This is the first of our occasional blogs about volunteer activities at Worlds End Conservation and the fascinating animals and plants we’re discovering there. Enjoy! Worlds End Conservation volunteers have planted the next batch of healthy native plants in the old sheep paddocks at the edge of Read Creek Hills. Seeds from a range of plants were collected on the property and propagated by our botanist member Phil Bagust. All planted as part our vision to transform the old paddocks into a thriving ecosystem reflective of what would originally have occurred on their gentle slopes. Volunteers also equipped each plant with a sturdy wire mesh guard to deter the roos that might seek to overturn or nibble them. Phil’s seedlings are a healthy size so hopefully the mice won’t take them out this year! It’s great to see earlier plantings take off with the more than average rains we’ve had over the last year. What with revegetation activities, bird, plant, possum, bat and reptile surveys and Bush Tucker walks at Worlds End Conservation there is no shortage of interesting projects for everyone to get out in the fresh air and enjoy!
A recent gathering of seven artist members and friends of Worlds End Conservation transformed fabrics and garments into a celebration of the leaves and twisty bark of eucalypts gracing our front paddocks. Sharing skills, crafting garments and enjoying sunrises, walks up creeks and gorges in the wild windy weather – couldn’t have been better!
This is the first of our occasional blogs about volunteer activities at Worlds End Conservation and the fascinating animals and plants we’re discovering there. Enjoy! Worlds End Conservation volunteers have planted the next batch of healthy native plants in the old sheep paddocks at the edge of Read Creek Hills. Seeds from a range of plants were collected on the property and propagated by our botanist member Phil Bagust. All planted as part our vision to transform the old paddocks into a thriving ecosystem reflective of what would originally have occurred on their gentle slopes. Volunteers also equipped each plant with a sturdy wire mesh guard to deter the roos that might seek to overturn or nibble them. Phil’s seedlings are a healthy size so hopefully the mice won’t take them out this year! It’s great to see earlier plantings take off with the more than average rains we’ve had over the last year. What with revegetation activities, bird, plant, possum, bat and reptile surveys and Bush Tucker walks at Worlds End Conservation there is no shortage of interesting projects for everyone to get out in the fresh air and enjoy!
This pair of Hooded Robins was seen during the recent autumn surveys of our 20 survey sites at Hallelujah Hills and Read Creek Hills. Our expert bird surveyors Sam Gordon and Darcy Whittaker recorded all sightings on our Birdlife Australia Birdata account. We are also capturing photos of night birds on our wildlife cameras – see this one of an Owlet Nightjar –frequent and noisy night-time residents! Owlet Nightjar
Citizen Science at Worlds End Conservation We’re all scientists, if we know what we’re looking at or for, to monitor or measure! For the last 3 years, we’ve been: amateur ornithologists, closely supervised and educated by professionals, doing bird netting and banding and bird surveys; botanists, with the help of Trees For Life, planting and monitoring Olearia pannosa (silver daisies – see the report below) and looking at our plants through the eyes of rare plant spotters, Phil and Judy; bat and western pygmy possum monitors using an Anabat sound recorder and endoscope (4 bat species recorded, no possums seen yet); lomandra grasslands grazing trial monitors, trained by ecologists to identify plants by ecological function. And in the near future: reptile and frog surveyors, directed by Reptile and Frog Group and other experts (March long weekend 2023); bird surveyors, continuing our 3 years of 20 minute, 2 hectare surveys for Birdata, the national data base, hopefully supported by Birds SA members at one of their field trips in 2023. Other possible surveys we’d love to do include mammals, insects, spiders (not me personally, someone braver!), butterflies – something to suit every one! Most of the previous projects will continue as long as we want to be scientists, with wonderful support and interest from experts, who simply love being on WEC and working with us! Other project ideas are most welcome.
A total of 77 birds were netted in our second bird banding weekend in Ocotber 2021 with the Grey-shrike Thrush, Hooded Robin, Rufous Whistler and White-winged Chough netted for the first time. Six birds banded in 2020 were re-captured showing good health in spite of the dry 2020 year. Looks like habitat resources at Worlds End are holding up well!
Take a look at our Research & Resources web page for great photos of plants and birds at Hallelujah Hills and Read Creek Hills. Up to date plant and bird lists and reports are also featured.
Worlds End Conservation has just joined the Pygmy Possum Citizen Science Project which aims to ensure the survival of the Western Pygmy Possum…
Birds, bats, pygmy possums and rare plants – see what activities and discoveries we’ve got in store for 2021 in our first Newsletter for the year.
