WINTER 2016 Issue 68

GROUNDFROM THE

A land management publication for the South East

IN THIS EDITION

Dying trees in the South East

What’s going on, why does it happen and how can we help?

PAGE 4

Mexican delegates visit Piccaninnie Ponds

NRSE and the Aboriginal Focus Group were present to a delegation of Federal and State Government officials from Mexico.

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The bird has been heard

Reports of a Bush Stone-curlew, the first time in over 20 years

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What do devastating bushfires, Zero-Till Farming, climate change, commodity updates and succession planning have in common? They will be just some of the topics covered at this year’s free Pathways to Productivity Forum in Naracoorte on the 16th June, where these presentations will address this year’s theme of Resilience: People, Business and Production.

Caroline Menzel, Regional Landcare Facilitator is very excited about this year’s event, saying “We have worked really hard to bring speakers to the region who are not only great to listen too, but also relevant in our everyday lives in Sustainable Agriculture. They will provide real-life stories, relevant local examples and there will be lots of time to engage with the speakers and ask questions.”

Some of the highlights include keynote speaker Taryn Mengelsdorf who will speak about rebuilding the resilience of an entire community following the devastating 2015 Pinery Bushfires. This community not only lost people but homes, businesses and livelihoods. People have had to make sense of their emotions and experiences

while trying to get their lives back on track. They have found personal resilience and are rebuilding resilience as a community.

Nick Shady is not only an expert in agricultural technologies and farm business management, but has more than 25 years of farming experience. Nick is passionate about helping farming families stay on the farm, and along with his wife, Ayesha Hilton, has recently published a grass roots guide to farm succession planning. They openly admit that they are not experts, but they saw the challenges families like them were facing when it came to implementing “Sucession Planning”. Nick says “There’s a lot of information out there, but it’s done by planners, accountants, lawyers — it hasn’t got the family or emotional side of it covered, our recent book provides a personal context, and this is what I want to share.”

To register for this free event please go to: www.naturalresourcesse.eventbrite.com

To find out more, please visit: www.naturalresources.sa.gov.au/southeast

Pathways to Productivity - Building Resilience16th June 2016 - Naracoorte Town Hall

nrmFarm

The interactive farm mapping program is online and ready to use.

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FROM THE GROUND UP

Introducing some new faces...Elly SchultzCoast and Marine OfficerElly recently joined the Natural Resources South East team after spending almost 2 years as a Graduate Ranger with National Parks in South Australia. She was lucky enough to work at Kangaroo Island, Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges and finally the Flinders Ranges National Park. Prior to this Elly studied for a Bachelor of Science at the University of Adelaide, which she successfully completed with Honours.

Elly grew up on the Eyre Peninsula in Port Lincoln, where her love for the coast and marine environment started. After school she worked for parks with Threatened Species and various tourism companies in Port Lincoln, including the Shark Cage Diving and Sea Lion Charters. She looks forward to exploring another part of our beautiful state and working as a Coast and Marine Officer based in Robe.

T: 0467 797 201 E: Elouise.Schultz@sa.gov.au

Craig BillowsCoast and Marine OfficerCraig has 20 years’ experience in coastal and wetlands conservation management, education and research. He is no stranger to the Limestone Coast Region, having served with DEWNR from 2008 to 2012. Initially employed as a Wetland Ecologist working on the Lower South East Wetland Inventory Project. He then took on the role of Coast and Marine Officer/Senior Coast and Marine Officer based in Mount Gambier for 2 ½ years before returning to the Surf Coast in Victoria in 2012. Craig has managed to maintain connections with South Australia and DEWNR in recent years, particularly with the Coorong Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth Wetland Condition Assessment Project, carrying out field monitoring and reporting for Nature Glenelg Trust. Craig is relishing the thought of working again with the local coastal communities and his old colleagues as well as spending some quality time on the coast and tackling whatever challenges present themselves.

T: 0428 148 491 E: craig.billows@sa.gov.au

Local environment advocate James Ferguson has received the Rotary Club of Burnside Inc 2016 Volunteer of the Parks Award.

Dating back to 1988, this special award recognises an individual or couple who exemplify the spirit and dedication of the Friends of Parks movement.

Burnside Rotary Club spokesperson Bob Cooper said Mr Ferguson has been a member of the Friends of Butcher Gap group, based in Kingston SE, for 28 years including 10 as president.

“During that time he has demonstrated outstanding knowledge and service, reflecting his passion and commitment to a broad range of environmental outcomes,” Mr Cooper said.

“His focus has been on maintaining the region’s natural resources, habitats and biodiversity for plants, birdlife and native species.

“James is also highly regarded for his networking ability and for being a great source of information and historical background on regional matters.”

Mr Ferguson is well known in the South East as a passionate advocate for the environment, and in his acceptance speech called upon everyone to help care for an promote parks in South Australia.

“We are all fortunate to have access to these jewels in the landscape,” Mr Ferguson said.

Local advocate awarded top honours

Above: Chief Executive Department of Environment, Water nd Natural Resources, Sandy Pitcher; James Ferguson; and Rotary District Governor, Dick Wilson.

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The first version of the program was a great success and we have built on this to provide a new version that is more user friendly and has greater flexibility to map and keep records.

The program is designed for landholders to use for farm management and future planning and useful for others such as environmental volunteer groups, Real Estate agents and contractors who take advantage of the flexibility of the program to map native vegetation, record property information and boundaries, and define work schedules for contractors.

From the occasional user to the business planner these training sessions will enable you to sign up online and use the nrmFarm mapping program. In a supported small group environment, you will be taken through a step by step process of setting up an account, basic mapping functions and an introduction to some of the more advanced features of the program.

Get in quick for the training workshops as 75 expressions of interest have already been received.Tthe workshops will run from the 22nd to the 30th of June at four regional locations

Get On Board nrmFarm Training nrmFarm is an online interactive farm mapping program, created for South East landholders to easily map and record important information to manage their farm.

What do you love about where you live?This year’s theme for the competition is “Loving Where We Live”.

This can refer to any place or moment you capture of people living, working in and enjoying the natural environment of the South East NRM region of South Australia. The best, externally judged entries in this competition could provide the images for a 2017 Natural Resources South East calendar to be distributed in late 2016.

Entries are free and you can enter as many times as you like until close of business on Thursday 30 June 2016.

Open

Friday 18 March - Thursday 30 June

2016

we

2016 Natural Resources South East

Photographic Competition

LovingLive

Take a photo that represents your favourite

places or moments of people caring for our natural resources through

their work and play in the South East of South Australia and enter to share in the $500 prize

pool, and a chance to have your photo featured in a 2017 Natural Resources South East calendar.

Entry forms and competition rules are available from our website at naturalresources.sa.gov.au/southeast

There are prizes

to be won in Open and Under 18 sections

Free to enter

Enter as many times as you want!

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farming, people, birds, beaches, grazing, bugs, weeds, herds, water, open spaces - what do you see?

Government

of South Australia

including Keith, Naracoorte, Millicent and Mt Gambier. There will be an afternoon and evening session on offer at all locations dependant on demand. There is also the ability to cater for groups who can’t make the set training dates, if you can get a group of 10-12 together then we can provide training over the coming months.

For further information on dates of training or to register for one of the training sessions get online and visit the Natural Resources South East events page www.naturalresources.sa.gov.au/southeast/get-involved/events

Or visit www.naturalresources.eventbrite.com to register.

All the criteria and the entry form are on our website at:www.naturalresources.sa.gov.au/southeast/get-involved/2016-photo-competition.

You can also download an A4 printable version of the 2016 calendar on that page.

2016 PHOTO COMPETITION NOW OPEN!

FROM THE GROUND UP

What is going on?On closer inspection, the afflicted trees seem to be red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) or pink/hill gum (Eucalyptus fasciculosa). Often other eucalypts nearby are unaffected. Stopping the car and inspecting the leaves reveals something else. They are smothered in little pale bumps. The culprit is a tiny sap sucking insect, commonly called a lerp. The insect lives under the pale bump. Most trees will survive and flourish once winter (finally) arrives.

