Red Hill Regeneration Group

For Park Care volunteers who contribute their time and labour in our Nature Reserves, the ACT Invasive Plants Plan 2020-25 provides a very useful and interesting theoretical underpinning for this conservation work. 
Buried at the back of this Plan is information on past and future budgets.  This shows that, over the last decade, funding has swung wildly between about $3m in 2010-11 to under $1m in 2015-16.  It seems to have settled on about $1.5m over the last three years, with the same level of funding projected up to 2025.
There is no discussion in the Plan regarding what level of funding will achieve what outcome, resulting in the suggestion that the level of funding probably bears no relationship to the level of demand or desired outcome.
Perhaps this is an issue that ParkCare volunteers could usefully raise with the newly elected and increased cohort of ACT Greens MLAs.
To read the Plan, click here…

We’ll be holding the RHR AGM at the next activity on 1 November 2020.  The notice of meeting and other details are attached. 
Please note that, although we have nominations for the key positions, we want to spread the load a little and are asking members to consider taking on some roles.  A number of these are not onerous.  So, if you have any interest, please get in touch.  See the attachments for details.  
We will also be proposing some changes to our governing rules at the AGM.  
It was a delightful day for Sunday’s activity on 4 October 2020, and it was pleasing to see such a large number of enthusiastic members getting stuck into the weeds. We also enjoyed seeing the Little Eagle floating by, coping with the attention of a number of magpies – plus seeing a large moth larva that was found when one of our larger woody weeds was despatched.  Probably a cossid moth http://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/coss/encalypti.html
Regards
Ross Kingsland President

You are invited to attend our next  working bee on Red Hill.  We are now permitted to work as a group of up to 100 volunteers on Red Hill, providing that Covid19 precautions are followed (see below). This work activity will focus on removing African Love Grass and maintenance of our recent plantings. (more…)

Red Hill Regenerators have been closely engaged with an ongoing citizen science project to identify Gang gang breeding sites and behaviour. This work will lead to improved conservation management practice for this iconic species.

The ANU is seeking a PhD student to help guide research design and data analysis on further study into the resource requirements and movement patterns of Gang-gangs across the ACT region. A major knowledge gap, that has critical implications for land management of habitats in the ACT and nationally, is understanding how Gang-gang breeding behaviour varies across ecoregions and land uses; particularly between urban, rural, and reserved landscapes. More information about this project can be found here.

Results from earlier work will be published in the December 2020 edition of Canberra Bird Notes.

Those interested in helping with this project should contact Michael.Mulvaney@act.gov.au 

Residents neighbouring Section 57 Hughes received notification on 27 July 2020 stating that five trees nominated for the ACT Tree Register have now moved from the ACT Provisional Tree Register to the permanent ACT Tree Register.  
Here is a copy of the letter and location photos.     You can also see the listing on the ACT Tree Register at https://www.cityservices.act.gov.au/trees-and-nature/trees/act_tree_register/registered_trees
The listing is only under Deakin, but it mentions Section 57 Hughes (the five trees are on the boundary between three sections). 

The trees are remnant hollow-bearing Blakely’s red gums and separate from the ACT Provisional Tree Register listing for the heritage shelter belt plantings on Sections 57 and 58 Hughes (https://www.cityservices.act.gov.au/trees-and-nature/trees/act_tree_register/provisionally_registered_trees).

The Red Hill Regenerators have been involved in the Little Eagle Project through the award of a $30,000 grant in 2019. More information can now be found here and via the Little Eagle Research Facebook Group.