Well said!
Cheers
Rod
On 15/01/2017 3:56 PM, John Harris wrote:
> I was a bit saddened to read such biting criticism of the National
> Arboretum. Of course I fully understand that people hold different views
> on what should have been done with the Commonwealth gift to mark
> Canberra’s centenary but a variety of opinion would have been evident
> whatever the gift had been used for. But the decision, made over a
> decade ago now, was not ‘folly’. A number of COG members, including
> myself, are volunteer guides at the arboretum and are proud to be
> involved in it and excited to see it slowly but surely developing into a
> world-class arboretum, even unique in its founding concept of whole
> forests of threatened species. Some are critically endangered or even
> extinct in other parts of the world but it matters even more to me that
> there are important plantings of endangered Australian species.
> Naturally there is a modest forest of the iconic Wollemi Pine but other
> lesser-known species are also being preserved such as the Camden White
> Gum and the Buchan Blue Wattle. The Camden White Gum’s very restricted
> habitat was mostly drowned beneath Warragamba dam and now only small
> stands remain along the Nepean River between the Dam and Camden,
> threatened by urbanisation, bushfires and other dangers. The C W Gum
> forests of several thousand trees are the largest planting in the
> Arboretum.
> COG was actually involved in the decision to plant a forest of the
> Drooping She Oak. It is a major food source for the Glossy Black
> Cockatoo. Although not yet critically endangered the Drooping She Oak
> is disappearing from many parts of the G B Cockatoo's habitats and so a
> forest was planted to create the necessary biodiversity to assist the G
> B Cockatoo not to become extinct in the ACT.
> As to the arboretum being a ‘barren wasteland’ well of course it was
> bare immediately after the fires of 2003 and during the preparation of
> the site over the next few years. There were indeed few birds there in
> that period. I only saw Australasian Pipits on the relatively bare hills
> and on rare occasions Brown Quail on the lower slopes after the tall
> grasses had regrown. But that is a decade ago. It is no longer a ‘barren
> wasteland’. As the hundreds of forests and thousands of trees grow, bird
> numbers and variety are clearly building up. The Arboretum occasionally
> includes bird walks in its program and, unlike the suggestion made in
> this discussion site, is not interested in attracting Common Mynahs and
> Starlings. A particularly important project is ‘STEP’, the 'Southern
> Tablelands Ecosystem Project’. This is entirely planted and managed by
> the Friends of the Arboretum and is intended to recreate as completely
> as possible the original ecosystem of the area with trees, shrubs,
> grasses and all other plant species specific to the Southern Tablelands
> and therefore the ACT. As this matures it will provide the most natural
> of habitats for local birds. I have already seen three varieties of
> finch there.
> I am proud to be involved in a such a thoughtfully-designed and
> conservation-minded project which is converting what once may have been
> a fire-ravaged 'barren landscape’ into something green and beautiful
> which will endure for ever and of which Canberrans of the future will be
> justly proud. I look forward to the day when Glossy Black Cockatoos feed
> there again.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> From: Mark Clayton < <>>
> Date: Saturday, 14 January 2017 at 7:25 PM
> To: chatline <
> <>>
> Subject: FW: [canberrabirds] What are they for?
>
> I meant to send this to the chatline and not just as a reply to Les
>
>
>
> mark
>
>
>
> *From:*Mark Clayton
> *Sent:* Saturday, 14 January 2017 12:27 PM
> *To:* 'mariko buszynski'
> *Subject:* RE: [canberrabirds] What are they for?
>
>
>
> Knowing the ACT Government’s totally useless wildlife policies I would
> say they are nest boxes for Common Mynas and starlings!! Obviously
> trying to entice wildlife into the barren wasteland that is Stanhope’s
> Folly, aka the National Arboretum.
>
>
>
> Mark
>
>
>
> *From:*mariko buszynski
> *Sent:* Saturday, 14 January 2017 11:53 AM
> *To:* canberrabirds
> *Subject:* [canberrabirds] What are they for?
>
>
>
> Dear Chatliners.
>
>
>
> There are around six high poles with very solid looking bird boxes
> secured to them in the *Molonglo pine plantation area, near the National
> Arboretum. T*hey are as high as electricity poles and spaced about 100
> metres apart. They have been securely cemented in place, some have solar
> panels and cameras, a professional undertaking. Is this a CSIRO
> project? But for what?
>
>
>
> For photos please see the links to dropbox below
>
> https://www.dropbox.com/s/me4zin0dncgdrli/2016-12-30%2006.13.33.jpg?dl=0
>
> https://www.dropbox.com/s/2h66ghd9b1fhosw/2016-12-30%2006.33.45.jpg?dl=0
>
> https://www.dropbox.com/s/vw1otnzu0i27dnl/2016-12-30%2006.34.33.jpg?dl=0
>
> https://www.dropbox.com/s/pu4uzmtf6tsfbyu/2016-12-30%2006.32.57.jpg?dl=0
>
> https://www.dropbox.com/s/u36upx58bbow1nj/2016-12-30%2006.37.16.jpg?dl=0
>
>
>
> Best,
>
>
>
> Les Buszynski
>
>
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