Why does this happen?There is no one simple answer. There never is! Generally, stressed trees are more likely to fall ill, just like people. Stress may be caused by a host of reasons including; two consecutive dry springs (moisture stress), falling water tables, soil compaction from stock seeking shelter throughout the year plus increased nutrients from their toilet activities (leaves become more tasty to insects), excessive herbicide use, loss of small birds (due to tree isolation) that eat lerps or even leaching of lime from road base.

How can we help the trees?Avoid excessive herbicide use near trees, particularly residual herbicides. Avoid spreading fertilisers near trees. Where possible, protect a few paddock trees; simply put fallen timber around the base of trees. It is not messy. It is for a good cause. Keep stock away from selected trees by other means.

Create a succession plan for paddock trees, they won’t live forever. Include shrubs with the new trees, this will help attract little birds to glean leaves and eat future lerps.

We will still get lerp infestations, but following these suggestions may give the trees more resilience and improve their recovery.

Dying Trees in the South EastMany people are concerned that lots of gum trees seem to be dying in the South East. Great swathes of trees have turned brown. It is an alarming sight seen in lots of situations; paddocks, roadsides and bushland.

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As they are only active at night, this adorable and elusive possum-like marsupial is rarely seen - but they may be found in remnant woodlands and forest throughout the South East. The easiest way to find out if you have Sugar Gliders in your patch is to listen out for their distinctive yip yip yip call which sounds like a small dog.

Gliders are agile tree dwellers and have a membrane of skin which stretches between their arms and feet and helps them to glide up to 75 metres between trees, which is incredibly impressive for an animal that is only 20cm long and weighs about 120 grams.

Gliders need continuous tree cover to move around the landscape and they also rely on tree hollows which they sleep in during the day. Tree hollows can take 100 years or more to form and these tiny fluff balls face stiff competition from nesting birds and other hollow-dependent fauna.

Landholders Sue and Roger Black from Glencoe have brought Sugar Gliders back to their

property by planting a native shelterbelt and installing nest boxes.

“Our 30 ha bought at Glencoe in 1988, was pasture. The 12 metre wide shelter belts we planted were intended as stock protection, but as the trees grew so did our thoughts on their purpose.  Habitat for wildlife became a focus.  The excitement of finding a sugar glider feeding on eucalyptus flowers was huge. Nest boxes were put up, and to our delight the gliders moved in. First single animals and then family groups. The ‘sugar glider dream’ has become reality.”

If you would also like to live the ‘Sugar Glider dream’ consider planting a native corridor to link up isolated fragments of woodland and forest habitat. Or you could build some special glider boxes and install them high up in tall trees on your property. Find out more at: www.Backyardbuddies.net.au

You can also help Gliders and other native wildlife by keeping pet cats indoors at night.

Sweet as SugarThe Sugar Glider (Petaurus breviceps) gets its name because it loves to feed on sweet nectar and sap but it also eats insects, small birds and eggs.

Outstanding volunteers recognisedThe South East Safari was a great opportunity to celebrate all of the hard work of local volunteers and friends groups. Congratulations to everyone awarded with Premier’s Certificates of Recognition for outstanding volunteer services, presented by Natural Resources South East Regional Director Tim Collins.

Dee Provis - Weed Spotters

Kevin Mott - Friends of Mount Gambier Area Parks

Jim Smith - Friends of Little Dip CP

FROM THE GROUND UP

The conference was organised by the Weed Management Society of South Australia, and covered a broad range of weed management topics and updates. Participants were told about new biological controls, herbicide trials, as well as glyphosate resistance and new technologies in agricultural weed control. Representatives from each NRM Region also provided a wrap up of their current weeds management activities. Almost all of the Authorised Officers from Natural Resources South East attended, ensuring that lessons from the conference will benefit landholders across the whole region.

Dee Provis was motivated by the opportunity to be around like minded people, saying “The conference absolutely energised me. I want to bottle the feeling and whip out a vial if I get bogged down in the future”.

