2008

Land for Wildlife Newsletter for December 2008

• Workshops: Habitat Creation and Bird Identification
• Trees: Trees under Stress
• Lerps: by Entemologist Chris Palmer
• Goannas: Why are they so common in Australia?
  

Land for Wildlife Newsletter for September 2008

• Wildlife Corridors: Their role in maintaining biodiversity
• Couch: Eradicating couch from your block
• Fauna profile: Processionary caterpillars
• Property Profile: Alice Springs Airport
  

Land for Wildlife Newsletter for June 2008

• Workshops: Erosion and Wildcare
  

• Seed Collectiong and Propagation: Mulga and Witchetty Bush
  

• Jessie the Enviro-cat: Responsible Cat Ownership

• Termites: Friend or Foe? 

Land for Wildlife Newsletter for Feb 2008

• Local Conservation Incentives - MacDonnell Ranges HOTSPOTS Programme

• Land for Wildlife Biodiversity Survey - A pilot biodiversity study aimed at enhancing LfW member knowledge in property self assessment methods.

• Australian Desert Ants - Learning, memory and cognition

• Workshops - Weed and Landscape Management Plans and Bat

2007

Land for Wildlife Newsletter for December 2007

• Workshops – National Tree Day, Bats and the Weed and Landscape Management Plan.

• Mistletoe in Alice Springs – friend or foe, mistletoe seeds, identifying mistletoe and more.

• Problems with Pests – development of genetic resistance to Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease in wild rabbits.

• What are Cryptogams (soil crusts)? – their ecological significance and roles in soil formation and soil stabilisation.

Land for Wildlife Newsletter for June 2007

• Garden for Wildlife launch – Garden for Wildlife is a valuable community program for wildlife conservation.

• Biodiversity in soils and leaf litter - The soil and leaf litter world is teeming with a great variety and number of living creatures. The interactions within the community of soil and leaf litter organisms help maintain soil fertility and structure.

• Protecting our Wildlife: Responsible Pet Ownership - The health of our environment relies on the harmonious inter-relationship of all species within a given habitat. With good pet management and public awareness the needs of domestic and native animals can both be met.

• The importance of Private Land for Wildlife Conservation.

• Golden Orb Spider – a profile on this 8-legged specimen.

• Wildlife Calendar - Seed eaters make the most of the “Boom Time”.

• Property Profile – Toyne Property.

• Workshops –  Bat night highlights, bat box designs and the Weed and Landscape Management Plan Workshops.

• Rains are welcome….. but not the weeds! Recent rains have provided an excellent opportunity for you to work in your garden or rural block.

• Rabbit Calicivirus Release – an update

• Climate Change – ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ out on DVD, plus prepare for climate change invaders; Australia should take urgent steps to prepare for fresh invasions of pests under climate change.

• Frogs – What frog creates that croak? Identifying frogs by their sound.

• Mulga Ants Polyrhachis macropus – why the funnel-shaped nest?

• Macropods – Red Kangaroos, Euros and Black-footed Rock-wallabies.

2006

• How to make an Eco Friendly Planter Tube 

• Weed Profile : Wild Turnip Brassica tournefortii – description, how it spreads and how to control it.

• Problems with Pests: Rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus – biology, what can be done and what you can do.

• Update on Big Headed Ants Pheidole megacephala in Ilparpa.

• Photo Competition Winners.

• Flora Profile - Plants around at the moment

• Fauna Profile – Red-tailed Black cockatoos Calyptorhynchus banksii. The Red-tailed Black Cockatoo is a magnificent cockatoo widely distributed throughout Australia.

• Weed Profile - Beat that Couch Cynodon dactylon! Do you have a problem with Couch? If horses have ever been kept on your block, this may apply to you. How it spreads, description and how to control it.

• Feral cat solutions – what can I do?

• Spotted Turtle Doves   - Feral doves compete with native birds, and in some areas have all but replaced them. We can all help to prevent this from happening by watching out for Spotted Turtle Doves.

• Got an ant problem? – Ants driving you crazy? Some helpful tips.

• Frogs at risk – Research article; Does Roundup kill frogs?

2005

2004

• How to ID those Soaring Birds – Black-breasted Buzzard, Black Kite, Black-shouldered Kite, Brown Falcon, Little Eagle, Nankeen Kestrel, Wedge-tailed Eagle.

• Spotlight on Introducing the Sociable Little Zebra Finch Taeniopygia guttata – food, courtship and mating, nesting, breeding, social activities

• Buffel Grass Update - Vacuuming the seed stock and the dry seed heads is what has come to mind this time.

• Watch out for The Big Headed Ant Pheidole megacephala – invading behind the scenes.

