It is reasonable to discuss the role of the arboretum to learn lessons from it and inform future choices. It is curious to think about the arboretum and whether it is a good
thing or not, as though the issue is birds. We are a bird interested group but not all the world is. We should chose our battles and do as well as we can in pushing conservation issues when they involve our expertise. So we can not and should not attempt
to judge everything by birds. It simply is not realistic in a public tax paying democracy. I see the arboretum as something of an experiment and a nice place to visit (not often). The area could easily have been devoted to housing, sports stadiums or car
parks. It is reasonable that some conservation efforts be devoted primarily to birds, some to bettongs, some to various trees or whatever. Whether the
Deodar Cedar, is of no value to birds is hardly important, provided that plantings of Deodar Cedar are of value to Deodar Cedar and there is some well considered basis for allocating the space to it and that the space is only token and that the species does
not become invasive. I hope the arboretum does not become a modern version of the thoughts of the acclimatization society of the 1850s. Though I doubt it would.
I cannot see it as realistic to accept a blanket statement that: “The fact is that the bird life around us is disappearing.” It can hardly be “the policy of the Barr Labor
government”. Yes there are significant changes going on and various actions of almost any government around the world contribute to conservation problems. But there is not an overall disappearing. Those changes are consequence of many things, including habitat
loss (often well outside the ACT). Affecting each species in its own way. A small amount of Deodar Cedar is not going to impact adversely on most birds (well not more than a car park of the same size).
Philip
From: Alan Ford [] Sent: Monday,
16 January, 2017 7:39 AM To: 'CanberraBirds'
Subject: RE: [canberrabirds] What are they for?
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
