Native Plants for NSW -
October 2022
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Actinotus helianthi in the Illawarra (R Cartwright) |
From the President
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Dear {Contact_First_Name},
Well, the conference is over, and APS NSW doesn't need to host the conference again for 14 years. Phew!! We are delighted though that the whole conference and tours were so wonderfully received. Even the rain was mostly behaved, apart from a few tours!
Thank you to those who attended, thanks to those who supported the event as volunteers, including Leonie Hogue and her flower team, Harry Loots, our Treasurer, volunteers on the conference, tours and excursions and those who provided other support. And a special thanks to the team, who worked together for 3 years to make it all happen. See what they had to say below.
Heather Miles, President eNewsletter Contents:
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And we're done! Australian flora conference 2022
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The Australian Flora Conference 2022 - Past, Present & Future
10 to 16 September 2022, The Pavilion Kiama, NSW |
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School student panel (B Usher) |
The conference was a huge success with over 300 people attending from NSW, interstate and overseas. Heather Miles asked the team to share what they were most proud of and here is what they said:
The response from participants was universally positive with special congratulations for including children and young people in the program. Merle Thompson
The planning that we did as a team, allowed us to put on the conference and it generally went according to plan with only minor changes needed. Ralph Cartwright
The greatest highlight for me was Thursday with Costa and the school students. John Aitken
Despite all the uncertainty, we planned for, and delivered, as a team, a most positive conference that successfully delivered on its theme of Past, Present, Future. Sue Bowen
Most proud of the thoughtful planning by our Committee in terms of format and choice of speakers to make the conference as interactive as possible using fresh and up to date methodologies so that it was not the boring talk fest of bygone years, not just the same old same old but fresh and new. I felt that everyone was pleasantly surprised by that and commended the bravery of our choices. We were all aware that it could all go pie-shaped but we took the risk. Margaret Gaul
The positive vibes when talking to participants who were unaware of all the months of planning to ensure it ran so smoothly. Heather's idea of including young people to leave participants with a feeling of a future. Janice Hughes
Everything flowed smoothly, the speakers were interesting and informative and the participants mixed readily. It was so easy and informative to wander around and speak to people from different areas. John Desmond |
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Costa Georgiadis (B Usher) |
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Conference delegates (B Usher) |
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Hardenbergia violacea and Pultenaea cinerascens (R Cartwright) |
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Pilliga and Warrumbungles pre-tour report
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From the 4th-9th September, Ralph Cartwright (tour leader) and Dan Clarke (tour botanist) led a group of plant enthusiast delegates on the Pilliga and Warrumbungles pre-conference tour. Despite some last minute changes due to weather, the group discovered many interesting plants and enjoyed a variety of walks. Dan and Ralph have written an informative report on their tour so even if you weren't there, you too can enjoy the flora of the area. |
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Caladenia parva (R Cartwright) |
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ANPSA plant awards 2022
Since 1987 the ANPSA plant Award has been made in both professional and amateur categories. At the awards dinner on Tuesday September 13th 2022, Margaret Matthews, outgoing President of ANPSA, presented the Australian Plant Awards, to honour people who have made an outstanding contribution to the knowledge of Australian plants, whether members of the Society or not. For those members who were not present, we share with you her speech and information on the worthy recipients. This year, the Amateur Award is presented to David Pike from Western Australia and the Professional Award recipient is Judith Harvey, also from Western Australia. See Margaret's full speech here |
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Weren't able to get to the conference, or join us for the whole week? No worries!
We've posted some of the resources and information to browse at your own pace. More stories on the wonderful tours and talks will be available in the future. |
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For your diary
APS NSW get together in the Southern Highlands
When: 12-13 November 2022
Where: Exeter Village Hall, 10 Exeter Rd, Exeter NSW 2579
The Southern Highlands Group of APS NSW is hosting this year's weekend get-together.
They have organised a variety of exciting activities for the weekend, including talks from experts, garden visits and a plant sale on the Sunday.
This will be a popular event and registration is essential.
More event details including program, costs and how to register: here
The District Group Presidents/reps workshop is happening on the Friday evening, 11 November. For more information, please see here. RSVP essential. |
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Ku-ring-gai Wildflower Garden Walk & Talks
When: 9:45am Mondays Where: Ku-ring-gai Wildflower Gardens, 420 Mona Vale Rd, St Ives
Be guided by members of the North Shore Group of the Australian Plants Society on a walk in the Ku-ring-gai Wildflower Garden to see and learn about our wonderful native plants as they come into flower. Program for October includes: October 10 Monday 1pm Walk Only: West Mueller Track return
October 17 Monday Waratahs and other members of Family Proteaceae
October 24 Monday Callistemon, Kunzea and Melaleuca (Family Myrtaceae)
October 31 Monday Leptospermum and Baeckea (Family Myrtaceae)
More event details, including how to register here |
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Central Coast online plant sale
When: online, 3-12 October 2022
Where: austplants.com.au/central-coast-plant-sales
Limited stock. Purchase online to collect at Kariong between 10:30-12 noon on 15th October 2022. Full catalogue available on 3rd October 2022.
