Community Input Sought on Location of Environmental Assets

The Wedderburn CMN is creating a database of the natural environmental assets of their focus area, see the attached map. We cannot hope to carry out detailed environmental mapping with our limited resources of personnel and so we need the community in general to act as on ground observers. We are inviting members of the community to contact us with information concerning any groupings or individual occurrences of significant plant or animal species. Such species may be located on your property, on a roadside or in a reserve, where-ever, we would like to know about them. You needn’t know scientific names to present your information, if you consider the plant or animal to be significant or out of the ordinary then please let us know about the situation. You may have some historical information about where a species was once found, but is no longer present. Any information would be appreciated.

You can call the Wedderburn CMN Ranger on 0438384053 or write to the Wedderburn CMN at PO Box 65 Wedderburn 3518. There is no commitment associated with submitting information, except providing a contact phone number.

Article - Wendy Murphy and Michael Moore

The Wedderburn CMN Observers Group

The recently formed WCMN Observers group is a subgroup of the Wedderburn Conservation Management Network. The group has the declared aim of raising awareness of the overall biodiversity of the focus area within the general community. One of the main aspects of communication chosen by the group to achieve this aim is that of photography and the incorporation of such photographs into environmentally based articles for publication in local news media and on one of the group`s websites - the group`s blogspot. The group has managed, so far, to publish articles in the Loddon Times entitled `Nature Notes`. These articles are a result of observations of the environment made by members as they go about their normal work or relax in their environment. It is also the intention of the group to make available to the general community a gallery of biodiversity – a collection of nature photographs of the focus area.

Members of this group also enjoy participating in "hands on" activities. Over a period of a few weeks in August members have been involved in planting various species of plants in the Korong Reserve which is located just off the Calder Highway between Wedderburn and Inglewood. The plants were kindly donated by fellow WCMN member Doug Pocock. Parks Victoria staff ripped the ground in preparation for the planting and also supplied the stake and guards for the plants.

Members have also been involved in laying out transect lines for monitoring kangaroo numbers in the northern part of the focus area. Laying out a transect line involves running out 150 metres of string which is then tied to stakes in the ground, stones are placed on the string to keep it flat on the ground. A strip of ground one metre out from the string is then cleared of all visible kangaroo droppings and this area left for one month. After the month is up the area is then surveyed again for kangaroo droppings, the droppings counted, and the results sent to DSE for processing. This is quite easy work in open country but a different prospect when surveying in fairly dense bush.

Article - Michael Moore , photograph - Annette Robertson

The Wedderburn CMN Fox Baiting Programme

The Wedderburn CMN has been conducting a fox-baiting program for close to five years now in the Skinners Flat block, Wychitella block and Wedderburn block of Wychitella NCR and also some on private property. This has been done in conjunction with DPI and Parks Victoria baiting programs in the adjoining landscape.
The baiting program has been successful in reducing fox numbers especially around areas used by breeding malleefowl. Some young birds have even been observed suggesting the reduced predation by foxes is allowing some recruitment of young malleefowl into the population.
In the recent months though there seems to be an increase in fox numbers with more baits than usual being taken from right across the baiting area, and quite a few foxes have been seen moving around the area. This is probably due to the beginning of the fox breeding season and the fact that because so many foxes have been removed from the Reserve, more foxes from outlying areas are coming in to the vacant territories.
The baiting program will continue on a monthly basis over the summer months, as this is a critical time for malleefowl breeding and young dispersal. Wendy is hoping to organise a more in depth community talk on the Wedderburn CMN’s fox baiting program in the near future for those who are interested.

Article - WCMN Ranger, Wendy Murphy

Use of Caring for Our Country Funds

The Wedderburn CMN has received Federal funding via the NCCMA as part of the Caring for our Country money. The funding is to be spent on fencing and improving remnant woodlands. Landholders in the Wedderburn, Mt Korong, Mt Brenanah areas, who have woodlands on their properties and wish to have works done on these properties are encouraged to contact the CMN Ranger Wendy Murphy on 0438384053. Works could include fencing for stock management and or understorey replanting.
Peter Morison

