An arboretum is a botanic garden devoted to trees. The people who thought of this one were clearly interested in trees. I doubt if they were interested in anything
else.
One of the odd things is that this arboretum is defended on the basis that it has a role in tree conservation by planting those trees in danger of extinction.
This argument appears to have arisen in the context of attempts to justify the amounts spent on the arboretum project.
I am uncertain about its potential role in bird conservation. What I do know is that one of its trees, the Deodar Cedar, is of no value to birds. When I had
one not even the local Common Mynas would bother to perch in it. Based on my observations around town, the exotic trees in the Canberra landscape are of little value to the local birds. Perhaps that applies to the exotics in the Arboretum.
While STEP is an important part of the Arboretum these days it is a small element in the total project.
The fact is that the bird life around us is disappearing, That appears to the policy of the Barr Labor government and no one can deny the habitat destruction
that occurs every day around us.
The problem with the arboretum is that it concentrates on trees. While they may be important to birds there are other elements in the landscape, such as complete
ecosystems, that are also important. Attempts to defend this arboretum ignore the role of other elements of the local native flora in the life of the native animals more generally.
Lastly, it is a fire trap and it must cost a huge amount to prevent fire going through it.
Alan
From: John Harris [
Sent: Sunday, 15 January 2017 3:56 PM
To: 'CanberraBirds'
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] What are they for?
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?
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. They 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
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