=== VALLEY OF THE BANDICOOTS UPDATE #13 ===
***
Thursday, August 28, 2003
(circulation: 91)
===============
'VALLEY OF THE BANDICOOTS UPDATE' is an occasional email newsletter for people who are interested in the 'Valley of the Bandicoots' project in Aldgate Valley, South Australia. To subscribe, send an email saying 'subscribe VOB UPDATE' (or 'unsubscribe') to David Mussared, mussared@emailmedia.com.au (phone: 8388-5608).
===============
===============
CONTENTS:
===============
1. INJURED BANDICOOT FOUND ON STEPHENS ROAD: RESCUED BY RESIDENTS
(contribution from Alison Saunders)
2. NOTICE OF IMPORTANT MEETING: ALDGATE VALLEY LANDCARE GROUP A.G.M.
(All welcome: Wednesday, September 17, 7:30pm)
3. THANKS FOR THE FENCE POSTS: ROB WINKLER & CHERILYN MALEY
(& check out the new fence on the Rose's property)
4. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR BANDICOOT NIGHT-TRAPPING SURVEY
(Keep the first week of November free!)
5. WORKING BEES IN SEPTEMBER: CEMETERY BUSH, RESERVE & MYLOR PARKLANDS
(Come along: enjoy the spring weather & help our bushland)
6. 50 PEOPLE ATTENDED V.O.B. LAUNCH AT ALDGATE PRIMARY SCHOOL
(A big thankyou to everyone involved)
7. 'VALLEY OF THE BANDICOOTS' A FINALIST FOR STATE LANDCARE AWARD
('Certificate of Merit' awarded by SA Minister)
8. 'NATURE CARE 2003' - WARRAWONG EARTH SANCTUARY OPEN DAY
(National Threatened Species Day, September 7)
===============
=================================================================
1. INJURED BANDICOOT FOUND ON STEPHENS ROAD: RESCUED BY RESIDENTS
(contribution from Alison Saunders)
_________________________________________________________________
BANDICOOT RESCUE
- by Alison Saunders
Last Wednesday, 20 August 2003, my neighbour, Elizabeth Fagan-Schmidt found a bandicoot huddled on the side of the road which had obviously been injured or was sick. On return to my house, I rang Warrawong and they recommended that I talk to Dr Ian Hough, a Vet in Lower Mitcham who specialises in caring for native fauna. I was advised to bring the bandicoot down to his surgery, where it could be examined and if possible brought back to good health so it could be released back onto our property at no cost to myself.
I took the bandicoot down to Lower Mitcham, and on phoning the next morning, I was told that the bandicoot was a female and had received fight wounds or predator wounds, which had become infected resulting in abscises forming in it's ears, and around it's head and mouth. She was to be kept at the surgery for at least five days to receive antibiotic and vitamin treatment. I was also told that she had fed well overnight, but was not moving a lot.
I contacted the surgery again after 5 days to be told that she was still eating well and had put on weight. Dr Hough was concerned that in as much as the abscesses on her head had ruptured and were healing, they had since found more on her foot, and that they were still in need of treatment. Even if those abscesses do heal, he said, there is apparently a chance that they will reoccur, due to the high bacterial content of teeth and saliva. I am to phone again on Friday 29 August for further news on her progress.
IMPROVING BANDICOOT HABITAT
For some ten years now, we have seen bandicoots scuttle across the Stevens Road between our neighbours and our properties. Unlike our neighbour's property belonging to Michael Hodder and Elspeth Young, our property has been cleared of all weeds in preparation for the Onkaparinga Catchment Water Management Board's watercourse improvement and management program. We believe that the dense habitat provided by blackberry, gorse, broom and feather grass provides a very good habitat for the bandicoot, and that until we can grow a similar native habitat, we should be strategic about how we clear it.
Interestingly, a bandicoot was recently seen by the Board's revegetation contractors while they were planting our creek habitat on their behalf, and it was seen to take refuge in the pile of poplars left after they were removed from the riparian zone in preparation for the revegetation program. I was particularly pleased about that, as we had chosen not to burn the pile because of the atmospheric damage burning causes, and we thought that it might offer valuable habitat for birds and reptiles. We never imagined a bandicoot would take refuge in it. This is particularly exciting, as the return of the bandicoot to our property after removing it's previous weedy habitat of blackberry, gorse, broom and feather grass, will be an indicator of the success of the riparian zone revegetation project. Trees and shrubs are growing rapidly, but it is the dense sedges, prickly low bushes and the small ground hugging herbaceous plants that will hopefully provide adequate protection from dogs, foxes and cats. Many of these types of plants have grown naturally from residuals seeds in the soils, and many have been planted by the Boards and us.
