Hi Lia and all, I emailed the manager of the FSW yesterday and am awaiting a reply. When I receive it, for better or worse, I will place ACTEW’s reply on the chatline. I have also been in contact with Greening Australia and I’ll also put their reply up. There are a few people quietly working behind the scenes on this one way or another. Cheers, From: Lia Battisson [
Sent: Thursday, 24 October 2013 8:56 AM
To: Susanne Gardiner; Mark Clayton; 'Laura Johnson'
Cc: 'canberra birds'
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] A FSP avenue There are soooooo many things that COG could get involved in! Perhaps a letter to ACTEWAGL by those who have talked about it in this forum. We are a very active and committed committee, but we just can’t address all the ills of the world! Sent: Wednesday, October 23, 2013 2:40 PM Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] A FSP avenue One reason members of COG Committee have not responded so far, is many of us have been very busy these last 2 wks with (inter alia) the Fenner School Mulligans Flat/Goorooyarroo surveys. Personally, I like the concept & support most of the ideas already proposed. The environment at Kellys Swamp has been greatly improved over the last 20 or so years from what to me was an outstanding exhibit of exotic weeds. COG should talk to ACT Govt, GA and ANPS about planning, species, planting strategy and removal of weeds & even consider some financial support for an agreed project. Sent: Wednesday, October 23, 2013 7:28 AM Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] A FSP avenue Thanks Laura, hopefully we can get more discussion going on this. I am surprised we have not heard back from the COG committee – perhaps something to be discussed at the next committee meeting. I know there are lot of people interested in the potential outcome and I am sure that ACTEW would like to have some sort of input, even if they say it is not possible due to potential future extension plans at FSW. From: Laura Johnson [m("anu.edu.au","u4847277");">]
Sent: Tuesday, 22 October 2013 4:11 PM
To: Mark Clayton; 'Martin Butterfield'; 'Denis Wilson'
Cc: 'Rosemary Blemings'; 'canberra birds'
Subject: RE: [canberrabirds] A FSP avenue I just want to second Mark's offer - if pairs of hands are required for planting, I will definitely volunteer mine! (And try to rope in the ANU Biology Society) Looking forward to hearing more about this issue,
From: Mark Clayton
Sent: Tuesday, 22 October 2013 4:07 PM
To: 'Martin Butterfield'; 'Denis Wilson'
Cc: 'Rosemary Blemings'; 'canberra birds'
Subject: RE: [canberrabirds] A FSP avenue I couldn’t agree more with Denis and Martin. One thing I have always disliked about most farm plantings is the way (and I do know the reason why) Eucalypts (generally) are planted in straight, often close together rows, and on many occasions without additional species (acacias etc) used as “in between’ species. I have seen some excellent examples where numerous species of different trees and shrubs are used and these can be very bird attracting. I am not advocating the planting of trees or shrubs at the FSW along the pond embankments as this could prove disastrous to the pond walls but putting in scattered clumps of trees (preferably not Eucalyptus mannifera, the Brittle Gum used so extensively as a local street tree, but species such as E. melliodora, Yellow Box, and E. blakeleyi, Blakeley’s Red Gum, or even E. polyanthemos, Red Box, all good for attracting birds and species found locally. Coupled with understory shrubs, as several people have mentioned, this could make FSW, and many other sewage ponds, into quite good bird attracting places. There are large areas that could be utilised Martin mentions that Greening Australia could be a good source of knowledge as to how to plan/ plant the FSW area. I did receive a reply (off line) from a member of GA suggesting that they could potentially be involved. Perhaps GA could contact ACTEW as the “owners” of FSW to see what they think. Of all the replies that I received when I brought this idea up, only one person thought I was wasting my time. To quote “I am confident no one else will share your view”. It just goes to show how wrong and negative some individuals can be and how passionate others are be in trying to help our local birds. If it ever gets to the stage of having a planting session at FSW, I am quite willing to lend a hand. Denis's comment has stirred a couple more thoughts with me. The first is that Greening Australia (GA) would be an excellent source of detailed botanical advice on this. No idea why I didn't suggest that earlier. Second, judging by the success of the direct seeding GA undertook on our property some of the Acacia species would be approaching 'tree' status within 3 or 4 years. Direct seeding requires very little effort either in the implementation or maintenance phases and can rapidly cover a lot more territory than planting advanced stock. Further to Martin and Rosemary's excellent suggestions, can I point out that there are many alternatives to planting rows of Eucalypts (the "landscape architects' boring weapon of choice").
For example, Blackthorn, or Bursaria spinosa makes a very successful alternative to Hawthorns. Yes, it is smaller, but grows vigorously, and self-seeds after a while.
And shrubby Acacias (not Cootamundra Wattle) are also very successful plantings (there are examples at FSP from memory) Also local species of Kangaroo Apple (Solanum sp) are incredibly popular with birds as a food source, and so the seeds get spread. And what's wrong with the occasional Kurrajong?
Give them a couple of years start, and then commence removal of the introduced trees.
You are of course correct that it is a good idea to remove the invasive species. However they are, as you note, very popular with birds. That isn't restricted to the berry-eating/distributing starlings of Fyshwick. Out my way the dense thickets of hawthorn are used as nesting sites for many small species (especially finches), the berries are very popular with parrots and cockatoos, and a number of larger species (eg Brown Falcon, Barn Owl) use them as roosts. To avoid dislocation to these uses of the undesirable trees it would be highly preferable to put in the replacement trees so that they have established before the invasive ones are removed. That might make life a bit more difficult for the tree removal contractors, but then life wasn't meant to be easy. In April I mentioned to Michael McConachie that the avenue of trees between Dairy Flat Road and the Fyshwick Sewerage Treatment complex contained many invasive species. These introduced trees contained large numbers of berries which birds eat and transfer to nature reserves.
The ACT Parks and Conservation Service (PCS), with countless volunteers from Landcaring and Parkcaring groups, have spent decades of energy and time removing these invasive plants which deny space, nutrients and water to native species.
Removing these Fyshwick trees and combining this process with a thorough and state-of-the-art revegetation of the Treatment Works would bring significant benefits for wildlife and especially the birds which already have the area ingrained in their genetic makeup. Having complimentary, healthy habitat beside the Jerrabomberra Wetlands can only enhance the work of the Friends of Jerrabomberra and PCS.
It is vital that as much land as possible be retained for and managed as connectivity-corridor in our region. Open, natural spaces also bring enormous benefits to humans though this positive factor is rarely included in budgetary allocations for 'the environment'.
Rosemary
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