Wednesday, September 28, 2011

WCMN host a visit from the Maryborough Field Naturalists

On Sunday 7 August WCMN were visited by 7 members of the Maryborough Field Naturalists. The Field Nats had enjoyed the presentation that Jeroen Van Veen had given to their meeting on the previous Monday, and the field trip had been planned as a follow up to that talk on the activities and works of WCMN.

The weather was not the most startling but at least the rain held off. Car pooling from Jacka Park enabled the small convoy to move efficiently between the sites. Firstly to the Korong Bushland reserve to show the Oleria pannosa plantings and seed trials, we discovered that a number of the netted plants had in fact died or were succumbing to some sort of insect predation or frost or disease. Wendy gave a good description of the history of the reserve and the WCMN involvement with it management in conjunction with Parks Victoria.

Next, the group visited the site of the Pimelia spinicens – Spiny rice Flower which was in spectacular flower and in large numbers on the roadside.

A brief look at the African Lovegrass nearby to demonstrate how it dominates where it grows.

The group also visited Wattle Track and were impressed with the large variety of wildflowers in bloom, particularly the Bent Leaf Wattle. Wendy gave a poster presentation (still fresh from the National Malleefowl Forum) on WCMN involvement with monitoring of nearby Malleefowl mounds.

The visitors provided very positive feedback following their interaction with WCMN

Annette Robertson

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