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Pairing Plants with Wine & Cheese
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Landcare SJ and the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale hosted a Pairing Plants with Wine and Cheese evening at the SJ CRC. Presenters Penny Hollick, Pete Olds and Rose De Bruin discussed orchids, verge gardens, seed swapping and the SJ free verge plants programme. The free event attracted over 40 guests who, while enjoying a glass of wine and selection of cheeses gained a wealth of knowledge and went home with information booklets and seeds to continue their own gardening journeys.
Dr Hollick, a botanist from the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale, gave a fascinating talk on the wonderful world of Orchids in Banksia Woodland and explained how orchids are a good indicator of woodland health. Pete Olds of Reverge - Community Verge Garden discussed the how to of designing and creating your very own verge garden. Verge gardens are a great way to get to know your neighbours and help bring the community together. Rose De Bruin from the local Mundijong Library talked about growing your own food and the SJ Seed Swap. The SJ Seed Swap is located at the Mundijong Library where Rose, a passionate gardener, and is always happy to chat about gardening.
Part of the event included the launch of the 2021 Free Verge Plant Program which is funded by the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale and managed by Landcare SJ. The Shire has been running the popular programme for over 15 years with over 3000 plants available this year.
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2021 Free Verge Plant Program
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The 2021 Free Verge Plant Program is now open! Residents from there Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale can apply for free plants to help enhance the beauty of their local street. Verge plants not only beautify the streetscape, but they also provide habitat for small native fauna such as birds and quendas, reduce the heat sink effect throughout urban areas, sequester carbon and have the ability to increase house prices.
Residents can apply for free verge plants by clicking here to visit the Landcare SJ Website and completing the online form. Applications for seedling vouchers must be submitted via the Landcare SJ website and can be redeemed at Australian Native Nursery at 141 King Road, Oakford.
Due to recent technical difficulties with our internet and an unexpected amount of applications, the processing time of Free Verge Plant vouchers has been delayed. However, all applications are expected to be completed in the coming weeks. If you have any concerns about how your application is progressing, please contact us via reece@landcaresj.com.au
For more information on the 2021 Free Verge Plant Program please click here.
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Equine Property Soil Health Workshop
SJ Community Resource Centre - Saturday June 12th
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Following on from the continued success of the SJ Equestrian Property Regenerative Soil Health Trial, an additional workshop was held. The SJ Food and Farm Alliance are pleased to present this informative workshop with support from Landcare SJ.
The SJ Equestrian Property Regenerative Soil Health Workshop was intended to expose equine property owners to a range of soil assessment methods, which explained soil health at a microbiological level and demonstrated how to create a fermented composting system, suitable to both small and large equine properties. The workshop included presentations from Ellen Walker of EarthWhile Australia, who delved into the fascinating world of soil microbiology and its effects on soil and pasture health. Robyn Brown from Waste Is My Resource introduced attendees to a fermented compost technique, that speeds up the decomposition of horse manure by up to 6 weeks - the resulting compost can be used to improve microbiology in impoverished soils. Information on soil testing methods from Belinda Taylor of Hoof Hearted Hoof Care along with soil and water quality information from Paula Pownall of the Peel Harvey Catchment Council.
It's hoped that by using regenerative agricultural techniques, landowners will be able to improve soil health, which subsequently helps their pastures, equine health and lessen the need for manufactured soil improvers being used. Creating a closed-loop on equine properties.
This project is supported by funding from the Western Australian Government’s State NRM Program and the Peel-Harvey Catchment Council, through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program
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Cotton Bush Removal
Byford
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Percy Nairn Reserve, Byford - It’s an absolute stunner! A reserve full of a wide range of endemic native species, surrounding the meandering Cardup Brook. However, being boarded by farmland and the Scarp Estate has allowed a few unwelcome flora species to take hold, one of those being Cotton Bush! This afternoon we have removed more than 200 Cotton Bush plants and a bag full of fruit from the reserve.
If you’re walking through the reserve, keep your eyes peeled for any Cotton Bush seedling that may start emerging over the coming months.
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Byford Envirolink ( BEL) has spent some time removing litter and cotton bush from Public Open Space between Briggs Road and Sarsaparilla Ramble in the Marri Grove area of Byford.
Over 20 bags of rubbish were collected which contained fast food and beverage waste and household dumping.
Many large items were removed from the creek including bicycles, plastic toys, an office chair, a pushchair and a water tank stand. Other dumped waste around the site included - tyres and other vehicle parts were, a car engine (that was too large to remove by hand) and piles of garden waste that were deposited around the area and against neighbouring fences.
As Public open space diminishes in Byford this area should be more appreciated. Whilst we were there the trees were full of red-tailed black cockatoos which are one of WW’s iconic species and are classed as vulnerable.
The BEL group meets at reserves and open spaces around Byford every Friday from 8-9 am.