More details here |
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Bauera rubioides (L Godden) |
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Telopea speciosissima (L Godden) |
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Stony Range Spring Festival
When: 9am - 3pm Sunday 9th October 2022
Where: Stony Range Regional Botanic Garden, 810 Pittwater Rd, Dee Why
A day not to be missed at this oasis of Australian native plants in the heart of Dee Why. A renowned Northern Beaches event!
In conjunction with the volunteers from Stony Range, the local APS group will sell healthy native tube stock ready for planting. Expert cultivation advice available. You can also enjoy plant and photographic displays, live music, fun activities for children - face painting, treasure hunts, live native animals, native bees, bush café - coffee & homemade cakes, BBQ and a guided walk.
More event details here |
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Environmental Scorecard; How our Royal stacks up
When: 8pm, Wednesday 19th October 2022
Where: Gymea community centre hall, 39 Gymea Bay Rd, Gymea
Dr Cristian Gabriel Orlando joins the Sutherland district group meeting to discuss the Park's current state.
Dr Orlando is a postdoctoral researcher studying animal behaviour and conservation at the University of Sydney.
More event details here |
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And finally, don't forget there is a full listing of all APS NSW events including district groups on our website here |
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Parramatta and Hills 50th Anniversary |
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Celebratory cake by Pip Gibian and Jean Wright (H Loots) |
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On the 24th September 2022, the Parramatta and Hills district group came together for a lunch to celebrate their 50th Anniversary.
Fifty years ago Pauline de Vana worked hard to establish a Group of the Society for Growing Australian Plants, as the Australian Plants Society was then known, in The Hills. The first meeting in August was attended by 41 people. As a result, a very enthusiastic group was formed which immediately began to organize and participate in the activities which the Group still undertakes today – garden visits, bushwalks, workshops in propagating and growing Australian plants, plant sales, trips away to see public and private native gardens and special bushland reserves, advocating for conservation of threatened and endangered species and meetings with invited speakers to learn more about Australian plants and plant communities. At the celebration, Brian Roach gave a talk reflecting on memories over the group's history. Harry Loots wrote a report on the celebrations. |
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A reader recently asked for advice on growing Western Australian eucalypts in Sydney. Jeff Howes put on his thinking cap and came up with eight tips. |
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Love a beautiful banksia, but no room for the iconic Banksia integrifolia, or Coast Banksia, which can grow to 15 metres? Well, never fear. New cultivars of dwarf banksias are increasingly coming onto the market to delight all gardeners! Karlo Taliana shares with us information on the different plants available for your space. |
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E calophylla var ficifolia (J Howes) |
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Metallic green carpenter bee on Bossiaea heterophylla (L Godden) |
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Recently, our conservation officer Dan Clarke has taken action on a number of environmental issues.
He wrote a letter endorsed by the board to the Minister for the Environment and Heritage, The Honorable James Griffin, MP about a pollution incident in Camp Creek Gully in the Royal National Park. He also submitted an objection on the proposed inland rail project which will impact 1800 hectares in the Pilliga State Conservation Area and associated bushland.
If you've seen an issue that you'd like to speak up about, you're welcome to contact us to discuss what action we might be able to support you with.
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While many of us realise conserving native plants helps conserve native flora, the reverse is also true, particularly when it comes to native bees. Peter Geelan-Small highlights a fascinating article about the relationship between native bees and our flora. |
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Colo River map (coloriver.com.au/map) |
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At the August meeting of the North Shore District Group, Diedree Noss gave a most informative and interesting talk on the group, Friends of the Colo (FOC) The Colo River begins at the confluence of the Wolgan River and the Capertee Rivers, north of Lithgow. The river flows eastwards and then south through a deep gorge in the northern Blue Mountains and ultimately ends at the point at which it flows into the Hawkesbury River at Lower Portland. The river flows through parts of the Blue Mountains National Park which is a designated World Heritage Area. Friends of Colo are an “adventure conservation” group going into remote areas. Read on to find out what that means. |
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Pea flowers of the Georges River National Park |
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Karlo Taliana is a member of APS East Hills Group. He spends a lot of time walking around the Picnic Point area where some of the greatest general flora diversity exists locally. Each year, our local pea flowers decorate the bush with a variety of colours while also providing a valuable food source for insects. As the seasons roll by, each species steps forward on cue followed by others when their turn arrives often avoiding competition for pollinators. From my observations, pea flower regeneration in our local bushland appears to be highly successful judging by the number of heavily-pollinated specimens. Karlo has written a report on the species he sees locally. |
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Dillwynia retorta (K Taliana) |
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Final words..
Tip from Jeff Howes; Jeff has just finished a great book titled 'Soil The incredible story of what keeps the earth and us healthy' written by Mathew Evans and published by Murdoch Books in 2021.
One of many great quotes from this book is 'Worms are the ultimate visible soil builders, capable of dissolving rock, feeding plants, digesting dead matter and aerating soil'. Well worth a read! |
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