| The Friends of the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden Port Augusta, Incorporated | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Friends of the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden Port Augusta, Incorporated
NEWS RELEASE: 27-06-2001
President
John Zwar
Ph (08) 867 0324 ah
Secretary
Gwen Leane
Ph (08) 8643 6191
Treasurer
Bob Baird
Ph (08) 8643 6343
Tradesperson / Gardener
Bernie Haase
Ph (08) 8641 1443 ah
Ph (08) 8641 0711w
NEXT EVENT: AGM Meeting - Saturday 14th July 2001, 1.00pm in the WMC Herbarium/Meeting Room.
All friends and others interested are warmly invited to attend. As this meeting will be our AGM, reports for activities during the last year will be presented, followed by election of officers and committee members for the next year. If interested in being involved at this level, please nominate for a position on the committee.GUEST SPEAKER AGM: Our speaker will be Steve Vines, Head Ranger of the Saint Kilda Mangrove Trail and Interpretive Centre near Adelaide. Steve will talk about his passion for mangroves and the ecosystems they sustain, and provide an insight to these trees of the sea. Steve is a former Port Augusta resident and knows the Garden site well. His slide show presentation and talk is entitled "The Flooded Forest from mangroves to mosquitoes and back again". It will cover general mangrove ecology, including the relationship between mosquitoes, mangroves, and dolphins and the very unusual adaptations that allow a tree to live in the sea. It is hoped that the coastal area including the mangroves of the AALBG will be made more accessible to visitors within the next year, with appropriate interpretive signage and displays as well, so Steves talk is timely and will be of interest to many!
GARDEN LOCATION The AALBG's main entrance is off the Stuart Highway (Woomera Road) approx. 1.5km north of the junction with the Eyre Highway at Port Augusta West. Follow the entrance road into the garden to the car park (about 1.2km). Besides the Bluebush Cafe, the Visitor Reception Building houses a fine interpretive display, a large range of Australian made gift items and books in the shop (ideal Christmas gifts with 10% discount for Friends), and toilet facilities as well as the adjoining WMC Herbarium Meeting Room. Why not arrive early, visit the Garden and enjoy lunch in the Bluebush Cafe? (Cafe purchases also 10% discount for Friends show membership card).
LAST MEETING: Pam Catcheside, a leading authority on fungi spoke and showed slides on this fascinating topic. She discussed the relationship between fungi and plants such as eucalypts and between fungi and invertebrates. Pam and husband David showed an excellent selection of slides and projections from a recently produced CD covering Australian Fungi. As there had been no rain at that stage, they were unable to undertake a fungal survey in the Garden. All who attended agreed this was a very well presented and most interesting topic.
COMMITTEE MEETING: Committee members, please note there will be a committee meeting held on Sat 14th July at 10.00am in the WMC Herbarium/Meeting Room at the AALBG.
ROXBY DOWNS, ANDAMOOKA, WOOMERA TOUR Sat 11th & Sun 12th August 2001:
This bus tour will depart from and return to Port Augusta. Although an exact cost per person is not yet known (it will depend on numbers travelling and size of bus) we expect the maximum cost to be $120 per person on a twin share basis, but this may be reduced once numbers travelling are known and costs are finalised. A deposit of $50 per person is requested when booking and by July 31st at the latest; cheques to be made out to the Friends of The Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden, Port Augusta Inc. and posted to Bob Baird, Treasurer, P0 Box 2040 Port Augusta, SA 5700. The trip will include tours of the three towns, garden visits, short bushwalks looking at vegetation including wildflowers which are likely to be flowering following more than 75mm of rain recently, and a visit to the Arid Recovery Reserve. The program (see below) may be subject to minor change, but this promises to be a most interesting tour with the opportunity to see a wide range of arid zone plants under natural conditions and in cultivation. Enquiries: Bob Baird or Gwen Leane; phone numbers at top of page. They will also advise on the bus departure and return location.PROGRAM for Friends of AALBG visit to Woomera, Roxby Downs & Andamooka, Sat 11th August:
Sat 11th Aug Dept Pt Augusta Bus, 8.00am BYO Lunch or buy at shop in Roxby. Toilet stop Pimba. 10.OOam Arrive Roxby Downs 11am - Half hour in Richardson Place, walk & look at shops & town center. The Green House 11 .3Oam Environmental house demonstrating appropriate technology + water efficient garden. (Evans family) & lunch on verandah. Tea & coffee provided. Dep Green House 1.00pm for Andamooka. Stop & inspect wildflowers & other vegetation on way. Tour of Andamooka Town tour including opal mine, gardens and points of interest. To Hotel/motel 5.00pm Dinner - hotel 7.00pm (Included in fare) - possibly slide show & talk after dinner. Sunday 12 August Breakfast Completed by 8am (included in fare). Dep Andamooka 8.00am Sun 12 Aug for Arid Recovery Reserve north of Roxby Downs Arrive AR Reserve 8.45 am - guided tour & talk Dep AR Reserve 10.00 drive past WMC mine & process plant, past OD Village, town tour Roxby. Short bushwalk to see local vegetation. Arrive Woomera 12.30pm lunch Visitor Centre Cafe Woomera town tour 1.30pm including museum, interesting plantings, Breen Park. Dep Woomera 3.00pm Arrive Pt Augusta 5.00pm GARDEN REPORT 16.5.2001 21.06.2001 by Bernie Haase.
It is not long since my last report but things are moving along here. Most plants are responding well to recent good soaking rains. Unfortunately severe frosts have damaged sensitive plants. Following rain of course, weeds have germinated so hand weeding and spraying are ongoing tasks.Planting has continued in all areas as plants have become available. Mulching of new plantings is complete. A huge list of plant labels that had accumulated has been engraved by Jimmy and these have been installed in the Garden. New label blanks have been ordered at a cost of about $1,500 for 1,000 blanks. The Friends will purchase these and donate them to the Garden as usual.