When asked about her favourite part of the conference without hesitating Dee stated “During breaks there was an extraordinary noise from all of the passionate and committed people sharing their stories. Weeds work is often done in isolation, and the conference made me realise I am actually not on my own. There is a huge reservoir of weeds knowledge out there for me to tap in to”.

According to Dee the conference provided practical messages “Bob Curley made a good point about not automatically assuming you need to use chemicals when tackling weeds” said Dee. “Herbicide use is ok when necessary, but there are a lot of other chemical free strategies out there, such as hand pulling, slashing and biological control”.

Dee has already started planning to attend the next conference in 2018,

and is keen to share her knowledge with local conservation students, stating “If we take care of the weeds, the native plants will take care of themselves”.

The Weed Spotter Network is delivered by Natural Resources South East through support from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Programme.

Weed Spotter volunteer Dee Provis attended the 5th South Australian Weeds Conference thanks to a competition held by Natural Resources South East.

Weed Spotter wins trip to SA Weeds Conference

Above: Dee Provis (right) at the SA Weeds Conference in Adelaide. With Dee is Weed Spotter coordinator Aidan Laslett from Natural Resources South East.

The Cultural science in management of Ramsar sites project, run by the La Trobe University and funded by the Council of Australia Latin America Relations, is a two-way exchange between the two countries to explore the potential for cultural science to be a tool in managing Ramsar and other important wetlands. In early 2016, representatives from the Ngarrindjeri Regional Authority (NRA), Murray, Lower Darling Rivers Indigenous Nations (MLDRIN) and La Trobe University participated in the first part of the exchange in a seven day tour meeting indigenous communities in protected wetland areas in Mexico.

In late April, the NRSE Wetland Ecologist and Aboriginal Engagement Officer and Aunty Valda and Aunty Penny representing the SE Aboriginal Focus Group and the Burrandies Aboriginal

Corporation, respectively, joined the delegation at Nelson to inspect the proposed Discovery Bay Ramsar site. The delegation had started their tour at the Western District Lakes Ramsar site in Victoria then onto Tower Hill and Lake Condah where they had met Gunditjmara Aboriginal Representatives.

The Group which now included representatives from La Trobe University, Waters Edge Consulting, Glenelg Hopkins CMA, Gunditj Mirring Aboriginal Corporation, DEWNR CLLMM, Nelson Coastcare and the Barkindji Maraura Elders, then inspected the Piccaninnie Ponds Karst Rising Springs Ramsar site and the restoration work undertaken within the park including the adjoining Pick Swamp.

Dialogue between the four Mexican delegates and Aunty Valda and Aunty Penny as Lower

South East Aboriginal representatives, highlighted the differences in the ways that the Aboriginal Peoples of both countries managed Country. They had been greatly impressed with what they had seen and heard in Victoria and the South East and looked forward to meeting with Ngarrindjeri representatives on the next stage of their journey.

Mexican Delegates visit Piccaninnie PondsRecently Natural Resources South East and the Aboriginal Focus Group representatives were fortunate to present to a delegation of Federal and State Government officials from Mexico.

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Authorised Officer contact information

Originally covering national parks from the Victorian border to Robe baiting now extends all the way to the mouth of the River Murray, with aerial drops on the Younghusband Peninsula and in Canunda National Park. Total area treated now covers approximately 64,000 ha and includes non-retrieval baiting in Little Dip Conservation Park, Beachport Conservation Park and Piccaninnie Ponds Conservation Park. The program enhances nesting and fledging opportunities for beach nesting shore birds, in particular the endangered Hooded Plover and other beach nesting species such as Pied Oyster Catchers, Red Capped Plovers and Little Terns.

The aerial baiting program covers all of Canunda National Park and the Younghusband Peninsula in less than two hours and is very cost effective. The program delivers 960 baits twice yearly (Spring and Autumn ) via a light plane with a computer controlled bait dispenser which locks into pre-programmed transects and releases baits at pre-determined intervals. It allows for buffer zones around water bodies, camping areas and dwellings. Coast and Marine Officer Cath Bell’s diligence in working through the detailed and rigorous approvals process has reaped significant on-ground benefits for shorebirds.

