BURKE RD. BILLABONG RESERVE NEWS - AUGUST 2012

RMIT STUDENTS RMIT CaLM (1st year) students visited the Reserve as part of their restoration studies on 6 August. Each group was to assess their restoration blocks and assess the weed control required. They also spent some time clearing around the 2011 RMIT plantings. MICROBATS There were the same two Gould's wattled bats in 1 tube on 28 July. One female and one male. Both were banded, having been captured previously, and both were from the Burke Rd. colony. I visited a bat tube project at St. Kilda Botanical gardens, and the two bat tubes there have carpet lining to provide more insulation. One tube has been home to about 80 bats for many months, so I have put up 2 more bat tubes, these with carpet lining. COMMUNITY WORK DAYS In July eleven people attended the Friday work day. We weeded through the 2008 area and planted 120 Poas into, and weeded the 2008 area and spread mulch (from City of Boroondara) around the newly planted Poas. Weeding & mulching beside the shared path.

Also planted about 25 native raspberries into the area Michael and Niki planted fairy grass (Lachnagrostis filiformis), blady grass (Imperata cyclindrica) , native flax (Linum marginale) and clustered everlasting (Chrysocephalum semipapposum), and poa labillardieri (grown by Niki from seed collected from the 2008 Burke Rd plantings) in the weeping grass (Microlaena stipoides) patch on the south side of the billabong. Niki (with some assistance of her mother - and help from Michael) has done a lot of work on the south side of the billabong, removing the grassy weeds and liberating lots of weeping grass. Shifting mulch On the Sunday work day, we weeded in the 2011 RMIT area and planted 40 kidney weed. David mowed the upper level near the car park in preparation for siting a Reserve sign to directly front Burke Road. This area is looking much better with the boxthorn debris gone and the bumps levelled off. THE NEXT COMMUNITY WORK DAYS FRIDAY 10 AUGUST 2012 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. & SUNDAY 26 AUGUST 2012 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Stanley Barker, Burke Rd. Billabong Committee of Management. www.vicnet.net.au/~fobrb