Seeds have been ordered and some received for the Rare Plants Area and some native annual flowering plants for other areas. Seeds have been sown and have been pricked out and potted as they germinate. Germination records are also being kept.
Foxes have been controlled and rabbits have been reduced to very low numbers again. Greening Australia personnel have undertaken further work on their trial site in the Gardens Research Area.
Approval has been granted for the Friends to have their own work shed built in the Gardens work compound. This will be used for storing Friends equipment and materials, and also be a useful work area for Friends volunteer propagators.
Well thats it for episode three for this year.
B. HaaseBIRD OBSERVER'S CLUB OF AUSTRALIA, PORT AUGUSTA GROUP - PROGRAMME 2001
Friends are welcome to participate in these bird watching outings.
Sunday 29 July 2001 Pichi Richi Tourist Camp - meet at complex 8.00am Sunday 26 August 2001 Lake Gilles Conservation Park -Meet at Tanks Carpark, Lincoln Gap 7.00am Sunday 23 September 2001 Dutchmans Stern -Meet at Stirling North Deli 7.00am Sunday 21st October 2001 Mambray Creek - Meet at Mambray Creek Roadhouse 8.00am Sunday 18th November 2001 Chinamans Creek - meet at turnoff on Highway One 9.00am Sunday 9th December 2001 Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden, 7.30am For more detail and further information contact Peter on telephone (08) 8642 5723 or Brian on (08) 8642 3314
SEED COLLECTING WORKSHOP: This will be held at Quorn on Sat Aug 25th from 1Oam - 2.00pm. Please contact Melissa Horgan, Bushcare Support Officer, of Greening Australia, Quorn for full details if interested in attending. The workshop advertised for June had to be cancelled - apologies to those affected by this. ENQUIRIES: Melissa Horgan, Ph: 8648 6677 or 0407 727 340. Melissa may be the Friends September meeting Guest Speaker - tentatively 1st Sept.
SUBSCRIPTION DUE DATES ERROR: Because of a computer problem with the Friends subscription due dates, incorrect information was printed on the last News Release, but this has been rectified. Secretary Gwen Leane extends apologies to those inconvenienced by this error. If you consider the due date shown on your News Release is wrong, please contact Gwen. If you are aware of Friends who are not receiving their News Release, please ask them to contact Gwen to have them reinstated on the mailing list.
ADELAIDE FUNGAL STUDIES GROUP: Pam Catcheside, our recent Guest Speaker has advised that this new group has been established. The inaugural meeting will be held on Tuesday, 1Oth July 7.30pm. at the Plant Biodiversity Centre, Hackney Road, Hackney SA. The speaker will be Dr Teresa Lebel who is an expert on truffles and is Mycologist at the National Herbarium of Victoria. The presentation is titled "Plumbing the depths looking for Australias native truffles." All interested, welcome to attend. For more information phone Pam on 8278 5004.
FRIENDS PROPAGATORS: A keen group of Friends meet at the work compound of the Garden each Wednesday morning to propagate plants from both seed and cuttings. Some plants raised are for planting in the Garden and surplus are available for sale. These funds raised by the Friends are committed to further development of the Garden. Thanks to all our volunteer propagators! If interested in joining this group, on a regular or occasional basis, phone Bruce Leane for details Ph 8643 6191. Friends travelling and in Port Augusta on a Wednesday may wish to meet and help volunteers. You will be most welcome!
MOUNT ISA BOTANIC GARDEN: A Friends group has been established to promote the proposed garden, mentioned in our last News Release. Former Director of the Botanic Gardens of Adelaide, Noel Lothian who is visiting Queensland at present has contacted the group to offer advice and assistance. Friends President John Zwar continues to provide advice and suggestions, based on the experience of promoting and establishing the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden.
EREMOPHILA FESTIVAL: This biennial event organized by the Friends is scheduled for Saturday 7th September 2002. Secretary Gwen is involved in planning and contacting potential speakers and participants. Please forward suggestions or requests to Gwen.
AALBG WEBSITE: For those with internet access, inspect our draft website which has undergone further development and improvement. Comment would be appreciated. The address is: www.australian-aridlands-botanic-garden.org
NEW MEMBERS: A special welcome is extended to recently joined members of the Friends.
MEMBERSHIP: Would members please check the date on their News Release address label to see if their subscription is due? Renewed subscriptions are very much appreciated! Receipts are normally attached to the next news release to save on postage.
EREMOPHILA FESTIVAL: Our biennial Eremophila Festival will next be held on Saturday 7th September 2002. How is that for forward planning?
MEMBERSHIP CARDS: Don't forget to show your membership card in the AALBG shop to receive your 10% discount on purchases - including meals.
VOLUNTEER INSURANCE COVERAGE: All volunteers working at the Garden are covered by Council's insurance coverage, but each MUST sign a statement which indicates the work they are undertaking on behalf of the Garden Board within the AALBG site. All volunteers please check with Bruce Leane, Bernie or with Pauline Hedger at the Garden to ensure that you have signed the appropriate paperwork to ensure coverage in the event of accident or injury.
Issued 27.06.2001 by John Zwar President, The Friends of the Australian And Lands Botanic Garden, Port Augusta Inc., P0 Box 2040 Port Augusta SA 5700. Ph (08) 8671 0324 ah, (08,) 8671 8558w, Facsimile C/- (08) 8671 0179 or by e-mail [email protected]
© The Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden
