There were no microbats in the tubes on 25 August. I was near the picnic area late afternoon on 27 August and looked up at the passing flock of yellow tailed black cockatoos, and there were two microbats flying around - hunting.
BILLABONG
The water level in the billabong is subsiding and has now split into 2 sections. The recent river level of 5.4m on 9 - 10 August was just below that needed to refill the billabong.
RMIT STUDENTS
RMIT CaLM (1st year) students visited the Reserve again on 10 September as part of their restoration studies. Each group was to draw up a revegetation and work plan.
COMMUNITY WORK DAYS
In August eight people attended the Friday work day. We weeded through the 2008 area and on the south side of the billabong, removing the grassy weeds and liberating lots of weeping grass and finding remnant goosefoot fishweed (Einadia trigonos)
Microlaena 'liberation' area on south bank of billabong
The Sunday work day was attended by seven people, working in the same areas as on the Friday, plus the 2011 RMIT area. Eight flowering bitou bush were removed from beside Burke Rd.
The Committee nominated me for a 2012 Landcare award, and I received the award for "Individual Caring for Public Land". Details are on the website under "News items".
Landcare award recipients
PLANT NAME OF THE MONTHRiver red gum - Eucalyptus camaldulensis
Eu - well (Greek)
calyptos - covered (Greek)
Meaning the flower bud is well covered.
Camaldoli - a monastery in Italy, from near which an immigrant red-gum was used to describe the species.
ensis - origin (Latin)
FRIDAY 14 SEPTEMBER 2012
9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
&
SUNDAY 30 SEPTEMBER 2012
10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
with an information session on microbats.
Burke Rd. Billabong Committee of Management.
www.vicnet.net.au/~fobrb