Royal honour for TFL youngsters

Ordering season open until July 31

DS program rises from the ashes

Contact usReLeaf is a production of Trees For Life.

Editorial/Advertising: Tania Kearney (ph: 08 8406 0500 or taniak@treesforlife.org.au) Production/Graphic Design: IS Design & Digital Printing: Finsbury Green

Want to advertise?Advertising space is now available in ReLeaf. Phone (08) 8406 0500 or email taniak@treesforlife.org.au for advertising rates.

Cover Photo: Diuris orientalis Southern Donkey Orchid by Peter Watton.

Trees For Life5 May Tce, Brooklyn Park 5032 Ph: 8406 0500 Fax: 8406 0599 info@treesforlife.org.au www.treesforlife.org.au

What’s on…May 1-July 31 - Ordering season

open

June 5 - TFL @ Botanic Gardens and Thebarton Senior College for World Environment Day

June 6 - Intro bush regen w-shop @ Clare

June 8 - Tree planting @Rockleigh, Eden Valley

June 21 - Intro bush regen w-shop @ Hallett Cove

June 25 - Seed collection w-shop @ Athelstone

July 4 - Intro bush regen w-shop @ Brooklyn Pk

July 8 - Seed collection day @ Strathalbyn

mid July - Volunteer grower registration

July 23 - Intro bush regen w-shop @ Mitcham Hills

July 25 - Schools Tree Day

July 27 - National Tree Day and launch of TFL-Foodland seed kit promotion

Aug 7 - Seed collection day @ Williamstown

Aug 9 - Intro bush regen w-shop @ Littlehampton

Aug 17 - Intro bush regen w-shop @ Norton Summit

Aug 21 - Intro bush regen w-shop @ Playford

Sept 6 - Bushcare’s Major Day Out events (Pg 8)

Sept 10 - Intro bush regen w-shop @ Willunga

Sept 14 - Bushcare’s Major Day Out events (Pg 8)

Sept 16 - TFL Board nominations close

Sept 20 - Intro bush regen w-shop @ Brooklyn Pk

For more information or bookings phone Trees For Life on (08) 8406 0500. See Page 8 for Come ‘n Try events for those interested in bushland group activities.

General NewsPresident’s Message

Find us on:

Teucrium, a survivor!BRETT OAKES

If you take a walk through the Park Lands and in a few other SA locations, you may be lucky enough

to spot a plant that has held on to its domain, despite around a hundred years of human urbanisation.

Grey Germander, otherwise known as Teucrium racemosum, is a small woody herb with dull green foliage, and large pure white flowers that attract a variety of native bees and butterflies. Growing to about a foot tall, this member of the mint family grows in open woodlands and grasslands, usually in clay soils where there is a bit of water run-off. As Germander flowers freely in spring and summer, loves the sun, and spreads from its suckering root system, it can easily make its home in a garden setting, as well as the bush.

Royal honour for TFL youngsters

Trees For Life was honoured to have several of its staff and volunteers attend the Royal

Reception at Elizabeth on April 23, in honour of their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

After trading in their field clothes for more appropriate attire, the group was introduced to Prince William, and got to spend several minutes chatting with him about Trees For Life, bushland, camping and dingoes! Nursery officer Brett Oakes was the official group spokesperson.

Trees For Life represented the environmental sector in South Australia and was one of several groups of young people at the reception, chosen for making a significant contribution to their local community. Other groups included high schools, CFS and Surf Lifesaving.

Trees For Life staff and volunteers at the Royal reception, from left, Adam Fitzell, Kylie Downie, Rosie Cullen, Priya Spencer, Jess Page, Brett Oakes, Michelle Peters, Kate Baddams and Samantha Jones.

Call for Board nominations

Do you want to have more of a say in the future direction of Trees For Life? Do you think your expertise

could be important going forward?If so, please consider nominating

for a position on the Board at this year’s AGM.

Positions up for re-election at

the AGM on October 16 are Vice-President, Treasurer and three Ordinary Board positions.

Nominations close 5pm Tuesday, September 16. A TFL Board nomination form appears on Page 11 of this ReLeaf edition. Simply fill in the details and send it back to us here at TFL.

Let’s refresh our Vision “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead

In 2006 in ReLeaf I posed a couple of questions. “How long has it taken for the community at large and our public and political leaders to see that the planet is

in serious difficulties? Is there a sea change occurring in views on climate change and the need for some strategic conservation?” Then I made the following optimistic observations. “At least the rhetoric is changing and the weight of scientific data is slowly tipping the political scales. In Britain the prestigious Royal Society is challenging ExxonMobil to an ethical duel. High profile environmental evangelists such as Al Gore, David Suzuki and the controversial late Steve Irwin have of late been punching the message home in ways that we mere mortals can never hope to emulate.”

So why in 2014 have the environment and climate change slipped so far down the political and social agendas? The science continues to confirm the seriousness of the situation but since the Global Financial Crisis we’ve become preoccupied with economic growth and the environment has become a major casualty. We need an environmental renaissance; a rebirth of the spirit of the 1980s when so many community conservation groups were established.

Over 30 years ago one of our founding fathers, Burr Dodd, wrote “our prime purpose should be to protect an already dry and eroded land from becoming drier and more eroded”. Burr’s comments followed the inspirational Richard St Barbe Baker’s speech to a public meeting in North Adelaide kindling an interest in revegetation which remains the heart and soul of our wonderful organisation to this day. Trees For Life has succeeded because it has been both visionary and practical. We’ve had a sustainable vision for longer than most and certainly before our governments and bureaucracies. We’ve converted that vision into action and given our members a sense of value and self-belief. We now have to find new solutions and different ways of doing things to enhance our range of services. Perhaps we have to revisit and refresh our Vision.

Strategic changes are already being made to the Tree Scheme to improve its relevance and user-friendliness. There will be greater electronic communication with growers, landowners and staff utilising the increased functionality of our new Treehouse database. As examples, information booklets are now available on-line for some zones and the landholder survey has become exclusively computerised. Planting information will be available on our website and in a new user guide, and we are running planting days for bushfire-affected landholders.

