Natural Resources Conservation League

NRCL IS ON THE MOVE!

NRCL Staff are buzzing with excitement with the upcoming relocation scheduled for October 2008 to one of Warburton's landmark buildings, the Warburton Waterwheel. This new location will allow us to be open 7 days a week, enabling our teachers to not only provide wonderful programs for school students, but be able to branch into eco tours for the general public wanting to learn more about the environment, and also expand our Museum!

Arbor Week 23-29 June 2008

Arbor week started off with a bang at the inaugural launch at the Melbourne Museum. Richard Anderson from NRCL opened proceedings and we were very grateful to have the late Kevin Heinz in attendance, giving a very inspiring speech to all adults and students who attended. Also warmly welcomed was Aaron Richards and Kylie Smith from Totally Wild who judged our amazing entries for the 2009 poster competition, Paul Crowe and Michael Crutchfield who also spoke of what we can all do to help Victoria repair. A select few students from Warburton, Carlton and Port Fairy Primary's attended and provided some fantastic presentations on what their particular schools have been doing to help their local environment. The children were a credit to their schools! All were then treated to morning tea, and some fantastic activities organized by the Museum. A big thank you Luke Simpkin from Melbourne Museum and to all who assisted on this fun filled morning.

Vanderbilt University

NRCL welcomed staff and students from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee in May. An Australian tour was undertaken by a small environmental group and hosted by Bob Hatchley from Melbourne University, and our very own Peter Attiwill. Some of our staff were lucky enough to join the Vanderbilt students on a tour through our beautiful catchment areas, directed by Jack Snodgrass from Melbourne Water. Jack provided us all with a wealth of information about our rich and diverse Mountain Ash catchments, and some sights only privy to the lucky few. We also visited the fire tower on Mt StLeonard for a view second to none for those brave enough (and fit enough) to climb the 200m to the top!

The Vanderbilt students also joined the charismatic Trish Grant from Melbourne Water to do some water testing and macroinvertibrate investigation at the Yellingbo Nature Reserve, a planting session with students from Lilydale Secondary College, a tour with Bruce Tardiff from Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater and then a tour of Mt Donna Buang Summit and Rainforest Gallery with staff from NRCL. All in all it was a couple of days full of information shared, laughs and friendships made.

Meet the Staff

Our individual teachers hold a range of qualifications and share experiences from relevant fields, including education, training, environmental science, biology, ecology, park management, environmental management, natural resource management, land management, fire control, horticulture, conservation volunteering, weed control, land rehabilitation, weather observation, animal science, wildlife care, and first aid. Over the coming months, see page 2 of our newsletter to get up close and personal with some of our staff.

National Water Week-19th to 25th October 2008

During National Water week, NRCL are offering unique programs for Primary and Secondary students. Secondary students are able to attend our 'Catchment' program based at the beautiful Upper Yarra Reservoir and Peninsula Tunnels or our 'Water For Life' program based on the magnificent Yarra and surrounding forests-including the Rainforest Gallery! Primary students can either take part in our 'Water for Life' excursion, or the new and exciting 'Top Up Your Tank' incursions. There are two 'Top Up' programs available; the first focusing on being Water Wise at your school, and the second aiming at educating the kids to do the same at home.

All of our programs are VELS and Primary Connections based, thus enabling you as the teacher to provide a greater learning experience, but staying within the set guidelines. Dates are booking fast, so call us on: (03) 5966 5822 or email us at education@nrcl.org.au to secure your spot!

What's happening in the bush?

What does Spring mean to you? Spring to me is the start of new life, the freshness of the morning dew and the warmth of the sun on my back... The excitement of knowing that the days are getting longer, and new life is 'springing forth' in the bush.

Spring is a time of colour, and thus an amazing time to visit our beautiful surroundings. Why not come to Warburton, the stunning Yarra River, Mt Donna Buang and our amazing pristine Rainforest Gallery this spring to experience what we at NRCL are privileged to have as part of our everyday lives.

Why are platypus sometimes in need of emergency care?

Platypus typically spend their entire lives in or within a few metres of water. They are rarely seen on land for any length of time, though it is be no means uncommon for the animals to spend a few moments grooming their fur while resting at the water's edge.

As well, platypus are sometimes discovered a kilometer or more from the nearest natural water body in completely inappropriate settings. This is especially likely to occur in late summer or early autumn, when many juveniles set out to find their own home ranges. As a result, young platypus have been know to end up in all sorts of strange places—suburban gardens, ploughed fields, chlorinated swimming pools, and the middle of roads.

Adults my also be displaced from their homes by catastrophic events such as droughts, floods, or habitat destruction caused by inappropriate human activities.

In addition, platypus are sometimes found lying near the edge of a waterway after being injured by a predator (such as a fox or wandering dog or cat) or becoming entangled in litter.

Platypus are also quite often caught by anglers using either artificial lures or baited hooks. Most typically, a platypus will be hooked through its bill or the webbing on a front foot.

When such a situation arises, it is essential that the platypus be freed from the hook before it is released, particularly if the hook is in the bill. The platypus bill is fleshy and sensitive, packed with thousands of sensory receptors needed to navigate underwater and find and capture prey. Hence, simply cutting the line and leaving the hook in the bill is likely to result in a slow and painful dearth for the animal concerned—from infection and/or starvation.

All information provided in this section, is with complements from the Australian Platypus Conservancy. For more information feel free to contact: Australian Platypus Conservancy, PO Box 22, Wiseleigh VIC 3885
Phone: (03) 5157 5568
Email: platypus.apc@westnet.com.au
Web: www.platypus.asn.au

Flora of the Month

The Tasman Flax Lily (Dianella tasmanica) forms a large robust clump which my be up to 1.5 mtrs high and 2 mtrs across, although it may spread even further via its rhizomes. The leaves are tough, dark-green, folded at the base, with long narrow serrations on the leaf edges and underneath the midvein. The leaves can reach a metre long and 4cm wide. The real beauty of the Tasman Flax Lily becomes apparent in spring and early summer, when it produces large numbers of star shaped blue flowers with six yellow stamens, hanging from tall stems that may rise to 1.5 mtrs. In late summer these are followed by large violet berries. You will see this plant in abundance on our Alpine Walk at Mt Donna Buang.

Resource: Sherbrooke Forest-its flora and history, by Friends of Sherbrooke Forest Inc.

Fauna of the Month

The Agile Antechinus or Antechinus agilis is a mainly nocturnal mammal, that lives in wet or moist forest and woodland. They build nests with leaves and bark in hollow tree trunks. The are very fast and efficient climbers, so if you blink you will miss them! They mainly eat small insects and pollen-and appear to love Anzac cookie mix!- Just ask Janine and Sam! They are grayish/brown with little pink feet and have amazing big black/brown eyes. They love to have munch on your finger with their very sharp teeth, but usually would not break the skin. Mating season is from Mid August to late September. After the young are born, unfortunately the males seem to die off rather quickly due to undernourishment and over-exertion during the mating season! Poor little fella!

Poster Competition

Big thank you and congratulations to all who entered our Arbor Week poster competition. The entries were all fantastic, and a very hard decision had to be made by Aaron Richards and Kylie Smith from Totally Wild for the winning entries. 2nd Runner up was Jordan Tremellen from Altona Green Primary, 1st Runner up was Roardt Koch from St Pauls Anglican Grammar in Traralgon, and the Winning entry was Michaela Freeman from Sacred Heart School in Croydon! Well done Michaelam and you can look forward to having your artwork plastered around everywhere next year to promote Arbor Week! Please go to our website to view the winning posters.