Sunday 31 July, 9am – 12pm

Plant shrubs and grasses to improve the habitat for wrens

and robins and help beautify Blackman Park. Help con-

nect the bushland of Lovetts Reserve and Ventemans

Reach for local wildlife along the riverbanks.

Meet near the turning circle at the end of Lloyd Rees

Drive. Bring your gloves!

Bush Secrets Nature Walk

Saturday 13 August 10am - 12pm

RSVP by 10 August

Bookings: Lane Cove Council on 9911 3583

Discover bush foods, handy bush medicines and much more

about the Cameraygal people on a bushwalk with our indige-

nous guide. Bring a snack and a mug per person.

What’s

on: U

pcom

ing E

vents

"How to Start a Community Garden"

Saturday 13 August, 2 - 4pm

Bookings: Angela Dunnett 9879 9460 Permaculture Sydney

North

Ecological Benefits of Hazard Reduction Burning

Thursday 25 August, 10am - 12:30pm

RSVP by 22 August

Bookings: Meg Covey on 9777 7710

Fauna Fair

Sunday 21 August, 10am - 3pm

Location: Cnr of McClelland Street and Fourth Avenue,

Willoughby

Introduction to Bushcare workshop

Saturday 27th August; 1—4pm

Bookings: 99113583, Lane Cove Council

A valuable workshop for our newer Bushcare volunteers.

Learn theory behind bush regeneration, practice identifying

common native plants and look-alike weeds, and enjoy a

short bushwalk.

Postage

Paid

Australia

If undelivered, please return to

Bushcare Co-ordinator, PO Box 20

LANE COVE NSW 1595

Contributions to this newsletter are gratefully received, please contact the Bushcare Co-ordinator below. Email

versions of this newsletter are also available if preferred.

Printed on 100% recycled paper.

Lane Cove Bushcare Co-ordinator

Ph: 02 9911 3579

Fax: 02 9911 3600

48 Longueville Rd Lane Cove

Mobile: 0432 133 777

www.lanecove.nsw.gov.au/bushcare

Email: bushcare@lanecove.nsw.gov.au

Keep up to date with Bushcare activities: www.lanecove.nsw.gov.au/bushcare

National Tree Day

Blackman Park

Backyard Habitat Update

1

Feral Fauna

2

Weed to Watch

2

Truffles

3

What’s on: Upcoming Events

4

Inside this issue:

The Backyard Habitat Program is back in full swing. The weather condi-

tions have been great for planting and it’s been a pleasure to distribute

hundreds of free native plants to registered participants.

The Lane Cove Council Community Nursery has a fantastic range of

plants in stock at the moment, perfect for creating those layers of vegeta-

tion vital for an effective habitat garden.

We have recently received some statistics from a PhD student who is

conducting a study on wildlife gardening. The study has revealed that

creating native habitat gardens has a substantial increase in desired

fauna being attracted back to urban areas, particularly medium to large

birds, possums, frogs and lizards.

The study also revealed that a minimal number of small birds have been

recorded in people’s wildlife gardens, which reflects the worrying trend of

the decline in small birds throughout the Sydney

region, and in fact all over Australia. Small birds

such as the White-Browed Scrub-Wren, Blue

Fairy-Wren, Eastern Yellow Robin, Eastern

Spinebill and of course the Golden Whistler have

all been recorded in reserves of the Lane Cove

region. These beautiful birds are all in danger of

being out- competed through lack of habitat and

then disappearing from our area forever.

Creating a thick understory of shrubs, groundcovers and ferns and plant-

ing spiky shrubs such as Hakea and some species of Acacia is an excel-

lent way to provide much needed habitat for these little guys.

Of course it’s not all about the small birds, there have

been several local sightings of our biggest bird, the

Powerful Owl, including this wonderful photo taken by

Ray Kearney in Bushland Park. It is currently the

breeding season for these majestic birds and as they

are listed as Vulnerable in NSW it is very important to

report any sightings. Birds Australia is currently run-

ning a special project through their Birds in Backyard

program to record Powerful Owl numbers and is look-

ing to the community for help. For more info go to:

ww

w.b

ird

sin

ba

cky

ard

s.n

et/

surv

ey

s/p

ow

erf

ul-

ow

l.cf

m).