• Bush Tucker on Your Property – the Bush Banana Marsdenia australis

• Spotlight on Wild Flowers - Keep your eyes out for some of these wildflowers around your block or when you are out bush until late September.

• Fire Break tips to remember - During the cooler months it is a good time to make sure that your firebreak is in tip top condition ready for the hot summer months.

• The Burrowing Frog – How does the Burrowing Frog stay toned? Can a frog that is known to bury itself in mud for months on end hold the key both to avoiding muscle wastage in people AND provide natural ways of optimising muscle production from cattle, sheep pigs and goats?

• Spotlight on A few ants to get you excited – Bull ant, Sugar ant, Meat ant, Big Headed ant.

• Bush Medicine - If you are ever feeling a bit fluey or have a headache look no further than Eremophilla freelingii.  A decoction of the leaves is either drunk for the relief of headaches and chest pains or as a wash for sores.

• Mexican Poppy Argemone ochroleuca is a declared noxious weed which was recorded as being naturalised in NSW in 1845. It now occurs in all Australian states and territories.

• Watch out for the Rainbow Bee Eater Merops ornatus - The Rainbow Bee Eater is making its way across the continent at the moment and you will often see them sitting with at least one other mate, never alone.

• Lower Todd Land Care Group is progressing well with incorporation, NHT funding, sacred site clearance and several productive working bees to control Buffel Grass around significant River Red Gums. Contact Michelle and Nick Smail at the Camel Farm.

• Buffel Grass Control – physical removal, spraying, slashing/mowing, reducing seed bank, burning

• LfWers – Land for Wildlife Members

• Watch for the Thorny Devil Moloch horridus and the Short-beaked Echidna Tachyglossus aculeatus – where to find them, eating, scats and tracks, drinkin and behaviour.

2003

• Watch out for the Kapok Bush Aerva javanica - This attractive, introduced species was sold in nurseries for landscaping gardens over the last 10 or more years. It has previously been employed in land rehabilitation programs but is now classed as a weed.

• Spotlight on Tree Frogs of the Alice Region – Desert Tree Frog and the Centralian Green Tree Frog.

• Photo Monitoring Techniques - why photo monitoring, creating consistent monitoring photos, how often to photograph and other interesting information to collect.

• Battling Buffel Grass -  identification, life cycle, control methods, dry times and the future.

• Buffel Grass Removal Fork Design – make your own buffel-removing fork.

• Fire: the Burning Issues - permits, preparation and penalties.

• Watch out for Winter Weed Rosy Dock Acetosa vesicaria - This is the time of year for the germination of the introduced Rosy Dock.  It is also commonly referred to as: Ruby Dock, Wild Hops and Afghan Lettuce.

• Cat Trapping Progress - The Cat Trapping and Feral Cat Diet Analysis Project, funded by the Natural Heritage Trust through the Council's Nature Conservation Grants is proving successful in reducing the cat population of Ilparpa Valley.

• Spotlight on Echidna Tachyglossus aculeatus.

• 'Reptiles and Frogs of Alice Springs' Booklet Launch at the Silver Bullet

• Soil Conservation with Col Stanton: On the Zadow's Block.

• Watch out for Mossman River Grass Cenchrus echinatus – Description and control of this weed.

• Spotlight on Black-footed Rock-wallabies Petrogale lateralis- Around Alice Springs we are very lucky to have healthy populations of the nationally threatened Black-footed Rock-wallaby.

• Land Clearing - New native vegetation clearing controls apply to properties two hectares or greater in size where more than one hectare of Native Vegetation.

• Watch out for Caltrop Tribulus terrestris – its origin, distribution, habitat and control

• Bush Tucker – do you have bush tucker on your property?

• Spotlight on The Beauty of Tree Habitats - Tree habitats are important to many insects and animals. By looking after trees, both young and old on your property, you are helping to provide and maintain important habitat for numerous creatures.

• Eremophila and Pollinators - Eremophilas are not only adapted to their arid/semi-arid environment but are also adapted to specific pollinators, which is perhaps one of the reasons why so few fruits found in garden situations contain viable seed.

• Seed Collection - When revegetating your property careful consideration should be given to those plants that are chosen. It is best to choose plants that are locally native, those that are naturally occurring within a given region.

• Road Drainage – An effective way to control run-off and erosion on a road/driveway, is through the construction of a 'Whoa Boy' or water diversion mound.

Alice Springs LfWers Buffel Grass Removal fork.

Land For Wildlife and

Garden for Wildlife Coordinator

Low Ecological Services P/L

PO Box 3130, (Lot 1858 Isotoma Road)

Alice Springs NT 0871, Australia

Ph: (08) 89 555 222 Fax: (08) 89 555 722

Mb: Bill 041 787 0868,

Email: LFW@lowecol.com.au

Web: www.LowEcol.com.au