Increasingly governments are expecting the community to shoulder the burden of restoring our natural environment. Trees For Life is up for the challenge and always has been. Now more than ever we need to be smarter in everything we do. We have great staff, members and volunteers; we need to keep focused, maintain our enthusiasm and be creative in tackling our changing environment both natural and social.DAVID MITCHELL AM

Grow Ruby Saltbush for Nat. Tree Day!

The annual schools and national tree days are always a special and busy time of the year but

this year it will be even more special due to a joint partnership between Foodland and Trees For Life.

As part of National Tree Day on July 27, Foodland stores throughout South Australia will be offering customers packaged seed kits to enable them to grow the beautiful native, Ruby Saltbush (Enchyleana tomentosa).

The seeds have been collected from throughout the State by Trees For Life staff and volunteers.

An estimated 20,000 seed kits will be available to customers and will contain a species description and propagation instructions.

Keep an eye out in Statewide media, at your local Foodland store or on Trees For Life’s web and Facebook pages for more information. Then get your seed kit and get growing for our wonderful State!

Trees For Life Winter 2014 Number 1311 2

General News General News

Growing a great future is the goal of the State Government’s SA Urban Forests Million Trees Program, which is dedicated to planting three million local native trees and associated understorey across metropolitan Adelaide by 2014.

Come planting with Urban Forests

The SA Urban Forests Million Trees Program planting events are scheduled for 2014. A further

200,000 plants are set to be planted this year to complete our goal of three million trees by 2014.

We invite anyone interested from the general public to become involved in our Community Planting days, usually held on Saturdays. These events are an opportunity for anyone who would like to get involved in helping protect, conserve and enhance Adelaide’s native vegetation.

This year’s events were kicked off with the annual Grey Box Day Native Plant Sale which was held at Belair National Park on May 31. This sale focused on encouraging residents within the Mitcham, Unley, Onkaparinga, Marion and Burnside council areas to help conserve the nationally threatened Grey Box Grassy Woodland that naturally occur in these areas. The following events have been scheduled for this year:• Para Woodlands, Yaringa Block

(near Gawler) – Sat June 21• Craigburn Farm (Blackwood Park) –

Sun June 22• Highbury Aqueduct – Sat June 28

• O’Halloran Hill Recreation Park – Sat July 12

• Willunga Creek – Sat July 26 (National Tree Day Event)

• Maslin Beach – Sat August 9• Onkaparinga River Recreation Park

– August 13This year, our National Tree

Day event will be held at Willunga Creek, right behind the Aldinga Arts Eco Village on July 26. This event attracted nearly 130 volunteers to Maslin Beach last year so everyone is welcome to come and join us and some of the dedicated residents of the village to help restore this riparian zone. The Million Trees Program is an SA Government initiative that aims to plant three million trees and understorey plants by 2014 to revegetate around 2000 ha of Adelaide’s open space, providing habitat for wildlife, improving air and water quality, and helping absorb carbon emissions. Funding is provided by the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructures Open Space Development Fund.

If you would like to get involved in any of our planting events this winter visit naturalresources.sa.gov.au and click on the link ‘Get Involved’ to source our Calender of Events 2014. Alternatively email info@urbanforest.on.net or phone (08) 8278 0600.

Many hands make light work: National Tree Day 2013, Maslin Beach, Blanche Point.

Saltbush guide illustrates species diversity

An illustrative guide to Chenopods in the Murray Region is now available through the Mid

Murray LAP group.Simply Saltbush – A Guide to the

Identification and Uses of Chenopods in the Murray Region of SA – has been written by Nadine Brown and includes genus information, identification keys and species details.

Plants in the family Chenopodiaceae are often referred to as ‘chenopods’, and more commonly as ‘saltbush’ (a term that mostly applies to members of the Atriplex and Rhagodia genera). The name ‘saltbush’ is derived from the ability of plants to excrete excess salt and store it in their leaves, (enabling them to be salt tolerant). The family includes other common groups such as the bluebushes (Maireana sp), bindyis (Sclerolaena sp) crumbweeds (Dysphania sp) and samphires (Tecticornia sp).

Chenopods are prevalent in arid and semi-arid areas and as such, are prominent in the Murray region of South Australia, the focus of the ‘Simply Saltbush’ book.

Within this family there is considerable diversity. In the Murray region, there are approximately 18 genera of plants and over 100 species.

Simply Saltbush – A Guide to the Identification and Uses of Chenopods in the Murray Region of SA – is $25 plus P&H. For more information email midlap@internode.on.net or visit the website www.midmurraylap.org.au

The project is supported and funded by Mid Murray LAP and the SA Murray-Darling Basin NRM Board.

Sixth “rare beauty” found living in SA’s Mid-NorthDANIEL HANISCH*

I have to admit that it wasn’t love at first sight. On initial inspection, the spiny everlasting daisy – a

sprawling, prickly native with almost imperceptibly tiny yellow flowers - doesn’t exactly take the breath away. In fact, if first impressions were all that counted in this world, I would have serious doubts that this highly threatened species had much lead left in its evolutionary pencil.

Glumly looking down at it alongside my more impressed colleagues, I secretly wondered if they were able to see something in the spiny daisy that I couldn’t.

I had just been to my first meeting of the Spiny Daisy Recovery Team - a group of experts and actively interested community members who are responsible for improving the status of the species. Currently, the species is listed as ‘critically endangered’ by the Commonwealth (the highest national threat rating) and ‘endangered’ under the South Australian National Parks and Wildlife Act. Clearly, when there are only five known sites of the species, all occurring on narrow roadside verges within the Northern and Yorke Natural Resource Management region, there is plenty of reason to sound the alarm bells.

At this meeting of the Recovery Team though, there was new cause for optimism. A sixth occurrence of the species had recently been discovered within Mount Remarkable District Council area. And so, immediately following the Recovery Team meeting at Melrose, we made our way over to welcome the ‘new arrival’.

I lay eyes on the species for the first time, and as noted, my initial response to the species was one of guarded disappointment. But like many other Australian botanical treasures, spend a little time with this unassuming local, take a closer look, and its finer points start to reveal themselves.