By partaking in the Backyard Habitat Program you not

only have the opportunity to help conserve some of

our precious local fauna, you also get to experience

the joys of observing these amazing creatures right on your doorstep.

To register please contact the Bushland Interpretation officer on

99113579 or email bushinterp@lanecove.nsw.gov.au

Backyard

habit

at

update

- D

avid

Le B

reto

n

Winter 2011

Hi all,

Transition from Michelle to Helen

and David has finally happened

and we are settling in well. David

has been out and about visiting

many backyards as local residents

take advantage of this generous

program.

It has been great to put faces to

names as I make my way around

all the bushcare groups. This sea-

son has seen a lot of wet weather

with most Bushcare groups focus-

ing on maintenance hand weeding.

A couple of the field staff have

made a transition to the office.

Richard Li was successful in secur-

ing a position as Sustainability Pro-

jects Officer and Sophie Cottier has

become Bushland Project Officer.

So you may see some new faces in

the near future.

Last month we had another suc-

cessful fungi walk led by Ray and

Elma Kearney through Lane Cove

Bushland Park. Ray and Elma

have also kindly let us use some of

their most recent research on truf-

fles in Lane Cove National Park; it

is highly likely we have truffles in

Lane Cove bushland too.

Helen Haigh

Bushcare Co-ordinator

The Government environment website fact sheet on

European Red Fox states: You won’t see many foxes

during the day as the fox sleeps. They sleep in dens,

logs and other shelter — they are mainly active at

night.

The fox eats almost anything, scavenging and preying

on whatever is available. Its main food source is small

animals, but it also eats insects and fruit, particularly

in summer when preferred prey is less abundant.

Both males and females are sexually mature at the

age of one year. Litters, averaging four cubs, are born

during August and September, and emerge from the

den in late spring. The cubs move away from the fam-

ily territory in late summer or autumn.

(www.environment.gov.au)

The Rabbit Program, which uses the release of the

calici virus, has also been continuing with select cull-

ing at problem reserves, good results and a definite

reduction in pest rabbit numbers have been recorded.

If you do spot a fox or notice rabbits in or around your

home please contact;

Matthew Watts-Bush Regeneration Team Leader

Lane Cove Council has stepped up its effort to con-

trol Foxes in the area due to the discovery of a fox

den in Warraroon Reserve in February of this year.

The den had countless amount of native animal car-

casses that ranged from lizards, birds and possum’s

(both ringtail and brush) found in and around the im-

mediate area.

Since the discovery of

the den in Warraroon

Res five fox’s have

been culled on the

Lane Cove golf course.

In August/September

2011 the first use of sniffer dogs, in Lane Cove, will

be trialled in selected parks with the hope that fox

dens hidden in reserves will be found and treated.

These new methods for LCC in fox control are sup-

porting the program run in neighbouring Local Gov-

ernment Areas.

With a reduction in fox numbers we hope to see an

increase in native wildlife. Neighbouring land man-

agers have reported an increase in native wildlife

with corresponding reduction in fox numbers.

Bark; Upper two

thirds of the tree

consists of gray

green smooth

bark.

Spread; is by seed

being blown some

distance away

from the parent

also by the move-

ment of water in

streams and creeks.

Treatment; Young seedlings can be pulled out by

hand and large specimens can be cut down and

treated with an appropriate herbicide.

Lane Cove Council is part of the Sydney Weeds

Committee; as part of the program it is our duty to

help control problem weeds in this area. For further

information on weeds please check out

www.sydneyweeds.org.au for all the latest updates

on noxious weeds and great links to weed identifica-

tion sites. If you think there are noxious weeds in a

reserve or a yard please do not hesitate to contact:

Matthew Watts-Bush Regeneration Team Leader

mwatts@lanecove.nsw.gov.au

Weed t

o W

atc

h:

Acer negundo- Box Elder

By M

ark

Wolff (C

ouncil B

ush

Regenera

tor)

Acer negundo is part of the Maple family – Native to

North America.

In Lane Cove Acer negundo is a fairly common

weed of moist gullies especially around the golf

course area. It is a medium sized deciduous tree

which grows up to 20m

height.

