Grassy White Box Woodlands

project outline
baseline survey
information kit
rural liaison officers
management group

latest update
project update archives

Project Update: Spring 2001

Spring Field Days

Article by Toni McLeish, RLO in the North

Hunts Gully Reserve TSR, west of Inverell on the Yetman road was the site of the first spring field day in the NorthWest. The Reserve provided us with an afternoon of history, thanks to the Ward Family, who many years ago used to travel through the Reserve on their way to school, picking bunches of wild flowers.

Stock were removed at the end of July 2001 which allowed the annuals to shoot and flower for our pleasure. Many ground orchids and chocolate lilies needed only a few more weeks without stock to set seed and complete their life cycle. The elusive yam daisy remained elusive until we visited a neighbouring property the following day. Hopefully with careful management on the reserve the yam daisies may move back in given the right conditions. This reserve is also home to some rare Anchor plants.

"Sylvandale" Gunnedah was the site of the next field day, where John Hoskins and Kevin Thiele impressed landholders with their botanical knowledge. Again chocolate lilies were favourites, especially with the children, the general consensus being that the smell is more palatable than the yams.

John demonstrated plant collection techniques to aid identification. A piece of plant that is ripped from a parent plant and then placed on the dash of the ute in the sun for a week is not easy to identify. The importance of collecting and pressing flowers and/or fruits as well as a stem with leaves intact and in some cases the roots, was outlined. Date, soil type, and where the plant was found are also important bits of information.

Thank you to local experts Wendy Hawes, DLWC, Phil Spark, North West Ecological Services and James Austin, Environmental Officer RLPB for their work at the Hunts Gully Reserve Field Day, and a special thank you to John Steponaitis the ranger responsible for managing the site.

Thank you to Sandy for engendering interest within his landcare group for the "Sylvandale" field day, and organising a great day followed by a bush BBQ on a hilltop with a view you couldn't pay for.

Anchor Plant

Judy's spring tour of the Western slopes

What better time to see our Grassy White Box Woodland remnants at their best. In many parts of the western slopes the season has been good, the country is in full spring bloom and the days are bright and sunny.

It was in this atmosphere that my husband Geoff (taking a short holiday from his work to be navigator and photographer) and I set off in October to visit each of the sites that have received incentive grant funding in the Grassy Box Woodland conservation project.

The visits provided a good opportunity not only to look at and photograph the sites when they are at their best, and to accurately plot their locations using a GPS, but also to chat with those who have received the grants and are managing these important remnants, about their experiences in being part of the project.

Not only was it great to visit little country cemeteries where Yam Daisies, Chocolate Lilies and other native wildflowers abound amid patches of Kangaroo, Wallaby and/or Snow Grass. It was also good to meet landholders and managers enthusiastic about the new-found plants that have emerged in their remnants since they have been fenced out and stock management changed.

Creamy Candles

Enthusiasm

The enthusiasm expressed by one couple who were just days away from signing on to a Voluntary Conservation Agreement for the 11ha White Box paddock which makes up a quarter of their farm was great. This alone almost made the trip worthwhile, especially when they commented that "If we hadn't found Toni's project with you, we wouldn't have even got started" in this direction. We could see the changes that have taken place in that paddock from the black and white photos demonstrating the degraded state of the paddock when they took it over about 20 years ago compared the White Box regeneration with Kangaroo Grass and other native species now in abundance beneath.

In several instances while walking around the remnants, the landholders (many of whom already have a sound working knowledge of the plants on their place) expressed a strong desire to have greater support in being able to identify the native species present. Several also talked about the benefits they would gain from being in touch with others doing similar things, so that they can share their experiences and learnings.

The RLOs

Whether in their presence or when they were not around, positive comments also flowed about the role the Rural Liaison Officers have played in getting people involved and in providing follow-up support. For some participants, just knowing there's another landholder around whose job (albeit part-time) it is to maintain an interest in this work is important, and the networks and contacts the RLOs have established in their own districts were also seen as beneficial.