The Yellow- footed Antechinus

In recent months there have been a number of reports from people finding what they believe to be rats living in and around their homes. On closer inspection some of these rats turn out to be native Yellow-footed Antechinus, (Antechinus flavipes). Winter and early spring is the breeding season for these little creatures, which is why locals are reporting them more now. The Yellow-footed Antechinus can be distinguished from common rat species in the fact it has a sharply tapered snout, rather short ears and a fully, (though sparsely), furred tail has pale eye-rings, a black-tipped tail and a distinction between the slate-grey colour of the head and the orange-brown underparts. It is a nocturnal predator feeding on small rodents, birds and insects, but it also feeds on flowers and nectar. The males mate when about 12 months old, but put so much effort into pursuing mates they usually die shortly after mating from exhaustion and starvation. The females can have as many as eight young, which will stay with their mother for about ten months.
So before getting the rat traps out, take a closer look at the creature and you may see you actually have a little native friend living with you.

Article by WCMN ranger, Wendy Murphy
(Descriptions taken from A Photographic Guide to Mammals of Australia by Ronald Strahan)

Nature Notes for July / August

The continuing damp weather has created interesting changes in the local vegetation. Green rock ferns are prolific in places and the small white flowers of early Nancy plants are out now. The flat scented sundews are almost overshadowed by the large white flowers they are currently displaying. Orchids are beginning to emerge now, particularly the Dwarf Greenhood.
An increasing variety of wattles are now flowering. In parts of the Wychitella nature conservation reserve stands of Bent Leaf wattle are flowering well, the widespread golden wattle is also very visible at present.
The native twining parasite plant Coarse Dodder – laurel (locally known as snoddy gobble) is increasing in mass and vigour at this time of year. Examples of this can be seen on trees lining the Calder highway.
Echidna activity seems to have increased judging by the amount of disturbed soil and ant nests in some forest areas. Rabbits also continue to disturb the ground. The increase in moisture has encouraged the proliferation of many weeds such as oxalis, bridal creeper and Patterson’s curse.
Observers of nature can expect to see different wildlife at different times of day. Late afternoon wanders in the bush have resulted in sightings of the Australian owlet Nightjar. Early morning and late afternoon are the times that kangaroos and wallabies are most commonly sighted. This month the WCMN has been involved with setting up sites to monitor kangaroo numbers. The sites are in bushland and open country.
There is a sense that spring is not far away with many plants getting ready to flower and birds increasingly active around nesting areas. Another member of our group reported sightings of forty different species of birds over a period of two days including: a hooded robin, a flame robin, a collared sparrowhawk, a tawny crowned honeyeater, a white fronted honeyeater, a black chinned honeyeater and a brown treecreeper. Keep your eyes open for nature’s indications of the changes in season and weather.

Article by the `Wedderburn Observers`

Land For Wildlife

You may have noticed green diamond shaped signs on some properties in the area with “Land For Wildlife” written on them. Land For Wildlife is voluntary wildlife conservation by landholders wishing to protect and enhance their properties for wildlife to use. Landholders can register their properties after which an Extension Officer will come out and assess the property before deciding whether it is suitable for approval and for a sign to be put up. Further information can be found by following the Land For Wildlife links on the DSE website – www.dse.vic.gov.au or by calling Terri Williams Land For Wildlife Extension Officer in Bendigo on 03 5430 4389.

Biolinks and Connectivity

On July 20th I attended a Biolinks Forum at Ballarat University. The topic of the Forum was “The importance of landscape scale conservation and the role of restoring connectivity in the landscape”. The guest speakers were Gavin McFadyen from the Wilderness Society Australia, Prof Michael Soule – Professor Emeritus of Environmental Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz and Prof Peter Gell – Professor of Environmental Science and Director of the Centre for Environmental Management at the University of Ballarat.
The general overall theme was the need to create biolink connections between existing remnant vegetation whether it be on public or private land to allow the movement of animal and plant species and help the flow of genetics. These biolinks aren’t just on a local scale, but a whole landscape scale, which in ambitious cases involves state, country and even world scales.
The other theme was the need for whole of community support for connectivity projects. It’s all well and good proposing a project, but if the local community aren’t in favour then it is very unlikely to get off the ground. This is where networks are of great importance, whether they be CMN’s, Landcare groups, Field Nat’s groups, Friends Of groups etc or local landholders. Each group can be working on individual projects, but by linking up with other groups doing similar works the landscape scale biolinks can be achieved much more easily.
The one simple solution to protecting nature is connectivity and the need to overcome habitat fragmentation.
Article by Wendy Murphy