Identification:

Leaves;

Opposite (Maple like) with

3-9 oblong, toothed leaflets

3-10cm long. They are light

to mid green colour during

the growing season, turning

yellow dur-

ing autumn.

Seeds; are produced during late

summer, each with acute wings

known as samaras, theses samara

allow the whole seed to spin when

falling from the tree and in turn can

be carried some distance away

Far left: Mature seeds of Acer negundo

Left: Leaf shape

Above: bark on the main trunk

Fera

l Fauna

European Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes)

Ray and Elma Kearney (our favourite local fungi ex-

perts) have published a new article on Truffles found

in nearby Lane Cove National Park. Read below for

some fascinating truffle facts.

On the 11th February,

2011 a bushfire swept

through a section, best de-

scribed as dry sclerophyll,

of the Lane Cove (LC) Na-

tional Park between Delhi

Rd. to the west, Lane Cove

River to the east and Quebec Road to the north. The

southern end marks the beginning of the Business

Park. The fire was described as “very intense” with

flames destroying the undergrowth and virtually all

leaf foliage on the tall trees. See photo above,

(26.3.11), that shows some adventitious foliage re-

growth.

In January, 1994, a devas-

tating bushfire swept the

same area but spread much

more widely into Chatswood

across the river and into the

western aspect of the LC

National Park. For us, it pre-

sented, presented an oppor-

tunity to study the regeneration of the bushland and

also to record the appearance of bushfire-induced

fruiting of fungi. Our records of regeneration contin-

ued to the present fire outbreak. One photo (above) of

1994 was interpreted as an animal dropping and left

untouched.

Permission was recently granted by a senior National

Park’s officer/ranger for us to enter the burnt area,

closed to the public, to undertake another study.

The subject of this article is the finding of a truffle spe-

cies that was present in significant numbers. In all

cases, the truffles were dug from just below the

ground between 2-15cm by an unobserved small ani-

mal such as a bandicoot - but not rabbits.

From each cone-

shaped burrow, the

number of truffles var-

ied from one to several.

In all instances, the

truffle’s outer shell

(peridium) was broken,

leaving a hole through

which the tasty core of

the sporocarp was removed. Some spores were often

seen scattered on the ground but much of the spore

content of the gleba was left intact (see photo above).

These mostly endemic fungi are critical to post-fire re-

establishment of regenerating vegetation, and their

fruit-bodies provide essential food resources for di-

verse ground dwelling fauna. [2] Whether bushfires

increase or decrease fruiting of hypogeous fungi,

according to species, is still controversial [3]. It is note-

worthy that this species of truffle seemed to be little

affected by the fire and certainly provided a food

source for a ground dwelling animal species when so

much surface vegetation was initially unavailable.

Truffles grow on the roots of many different plants in an

ectomycorrhizal relationship, forming a sheath around

the plant root - transferring nutrients and water to

plants in return for carbohydrates. [4]

The truffles were often attached to roots and the sporo-

carps occurred mainly as either single, double or trip-

lets: See photo. When the intact fresh truffle was cut

there was present a hard

outer coat (peridium) be-

low which was a fibrous

matrix (endoperidium) that

surrounded a spore-

bearing mass (gleba)

around a core of solid,

waxy material that was re-

moved by the foraging ani-

mal.

Australian truffles emit an amazing range of distinctive,

pungent odours, apparently being more aromatic after

bushfires. [4] Truffles are not visible and are encased

in a hard ‘shell’ or peridium that makes

spore dispersal difficult unless the coat is broken by a

truffle forager and the spores dispersed accordingly.

The entire health of bushlands is reported to depend

largely on the intimate relationship between tree, truffle

and forager(s). [4]

After the 1994 bushfire in this area, we found beetles in

burrows that were identified as a Bolboceratine species

which feeds off truffles

[5]. Photo of male

(LHS) and female

(RHS). In some cases

adults were found in

their burrows with bits

of fungi, but truffles

were not observed, un-

til now in this same

burned area.

Notes:

1. http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/SB9960773.htm

2. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19269321

3. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17059885

4. http://www.abc.net.au/science/

articles/2002/06/06/2589354.htm

5. http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2007f/

Tru

ffle

s in

Lane C

ove

Nati

onal P

ark

! (an article by Ray and Elma Kearney)