Birding at the Arboretum

bird watchingbird watching

One of the activities at the Euroa Arboretum is to follow the walking tracks and look out for the may types of birds at the Arboretum. This month BirdLlife Murray Goulburn visited and sighted a whopping 40 species!

I joined them on their 1.5 hr walk and as always, l’m so impressed by their bird knowledge and some members are able to identify by the calls and then the task is to get the binoculars out and sight the birds. I highly recommend joining this group is you are keen to know more about identifying birds.

Here’s a selection of birds: Red-rumped Parrot, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Yellow-rumped Honeyeater, Diamond Firetail, White-faced Heron, Rufous songlark and the list goes on. The group have listed all sightings into eBird (an online record of bird sightings), there’s a total 56 species of birds seen at the Arboretum. Perhaps you can add to this list after your visit!

Here’s a few tip for beginners:

  • pick-up the local Birding Brochure from the Euroa Hub (tourist and resident information centre), 50 Binney Street, Euroa.
    If you don’t have your own birding book, this is a handy local bird guide.
  • Go to the eBird website and print a checklist.
  • pack the binoculars and visit the Arboretum. Early morning and evening is a great time for birding but the group sighted these 40 birds between 10-11.30am.

Our Highlights Page links to the eBird page listing all birds at the Arboretum – we hope that you will get into birding at the Arboretum and add to the growing list.…

seedlings

Plant Order Reminder

seedlings

The Euroa Arboretum staff and volunteers are busy planting seeds and growing seedlings to fill orders for 2017.
If you haven’t already ordered plants for your property – you have until the end of February 2017.

This year we have an interactive order form. Simply download from our website, fill out your order on your computer, save and upload.

Order Plants

banksia seedling

Banksia Hunt

banksias
banksia seedling
banksia
banksia seedling
banksia

If you have Banksia trees on your property, it’s that time of year when self-seeded Banksias can be spotted.  l thought l’d share my experience over the past 3 years at my property in Marraweeney.

At the front of my property, there is a large section of Kangaroo Grass with a clump of Banksias. These were originally planted from seed collected by the Arboretum and originated along Harry’s Creek Road in Marraweeney.

Year 1

After a few months at the property, l discovered Banksia seedlings. They were left to their own devices and none survived.

Year 2

Found 7 Bankia seedlings and put guards around these. The one seedling surrounded by the guard made from wire, died. All others with green guards survived and are thriving. You can see this in the gallery of images.

Year 3

This week l found 70 Banksia seedlings and have put guards around these. You can see from the photo that if they all survive, l will have to thin them out.

I don’t water these and you can see from the original trees, that two have died. One during the last dry summer and one during this very wet winter.
From my experience, placing guards around the seedlings does work. It’s like a treasure hunt, so get out there and see what you can find at your property!…

Biodiversity Spring 2016 is here!

BDS16 poster_AIn fact it is so big this year that the program starts into Autumn. The first event off the blocks this year is Leon Costerman presenting The Strathbogies and surrounds: the geology and its influences on native vegetation on August. For those of you who have had Leon’s Native Trees and Shrubs of South-Eastern Australia on their bookshelf for years, here’s a chance to hear the man in person.

This year’s events include farm tours, wildflower and spotlight walks and nature photography.

Euroa Arboretum are proudly organising the program again this year for the GBCMA. Full details of all the events can be found on the website: www.biodiversityspring.wordpress.com . The calendar is updated weekly and notifications are made on Twitter #BioDivSpring.…

Signs of life

Golf anyone?
Golf anyone?

There are many ways to ‘grow back the bush’. You can plant individual groundcovers, understory shrubs and trees. You can light a fire (at the right time of the year) and maybe knock off the weeds as well as stimulate some of the seeds in the soil to germinate. If you have access to a grader and want to try something a bit more radical you can remove the high nitrogen/phosphorous layer of the soil as well as remove the weed seed layer by ‘scalping’ the top few centimetres of the landscape. At the Arb we are trying all these methods and more.

Checking the seed mix
Checking the seed mix

In winter a one hectare area at the Arb was scalped to a depth of 10 centimetres. In doing so we created an area befitting the 19th green of the Euroa golf course and formed a couple of mountains in the process. In August Rod White and Dave Franklin from Greening Australia sowed the site with about 60 species of native grass, herbs, lilies, daisies and peas.

Ups-a-daisy
Ups-a-daisy

Several months on it is interesting to see what has happened. Even after a dry winter and spring things are starting to grow. Daisies are identifiable, and the wallaby grasses are starting. Unfortunately, so is the Sweet Vernal grass and some Paspalum, but in such low numbers as to be easily identified and sprayed for control.

Now we just need some summer rain!…

The grass might be greener…

… on the other side but what type of grass is it? If you can’t tell your Phalaris from your Poas or even have trouble separating a native grass from an introduced species, this field day is for you.

Native and Pasture Grass Identification Field Day

When:  Thursday, 19 November, 9:00am

Where:  Merton Recreation Reserve (start), Merton/Gobur area

Information: click HERE

grass id 2015

Fancy a wildflower meadow in your backyard?

Find out how this Friday night (6 November) at the Flour Mill.

Clever Country Gardens dinner talk #4 is the last for the year. Come and hear Chris Findlay from Flora Victoria speak on how to create a wildflower garden in your own backyard.

Great food, great wine, great company and great entertainment

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Clever Country Gardens #3

With three days to spare the Winter edition of the Clever Country Gardens dinner talks will be held on Friday, 28 August 2015 at 6pm.

The topic is Children in Nature.

What are the benefits of children connecting with nature? How do you design a garden (of any size) to engage and interest kids? To answer those questions and more we have:

Emily Barrow –  Education Officer, Royal Botanical Gardens Victoria and Louise Costa – local garden designer (Avenel Primary School, Euroa Kindergarten)

This talk is a must for the young and the young-at-heart.

The event will be held at the Flour Mill, Kirkland Street, Euroa. The cost is $30 per person which includes a two course meal. Tickets can be purchased on this web-site or at The Hub, Binney Street, Euroa.

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