If you would like to join in and lend a hand, please contact Landcare SJ on 9526 0012 or hello@landcaresj.com.au
There is no obligation to attend every week.
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Landcare SJ invites you to join us at our 2021 community planting days. To find out more information about any of our planting events please contact us via info@landcaresj.com.au
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Planting in the Park
Saturday, June 26
Cantwell Park, Pinjarra
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Come down and enjoy a lovely morning planting at Cantwell Park in Pinjarra. We'll be down there, with our trowels in hand! As well as running our Landcare SJ stall, where you'll be able to pick up a raft of free information booklets and pamphlets.
The day will be wrapped up with a delicious FREE sausage sizzle. We hope to see you all there!
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Serpentine Environment Group
June Dates
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- 22.06.2021 - Serpentine National Park - Cotton Bush Removal
- 29.06.2021 - Federation Park - Planting Site Maintenance
For more information on how to get involved with these activities please contact us via info@landcaresj.com.au
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Numbats in the Peel Region!
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The Peel Harvey Catchment Council (PHCC) were alerted to a possible Numbat sighting in Jarrah forest near the South 32 Bauxite mine, in Boddington by a local resident. Excited by the news, team members from PHCC and South 32 Worsley Alumina installed sensor camera traps in the alleged sighting area. Much to everyone’s amazement, a numbat was captured on the camera! This suggests there’s a population of Numbats within the Peel Region. However, the size of this particular population is unknown, with further research required to establish an estimate. The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation & Attractions, PHCC and Worsley Alumina are working together, as well as with the Shire of Boddington and the local community, to further assess the situation and plan accordingly.
Currently, the population size of Numbats in Australia is expected to consist of fewer than 1000 mature individuals. Before this new discovery in Boddington, there were only two previously known naturally occurring populations of Numbats left in Australia, the Dryandra Woodlands and the Perup Nature Reserve (with one mature adult requiring a territory size of 1.5 square kilometres or 370acres), both of which are located in Western Australia. Numbats were once widespread throughout a range of different habitats across Australia, from Mulga woodlands, Spinifex sandplains to Eucalypt forests and woodlands. Unfortunately, due to land clearing and introduced species such as cats and foxes, their species' distribution and population has been in steep decline.
Photo by South 32 Worsley Alumina
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Nyoongar Calendar
Makaru - Season of fertility
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Makaru sees the coldest and wettest time of the year come into full swing. Traditionally, this was a good time of the year to move back inland from the coast as the winds turned to the west and south bringing the cold weather, rains and occasionally snow on the peaks of the Stirling and Porongurup Ranges.
As the waterways and catchments started to fill, people were able to move about their country with ease and thus their food sources changed from sea, estuarine and lake foods to those of the lands in particular the grazing animals such as the kangaroo. As well as a food source, animals provided people with many other things. For example, 'Yongar' or kangaroos not only provided meat but also 'bookas' (animal skin cloaks that were used as the nights became much cooler). Nothing was left; even the bones and sinews were used in the manufacturing of bookas and for hunting tools such as spears.
Makuru is also a time for a lot of animals to be pairing up in preparation for breeding in the coming season. If you look carefully, you might now see pairs of 'Wardongs' (ravens) flying together. You also notice these pairs not making the usual 'ark ark arrrrrk' that these birds are well known for when flying solo. Upon the lakes and rivers of the Southwest, you'll also start to see a large influx of the Black Swan or 'Mali' as they too prepare to nest and breed.
Flowers that will start to emerge include the blues and purples of the Blueberry Lilly (Dianella revoluta) and the Purple Flags (Patersonia occidentalis). As the season comes to a close, you should also start to notice the white flowers of the weeping peppermint (Agonis flexuosa) as the blues start to make way for the white and cream flowers of Djilba.
- South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council
Species: Patersonia occidentalis
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Guess What I Am?
For your chance to win an Australian Native Nursery gift voucher valued at $20
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Do you know what native species I am?
Be the first person to Email my scientific and common name to Reece Jerrett at Landcare SJ and you'll receive an Australian Native Nursery gift voucher valued at $20!
Email:
reece@landcaresj.com.au
(Individuals can only win the monthly competition every 3 months)
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Help The Cause
and help save these charismatic birds.
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It takes over 100 years for a natural hollow to form that our endangered Black Cockatoos will breed in, but only a few minutes to donate towards the construction of Landcare SJ's 'Cockatubes'.
Any contribution is greatly appreciated!
Please Donate Today
(Photo by Rick Dawson)
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Contact us:
Opening hours:
Monday to Friday 9am-4pm
Location:
Cnr Cockram St and Paterson St
(PO Box 41), Mundijong WA 6123
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Phone:
(08) 9526 0012
Email:
info@landcaresj.com.au
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Landcare SJ, proudly supported by the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale.
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