While hooded plover count data is patchy at best, in the Coorong a lot more needs to be done to enhance nesting opportunities for these birds into the future if a viable population is the be maintained. It is anticipated that the aerial program along the Younghusband Peninsula and the manual buffer on the southern edge of the Coorong will contribute to population increases for this species and other beach nesting birds. This program is funded through the Limestone Coastwatchers Project, supported by Limestone Coast LGA and Natural Resources South East through funding from the Australian Government.

Natural Resources South East’s fox baiting program has taken to the air. Fox baiting for the protection of beach nesting and migratory shorebirds has been carried out manually over 25,000ha since 2008.

Baiting program takes to the skies

Upper South East

Upper South East District Manager Bill Hender PO Box 138, Keith 5267 8755 1621 0407 082 379 bill.hender@sa.gov.au

Upper South East Team Leader Kym Haebich PO Box 138, Keith 5267 8755 1620 0408 811 392 kym.haebich@sa.gov.au

Bordertown Neville Staude PO Box 346, Bordertown 5268 8752 2964 0417 859 080 neville.staude@sa.gov.au

Keith Tony Richman PO Box 138, Keith 5267 8755 1083 0418 893 165 tony.richman@sa.gov.au

Tintinara Jon Forrest PO Box 138, Keith 5267 8755 1083 0427 808 204 jon.forrest@sa.gov.au

Kingston Roger Davidson PO Box 321, Kingston 5275 8767 2077 0428 856 478 roger.davidson@sa.gov.au

Meningie Sid Frankling PO Box 26 Meningie 5264 8775 1063 0427 808 206 sid.frankling@sa.gov.au

Lower South East

Lower South East District Manager Ross Anderson PO Box 1046, Mt Gambier 5290 8735 1174 0429 698 170 ross.anderson@sa.gov.au

Lower South East Team Leader Anton Kurray PO Box 1046, Mt Gambier 5290 8735 1242 0428 525 612 anton.kurray@sa.gov.au

LucindaleDavid Robertson 279 Smith St, Naracoorte, 5271 8762 0199 0419 807 946 david.robertson3@sa.gov.au

Naracoorte Josh Rosser 279 Smith St, Naracoorte, 5271 8762 0199 0427 957 856 joshua.rosser@sa.gov.au

Penola Alan Robins 27 Arthur St, Penola SA 5277 8737 3308 0409 420 823 alan.robins@sa.gov.au

Millicent Saxon Ellis PO Box 27, Millicent 5280 8733 2066 0428 854 611 saxon.ellis@sa.gov.au

Mt Gambier South Andrew Shepherd PO Box 724 Mt Gambier 5290 8721 0451 0408 802 971 andrew.shepherd3@sa.gov.au

Mt Gambier North Deb Lang PO Box 724 Mt Gambier 5291 8721 0421 0400 188 094 deb.lang@.sa.gov.au

Robe Dean Burgoyne PO Box 1, Robe 5276 8768 2003 0408 854 602 dean.burgoyne@sa.gov.au

FROM THE GROUND UP

A productive herd is more profitable, produces more milk and less greenhouse gases. The most productive cows produce the most milk per unit of feed, make the most money and produce the least emissions per kilogram of milk solids. Conversely, the more unproductive cows you have as a proportion of the total herd, the more emissions intensive your operation is.

So, regardless of your feeding system or current milk production level, using better bulls contributes to improved genetics, which in turn contributes to your profitability, efficiency and reduces emissions.

What’s the process for selecting bulls?

Identify, genotype and select calvesa Review your Genetic Progress Report Use the ADHIS (Australian Dairy Herd Improvement Scheme) Good Bulls app or guide to select

bulls Use enough semen or sexed semen

This process is an ongoing cycle of herd improvement. It doesn’t cost much, it doesn’t take a huge amount of time and the benefits are significant in terms of productivity, profitability and reducing emissions intensity.