The bandicoots return to our property will be an indicator of the success of the program.
=================================================================
2. NOTICE OF IMPORTANT MEETING: ALDGATE VALLEY LANDCARE GROUP A.G.M.
(All welcome: Wednesday, September 17, 7:30pm)
_________________________________________________________________
This year's Aldgate Valley Landcare Group AGM will be on Wednesday 17 September from 7:30-9:30 at the Community Hall (formerly the CWA Hall) on Nation Ridge Road. AVLG Chair Ed Douglas (who has announced that he will step down at the meeting) has issued the following notice about the meeting:
"The agenda will include a report on the Valley of the Bandicoot project, an update on the Friends of the Stirling Cemetery Bush activities and a review of the progress on the Aldgate Valley Reserve and the Treasurer's report."
"All members will also be elgible to nominate and vote for the AVLG offices - Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer. If anyone wishes any other items added to the agenda please get the information to me by Monday 8 September."
All those who are interested in an update of what the Landcare Group and/or Valley of the Bandicoots are up to are most welcome to attend the AGM (you don't have to be a member - and coming to the AGM is a good way of finding out whether you want to be a member).
AVLG AGMs are traditionally very casual events, offering a chance to chat over a cup of coffee about local issues and the local environment.
=================================================================
3. THANKS FOR THE FENCE POSTS: ROB WINKLER & CHERILYN MALEY
(& check out the new fence on the Rose's property)
_________________________________________________________________
Many thanks to Rob Winkler and Cherilyn Maley, both of whom answered my plea in the last newsletter for donations of fence posts for protective fencing for the 'Valley of the Bandicoots'. Rob turned up with a trailer full of used vineyard posts to be 'recycled' as conservation fencing, while John & Cherilyn Maley donated the posts (& some wire) in an unwanted fence on their property.
The Green Corps team led by Peter Spinks have immediately put some of the posts to good use on the property owned by Judith Rose and her husband on Cambridge Road, building a buffer fence a few metres inside their boundary which will be replanted with local native species to create a vegetated corridor in this crucial part of the Valley of the Bandicoots project area.
The Green Corps team have been busy in various places over the past few weeks, and this week have been doing some work on the Aldgate Valley Reserve (on the slope above Aldgate Creek and the shallow dam by the new bridge). Please give them a toot and a wave if you see them working - make them feel wanted.
=================================================================
4. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR BANDICOOT NIGHT-TRAPPING SURVEY
(Keep the evenings of the first week of November free)
_________________________________________________________________
The Aldgate Valley Landcare Group is planning a bandicoot survey over four consecutive evenings starting on November 3, and we will be looking for volunteers to help us. The aim of the survey will be to try and find out precisely where along the Valley of the Bandicoots the marsupials can currently be found, and (we hope) to get some idea of their present numbers.
The survey will be led by Bruce Jackson from Warrawong/Earth Sanctuaries Ltd, who have generously offered to supply the necessary equipment and expertise for the survey. We will be keeping careful records of the survey - which will involve live trapping, as well as some other survey techniques - so that we can come back in future years and see whether or not our project has made a difference (which we hope it will).
The results of the bandicoot survey will also be provided to the Recovery Team for the Southern Brown Bandicoot in the Mt Lofty Ranges, which is looking at the 'big picture' for the species across the Adelaide Hills.
We are not yet ready to start drawing up a roster for the survey, but if you are interested in taking part (we will need all the help we can get) please plan to keep that week free. Closer to the day, we will be asking you to make a firm commitment to being available to help out on as many evenings as you can.
=================================================================
5. WORKING BEES IN SEPTEMBER: CEMETERY BUSH, RESERVE & MYLOR PARKLANDS
(Come along: enjoy the spring weather & help our bushland too)
_________________________________________________________________
There will be three working bees in September associated with the Valley of the Bandicoots project:
-----------------
Saturday, 6th September, Mylor Parklands (Southern Parklands, First Street) 1.30pm-4.30pm
The Mylor Parklands Bushcare Group will have a working bee to cut and swab woody weeds in the Mylor Parklands on Saturday, September 6. The Group will be working in the Southern Parklands on First Street, Mylor. Helpers are welcome.