More than once, those who have received incentive grants commented that the grants were what had got the work started, whether because it gave them some much-needed funds to fence out a small area on their property, or because it provided the catalyst that enabled an enthusiastic Environmental Officer in Local Government to gain interest and support from elected representatives and senior staff in his organisation. Several also commented positively on the simplicity of the application process, as reflected in the comment from one Rural Lands Protection Board Manager that "Not having to have a PhD to be able to complete the forms, as you do for some of the other funding sources is a great plus."

Although the whole trip went extremely well, and made the more than 3000km traveled all worthwhile, two other highlights deserve mention.

Being invited to join a local Landcare Group who were hosting Garden Club members from the nearest town at a plant identification field day at "their" cemetery was a rewarding and informative opportunity. This is a site where the Landcare group is systematically trialing various management strategies, based on advice from ecologists Suzanne Prober and Kevin Thiele and the local Greening Australia staff, to maximise Grassy White Box Woodland regeneration. Already there are clear differences between different parts of the site.

And, although our timing was not good for teachers and students involved in HSC exam preparations, the time spent with a Computer Sciences teacher who has dedicated much of his own time to supporting the Year 12 students in establishing a Box Woodland website was very positive. It was clear from these talks that the process has been a learning experience for all involved, but the project has certainly generated some very positive spin-offs ­ VET course competency certification for IT students who developed the site, a greater understanding by the project RLO and others of the requirements of information for inclusion on a website, and a desire for Year 11 students to take up the challenge and maintain the site next year.

Even though the kilometers traveled were many, and some days were quite long, the whole trip was a very worthwhile investment for me as one of the project coordinators. As a result of this trip I feel much better able to develop recommendations for flow-on beyond the life of the project and to contribute to the preparation of a sound final report when NHT funding for this project ends in June 2002, and I'd like to thank our RLOs for the time they spent with me, and the funding recipients for their time, information about both positive aspects of the project and difficulties encountered, access to their Grassy White Box remnants and their enthusiasm.

Article by Judy Lambert - Community Solutions. With Jane Elix, Judy coordinates the Rural Liaison component of the Grassy Box Woodland project.

Judy Lambert

Koala-friendly trees

Koala-friendly trees was one of the recent topics covered in the email newsletter edited by Geoff Tonkin, Rural Liaison Officer in the Central West. If you would like to join the discussion group then email Geoff at geoff.tonkin@bigpond.com

Which trees should we be planting that would be suitable as koala food trees and might encourage them back?

Some of the responses included

• The book Grow What Where lists 33 eucalypts as being suitable as koala food trees Australia wide. Some of the local ones to the central west include

• In the southwest slopes (Hume Shire in particular) White Box E albens, is the species, together with E camaldulensis, which is named in the Koala Habitat Protection legislation (SEPP 44).

• Koalas feed on eucalypt leaves that are not particularly nutritious, except where they are growing on fertile ground. Female koalas tend to not reproduce very well if the only eucalypts around are growing on stony hillsides. And these are often the areas that are revegetated first. So, the key to get koalas not only to recolonise, but also to breed, is to plant out areas that are reasonably fertile as well. Areas that are naturally growing Eucalyptus viminalis are usually suitable.

• Eucalypts growing in fertile well watered soils grow rapidly, and combat the myriad of insects and the koalas that attack and eat them, by producing lots of leaves to outgrow their "predators". However on poorer soils and especially those on shallow drier hills and ridges where they can't always grow rapidly, the eucalypts put more effort into producing poisonous chemicals in their leaves to deter predators.

• So it might not be the species but the habitat that is most important for koala tucker. Of course certain species of eucalypts ie E.camaldulensis Murray River red gum, E.melliodra Yellow Box, E.viminalis Manna Gum, E.rubida Ribbon Gum, Eucalyptus blakelyi Red Gum grow in wetter climates and in more fertile soils. E.goniocalyx Bundy Box and E.polyanthemos Red Box as a general rule do grow in poorer soil types.