The Genetic Progress Report helps you identify where your herd is headed for key traits and once areas for improvement are identified, the Good Bulls guide and app help you choose appropriate bulls. You can select with a focus on your preferred index: Balanced Performance, Health Weighted or Type Weighted.

The Good Bulls guide includes bulls that are actively being marketed in Australia, meet minimum reliability requirements for their breed, and are amongst the best in their breed on the Balanced Performance Index.

Need more help or information in using these resources? Contact DairySA Extension Coordinator Bec Hehir on 0418 951 324 or RHehir@dairyaustralia.com.au

Using genomics to increase profit and reduce emissionsDairy farmers are constantly on the look out for ways to be more profitable, efficient and focused on herd health. Using genetics can improve both cow efficiency and profitability, and brings the added benefit of reducing methane emissions on farm.

The Department must be informed of all meters that are replaced, repaired or moved. This information must now be supplied to the Department via a Meter Notification Form. The form is available from: www.environment.sa.gov.au, then go to Water Meter Self-read (under the photo on home page), then on the left hand side of the page you will find a link to the Water Meter notification form.

You will be unable to supply new meter details through the annual meter self-read form. So any changes to your meters will need to be notified via the meter notification form prior to lodging your annual meter reads.

To complete the form you will require your water licence details, your meter details, your meter reading and installation details.

Your annual meter reads will once again be via the online form. Reads need to be collected from 1 July to 14 July and lodged by 31 July 2016. If meter reads are not lodged by 31 July 2016 you will be ineligible for any seasonal carryover you may otherwise have been entitled to. Failure to lodge a meter read form is also a breach of licence condition and subject to a $750 penalty. 31 expiation notices were issued last financial year for non-lodgement.

Inter-management area trade in the Lower Limestone Coast Prescribed Wells Area, can occur after 1 July 2016. To ensure an equitable and transparent process, applications will be collected each month and a random draw will be conducted to determine the order of assessment of applications. Applications will not be accepted prior to 1 July 2016.

The delivery and specialised production allocations in the Tatiara Prescribed Wells Area are temporary allocations which currently have an expiry date of 30 June 2016. The SE NRM Board has approved the renewal of the expiry period until 30 June 2019. Your licences will be re-issued with this revised expiry date after 1 July 2016.

WATER MATTERSKEEPING YOU UPDATED ON WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE WORLD OF WATER LICENSING

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As a result of the South East Natural Resource Boards Partnership funding program, The Mackillop Farm Management Group and the Limestone Coast Grape and Wine Council have secured funding to provide irrigation round table forums and a bus tour as well as conduct a survey of South East irrigators into the issues irrigators are facing with water quality and its impacts on irrigation infrastructure and ways in which this is managed.

The Mackillop Farm Management Group are running two Irrigation Round Table events from the 2nd-3rd of August in Padthaway and Penola the workshops will cover various topics including knowing your groundwater: how is it behaving and is there really a cause

for concern? Refining irrigation practices and removing variability in production and understanding the rules, regulations and your responsibilities. These will be followed up on the 17th of August with a regional bus tour looking at how to test pivots and your system for accuracy and efficiency, in filed water and weather monitoring, and understanding water use efficiency in varying pasture cultivars. For further information on these events visit the events page www.naturalresources.sa.gov.au/southeast/get-involved/events

During the month of July the Limestone Coast Grape and Wine Council will also be doing a survey of regional Irrigators from intensive horticulture to irrigated pastures to gain a

better understanding for regional irrigators of the problems they are facing with Iron and Sulphate bacteria, Calcium deposits, salinity and the impacts of these on infrastructure and the costs and method that are being used to remediate these issues.

The results of this survey will allow the association to better target research and extension on the management of these problems to the irrigators through a series of workshops later in the year. For more details on this visit the LSCGWC websitewww.limestonecoastwine.com.au or contact Ulrich Grey-Smith tech3@limestonecoastwine.com.au

Board Partnerships Help Support Irrigation Extension in South East

If you are thinking of putting in a creek crossing or causeway to make access easier when it’s wet, then make sure you check first to see if you need a Water Affecting Activity permit under the Natural Resources Management Act 2004.