The foliage is the first thing to sink its hooks into you. Spiny daisy has a wonderfully coloured light-grey matrix created by its jumble

of branches, spines and small oval-shaped leaves. It is this colour and texture that the Recovery Team and Arid Lands Botanic Gardens in Port Augusta are hoping will drive sales of spiny daisy. They’re trying to appeal to adventurous home gardeners, looking to add some diversity to their domestic landscape.

I’m initially underwhelmed by the flowers which, when viewed from a standing position, look nothing more than small flecks of yellow on a prickly grey canvas. But often, to fully appreciate our more modest natives, you’ve got to make a little effort, get down on your haunches and take a bees-eye view.

Exquisite flowersAt this level, the flower of the spiny

daisy reveals itself as not just one floral structure, but an exquisitely arranged golden cluster cradled by a champagne flute-shaped gathering of furry modified leaves or ‘bracts’, soft grey with brown edging. If some unusually gifted florist could work out how to upscale it he’d have a best-seller on his hands, no doubt!

The other feature of the spiny daisy that really impresses me is only visible to those who have a little knowledge about this species up their sleeve. To the uninformed eye, the site that we visited near Melrose would appear to consist of many plants, perhaps a couple hundred or more. The truth is, however, that this 70 metre long and 30 metre wide

‘population’ is, in fact, a population of one! The spiny daisy is a clonal species that suckers readily from exposed roots and shoots. Despite regular flowering, it produces very little viable seed and no seedlings have ever been observed in the wild. Genetic studies have shown that all plants at each of its known sites are a single clone, but that the different populations are distinct from each other. This means that in genetic terms, there are only six known Spiny Daisy individuals, making this one of the world’s most endangered species.

The Recovery Team has a serious challenge on its hands and currently the team is searching for new sites and endeavouring to conserve and recover the species in several ways. We’re undertaking weed and snail control at existing sites and educating landholders on chemical spray drift to avoid damage to known sites. And on a larger scale, cross-pollination trials are being developed to improve the genetic diversity of the plant and we are continuing to negotiate the sale of propagules so spiny daisy can be introduced to new sites.

Community co-operation and support for these actions is essential if they are to be successful.

During my first Recovery Team meeting, one member of the team mentioned that a friend of his cynically referred to the spiny daisy as a ‘prickly pansy’. It’s worth a chuckle, but it’s also worth remembering that this species was considered extinct for 80 years and then rediscovered in the Northern and Yorke region.

It is something in which the Mid-North community rightly takes pride and assumes responsibility, regardless of its perceived aesthetic value.

Personally, having now had the chance to have a close look at the species, I prefer to think of the species as a literal ‘rare beauty’ – not a prickly pansy but a spiny daisy... everlasting!

Let’s all help it live up to its name.

*Daniel Hanisch is employed by the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources.

Footnote: Trees For Life’s Threatened Flora Officer Northern and Yorke, Erica Rees, is part of the Spiny Daisy Recovery Team. In an exciting development, the species is being introduced to another location within SA in July. A full report will be in September’s ReLeaf edition.

The critically endangered Spiny Daisy.

Trees For Life Winter 2014 Number 1313 4

Tree Scheme Tree Scheme

2014 Tree Scheme dates & events

TS Ordering: May 1-July 31

Volunteer Grower Registration: Mid July-Mid October

Growers Workshops: October

(Continue to check Website/

Facebook for updates)

Order seedlings before July 31

Revegetating can be a complex and expensive business. But we have made it easy for you with

guidance on how to go about it and help from volunteers to grow the seedlings. Orders are open, so think about what you need and order before the end of July.

Great value native seedlingsMaterial supply fee is now $75. This is equivalent to 15 cents per seedling if you want a volunteer to grow your seedlings or 7.5 cents per seedling if you grow your own. This compares with $2-$4 per seedling from commercial outlets!

Ordering information booklets for some zones are now available on-line at www.treesforlife.org.au. If you prefer a hard copy please contact us on (08) 8406 0500 or email info@treesforlife.org.au

Grow your own from cuttingsMany attractive native shrubs are difficult to grow from seed, or the seed is hard to find. For example, Myoporums, Goodenias, Correas and some Olearias. However growing them from cuttings is easy. If you are growing for your own needs, you can now grow from cuttings. We provide all the materials and information required. On the order form select XX Materials only, I will supply seed/ cuttings and circle cuttings.

Trees For Life volunteer grower Lyn George (third from left) delivered her 10 boxes of seedlings to the Hampel family - Jon, Cheryl and Matt - in Nuriootpa recently.

Guard your seedlings

Order your tree guards and stakes now for planting this year. The new ReGuard is a robust

plastic guard, 300mm high, which can be secured with either two bamboo stakes or one hardwood stake.

At only $1+GST each, they are economical insurance for your seedlings. Order and pay, then pick up in Adelaide, Nuriootpa or other regional centres. Find out more and order on www.treesforlife.org.au/shop, or order by phone on (08) 8406 0500.

Tree Scheme still strong after 32 yearsIAN LETT

South Australia boasts the nation’s longest running and biggest volunteer program for

revegetation. The Tree Scheme has been running

for 32 years and has involved tens of thousands of volunteers growing tens of millions of seedlings. This year more than 700,000 seedlings were grown and have been handed over, or will be soon.

It’s just getting betterYou may notice some changes to the Tree Scheme this year. This is part of a strategic review which will include offering new products and services. Our aim is to support you to manage your remnant vegetation and to revegetate cleared areas. We have some ideas about how to do this and also want your feedback on what you need. We invite you to be a part of this review by filling in the landholder survey, now online. Search for survey at www.treesforlife.org.au If you wish to contribute but don’t want to do so on-line, please phone us and we will fill it in on your behalf.

Stay informedYou may also have noticed that we are using more electronic communication. The Grower and Bushfire Appeal newsletters are now sent by email, and you can find out what is happening on Facebook and Twitter.

Help with planting on bushfire-affected properties

More than 60 growers responded to our call to grow seedlings for bushfire-

affected landholders as part of our Bushfire Appeal. And more than 80 groups and individuals have told us they want to help plant out the seedlings to help those who lost so much in the fires earlier this year.

We are now coordinating planting days in the fire-affected regions of lower Flinders, Eden Valley, Rockleigh and Riverland.

