Friends of Tarra-Bulga National Park

Friends of Tarra-Bulga National Park

Website of the Friends Group – Information about working bees and monitoring projects. As well as flora and fauna pictures and descriptions

Tag: Mountain Ash

2012 Sycamore Maple Planting Project Site Update

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Biggest Seedling
We have a winner this is the biggest planted tree I found on the site.

Recently trekked in to monitor progress I had been putting it off until the heat wave had passed. It was four and half months since I had last seen the site so I was anxious to see how things were progressing. First impressions where that there has been a lot of regrowth of under-storey the Snowy daisy-bush (Olearia lirata) had really taken off, and it was even harder to move around the site and to spot the Mountain Ash we had planted. With careful searching the good news was that the planted trees were still there and looking healthy and mostly untouched by Wallabies although I was expecting a bit more growth over summer.

Lots of re-sprouting on this Maple stump
Sycamore Maple stump with lots of re-sprouting that will need to be treated.

The other concern I had was how much regeneration there had been of the Sycamore Maple trees that had dominated this site until they were cut down cleared several years ago. When I had visited in October there were hundreds of new seedlings that had popped up since our planting day in August. I was happy to see that in the more open areas there were few if any Maples (I think the hot summer may have killed them off) it was noticeable however that some of the large stumps had varying amounts of re-shooting from the base that needs to be dealt with.

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Fire Sets Back Restoration Efforts

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One area of the park that the Friends of Tarra Bulga are monitoring carefully is an area that has been set back by the occurrence of the Black Saturday bush-fires.  The site is on a north-west facing slope and is an area of about 10 ha.It was added to the National Park in 1986 which was part of the process of the merging of the Bulga Park and Tarra Valley reserves. At that time it was in very poor condition, having being abandoned after being cleared for farming. It was reportedly covered in blackberries, introduced grasses and native colonisers such as Fireweed Groundsel and Bracken Fern.

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Awesome Effort at Planting Day

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The Friends of Tarra Bulga  planting day last Saturday was a great event, which will hopefully result in the return of some towering wet forest in years to come. It will also greatly assist efforts to prevent the re-infestation of Sycamore Maple trees into this area of the National Park.

Getting Ready to Plant
Getting Ready to Plant – The first of the volunteers arrive at the site and prepare to get down to business.

Volunteers managed to plant 600 Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans) species across the site, which was no mean feat given that each plant needed to be carefully placed in a position where they will be guarded from browsing by hungry Swamp Wallabies. This involved scrambling over steep areas thick with fallen branches, while trying to avoid human hazards such as stinging nettles and leeches. While this may sound arduous there were no complaints from the willing and enthusiastic volunteers happy to be out making a difference to the park and enjoying the scenic (but muddy in spots) walk into this secluded planting site.

Richard in Action
Friends Group member Richard, putting in a big effort.
One of the 600 plants
One of the 600 Mountain Ash Seedlings that were planted on the day.

The group will now carefully monitor this site over the coming years to check that the newly planted trees are growing successfully and retreat any Sycamore Maple regrowth that sprouts from the treated stumps and pull out any new seedlings that pop up. Funding for this project has been supplied by the Victorian Government’s “Communities for Nature” Program.

Mother Maple
Friends Group President Peter Bryant, Standing next to the largest stump left behind from the forest of Sycamore Maples that had taken over the area.
A Job Well Done
Some of the Volunteers posing with their Hamilton Tree Planters after a great days effort to enhance Tarra Bulga.

 

Are you up for the challenge?

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Friends of Tarra Bulga have a big new project and we are looking for some enthusiastic helpers to get things off to a great start. A couple of years back a huge infestation of Sycamore Maple trees, which can grow up to 30m tall, was discovered in the park. These trees produce winged seeds which can spread in the wind, so the plant has the potential to invade further into the surrounding Mountain Ash forests.

Contractors were used to cut down the Maples and poison the stumps, and the result so far has been a big success. The canopy has opened up and native understorey plants are taking advantage of the light and space and popping up everywhere. To be a complete success however and to help prevent re-growth of the Maple, canopy species such as Mountain Ash need to be re-established. The friends group has secured funding from the Victorian Government’s, Communities for Nature Grants to do this and are holding a planting day on Saturday August the 11th.

The friends are keen for as many helpers are possible on the day but please note the task is a bit of a challenge. Access to the site is 2.5km along a walking track from the nearest road. The planting site itself is covered in logs and branches of what remains of the dead Sycamore Maple trees. While these branches are an obstacle we also plan to use them to our advantage, by planting amongst them we hope they will act as natural tree guards, keeping the new seedlings out of reach of hungry Swamp Wallabies that are notorious for eating newly planted trees. So if you are ready willing and able please come along. The meeting spot will be at the Tarra Bulga Visitors Centre Carpark at 9am on Saturday August the 11th. Please RSVP to Friends of Tarra Bulga – Activities Co-ordinator David Akers at dakers@activ8.net.au or by phoning 5189 1330. (BYO lunch)

