Red Hill mid week activity: Wednesday 17 July 2019
900 plants help repair Red Hill environment
Every two years since 2013, the Red Hill Regenerators have successfully applied for environmental grants and selected parts of Red Hill which required repair to the environment. Volunteers have planted careful selected up to 200 appropriate tubestock species, including Allocasuarinas to attract Glossy Black Cockatoos, understorey shrubs to replace woody weeds and attract small nesting birds and acacias and eucalyptus to help repair the critically endangered Yellow Box / Red Gum Grassy Woodland ecosystem on Red Hill. Each plant has been protected from rabbits by tree guards and from kangaroos by Cootamundra Wattle cuttings. Water points have been established close to plantings and hand watering has been undertaken in periods of dry weather. The outcomes have been very encouraging, with high survival rates in most locations. The work of volunteers at Red Hill Regenerators is supported by Commonwealth and ACT grants and by the Parks and Conservation Service of the ACT Government, which assist by undertaking large scale pest extermination and weed eradication and providing equipment for volunteers.
Red Hill activity 7 July 2019: The Great Horehound Hunt
The recent rainfall has provided good conditions for our next activity on Red Hill – the Great Horehound Hunt. Thankfully, unlike other hounds, the Horehound can be easily caught. Horehound is an invasive weed which grows in disturbed ground, spreads by seed, and is now occupying an area on Red Hill close to the recently planted natives. They can be controlled by pulling out the plants by hand, which will be made easier after the rain. Any new seedlings will be sprayed in the Spring. Observation of the kangaroo activity around the recent plantings is showing evidence of their complete disregard for the barriers of cuttings placed around planting groups. Some kangaroos actually seem to prefer lounging inside the barriers rather than outside. Our solution will be to supplement the existing cuttings and to relocate them so that individual plants are protected. Our always helpful Parks and Conservation Service Ranger Martin has delivered more Cootamundra cuttings to help in the plantings protection, together with some loads of eucalyptus mulch to spread around each plant, for weed suppression and moisture conservation.
Time: Sunday 7 July 2019 Work: 0900 to 1230 (more…)
Red Hill Regenerators awarded $30,000 ACT Environment Grant
The Red Hill Regenerators applied to the ACT Government on 12 April 2019, for a grant of $30,000 to assist in a study entitled ‘The ecology and movement of ACT’s adult female Little Eagles“. This application was successful with the Regenerators being advised on 6 June 2019.
The application to the 2019-20 ACT Environment Grants program is here..
The letter of 6 June 2019 from Minister for Environment and Land Management Mick Gentleman to advise that the application was successful is here…
A brief description of the project is shown below: (more…)
Red Hill activity Wednesday 12 June 2019
Successful World Environment Day community tree planting Sunday 2 June 2019
The weather put on a beautiful clear sunny day for our planting event on Sunday 2 June, after a week of cold, wind and rain. This resulted in a huge turnout of 46 volunteers who made short work of the planting, fixing guards, watering and dragging massive quantities of Cootamundra Wattle cuttings to place around each group of plantings. (more…)
Red Hill Tree Planting Event for World Environment Day: Sunday 2 June 9am
To commemorate World Environment Day, you are invited to a tree planting event on Red Hill. We will be planting 200 small trees and shrubs to create understorey thickets to encourage biodiversity and small nesting birds to this area.
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Red Hill Activity Monday 20 May 2019
In place of our usual mid month activity on Red Hill, volunteers are invited to join our great ranger Martin Bajt to cut and transport cootamundra cuttings to a planting site on Red Hill in preparation for our World Environmental Day tree planting on Sunday 2 June 2019.
Time: Monday 20 May 2019 Work: 1200 to 1400 (more…)
Strategic Bushfire Management Plan – comments close 25 June 2019
The SBMPv4 has been developed in consultation with the ACT Bushfire Council, Bushfire Management Plan Committee, land managers within the Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate (including the developers of the latest Regional Fire Management Plan) and Emergency Services Agency staff. In addition to stakeholder consultation, the draft SBMPv4 has also been informed by direct feedback from the community as part of a comprehensive community consultation strategy. To date, more than 82 community members have shared their thoughts, values and expectations of bushfire management. (more…)