Greetings all. This update is mostly about up-coming events the club is holding.
JUNE 8th. SLOOP LAGOON + BIG LAGOON – BINALONG BAY
Pam and Alex will lead next Saturday 8th’s outing in the Sloop Lagoon/Big Lagoon area behind Taylor’s Beach just north of Binalong Bay and south of the Gardens. There will be some botanising in rich heathland where we’ll see the unusual Caustis pentandra or thick twistsedge. Todd Dudley will join us to share information about the quarry he has revegetated and Alex will show us the remains of the old timber rail line and wharf.
Walking will be mostly along gravel roads, approximately 5km, with chances to opt out along the way, and even to drive to the quarry.
Members are reminded that the Bay of Fires Arts Festival is on all of the long weekend. Meet at 10am at the junction of the Binalong Bay and Gardens Road.
JULY 13th : FILM : THE WEEPING TREE.
The Tas Land Conservancy have been showing their acclaimed film The Weeping Tree which is the combination of art, science, the connection of Palawa to country and a very intimate way of storytelling. This is the story of a critically threatened, iconic Tasmanian tree, the cider gum, Eucalyptus gunnii, which is being effected by climate change and other influences. The film is set in the Central Highlands, a place rarely seen on our screens, but holding a place deep in the Tasmanian psyche. I’m sure it will attract interest from our members, many of whom love being in the Central Highlands.
So with the Central Highlands as the place of interest and threatened species as our theme, who better to complete the day but Karen Richards who is now Senior Zoologist with the Threatened Species Section of NRE. A group of us first met Karen when we were hunting for another iconic Central Highlands species, the Miena jewel beetle.
The Scottsdale Library has been booked for the event. It should be a great day!!
AUGUST 10th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING : 20 EDWARD STREET, BRIDPORT.
Guest speaker Elizabeth Daley, author of ‘Wings, an introduction to Tasmania’s winged insects’. Looking forward to that too …..
An email from Rosemary Mattingly. 29/05/2024
Dear Field Naturalists who are also educators,
At my request, Lou is kindly forwarding this job advertisement link for the new Adult Literacy Support Officer position at Scottsdale Library. I’ve asked her to send it to people who have education experience who might want a part-time job (2.5 days/week) or who might know someone with education experience who does.
I’ve been acting/relief/contract Literacy Coordinator for the Adult Literacy Service at Scottsdale Library for nearly 3 years. I’ve learnt a lot from knowledgeable and helpful colleagues, but I’m ready to move on. I shall continue in the service in my voluntary capacity as tutor. The service definitely has value for our community, so I really hope someone fresh can step into the new position.
With thanks and best wishes,
Rosemary Mattingley
Links from Len 6/05/2024
‘Marvellous puffball’ found growing out of road amazes Aussies::‘Erupting through bitumen’
This is the heading that attracted Len as he read a Yahoo news stream. An “unbelievable” growth resembling horse poo has left Aussies in awe after being spotted “erupting through bitumen” on a remote road.
Turns out it’s a ‘puffball’ fungus. “Quite a few species of pisolithus grow in the interior of Australia, and can often be found on the sides of roads”, Dr May told Yahoo, explaining they are able to “push up through quite hard surfaces and get as big as a softball”. [my comment…..They’re in Tasmania too. We saw one closely related on the Briseis Race – Lycoperdon]
Another heading that caught Len’s eye is this one:
Aussie fungus drilling into insects and eating them from the inside
We should know the address of our home page by heart by now, but just in case you don’t and you’d like to read the comprehensive report Lloyd wrote after the last outing look on the home page….. it’s called Flumes and Fungi. https://www.netasfieldnats.com.au/
(you can see it here when the home page is updated)
Over and out,
Lou Brooker. 😊
and p.s. Best wishes to Jay who is miserable with broken ribs after a ladder accident. We hope you heal quickly, Jay.