Any work that you propose to do on your property in or around watercourses, lakes, dams, floodplains, springs, wetlands or waterholes may need approval under a Water Affecting Activity Permit. Management of Water Affecting Activities is needed to protect our natural systems and water dependent ecosystems, to maintain water quality and to minimise impacts on the landscape and on other water users.

An application form to apply for a permit can be sourced from Natural Resources South East by contacting 87351177 or down loading a form from the website. http://www.naturalresources.sa.gov.au/southeast /water/water-affecting-activities

A permit application fee of $53.00 applies. By making sure that you have a permit when one is needed you will help protect our precious water resources and it could also prevent you having to reinstate or rectify any unapproved works at your own cost.

Not sure if you need a permit? Contact the Mount Gambier office by phone on

Planning on avoiding wet feet?Winter is coming, and so is the rain which sometimes makes it hard to cross those creeks or swampy areas on your property.

8735 1177 for advice on which types of activities need permit approval. Further information on Water Affecting Activities and how to apply for a permit is also available on the Natural Resources South East website.

FROM THE GROUND UP

NGT need to determine how the population of Southern Brown Bandicoots are going in the region and the best way to do this is by counting ‘digging’ activity. Diggings are known to be effective indicators since sites can be checked quickly and there are few other small mammals in our area with similar foraging strategies. Rabbits, may be one exception. Cage trapping, occurring for one week this winter, will complement digging abundance surveys.

This years’ surveys are following on from two done previously for the region in 1998/1999 and 2007/2008. Survey sites are located in three key areas: the Mt Burr Range, Nangwarry and Caroline forests. Survey results will help us identify key foraging habitat for the bandicoot as the “diggings” are signs that they are feeding on invertebrates and underground fungi. Most good sites occur in areas of brown stringybark Eucalyptus baxteri with a dense understorey of bracken and grass trees. This type of habitat provides protection from natural predators, like large forest owls, and introduced foxes and cats.

By comparing digging abundance across the three survey periods, we can determine whether the population is increasing, stable or in decline. It also tells us how bandicoots are responding to fire. At one native forest reserve (Wandilo) in the Mt Burr Range area, a bushfire in 2000 burnt 90% of the reserve. It was thought that they might become locally extinct, however diggings were found soon after fire and by the 2007/08 survey they were present but still below 1999 levels (pre-bushfire). It will be interesting to see whether the population has increased 16 years after fire, as research suggests that bandicoots do best 15-20 years since fire.

So how can you tell rabbit and bandicoot diggings apart? Rabbits make quite shallow, sometimes messy scrapes or holes. Bandicoots, create conical holes dug almost vertically into the ground which accumulate leaf litter and turn over the (mostly sandy) soil, making them keen composting gardeners and ideally suited to their environment.

Andrea Fullagar Intern with Nature Glenelg Trust

Bandicoots busy “digging”The Southern Brown Bandicoot Isoodon obesulus, a nationally endangered species, has been the focus of the Restoring Under-represented Ecological Communities (RUEC) project in the lower South East recently.

Andrea Fullagar, a graduate ecologist from Melbourne, joined the NGT team this April as an intern. The 3 month internship program is a great way to gain first-hand experience with a not-for-profit NGO.

Andrea has a varied research background in environmental science, restoration ecology and wetland and waterbird conservation management. She is in the final stages of submitting her MSc research project (UNSW) where she surveyed waterbirds in the Macquarie Marshes, a Ramsar wetland in the Murray-Darling Basin. Prior to this, she worked for the QLD Government in water policy and planning, where she often had to speak to landholders’ and she is keen to continue her involvement in community engagement activities.

Andrea is conducting this year’s southern brown bandicoot Isoodon obesulus digging abundance surveys for the South East region, to assess their conservation status and identify key habitat requirements (see article above).

Above: a bandicoot and a digging below - a conical hole dug almost vertically into the ground.

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A Bush Stone-curlew was heard calling on private property near Frances. This is the first time this species has been recorded in the district in over 20 years.