We have set up a Facebook group where landholders can register a planting day and volunteers can find out what is happening and how they can get planting.

Have a look, create an event or join an event: Facebook.com/groups/treesforlifeplanting/

Despite heatwaves, it was a good growing season!

Many growers have commented on this growing season as being a difficult one, with

the extreme heat we experienced in December and January. Others reported a really good season. And many had great results with some species and poor results with others.

A couple of points of interest: the number of requests for seed replacement was down from the previous season, and there were fewer growers needing backup. In total 115 growers visited the nursery to collect backup stock. Interestingly 52% of visitors braved the cold, wet, conditions on the first day of the event!

While the 2013-2014 growing season is coming to a close, the transition to handing over seedlings and planting activity is just beginning. If you have not initiated contact with your landholder, it is time to get in touch to make arrangements for handover. Or contact us if you have been unable to talk with your landholder.

Grower workshops start October

During October we run a series of Grower Workshops at the Trees For Life Nursery in Brooklyn Park.

The workshops run for two hours and cover the fundamentals of growing and nurturing quality seedlings.

Those growing for their own needs can attend the Grow Your Own Workshops, which include extra information on planning to revegetate and planting, and run for three hours.

Workshop dates will be published in the Spring edition of Releaf and will be posted on our website and Facebook page. There are limited places for each workshop and bookings are essential. Phone our office on (08) 8406 0500.

Grower-landholder ties bound by nature

Our wonderful volunteer growers recently handed over their seedlings to landholders

throughout the State. One of our growers, Lyn George, recently took her 10 boxes up to Hampel Vineyards near Nuriootpa.

“We delivered 10 boxes of assorted species of trees on Easter Saturday to Cheryl Hampel’s property (vineyard) near Nuriootpa. After unloading them from the jeep we were treated to a delightful morning tea AND gifts of appreciation!,” Lyn said.

“One of my ‘last September’ retirement goals was to offer to grow ten boxes instead of the six that I had managed many summers while I was working. I really enjoyed this season, especially growing for such an appreciative landholder.”

As well as spoiling Lyn and her friend Marlene during their visit, Cheryl then sent an email later that day: “Hi Lyn. A quick note to say thank you for growing those beautiful healthy trees for us and for you and Marlene delivering them today. It was a pleasure for us to meet you both and we have been admiring the trees this afternoon. Both Jon and Matt said come back to see how they are

progressing after being planted out for a while. Again we say thank you and wish you well.”

The grower-landholder relationship – often the bridge between city and country – is one of the highlights of the Tree Scheme Program and this is a perfect example of what can be achieved.

If you have any photos of your handover, whether you’re a grower or a landholder, we’d love to hear your story and see some photographs!

Want to plant in the beautiful Fleurieu?

Trees For Life’s Volunteer Fleurieu Tree Planters Group has finalised its planting schedule for winter.

Dates and locations are:• May 25 at Blewitt Springs• June 15 at Cherry Gardens• June 22 at Macclesfield• June 29 at Reynella• July 6 at Hope Forrest (near

Willunga)• July 13 at Willunga• August 10 at Torrens Vale (near

Yankalilla)• September 14 at KuitpoFor more information or to register

yourself as a volunteer planter, contact TFL Planting Coordinator Bunti Pellen on 0429 016 335 (before 7pm) or email bunti@adam.com.au

ReGuards are made in Australia using 100% recycled carbon neutral material.

Trees For Life Winter 2014 Number 1315 6

Bush For Life Bush For Life

2014 Come & Try Bushcare

These full day activities are perfect for people who want to try bushcare for the first time.

Phone (08) 8406 0500 to book or find out more information.

Thursday July 3 @ Eden Hills

Friday July 11 @ Goolwa

Saturday July 19 @ Fairview Park

Saturday August 2 @ Millbrook

Tuesday August 26 @ Clarendon

Saturday September 6 @ Onkaparinga Hills

Tuesday September 9 @ Echunga

Friday September 19 @ Montacute

TAFE relationship benefits students and the bushSUE DUIGAN*

As part of Certificate 3 in Conservation and Land Management (CLM) at TAFESA,

Urrbrae Campus students engage in units of competence and training which focus on a variety of methods used to manage, restore and enhance natural habitats.

Urrbrae’s CLM program coordinator Giles Goldney saw an opportunity to enrich the learning experience of students by engaging actively with relevant industry partners in supporting this course.

To this end, over a number of years Trees For Life and its Bush For Life (BFL) Program have played an important role in giving students hands-on experience in areas of conservation and bush regeneration.

As part of a revegetation unit, students complete a Bush For Life Introductory Bush Regeneration Workshop. The half-day theory session is followed up with two practical sessions at long-term BFL bush regeneration sites. In previous years students have worked on a City of Mitcham site on Old Belair Road and SA Water site at Barossa Reservoir.

Workplace Health & Safety is a high priority on the field days with students being inducted on-site and provided with details of site and task hazards and behavioural expectations. Appropriate protective clothing and hand tools are also provided for all practical tasks. Following practical demonstrations, students are supervised by experienced BFL coordinators such as Randall Bates, applying learned minimal disturbance techniques to control locally significant weed species such as Olive and Boneseed as part of an assisted regeneration program at these sites. For many students this is their first experience working in the industry and the BFL staff provide encouragement and support, helping to build confidence in individual abilities.

In previous years, TFL has also accommodated CLM students on field days involved with seed collecting

activities. Visits to the TFL Brooklyn Park nursery and seedbank also provide students with an understanding of the complexities of the management of a production, operation and distribution of ordered product.

The partnership that has developed clearly provides benefits to both organisations in the short and long-term. Lecturing staff at TAFESA encourage students to become members of Trees For Life and Bush For Life volunteers and expand their hands-on experience. This has, for some, proved a valuable pathway to employment outcomes within the Trees For Life organisation or widened their network of connections with employers and other individuals in the natural resource management/ conservation industry.

TAFESA similarly values the opportunities provided by the partnership with TFL/BFL as it offers students relevant knowledge and practical experience guided by industry practitioners using current techniques in bush regeneration.

