State of the Environment Report released July 2022
Every five years, an assessment Report is prepared on the State of the Environment in Australia. The latest report, released in July, is “heartbreaking” says the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF). This report, put together by a panel of exceptional scientists and professionals for the Australian Government, concluded that ACTION is URGENTLY required and all trends are serious decline, except for our air quality.
Top three causes of these environmental declines?
1. Destruction of nature and habitats is accelerating, as a result of land-clearing for urbanisation and mining.
2. Negative impacts of invasive species.
3. Added pressures of climate change, which are now being ‘felt’ by human beings.
Underlying drivers are human population growth and pervasive economic practices, which take inadequate account of natural capital or environmental outcomes.
Any positive take outs?
Nature is proving highly resilient – it does ‘bounce back’ with the smallest opportunities or efforts, including threatened species.
Australians are acknowledging and using indigenous knowledge now, much more than ever before.
ACTION required?
ACF have highlighted:
Strengthen protection of nature and habitats – through new legislation, and stronger enforcement/protection agencies (the new Federal Government indicated these are a priority – “for action in 2023”).
Increasing funding for recovery of nature and threatened species
Slashing carbon emissions
Demonstrating leadership- to engage community and work with businesses, particularly stopping land-clearing and investing in nature and solutions, not harms.
When nature thrives, we all thrive.Australia to take a strong position to the Nature COP (Conference of Parties) in Canada this year (UN Convention on Biological Diversity, set for Dec. 2022).
For report got to https://soe.environment.gov.au/
For more commentary, see:
https://www.csiro.au/en/news/news-releases/2022/state-of-the-environment-2021-report-released
https://www.acf.org.au/state-of-environment-reveals-urgent-need-for-action
https://www.wilderness.org.au/news-events
Deer in the Dandendongs
At Southern Dandenongs Landcare Group we care for our local bushland and work to protect our natural environment from threats from pest plant and animal species.
While deer are majestic and beautiful creatures, they cause severe damage to our natural ecosystems. This impact is not only through browsing on shrubs and herbs, but antler rubbing (often through ring barking) is killing sensitive native rainforest species such as southern sassafras (Atherosperma moschatum) and muttonwood (Rapanea howittiana), that haven’t evolved in this environment to withstand such pressures (Lindsay 2020). Trampling and creating wallows can also kill ground cover vegetation and impact the habitat of threatened species in our area such as the endemic Dandenong Burrowing Crayfish (Engaeus urostrictus).
In a Park Watch article last year, Megan Lindsay (2020) highlighted that populations of Sambar and Fallow deer have exploded in the last 20 years across the Dandenong Ranges National Park. Additionally, feral deer cause significant damage to infrastructure, residential gardens, and our food resources – such as orchards, crops and pasture, and promote the movement of invasive weeds (DELWP 2020). They are a significant risk in the hills to motorists, contributing to human/wildlife conflicts.
Reporting sightings is important because it provides a current record of the movement of deer species populations. This data contributes to a larger dataset and can be used to develop strategies for effective deer control. Deer Scan is an easy to use and free resource where anyone can record a sighting. This information can be used by landholders, community groups, government, and other stakeholders to support pest management that is cost-effective and strategic, based on up-to-date information (Invasive Animals Ltd 2009-2021).
Deer Scan can be downloaded to your phone as an app or simply record a sighting through the website https://www.feralscan.org.au/deerscan/
For more information on deer in Australia and how they are managed differently across the country watch this ABC ‘Meet the Ferals’ program.
References
Department of Environment, Land Water and Planning 2020, ‘Victorian Deer Control Strategy’, Victoria State Government, viewed 7 November 2021, https://www.environment.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0031/528817/FINALVicDeerControlStrategy-June-2021.pdf
Invasive Animals Ltd 2009-2021, ‘What Deer Scan Provides’, viewed 8 November 2021, https://www.feralscan.org.au/deerscan/pagecontent.aspx?page=deer_whatdeerscanprovides
Lindsay M 2020, ‘Deer destroying the Dandenongs’, Park Watch December 2020, no. 283, viewed 15 October 2021, https://search.informit.org/doi/epdf/10.3316/informit.736766334681277
Photo source: Ian Rainbow. Deer sighted in Upwey South Reserve
Belgrave Rail Trail Planting Day
The Swan Bend regeneration project has been an important phase in the on-ground works on the rail trail, and we were able to mark its completion by planting the last 100 plants purchased with grant funding for the area. Plants included Rough Tree-fern (Cyathea australis), Forest Hound’s-tongue (Austrocynoglossum latifolium), Shade plantain (Plantago debilis) and Kidney weed (Dichondra repens) and represent species in the Mountain Grey Gum Damp Forest (EVC 29).