This remnant bushland adjoins one of the Landscape Links project corridor sites and it is hoped that this corridor will help Bush Stone-curlews to move between patches of bushland in the landscape.

Further sightings have come to light from Fairview and Killanoola. We also received an interesting report of a Bush Stone-curlew in Mundulla who has being staring at its own reflection in a window.

These sightings are a promising sign that there are still a small number of Bush Stone-curlews remaining in other parts of the South East.

Your sightings are really important to help provide a picture of where these charismatic birds are still remaining in the region. Please contact Natural Resources South East with any sightings of a Bush Stone-curlew.

The Landscape Links project is delivered by Natural Resources South East with funding from the Australian Government

The bird has been heard!There has been an exciting discovery since our Bordertown Bush Stone-curlew story in the Autumn edition of From the Ground Up.

All of this and more was a result of Permaculture Mount Gambier’s most recent outing to the Finch’s property in Rocky Camp. With over ten years thoughtfully implementing permaculture principles, the owners had us all thinking about fire break design, waterwise gardening, greywater use, making the most of a challenging soil (they don’t call it Rocky Camp for nothin!), keeping chooks happy, putting frost to good use, and passive solar design.

From the mindful placement of the gravel driveway and row of fire retardant agapanthus in the northern fire sector, to the central location of the wood oven, right down to the eastern deck that makes the most of glorious morning sunshine, there were plenty of ideas for the group ponder over a cuppa. Whether we were just starting out with a cow paddock as the Finch’s had over a decade ago, or

were inheriting some questionable historical design, there was something for everyone to take away from the day.

Founder of Permaculture Bill Mollison is quoted as saying "Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted and thoughtful observation rather than protracted and thoughtless labor; and of looking at plants and animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single product system." The Finch’s property is an excellent example of such protracted thought come to fruition, and our group was incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to visit, gleaning ideas and gaining inspiration for our own permaculture projects.

Keen to implement some thoughtful design at your place? Join the discussion on our Facebook group, search for Permaculture Mount Gambier.

Keeping up with the Finch’sThere is nothing quite like snooping about a neighbouring property – the inspiration you find, the wonderful contacts you make, the ideas you glean, the awesome cake and conversation.

Top of the hill, discussing windbreaks, native grasses and sunny northern aspects.

The waterwise and sheltered veggie patch and orchard.

FROM THE GROUND UP

Receiving a call in early April reporting around 300 Brolgas was something worth investigating, as the highest number recorded in the BirdLife South East SA database was 247 birds in April 2014.

A count of the birds in the one paddock in the Mingbool area totalled an amazing 323 birds, and a single colour-banded bird was noticed in amongst them. Wanting to get better looks the effort was made early the next morning to set up and try and locate other colour-banded birds. Four individuals were detected with photographs taken of all four combinations, three of these birds were also carrying transmitters. Reporting this back to Brolga researcher Inka Veltheim I was informed that these four birds were banded at each of the four banding locations that were used in her PhD project, so a great result. The furthest bird had travelled a distance of approximately 125km from Pennshurst in Victoria.

With the Official Brolga count approaching it was organised to make sure that this site was included and on April 30 an even larger number of 373 birds were counted, before the majority left the site just after dawn to feed elsewhere, as seems typical of their daily routine, returning very late in the afternoon to roost.

Certainly a staggering sight to see and what an amazing chorus of bugling as the sun rose in the morning, these birds really are one of the wonders of our South East environment.

Bob Green Convenor- BirdLife South East SA

From the Ground Up is a publication of the Natural Resources, South East and supported by the South East Natural Resources Management Board (SENRM Board) through funding from the Australian Governments’ National Landcare Programme. It promotes awareness and uptake of natural resources management in the South East region of South Australia.

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Cathy Ashby, Natural Resources, South EastPhone: (08) 8735 1236 Email: cathy.ashby@sa.gov.au

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Brolgas in abundanceBrolgas are a bird that occurs dotted throughout our landscape in both small and large wetlands where it breeds from around August through to December. Normally seen in these family groups they do however form large flocks in the post breeding stage.