Trees For Life is also valued as an industry representative on the Conservation and Land Management Industry Advisory Group at Urrbrae Campus TAFESA which meets annually to provide advice on current and future training needs within the Conservation and Land Management sector.* Sue Duigan is a lecturer at TAFESA’s Urrbrae Campus.

Managing remnant native vegetation after bushfiresJESS PAGE

The South Australian bushfires earlier this year devastated several properties and large

expanses of remnant bushland, pasture, farmland and revegetation projects, reducing land to ash.

Often we wonder how landscapes will respond and whether the native plants will recover; managing these landscapes post-fire is an ever-present challenge.

Many landholders consider revegetation as the remedial solution to post fire management of bushland, as well as for other disturbances such as grazing, weed invasion and other land clearance. However, before heading down the revegetation path it is important to assess and get to know your site.

Did your site contain intact or fragmented remnant native vegetation? Is your site farmland or pasture with no native vegetation? Perhaps yours was a native revegetation project?

It is important to keep in mind that sites with remnant native vegetation need to be approached differently to sites without, due to the processes of natural regeneration.

In the Bush For Life Program, bush regeneration means working with nature rather than trying to replicate it. It is about allowing the bush to heal itself with the gradual removal of invasive weeds that are competing with native vegetation and preventing it from growing, seeding, germinating and flourishing.

It is about allowing the seedbank in the soil, built up over many decades, to regenerate, often letting species that have disappeared from sites decades ago to reappear. It is wise to observe a site for several seasons before undertaking any sort of revegetation, so please try to be patient. This is why it is important to know your site; often great mistakes can be made rushing in.

Regeneration may take at least five years to occur, so revegetating in remnant native vegetation during this time has the potential to interfere with the natural regeneration from native seed and root stocks.

Given the right conditions, most native vegetation burnt by bushfires will regenerate by natural processes. Australian plants have evolved in a landscape shaped by fire and have therefore developed a range of survival techniques: growth from epicormic buds, roots or lignotubers, sprouting from bulbs, corms and tubers and germination of seed.

Some plants will re-shoot quickly after fire, such as ferns and sedges, while other plants take longer to recover, and this will be influenced by fire intensity and frequency. This research is supported by both the South Australian Native Vegetation Council (NVC) and Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources (DEWNR).

So what should you do if your site contains remnant vegetation and has recently experienced a fire? NVC and DEWNR encourage landholders to employ the following steps:• Remove stock and stop grazing

pressure from farmed animals immediately.

• Control rabbits within the cleared landscape.

• Plan and be proactive in weed control. Use minimal disturbance techniques and confirm identification, as juvenile native plants can look quite different to mature plants. If using a contractor, ensure they are experienced in bushcare techniques.

• Retain fallen timber and hollows as they can provide shelter habitat for lizards, nesting birds and other species in the absence of plant cover. The shade offered by the timber can be beneficial in an exposed landscape and assist in creating water reservoirs.

DEWNR also advises that to enable good post-fire recovery, vegetation should be protected from long-term impacts such as erosion, which can be compounded by post-fire activities and weed invasion.

The important message is get to know your site and observe it for several seasons rather than rushing in and undertaking revegetation where this may not be appropriate. If the site contains remnant native vegetation, the chances of natural regeneration will be high. In the interim, manage and control the regrowth of weeds to allow the regeneration of native plants. Consider booking in to an Introductory Bush Regeneration Workshop to learn the bush regeneration principles and techniques yourself. If after several years regeneration has not occurred naturally then revegetation may be considered as an option.

Last but not least, sit back and enjoy the ride, watching your bushland transform before you very eyes. For further information on managing land post fire contact the TFL office on (08) 8406 0500 or visit the DEWNR website: www.environment.sa.gov.au

Post-fire regeneration throughout South Australia.

Urrbrae students gain hands-on experience through a valuable partnership with Trees For Life.

Bushcare’s Major Day out 2014

This year we’re making it even easier to get involved: smaller, local activities for a few hours

held in various regions. Come and help us celebrate!

Want to have a fun day out mingling with other bushcarers, helping to restore a local site? Or if you’ve never tried bushcare before, here is your chance to roll up your sleeves and have a go.

Saturday September 6• Onkaparinga Hills bushcare work -

get your hands dirty.• Burnside ‘walk & talk’ to learn

about the local bushland and what’s being done to help nurture it plus some bushcare work if you’d also like to give it a go.

Sunday September 14• Goolwa ‘walk & talk’ plus some

bushcare work if you’d also like to give it a go.

• Tea Tree Gully bushcare work - get your hands dirty.

• Littlehampton ‘walk & talk’. Check the TFL website and Facebook page for more details in coming months.

Trees For Life Winter 2014 Number 1317 8

Landholder Profile Direct Seeding

Direct Seeding Program rises from the ashesDENNIS HAYLES

After suffering major losses of spraying and direct seeding equipment, processing facilities

and drying seed in the Rockleigh bushfires in January, the Direct Seeding Program is back on track and ready for a very busy year ahead.

Hothouse drying tunnelsNot only have repairs been carried out to the burnt out hothouse drying tunnel, but a second facility now stands along side it. Increased project activity on Southern Yorke Peninsula has seen the need to process larger volumes of plant material to extract seed to fulfil contracts. The Direct Seeding volunteers came out in force in February to help rebuild the damaged tunnel and returned in late April for erection of a brand new facility. With a second tunnel frame being donated by UrbanVirons Group and material to complete the job donated by a generous seed collecting volunteer, we now have doubled our seed drying capacity.

Capital expenditureThe Direct Seeding Program has two major projects underway on Southern Yorke Peninsula being funded by the Commonwealth Government’s Biodiversity Fund over five years, resulting in over 400 hectares of revegetation. With guaranteed income streams over the next five years, we have been able to purchase a new tractor and trailer – a need of ours for some time for various on-ground works including spraying, direct seeding, slashing and land preparation. Previously we have relied on landholders providing a tractor which presents issues of timing and availability, Work Health Safety, inadequate power and inherent breakdowns with old tractors, all costing time, quality of results and operator safety concerns.

Careful research was carried out to find a tractor-trailer combination that is light enough to tow, has the power and flexibility to work across the State in a wide range of landscape

situations to carry out the many tasks required of it.

