixing of species between
small tree and in old Tasmanian
continents.
farming districts forms extensive
hedgerows. It’s a reminder of On the other hand, hawthorn
English landscapes and my English hedgerows in the UK form very
mum loved to see them crowding important habitat and are often
around the edges of bushland, However, like many plants the last refuge for a range of
away from their homeland, British birds, mammals and
especially in autumn.
hawthorn lacks native predators insects.
Hawthorn is known for its cultural in Tasmania and has become a It is fascinating to understand
and medicinal significance. The weed. The slopes surrounding the cultural and medicinal
berries (haws) are often taken as a the Hobart Rivulet hold dense significance of introduced plants,
natural remedy for blood pressure thickets of hawthorn. It’s possible but important to be aware of their
or heart health. Traditionally, the the hawthorn originated from impacts on the native ecology
tree was admired for its spring hedgerows of small market of this country. It also makes us
flowers and life-giving qualities, gardens on the north side of the wonder how much knowledge
but was also thought to harbour Rivulet. we’ve lost about the cultural and
protective faeries who had to be Growing out of its home range, medicinal uses of indigenous
placated with offerings. hawthorn tends to create multi- Tasmanian plants.
Talking trails and Trackcare Ready to grow
It’s been a big year of
achievements for Trackcare, with
We provided updates on several
upcoming trail builds that the City
your own?
a keen crew of volunteers working
to bring two great mountain bike
is planning, and chatted about
the various challenges that COVID G etting involved in a local
community garden opens
up a world of opportunity for
trails into Hobart’s track network. created. Those challenges have
helped us shape a better program everyone who wants to grow
In April, Trackcare held its annual their own food, while learning
catch-up event Talking Trails with more chances for volunteers
to learn key trail building skills, and more about veggie gardening
and Trackcare, an evening of and getting to know your local
trail talk and information, and an build solid, sustainable trails.
community.
opportunity for both new and Over the past year the Trackcare
seasoned volunteers to hear about There are also significant health
crew has grabbed shovels and
the program and have their say in and wellbeing outcomes from
mattocks and sweated it out to
its future. being involved in community
formalise Yellow Hippo Track in gardens.
A bunch of enthusiastic mountain Knocklofty Reserve and Troglodyte
Track in Bicentennial Park. Both The City of Hobart has produced
bikers and trail users joined us at
tracks are now part of the official guidelines to help take you
Cascade Brewery to talk about
trail network, thanks to the hard through the process of creating
how the Trackcare program is
your own community garden, step
helping to get the community work of the volunteers. Planning is
by step.
out onto our tracks and trails with underway for our next sites, with
tools in hand, helping to build and the crew heading over to improve To get started, visit:
maintain the trails they love to Tip Top Track, before tackling the hobartcity.com.au/
ride. formalisation of Upper Luge Track. community-gardens
Bandicoot Times 8 Winter 2021 | No 81
Emily and Bec investigate willow infestations on the Hobart Rivulet.
Award-winning project stems
tide of weedy willows
S everal years ago a casual
comment by Bushcare team
leader Bec Johnson about willow
willow leaves have on water
quality.
Research Investigation in their age
group and Most Promising Young
Scientists in their age group. They
“Willows are deciduous, and so
trees took root in the active mind unlike our native trees they drop were the Tasmanian finalists in
of Emily Walter. all of their leaves every autumn – the BHP Science & Engineering
that’s millions of leaves going into Student Awards 2021.
At the time Bec and Emily were
making bows and arrows from the watercourse,” Emily says. Emily and Caitlin were two of
a willow tree at Cockle Creek. only five Australian students
“This can lead to a whole range of
Years later, Emily’s idea matured selected to go to the USA in
detrimental effects as the oxygen
into a national award-winning May 2021 to represent Australian
is sucked out of our waterways.
project on the harm willows do to students and present their work
“We tested for key water quality at an international science fair.
waterways.
indicators such as pH, turbidity However, COVID meant no
As grade 10 students at St Mary’s and dissolved oxygen levels, free trip to the US but instead,
College, Emily and co-student and we found that willow leaves getting up at midnight to present
Caitlin Marr submitted a STEM had a drastic impact on most of their project online to judges in
project on the environmental these, in particular decreasing the Arkansas. A poor swap!
impacts of crack willow on the dissolved oxygen.” The Hobart Rivulet was the source
Tasmanian landscape. Then followed an amazing string of willows for their experiments.
Their project demonstrated of awards. Emily and Caitlin (the Now that the willows are gone
through a controlled experiment crack willow team) received a gold from some of this creek, Emily
how willow twigs grow much crest CSIRO award. They won and Caitlin are keen to be
faster in water than in wet soil. awards in the Tasmanian Science involved in the community
They also looked into the impacts Talent Search 2020 including Best replanting day in August 2021.
Bandicoot Times 9 Winter 2021 | No 81
Bandicoot Times 10 Winter 2021 | No 81
LOGAN’S RUN
L ogan Higgins holds up an
almost perfectly triangular
piece of rock he’s just found on
The mountain and its weather
have also left their marks on
the North-South Track. Some
weighing in at just under a tonne,
were also threaded through
the tall trees and edged into
the North-South Track as if he’s of the larger log ramps have place, ready for today’s final
struck gold. rotted away and need replacing. adjustments.
Made of mudstone, each side is Water moving over and through As they engineer each new log
about 30 centimetres long, and the track has undermined the ramp into place you can see just
the rock is perfect for creating integrity of some gravel-packed how important the North-South
the dry stone walls that feature sections. Track is to them. The merits of
so strongly along one of the most And that’s why these two, as each rock or stone used in the
popular mountain bike tracks on well as Pete Schieck and Andrew construction is first weighed
kunanyi/Mt Wellington. Evans, are on the mountain in the balance and, if found
“This sort of triangular rock is one day after massive bags of wanting, returned to the forest
my favourite,” he says. “It has gravel, some weighing as much floor. But if that rock meets
so many uses as we build stone as 700kg, were dropped gently their approval, like the almost
features into the track, and it down through the forest canopy perfectly triangular piece that lit
looks beautiful set into the wild, by helicopter, each bag guided up Logan’s eyes, then it will be
forested landscape.” into position by teams in constant lifted into place, malleted into
radio contact with the pilot. position, and will become yet
Both Logan and Jeram Cowley, another part of the track.
City of Hobart track workers, Huge log sections, one giant
were part of the original teams
that built the North-South Track
“ This
more than a decade ago, and
over the years they’ve watched sort of triangular rock is my
as nature has taken hold – moss
and lichen now form intricate,
favourite. It has so many uses as we
green-soaked patterns across build stone features into the track,
many of the hand-crafted stone
walls that are a hallmark of this and it looks beautiful set into the wild,
trail. forested landscape.
Bandicoot Times 11 Winter 2021 | No 81JOIN US ON
THE HOBART
RIVULET
Help restore Hobart Rivulet
and make a positive
difference to our local
environment. We aim to plant
1300 native seedlings, so will
need all hands on deck. Come
and collect a free native plant
to help you create your very
own habitat garden.
Everyone is welcome!
This is a COVID-safe event
and numbers are limited.
All participants must register.
WHEN
Sunday 1 August 2021,
10 am – 1 pm.
WHERE
Hobart Rivulet, between Tara
St bridge and MacFarlane St
bridge, South Hobart.
For more information
and to register visit:
hobartcity.com.au/events
Bandicoot Times 12 Winter 2021 | No 81You can also read