Our planting session included a walk and talk of the area’s assets and natural and anthropogenic history, led by Southern Dandenongs Landcare Group president, Rob Pergl with morning tea concluding the event.
If you are interested in getting involved in volunteering with the Friends of Belgrave Rail Trail please get in touch by emailing us at southerndandenongslandcare@outlook.com
Rough Tree Fern (Cyathea australis)
The last 100 plants of over 300 now in the ground at the Swan Bend site. Tree stakes mark each plant for future monitoring of their progress.
The Hills Community for Climate Action
It all begins with an idea.
This new group was established at a public meeting held on Saturday, May 25th as a response to the federal election one week previously. Some 85 local people attended, all of whom expressed their dismay that this election which some had dubbed 'the Climate Election', had been won instead on issues of taxation, rather than on policies addressing the climate crisis. The group is still planning strategies but in the meantime, SDLG contributed to the cost of making Climate Crisis lanterns for Belgrave's annual winter solstice lantern parade. The Hills Community for Climate Action lanterns joined our "Creatures of the Creek". Each year at our Mini-Beasts Festival, local artist, Glenn Scollyer, creates another creature which lives in or near our waterways. Another outcome of the creation of HC4CA is the application for funding for a Hills Youth Environmental Advocacy Group SDLG is making with some parents concerned that environmental issues are being perceived as overwheming by their children. We want to establish a group for young people wanting to learn more about climate activism to empower them to represent their peers and hopefully, to succeed the current ageing group of environmentalists.
It was great to see how many groups were represented at the inaugural meeting and how many are going to mobilise to bring climate action issues to the fore in the public debate. Three weeks later, some of us attended the founding meeting of the Yarra Valley Community for Climate Action.
Permeable surfaces for sustainable landscape design
It all begins with an idea.
Here's some information on permeable surfaces which do so much to filter stormwater and to mitigate the flooding which occurs with run-off from hard surfaces such as asphalt and concrete etc. Using permeable surfaces really does affect the quality of water in our creek.
Agapanthus removal without herbicides, machinery or hard labour.
It all begins with an idea.
A few weeks ago, I attended a workshop run by the Landcare Facilitator for Langwarrin Woodlands, Ella Boyen. www.langwarrinwoodlands.org. The workshop was held on Ella’s property on the Westernport Highway which is being restored to bushland. It has the ‘traditional’ lazy driveway edged with large, tough, old clumps of agapanthus. Like all of us, Ella tries to avoid herbicide use and had been experimenting with various methods of manual agapanthus control. She told participants to come armed only with a serrated steak-knife!
ELLA’S STEAK KNIFE AGAPANTHUS REMOVAL METHOD
This method is for the patient bush regenerator who understands that ALL weed removal, regardless of method, requires follow-up. By following the process Ella has developed, your aggies will be gone within the year.
Agapanthus grow like leeks, so part the stalks and slice each stalk off as close to the ground as possible. When each stalk has been cut to ground level, criss-cross the cut stems to allow rain in to rot the tubers.
You will be left with an unsightly mound of aggies bleeding white sap which is better than healthy plants seeding everywhere. After some time, many of the tubers will have browned and died, shrinking as they do so. There will be the occasional new sprout from a residual tuber which you also give the steak–knife treatment. Eventually, the aggie dies in situ without the need for mattocking, removal by machinery or use of herbicide.
To speed up the process, Ella drove over each treated clump with her ride-on mower. This is far more difficult to do on steeply sloping sites but could be done instead with a brushcutter. The continual slashing weakens the plant. The removal process took about a year and Ella was able to plant directly into the site where the aggies once grew with no soil disturbance or residual chemicals entering the soil or water table.
An additional method Ella employed was a weed burner, especially where the aggies were infested with kikuyu. She first checked the site for frogs and other native wildlife - she has only ever found one frog sheltering in aggies at her place. She then employed the steak –knife treatment, finishing around the clump with the weedburner. Again, continual mowing accelerates their demise.
I imagine that in about 5 years time, Ella will have a eucalyptus lined driveway with nary an aggie in sight. This method is gentle on the operator and gentle on the earth and steak knives are plentiful in op-shops. Give it a try.
Thanks Ella.