New Entry on the species list for plants found at Bindaree Bush

MORE REGENERATION AND SOME WEED CONTROL

  Here it is September already.  There has been plenty of rain and a few warm days,  Time for those plants that are specially adapted to survive bush fires to show us all how its done.

 Here are a few pictures including one of a lonely spider orchid found in the tracks of the fire break put in to isolate the fire.

SOme spraying has been done of the track through the reserve and the outside edges to reduce seed load from the weeds for next year.  A lot of wild gladioli bulbs were dug up.

The monitoring is continuing of the two quadrants - one in the burnt area and one in the unburnt.
                                                          
                                                                 SPIDER ORCHID bindaree bush

Beginnings of Regeneration

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scaevola canesens

  Its six weeks since the fire and in spite of a complete lack of any rain there are signs of growth.  Here are some pictures - a close up of the plant and then the plant in context.

Fire

These pictures were taken the day after the fire which was believed started deliberately with another fire started in the reed beds of the lake on the Eastern side.  I walked through the burnt out section of the reed beds and picked up over 40 burnt golf balls.  Must be used as a practice range from time to time.  Hope they yelled "FORE" before they belted the ball.

 Native plants can cope with the occasional fire  and fire is an essential part of the reproductive cycle of some plant species.  There seems to be no policy on fire in bush forever sites other than to react vigorously to put out any  started by arsonists or lightning.  To do this often a bobcat or bulldozer is used to clear a fire break.  The fire break then becomes a new route for weeds and bush walkers to enter the bush causing further degradation.  Disturbance of the soil takes many years to repair if it ever does in this low rainfall climate.  A better policy could be adopted with the needs of the bush plants as the main criteria.

If we got a dollar for every flower?

                         SPRING WORKDAY

                                      

       September 30th turned out a good day for weeding - the gladioli cooperated in the damp soil by giving up their bulbs when pulled out.  I am pictured holding the bag which had been filled by one of our keen members with help from our next generation of conservationists.

A new species for the list of plants.  Its a very modest little flower that is easily missed but has added to the 84 species now known to be present in Bindaree Bush.

                                                      Lagenophora huegelii

The picture is on its side and there isn't an option to rotate it however you get the idea.                                      



    
                                         

2012 wildflower season

2012 has been a particularly good year with steady rains without any prolonged dry spells early in the season when young plants are  sensitive to drying out.  Spotted our single specimen of blue fairy orchid and what I think is several juvenile plants close by.  Removal f the South African veldt grass is having results.

Here is what I think is a picture of contrasts- the deep blue of the the vigorous Hardenburgia comptoniana against the delicate structure of the Davesia sp. 

Toadstool growing on a banksia log