Native Plants for NSW -
December 2022
|
|
|
|
|
Ceratopetalum gummiferum (L Godden) |
From the President
|
Dear {Contact_First_Name},
What a busy year we have had - a conference, three state level gatherings, a four-day trip to the Central West to visit farmers undertaking regen agriculture, and a plethora of district group meetings, bushwalks and bushcare activities. This all happened against the backdrop of the ongoing uncertainties created by COVID-19 and its relatives.
As we come to the end of the year, I would like to thank you all for your passion for native plants. Despite the many threats and issues we face, there appears to be a groundswell of interest in native plants across all levels of society, an interest I know we all wish to nurture. I hope you all have a lovely break with family and friends.
Heather Miles, President
eNewsletter Contents:
|
|
|
Australian flora conference 2022 resources
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We couldn't help it, just a few more!
We have a few more wonderful conference videos to share with you, including keynote speakers, chatrooms and a talk by Peter Olde OAM
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dobbs Drift botanizing (C Lil) |
Blue Mountains flora tour report (5th-9th Sept 2022)
|
This tour ran from Monday 5th to Friday 9th September 2022, as part of the Australian flora conference (ANPSA). The weather gods were especially kind to our group during this time as it stayed completely fine for the full five days, even though it had rained constantly in the months before the tour and has continued to do so almost daily since!
It was a tour of wonderful contrasts - majestic mountains and expansive valleys; towering Eucalypts and exquisitely tiny orchids; ancient aboriginal culture and the pathways of European explorers; windswept sandstone rock formations and hanging swamps and damp fern-lined tracks with waterfall views. A World Heritage area of amazing beauty and biodiversity and the remnants of an industrial past in coal mining and power generation. It was more than just a plant tour, it was the embodiment of the conference themes – Past, Present and Future.
Lynne Bruce and Merle Thompson have written a comprehensive report on the tour, along with some beautiful photos.
|
|
|
|
|
A holiday from events..
As we move into the holiday season, all our district groups are having their Christmas get-togethers and other special events are winding down. The newsletter events section is taking a holiday break too and we'll be back in the new year with 2023 events for you.
We would love you to share photos from your district group Christmas celebrations with us, to publish in future newsletters. Email any photos you'd like to share to: enewsletter@austplants.com.au |
|
|
And finally, don't forget there is a full listing of all APS NSW events including district groups on our website here |
|
|
Stony Range Regional Botanic Garden of Australian Bushland, situated in Dee Why, recently held its Spring Festival after a lapse of two years due to Covid, when it was able to celebrate 61 years since its official opening in 1961. Stony Range, as its name implies, is a Reserve of 3 hectares with hard surface paths and bush tracks meandering among amazing Hawkesbury Sandstone outcrops. Read on to find out more about the open day and see some photos. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dendrophthoe vitellina (L Godden) |
As we move into Christmas, the Mistletoes are flowering. We're talking about the Australian species, not the traditional Christmas Mistletoe (so no need to claim a kiss when you walk under one) This reminded us of a Sutherland district group talk from this time last year given by Peter Vaughn on propagating Mistletoes in our own gardens. The talk was by zoom and recorded, so you can catch up on these fascinating plants and how to grow them here There's also a wonderful podcast and more information on Mistletoes on the Royal Botanic Gardens page here And... following on from the Eremophila study group story last month, this month there was a feature on a magnificent Eremophila garden on ABC's Gardening Australia. Watch the segment here |
|
|
|
|
View of Mount Gibraltar from Bowral (J Lemann) |
At the APS gathering in November 2022, Jane Lemann shard her work as a Volunteer Bush Regenerator at Mt Gibraltar Heritage Reserve.
The Reserve is part of the Gundungurra lands and we acknowledge indigenous custodians past, present and future. This public Reserve belongs to all our community and is managed through the Wingecarribee Shire Council.
Mount Gibraltar is 863 m high situated between Bowral and Mittagong. See the story for an insight into the bush regeneration activities helping to preserve and restore Mt Gibraltar. |
|
|
|
|
Dan Clarke has been writing up a storm, putting forward important submissions on the raising of Warragamba Dam as well as to express support for adding areas to the Heritage Estate in the Blue Mountains. Read his submissions on our page. |
|
|
|
|
|
Warragambah spillway © State of New South Wales through WaterNSW |
|
|
|
|
Banksia ericifolia (A Fairley) |
|
Plant seeds contain more than just an embryonic plant and a food reserve. Perhaps surprisingly, they also contain microbes - fungi and bacteria - that may promote plant growth. Knowing more about these microbes could increase the success of native revegetation projects. Peter Geelan-Small gives us a summary of an interesting article originally published on the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney website. |
|
|
|
|
Southern Highlands get-together - Rain and Shine! |
|
|
|
|
Kunzea parvifolia, by the side of the road (H Miles) |
|
|
Thank you to the Southern Highlands group for hosting us at the recent get-together. The weather was sunny on the Saturday, and then drenching the rest of the time. Still, we all had a very enjoyable time. The bush was alive with wildflowers – potentially delayed in their flowering due to the rain and cooler weather. But this Kunzea growing by the side of the road, in mass, was magnificent. Heather Miles shares the highlights of the trip, along with some gorgeous photos. |
|
|
|
|
Centennial Parklands- an oasis for Sydneysiders |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Centennial Parklands, in the middle of the eastern suburbs of Sydney, is considered the ‘lungs’ of Sydney.
Standing on Gadigal land, and originally a swamp, it was set aside early in colonial history as land for water source and then as a public park. It opened in 1888.
Sir Henry Parkes’ vision was to create a ‘People’s Park’ in which the citizens of Sydney could ‘take in the air’ away from the Sydney town centre. This vision is alive and well, with the park receiving over 30 million visitors a year.
|
|
|
|
|
Verna Aslin shares updates from the ANPSA study groups August - November 2022. See what Dryandra, Australian Food Plants, Eremophila, Ferns and Hakea groups have been up to. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Final words... Bruce Usher graciously offered to photograph part of the Australian flora conference in September and then had this article published in the magazine Camera, about photographing Costa. Read the article here. |
|
|
|
|
|