We settled on an Italian-built Ferrari tractor, designed to work in orchards and vineyards where slopes are sometimes severe. It is built with a low centre of gravity with four equal size wheels delivering 56 horsepower of full time four wheel drive. An ingenious design concept of the Ferrari is that the seat can be swivelled 180 degrees, allowing the tractor to work in reverse for such jobs as slashing, spraying, loading and unloading, and coupling rear mounted equipment. This also means the operator in these situations is not required to constantly be twisting around to see what is happening

behind them, reducing risk of driver fatigue and injury.

A local manufacturer built the trailer to our specifications in Mount Barker. It will be used not only for transportation of equipment, but is equipped with a removable cage allowing collection of the large quantities of seed required.

The ‘V’ blade direct seeder, also burnt in the bushfire, has been fully rebuilt and improved and will become a major part of the on-ground revegetation works across the State.

These procurements, constructions and rebuilds offer the Direct Seeding Program a great opportunity to increase capacity and quality revegetation outcomes into the future.

The aftermath of the January 2014 bushfire left our hothouse in tatters ... and the rebuilt structure in February.

Work gets underway on the second tunnel, undertaken by the hard-working hothouse building team!

Above left: With the seat reversed, the tractor can be confortably and safely unloaded and loaded onto the purpose-built trailer. Above right: The tractor and new ‘V’ Blade direct seeding machine, ready to transport.

Port Lincoln property flourishes due to native vegetationTANIA KEARNEY

This winter landholders throughout South Australia will plant more than 630,000 native

seedlings as part of Trees For Life’s Tree Scheme Program.

One of those landholders, Shayne Calliss, hopes to plant around 2000 seedlings on his Eyre Peninsula property; similar to the number he planted in 2013.

Shayne and wife Jo own a 69-acre property 14 kilometres north of Port Lincoln and run a flock of Wiltipoll sheep. In just a few short years, he has noticed first-hand how much of a difference increasing native vegetation is making – not only to his stock, but to local wildlife, soil and water quality.

“I grow my own seedlings from seed collected on and around our farm. Our plantings serve a multitude of purposes; revegetating our creek, creating and improving wildlife habitat, erosion control, windbreaks, shade and fodder for stock, improving water quality on our property and within the Tod River catchment, as well as to improve the general amenity of our property,” Shayne said.

‘Birds (such as wrens and finches) are also already using the two year old trees and shrubs for shelter and feeding.’

“In just a few years by fencing off and planting along our creek we have seen many species of rushes and sedges flourish. Animal life has also improved with a rapid increase in frog numbers and invertebrates from yabbies to dragonflies. Birds (such as wrens and finches) are also already using the two year old trees and shrubs for shelter and feeding. Surface water quality (turbidity, sediment load) has really improved from when water enters our property to when it leaves it.”

Shayne said his initial plantings were aimed at establishing a canopy for shade and shelter (Drooping Sheoak - Allocasuarina verticillata; River Red Gum - Eucalyptus camaldulensis; Sugar

Gum - Eucalyptus cladocalyx; Yorrell - Eucalyptus gracilis; Eyre Peninsula Blue Gum - Eucalyptus petiolaris; Manna Gum - Eucalyptus viminalis).

Species were also chosen to help stop erosion and to provide some quick growing shrubs for birds and small animals habitat, (a wide variety of local acacias as well as a lot of Scarlett Bottle-brush - Callistemon rugulosus along the creek).

“We are also experimenting with growing trees that do well in the lower rainfall areas of the Peninsula so they can hopefully flourish if we experience reduced rainfall due to climate change,” Shayne said.

Do your homeworkAlthough Shayne had the advantage of studying horticulture through Tafe, he said all landholders could improve their properties by doing some “homework and preparation”.

“Choose your species carefully to ensure they will grow in your conditions and if possible serve at least two or more purposes, ie. erosion

control, shelter for stock and wildlife corridor. Any preparation before and during planting will pay off with much better results.

“Control weeds, exclude stock and dig a decent sized hole or deep rip. Try to plant with a good sized dish for catching rain water. Also be prepared to do some follow up weed control. Lastly, try and work out why you succeeded in some instances and failed in others. You can then adapt next year’s plantings to get a better survival rate.”

Trees For Life’s ordering season is now open but closes July 31. Landholders can contact Trees For Life for a species list specific to their region.

Phone (08) 8406 0500, log onto www.treesforlife.org.au or email info@treesforlife.org.au

Before and After along the creekline: Shayne on the first tree planting day – watched by Matilda & Nunji. Below Shayne and Matilda look at the creek revegetation progress.BEFORE

AFTER

Trees For Life Winter 2014 Number 1319 10

2014 Intro bush regen workshops (B1)

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer on one of our Bush For Life sites or would like to learn more about managing your own bushland then come along to an Introductory Bush Regeneration Workshop. Phone (08)

8406 0500 to register for workshops.

Friday June 6 Clare

Saturday June 21 Hallett Cove

Friday July 4 Brooklyn Park

Wednesday July 23 Mitcham Hills

Saturday August 9 Littlehampton

Sunday August 17 Norton Summit

Thursday August 21 Playford

Wednesday September 10 Willunga

Saturday September 20 Brooklyn Park

Wednesday October 8 Strathalbyn

Tuesday October 14 Burnside

For Members For Members

2014 Group seed collection days (SD1)Tuesday July 8 Strathalbyn

Thursday August 7 Williamstown

Car pooling will be arranged for the group seed collection days. For more information phone Seedbank Manager Bruce Smith on (08) 8406 0500.

2014 Advanced workshopsBrushcutter use and maintenance:Thurs-Fri June 19-20 Brooklyn Park, Eden Hills

Broadleaf and Bulb Weed Control in Grassy Ecosystems:Saturday July 12 Brooklyn Park

Introduction to Plant Identification:Friday Sept 26 Stirling

Saturday Sept 27 Stirling

Grass Identification and Management:Thursday Oct 23 Brooklyn Park

Saturday Oct 25 Brooklyn Park

TFL BOARD NOMINATION FORM

Nomination form for: Vice-President, Treasurer, Ordinary Board Member

I nominate myself/the person below for the position of:

.........................................................................................................................