Rough terrain at Planting Site
Rough terrain at Planting Site
Wet Forest
This is what we hope the planting site will eventually look like.
Oleria phlogopappa – Dusty Daisy-bush
Pimelia axiflora – Bootlace Bush
Pittosporum bicolor – Banyalla
Pittosporum bicolor – Banyalla
Pittosporum undulatum – Sweet Pittosporum
Polyscias sambucifolia – Eldeberry Panax
Polyscias sambucifolia – Eldeberry Panax
Pomaderris aspera – Hazel Pomaderris
Prostanthera lasianthos – Victorian Christmas-bush
Prostanthera melissifolia – Balm Mint-bush
Sambucus gaudichaudiana – White Elderberry
Solanum aviculare – Kangaroo Apple
Solanum aviculare – Kangaroo Apple
Tasmannia lanceolata – Mountain Pepper
Zieria arborescens – Stinkwood
Acacia dealbata – Silver Wattle
Acacia dealbata – Silver Wattle
Acacia howittii – Sticky Wattle
Acacia howittii – Sticky Wattle
Acacia melanoxylon -Blackwood
Acacia melanoxylon – Blackwood
Acacia obliquinervia – Mountain Hickory Wattle
Acacia verniflicua – Varnish Wattle
Atherosperma moschatum – Southern Sassafras
Atherosperma moschatum – Southern Sassafras
Bedfordia arborescens -Blanket-leaf
Cassinia aculeata -Common Cassinia
Cassinia longifolia – Shiny Cassinia
Cassinia trinerva – Three-nerved Cassinia
Coprosma hirtella – Rough Coprosma
Coprosma hirtella – Rough Coprosma
Coprosma quadrifida – Prickly Coprosma
Correa lawrenciana – Mountain Correa
Eucalyptus cypellocarpa – Mountain Grey Gum
Eucalyptus globulus – Blue Gum
Eucalyptus mulleriana – Yellow Stringybark
Eucalyptus obliqua – Messmate
Eucalyptus regnans – Mountain Ash
Exocarpos cupressiformis -Cherry Ballart
Goodenia ovata – Hop Goodenia
Goodia lotifolia – Golden Tip
Hedycarya angusifolia – Austral Mulberry
Kunzea ericoides – Burgan
Leptospermum lanigerum – Woolly Tea-tree
Lomatia fraseri – Tree Lomatia
Lomatia ilicifolia – Holly Lomatia
Myrsine howittiana – Mutton-wood
Notelaea ligustrina – Privet Mock-olive
Nothofagus cunninghamii – Myrtle Beech
Nothofagus cunninghamii – Myrtle Beech
Nothofagus cunninghamii – Myrtle Beech
Oleara argophylla – Musk Daisy-bush
Oleara lirata – Snowy Daisy-bush

Trees and Shrubs of Tarra-Bulga National Park

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These images have been captured by Park Ranger Craig Campbell.

Oleria phlogopappa – Dusty Daisy-bush
Pimelia axiflora – Bootlace Bush
Pittosporum bicolor – Banyalla
Pittosporum bicolor – Banyalla
Pittosporum undulatum – Sweet Pittosporum
Polyscias sambucifolia – Eldeberry Panax
Polyscias sambucifolia – Eldeberry Panax
Pomaderris aspera – Hazel Pomaderris
Prostanthera lasianthos – Victorian Christmas-bush
Prostanthera melissifolia – Balm Mint-bush
Sambucus gaudichaudiana – White Elderberry
Solanum aviculare – Kangaroo Apple
Solanum aviculare – Kangaroo Apple
Tasmannia lanceolata – Mountain Pepper
Zieria arborescens – Stinkwood
Acacia dealbata – Silver Wattle
Acacia dealbata – Silver Wattle
Acacia howittii – Sticky Wattle
Acacia howittii – Sticky Wattle
Acacia melanoxylon -Blackwood
Acacia melanoxylon – Blackwood
Acacia obliquinervia – Mountain Hickory Wattle
Acacia verniflicua – Varnish Wattle
Atherosperma moschatum – Southern Sassafras
Atherosperma moschatum – Southern Sassafras
Bedfordia arborescens -Blanket-leaf
Cassinia aculeata -Common Cassinia
Cassinia longifolia – Shiny Cassinia
Cassinia trinerva – Three-nerved Cassinia
Coprosma hirtella – Rough Coprosma
Coprosma hirtella – Rough Coprosma
Coprosma quadrifida – Prickly Coprosma
Correa lawrenciana – Mountain Correa
Eucalyptus cypellocarpa – Mountain Grey Gum
Eucalyptus globulus – Blue Gum
Eucalyptus mulleriana – Yellow Stringybark
Eucalyptus obliqua – Messmate
Eucalyptus regnans – Mountain Ash
Exocarpos cupressiformis -Cherry Ballart
Goodenia ovata – Hop Goodenia
Goodia lotifolia – Golden Tip
Hedycarya angusifolia – Austral Mulberry
Kunzea ericoides – Burgan
Leptospermum lanigerum – Woolly Tea-tree
Lomatia fraseri – Tree Lomatia
Lomatia ilicifolia – Holly Lomatia
Myrsine howittiana – Mutton-wood
Notelaea ligustrina – Privet Mock-olive
Nothofagus cunninghamii – Myrtle Beech
Nothofagus cunninghamii – Myrtle Beech
Nothofagus cunninghamii – Myrtle Beech
Oleara argophylla – Musk Daisy-bush
Oleara lirata – Snowy Daisy-bush
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