• Koalas prefer the eucalypts on the more fertile soils as they are more nutritious and have fewer toxins in their leaves. However, of course these were the first soils cleared and used for agriculture!

No prizes for guessing who also prefer the more fertile soils, Aussie farmers !!! (of which I am one) Let's hope there is room for both.

National Recovery Plan for Grassy White Box Woodlands

Grassy White Box Woodland is listed as an endangered ecological community under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. As a result of the listing, a national recovery plan is in preparation which will set guidelines for its protection and management.

The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service is responsible for preparing the draft recovery plan and is coordinating a steering group (the recovery team) of experts and stakeholders representing organisations including the State Council of the Rural Land Protection Boards, NSW Department of Land and Water Conservation, Local Government Shires' Association, NSW Farmers' Association, Nature Conservation Council of NSW, Rail Infrastructure Corporation, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment (Victoria) and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service. Once the draft has been completed, it will be exhibited for public comment.

For further information regarding the national recovery plan, please contact Suzanne Dobbie, National Parks and Wildlife Service on ph: (02) 9585 6661 or email: suzanne.dobbie@npws.nsw.gov.au

Bland by Name, but not by Nature

Article by Ray Dowling - RLO in the south

The Bland is an area west of Young, north of Cootamundra, named after the Bland creek which flows north to Lake Cowal.

This year the extensive network of RLPB travelling stock routes were at their best due to the season which suited the flowering of all the native plants. The eastern and southern slopes of the Bland catchment are typical Grassy White Box Woodland, whilst the plains vegetation is dominated by the Grey Box, Cypress Pine, with Yellow Box and River Red Gum on the alluvial plains along the Bland Creek.

This spring, I took a group of interested people on a field trip to view the reserves in the Young, Wagga Wagga and Forbes RLPBs. The Bland is a wonderful area for native plants, and in turn has a diverse population of native birds & animals. The rare Superb Parrot is seen in all parts of this area, as there are many old hollow trees which provide nesting places for them when they come to feed in the area in the spring months.

The network of reserves is in excellent condition with few exotic weeds. Some areas were a carpet of flowers with Creamy Candles (Stackhousia monogyna),Chocolate lilies (Dichopogon fimbriatus), Bulbine lilies (Bulbinopsis bulbosa), Mauve Burr-daisy (Calotis glandulosa) and yellow Scaly buttons (Leptorhynchos squamatus).

The Bland is a gem of the south west slopes of NSW, and should be a must for lovers of the Grassy Box Woodlands. Permission to visit the various sites should be obtained from the RLPBs in Young, Wagga Wagga and Forbes.

Morangarell TSR

Getting information

Rural Liaison Officers (RLOs)

Toni McLeish
“Kurrajong Hills”
Upper Manilla NSW 2346
Ph/fax 02-6785 6504
email: tmcleish@tpg.com.au

Geoff Tonkin
“Murrabar”
Cumnock NSW 2867
Ph 02-6367 7226
Fax 02-6367 7035
email: geoff.tonkin@bigpond.com

Ray Dowling
“Braeburn”
Murringo via Young NSW 2594
Ph 02-6384 6319
email: rayd@hn.ozemail.com.au

Team Leaders for the Rural Liaison Program
Jane Elix & Judy Lambert
Community Solutions
179 Sydney Road
Fairlight NSW 2094
ph/fax 02-9948 7862
or  02-9332 3913
email: inquiries@communitysolutions.com.au

and

Heather Pearce: ph/fax (02) 9818 2684 and email: heather@sydney.net

Erica Higginson - contact in NPWS
Conservation Management Network Project Officer
P O Box 1967
Hurstville NSW 2220
ph 02-9585 6659
fax (02) 9585 6495
email: erica.higginson@npws.nsw.gov.au

This project is funded by the Natural Heritage Trust

CONTENTS:

Spring Field Days

Judy's Spring Tour of the Western Slopes

Koala-friendly trees

National Recovery Plan for Grassy White Box Woodlands

Bland by Name, but not by Nature

Getting information