Name of Nominee .........................................................................................

Membership No .............................................................................................

Signature ........................................................................................................

Nominated by ................................................................................................

Membership No .............................................................................................

Two of our wonderful ‘handymen’ volunteers Trevor Carmichael and John Bollinger put the finishing touches to our brand new kitchen in the training room. The kitchen, as well as a heating and cooling system and a state-of-the-art whiteboard, were funded through a charitable trust grant. This means our other volunteers doing mailouts, or those undertaking training, have a lovely facility to enjoy. It’s great to be able to look after our fantastic volunteers in this way; and all due to a very kind Trust!

Camera, action! 2015 Calendar entries now sought

Guess what? It’s that time of year again when we choose the theme for our new calendar!

The theme for Trees For Life’s 2015 Calendar is ‘Life in Miniature’.

This can be South Australian flora and fauna and the interpretation is entirely is entirely up to you … it could be seed pods, tiny orchids, baby animals and insects. Entries are welcome from all TFL members; just remember the guidelines of 300dpi minimum and landscape format. Please ensure original versions are 2mb or higher for quality reproduction. Reduced versions can initially be emailed to taniak@treesforlife.org.au

Every year we get a fantastic response from so many talented members and we again look forward to seeing your inspiring photographs. Entries close July 31, 2014, so get to it!

This tiny fungus is a perfect example of the theme for our 2015 Calendar - Life in Miniature.

Buy your 2014-15 Entertainment Book and help us

We now have the new release Entertainment Book available from reception – still only

$65 and Trees For Life receives $13 from each sale. And they can be used immediately until June 2015.

Discover hundreds of valuable

Greening ‘The Block’ is a family affair

Tumby Bay resident Shane Masson is one of Trees For Life’s grower-landholders.

Shane joined Trees For Life four years ago after reading about the Tree Scheme Program.

He and wife Hayley bought a new property - ‘The Block’ - in the Tumby Bay foothills in 2009. They started growing trees for the 60-acre property through Trees For Life in 2010 and finished building their dream home on the property in 2012.

“We have planted over 2400 seedlings with some mixed results. With all the seed and potting mix provided it is a very cheap way to acquire over 500 plants in a growing season that are native to our region,” Shane said.

As the physical education teacher at Tumby Bay Area School, Shane is able to utilise the school’s shade house to grow his seedlings. When the seedlings are established, Shane and Hayley’s children Mardi and Harvey then plant them out.

This season he grew 18 boxes of native seedlings ranging from trees such as Eyre Peninsula Blue Gum Eucalyptus leucoxylon petiolaris and Peppermint Box Eucalyptus odorata to bushes and groundcovers including Running Postie Kennedia prostrata and Coast Flax Lily Dianella brevicaulis.

Mardi and Harvey Masson help plant out native seedlings on their property ‘The Block’ - with a bit of help from mum and dad!

2014 Seed collection workshop (SC1)Wednesday June 25 Athelstone

Workshop will be held at the Wildflower Garden at the top of Addison Avenue from 9am. For more information phone Seedbank Manager Bruce Smith on (08) 8406 0500.

up to 50% off and 2-for-1 offers for many of the best restaurants, cafés, arts, attractions, hotels, travel, shopping and much more, with an Entertainment Membership! You’ll receive over $20,000 in valuable offers you can use until 1 June, 2015.

Restaurants and casual dining venues include Jolleys Boathouse, Raj on Taj, Mount Lofty House, Georges on Waymouth, Outback Jacks, Brunelli, Esplanade Hotel and Henley Beach Hotel. You can also enjoy cheap movie tickets at Wallis, Reading and Event cinemas and discount entry to Adelaide and Monarto zoos, AMF Bowling centres and The Beachouse!

Phone (08) 8406 0500, call into the office or order on-line through ‘Shop’ at the TFL website. Please note books are pick-up only.

Koala hospital seeks help with food

If you have some land and love our native wildlife, then perhaps you might be able to help the Adelaide

Koala and Wildlife Hospital.The hospital is wanting to hear

from landholders who are willing

to plant eucalyptus species that are known to be suitable koala food; then allowing staff and volunteers from the hospital to harvest the leaves. Suitable species include: Cup gum, SA blue gum, Messmate stringybark, Peppermint box, Manna gum and Brown stringybark. If you can help, phone the Koala and Wildlife Hospital on (08) 8297 2455.

Trees For Life Winter 2014 Number 13111 12

DisclaimerTrees For Life takes no responsibility for the services or products featured in its quarterly magazine, ReLeaf.

Perpetual Sponsor

Sponsors and Supporters Service Directory

Trees For Life

Trees For Life, 5 May Tce, Brooklyn Park 5032Ph: (08) 8406 0500 Fax: (08) 8406 0599info@treesforlife.org.auwww.treesforlife.org.au

Trees For Life Board

President: David MitchellTreasurer: Hanne DamgaardSecretary: Nathan DaniellBoard Members: David Grybowski, Meera Verma, Megan Antcliff, Natasha Davis, Warren Hilton and Jim Humphrys

Trees For Life Contacts

Chief Executive Officer: Greg BoundyOffice Manager: Lisa AdamsTree Scheme Manager: Ian LettBush For Life Manager: Mark EllisDirect Seeding Manager: David HeinTFL Works Manager: Matthew EndacottTFL Carbon Manager: Dennis HaylesSeedbank Manager: Bruce SmithTFL Nursery: Graham Greaves, Brett Oakes

Trees For Life Rural

Gawler: Sylvia Nieuwenhuizen 8406 8419Noarlunga: Graham Greaves 8386 1018Willunga: Julie Turner 8556 2401; Paul Rosser 8557 7483Mt Gambier: Briony Schleuniger 8724 9759Mt Pleasant: Ruth Charlesworth 8524 6661Clare: Dean Schubert 8843 4317Strathalbyn: Jo & Sue Scheiffers 8536 8053

Natural Resources Contacts

Adelaide & Mt Lofty Ranges: Kym Good 8273 9100 Alinytjara Wilurara: Matthew Ward 8303 9667Eyre Peninsula: Annie Lane 8688 3111Kangaroo Island: Bill Haddrill 8553 4300Northern & Yorke: Trevor Naismith 8841 3400South Australian Arid Lands: Stuart Paul 8648 5194South Australian Murray-Darling Basin: Hugo Hopton 8532 9100South East: Tim Collins 8724 6000

Trees For Life fee based services by our professional staff

For government, business and private landholders:

• Bushland management• Fuel reduction control• Roadside vegetation management• Woody weed control• Bulk seed collection• Revegetation and bushland buffering• Tubestock planting • Tubestock grown to order• Direct seeding using locally

collected seed• Site visits and land

management advice

Call TFL on (08) 8406 0500 to arrange a quote

Trees For Life’s IT Manager is:

Trees For Life NurseryBrooklyn Park, SA

Wholesale tubestock, local provenance, professionally grown

Order quality seedlings for bulk or specialised projects. Choose from our provenance species lists

or we can collect and grow seed and cuttings to order. Minimum order 1000 seedlings.