Contact: Maria Johns (email: Johns.Maria@saugov.sa.gov.au )
-----------------
Sunday, 7th September, Stirling Cemetery (meet at back entrance to Cemetery on Cambridge Road, Aldgate) 10am-12noon
The Aldgate Valley Landcare Group & the Friends of the Stirling Cemetery Bush are planning a working bee in the bush area behind Stirling Cemetery on Sunday, September 7. The main aim of this working bee is to get a better idea of what needs to be done to rehabilitate the bush, with perhaps some initial cutting and swabbing of weeds in strategic areas.
Please note that this working bee will be instead of the usual 'first Sunday of the month' working bee which we normally hold in the Aldgate Valley Reserve.
CONTACT: Griff Weste, 8339-3804 (email: geoweste@ozemail.com.au )
-----------------
Saturday, 20th September, Aldgate Valley Reserve (corner of Shanks Road & Aldgate Valley Road) 10am-12noon
The Aldgate Valley Landcare Group will hold a working bee in the Aldgate Valley Reserve. It is likely we will be planting some of the trees and shrubs which we have been growing over the past few months at this working bee, as well as the usual activities.
CONTACT: Ed Douglas, 8339-2737 (email: Ed.Douglas@unisa.edu.au )
=================================================================
6. 50 PEOPLE ATTEND VOB LAUNCH AT ALDGATE PRIMARY SCHOOL
(A big thankyou to everyone involved)
_________________________________________________________________
About 50 people attended the official launch for the 'Valley of the Bandicoots' at Aldgate Primary School on Monday, July 21, at which the Federal Member for Mayo, Alexander Downer formally launched our Green Corps project and the Australian Government Envirofund grant.
Thanks to Sue Coad and the Aldgate Primary School for organising such a successful event at such short notice - including the children, who put on an impressive display at the launch of their knowledge and concern about the environment.
Thanks also to the Green Corps team for their help in organising and running the even. And a special thanks for all those residents and landcare group members who came along to show their support. It was great to see such a good turn out.
=================================================================
7. VALLEY OF THE BANDICOOTS IS FINALIST FOR LANDCARE AWARD
('Certificate of Merit' awarded by SA Minister)
_________________________________________________________________
The Valley of the Bandicoots last week was given a 'Certificate of Merit' in the South Australian Landcare Awards, after being named as a finalist in the 'Bushcare Nature Conservation' category. The South Australian Minister for the Environment, John Hill presented the awards at a dinner in the Palais Hotel in Semaphore.
Griff Weste, Chris Duigan and David Mussared attended the dinner, and were handed a plaque by Mr Hill. The SA Landcare Awards are held every two years, with the winners in each of 10 categories being entered as State finalists in the National Landcare Awards the following year.
The winner in the 'Bushcare Nature Conservation' category for SA this year was Gluepot Station.
Winners of all categories in SA received a $1,000 cheque this year, as well as a plaque and entry in the national awards. For more
information about the awards, see: http://www.landcareaustralia.com.au
=================================================================
8. 'NATURE CARE 2003' - WARRAWONG EARTH SANCTUARY OPEN DAY
(National Threatened Species Day, September 7)
_________________________________________________________________
Warrawong Earth Sanctuary and supporting organisations (Aldgate Valley Landcare Group, National Trust, SA Urban Forests, Conservation Council, Minton Farm Animal Rescue, Australian Plants Society, Native Fish Australia, EcoVoice, Cleland, and more) are hosting a 'Hands On' open day for the whole family to celebrate Threatened Species Day and Father's Day.
Come and see live Australian animals, conservation group displays, FREE public talks, treasure hunt, Indigenous face painting, native plant sale, environmental book &gift sale, bush tucker BBQ Lunch, Meet Platypus Pete, FREE Father's Day raffle from The Body Shop.
WHERE: Warrawong Earth Sanctuary, Stock Road, Mylor.
WHEN: Sunday, September 7th, 11am-4pm.
Prices FREE. Interpretive sanctuary walks $15 (FREE for Fathers).
Call for info Warrawong Reception 8370-9197. Enquiries welcome. http://www.warrawong.com
NOTE: September 7 is celebrated as 'National Threatened Species Day' around Australia. It marks the anniversary of the day 67 years ago when Australia's last Thylacine ('Tasmanian tiger') died in a zoo in Hobart.
===============
If you know someone else you think would like to get this 'Valley of the Bandicoots' newsletter, please forward it to them and invite them to subscribe. For more information about the 'Valley of the Bandicoots', visit: http://www.communitywebs.org/BandicootValley
===============
--
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Email Media
PO Box 212
ALDGATE SA 5154
08-8388-5608 (fax: 08-8388-5372)
adverts@emailmedia.com.au
http://www.nrmjobs.com.au
http://www.hacjobs.com.au