Reefcare update for Saturday 5 August 2023
Morning tea with the group and some shared delicious treats. Photo by Lisa.
Lisa removes Turkey Rhubarb tubers from the flat area.
In the morning Julie returned to her usual place on the north slope over the fence and found Des there clearing the non-native pigs face from around the plantings. He was also working on removal of asparagus fern.
Julie had 5 litres of water (mixed with soil conditioner) so she watered all the newish and older plants on the slope advising that most were surviving and stable.
Julie cut/scrapped/painted herbicide on another 3 bitou clumps.
Spider with egg sack. Photo by Denise.
Up on the western slope was Brad, Merrilyn, Gen and Stella weeding -mainly Burr Medic and asparagus fern, later in the afternoon they did some Bitou removal. Lisa, Claire, John, Denise, and Kathy worked on the Turkey Rhubarb on the flat – it really is diminishing in this area, so hopefully we can plant it out in a few months – we live in hope!
John and Lisa did some work in the area that we call ‘the nest’ of Turkey Rhubarb removal, but there is still quite a bit still to be done on the eastern part of this patch. At morning tea John told us about some of his volunteer work with Sydney Wildlife Rescue whilst we ate the delicious Anzac biscuits he brought along, as well as some divine bread and hummus which Kathy also brought along for the group – both were a great hit with the
group.
After morning tea Lisa, Claire, John, Denise, and Kathy worked the middle western area of the site targeting Burr Medic and then removing two small patches of non-native pigs face which was growing over some lovely Themeda.
Reefcare update for Saturday 3 July 2023
It was a beautiful sunny morning with a very calm sea as we met in the carpark for another morning of bushcare. Des and Maria got straight to work on the asparagus fern babies growing on the hill, while Alex and Ivana stayed on the flat and obliterated the burr medic (Medicago polymorpha) in a huge patch. There is a neat before and after photo of this area in the gallery below! The burr medic is seeding again, but most of the lower track is still clear of the weed. Our work in that area from last winter has paid off.
John and Kathy worked on the Turkey Rhubarb growing in the “nest” which is a bare piece of ground surrounded by Westringia shrubs. Most of the Turkey Rhubarb from that patch is gone now, and can soon be planted with natives.
After a nice morning tea, we continued working, keeping an eye out for humpback whales. The good weather brought out many visitors walking down the steps, and Ivana and Alex received lots of questions about bushcare, which may result in a few new recruits! Kathy and John took a break from the Turkey Rhubarb and helped Ivana and Alex finish the burr medic, after collecting a few brown beach bean pods (Canavalia rosea). These will be propagated at the nursery and replanted back on the site.
Beach beans!
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- Burr medic patch before
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- Burr medic patch after
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- Burr medic removal crew hard at work
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- Maria working on the asparagus fern babies on the hill
Reefcare update for Saturday 3 June, 2023
What a beautiful sunny and warm day is was to work at Long Reef – and watch whales at morning tea time – and this is just into winter by 2 days – who would know! Lawson from Dragonfly Environmental was our supervisor for the day, this was his second time on our site, so it was great as he already knew a number of the Reefcare people and what our current priorities are on site.
Julie worked high up on the western slope removing more bitou, but she also planted 7 tube stock where removal of Bitou has previously taken place – there has not been much rain, so Julie will go back to site next weekend, and the one after – to water the new plantings as she reports the soil is very dry – which means she will also be watering the previous months plantings, which is great, as we have not had much rain the past month.
Merrilyn, Brad and Gen had about 17 tube stock plants which they managed to get in before morning tea – which is great work as terraces need to be made due to the steep slope, so it’s quite a slow job to get plants in the ground. They also took about 12 litres of water so these and previous plantings all got a good drink. This was done before morning tea and after morning tea, they worked westward with the removal of bitou. The cut bitou was put into the sand gully which will reduce erosion and eventually break down giving some substance to the exposed sandy soil in this gully area.
Before morning tea, Lisa, Ivana and Claire worked on the Turkey Rhubarb on the flat behind the sign – the number of bulbs that we are still finding after 3 years working in this area is ridiculous. John and Alex worked in what we are now calling ‘The Nest’ as it is an area surrounding by Westringa, also on Turkey Rhubarb bulbs – and they got even more than the girls. Alex found a one cent coin dated 1966 – we are wondering if it has doubled in value. Meanwhile Lawson roamed the site for Bitou.
Maria turned up at morning tea time – just in time to be spoilt, as Claire had brought lamingtons and John brought Anzac biscuits to share with the group – good timing Maria!
After morning tea, John and Claire worked on removing Buffalo grass and Kikuyu off some of the Lomandra along the northern edge of the site, Maria and Ivana continued on Turkey Rhubarb on the flat, whilst Lisa and Alex removed more of the non-native pigs face on lower western side of the site – just below where Brad, Merrilyn and Gen were working. Most of this was removed two months ago, but we didn’t quite finish, getting rained out at 11:30am. There is still a little left which Alex said he will finish off next month.