Phone (08) 8406 0500 orinfo@treesforlife.org.au

Start From Seed Kit Start From Seed kits are now available from Trees For Life for just $20.The kit, which includes soil, fertiliser, gravel mulch, hard planter tubes, seed, plant labels, Growers Handbook and dust masks, allows you to grow 50 native seedlings.Great for schools, individuals or groups!Call (08) 8406 0500.

For sale: nature’s finest in Nairne Delightful stone family home nestled in the Adelaide Hills outside Nairne on 32 hectares of rolling hills. There have been significant revegetation programs over the last 35 years which have created a wonderful place to wander amongst native flora & fauna and allow children to explore the outdoors. A very comfortable house with large lounge, 5 bedrooms, kitchen with Rayburn stove, 1 bathroom, 2 toilets, study, double carport, wood fires, solar hot water, PV cells, mains water & 120,000l water tanks, estab. veg. garden & fruit trees. There’s a large corrugated iron shed & stone workshop, dam, local creek running the length of property & for those who want to entertain, the amphitheatre with stage cradled between two hills has potential for amazing performances. It would be lovely to find someone who would appreciate the contributions made by the Trees For Life and Landcare projects. Contact christine.mbanks@gmail.com Price: $950,000.

Students donate eggs for volunteers

The Easter bunny was alive and well at Trees For Life ... well, the Tyndale Christian School bunnies actually.

Trees For Life, along with several other charities, were presented with large baskets of Easter eggs at the school during a special ceremony as a thank you for helping the community. We decided our volunteers are the ones who deserve the thanks so our CEO Greg Boundy handed them out during Easter.

It was a lovely gesture by Tyndale Years 6-9 students, who bought in chocolate eggs from home as their way of paying tribute to community groups. And they were very much appreciated!

Office volunteer Beryl Kingston chooses an Easter egg from CEO Greg Boundy.

Thank you for your appeal support!

As you may have seen and heard through Trees For Life communications, we have

received a great deal of support from all sections of the South Australian community for our Bushfire Appeal.

Many individuals and organisations put up their hands to grow seedlings for bushfire-affected landholders and we’re now at the stage of planting them – which many people have also volunteered to help with.

There has also been a wonderful level of financial support received, helping us to help landholders as the seedlings, tree guards, stakes and labour are all being provided for free.

We’d like to again thank all those who have been or still are involved in the appeal.

Organisations include Police Credit Union (Adelaide branch), Cherry Chatter Newsletter Committee, Banrock Station, Barossa Bushgardens, Salisbury High School, Jacobs Creek Visitor Centre, Chinmay Hindu School, Men’s South Talk Group, Lyndoch Preschool, Councils and many volunteer growers, planters and financial contributors.

Jane Hamam, from Police Credit Union, helped organise a fundraiser for our Bushfire Appeal.

Creative woodwork

Our thanks to Woodman Designs, which recently held a recycled timber auction with some

proceeds going to Trees For Life.Woodman Designs, situated at 1

Allan Street, Melrose Park, is about innovative, creative and sustainable construction of furniture and homewares items, using as many recycled materials as possible with environmental impact at the forefront of construction.

For more information phone 0418 897 473 or jump onto their Facebook page to see some of their beautiful and creative designs.

Trees For Life Winter 2014 Number 13113 14

Thank you so much to six-year-old Evie May for sending us her beautiful drawing of cockatoos. They certainly look happy surrounded by nature!

Get outside

and grow

National Tree Day Sunday 28 July Schools Tree Day Friday 26 July

Get involved! Visit treeday.planetark.org

or call 1300 88 5000

National Tree Day is organised by Planet Ark in partnership with Toyota Australia

National Tree Day Sunday 27 July Schools Tree Day Friday 25 July

Join others and plant some trees in July

Hey kids, are you doing anything for National Tree Day on Sunday July 27? Is your school doing

anything for Schools Tree Day on Friday, July 25?

If you want to do something but don’t know where to start, Planet Ark has a list of all registered events so you can jump onto their website and see if you can join a local event.

You can also talk to your teachers and find out if your school has anything planned.

Planet Ark has a range of school resources which makes it very easy to get involved – all you need is some native seedlings, a place to plant them and a plan to look after them once they’re planted!

This year Planet Ark estimates that about 2500 preschools, kindies, primary and high schools across Australia will be taking part in Schools Tree Day … we hope yours will be one of them!

To find out more log onto http://treeday.planetark.org/schools

Trees can do just about everything!Here are a few ‘tree facts’:• Trees give us oxygen, clean the air, and filter airborne pollutants.• Trees conserve energy. Just three strategically placed trees can

decrease utility bills by 50%.• Trees and vegetation can raise property values up to 37%.• Trees can reduce annual storm water runoff by 2%-7%.• The net cooling effect of a healthy tree is equivalent to 10 room-size

air conditioners operating 20 hours a day.• Trees clean the air by absorbing carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrous

oxides and other pollutants.• Trees filter airborne pollutants and reduce the conditions that cause

asthma and other respiratory problems.• Get trees. Get healthy. Children and youth living in greener

neighborhoods have lower body mass index.• Trees provide habitat for hundreds of species.

Trees For Life. 5 May Tce, Brooklyn Park, SA, 5032. (08) 8406 0500 www.treesforlife.org.au