Camm Site at Molka - Revisited 5 years later.

The Camm site was direct seeded with understorey in 2005. The site had been sprayed but the fences were not erected and Charlie was not home when we sowed this 'virtual' site so we hoped we got it right ! It one of the early grey crown babbler project sites. Susan Sleigh DPI.
Revisited in November 2010 .

The plantation has been a success ,creating a wide thick windbreak and shade across the mid of an open paddock . Sheep were using the shelter of the plantation on the wet & windy day I visited. Three basic wattle species have been most successful . Golden wattle , Mallee wattle & Lightwood.

The wet season has stimulated tall phalaris grass to dominate the fenced off area creating management problem this summer. (Maybe the locusts will take care of it .)

The Unique Challenges of the Ruffy Tableland

14/11/2010

Ruffy Tablelands .

This is a large scale regetation project across a west facing slope with lots of granite rocks , remnant trees and very little understorey other than long grass.

Gerry has completed the fencing and sheep are now excluded from the site.

We were sowing into a series of plateaux and terraces down the hillside.

A tractor had been used to clear pathways through the rocks and fallen timber.

The lines of seeding will be hercided after sowing .

This originally was a Cath Olive DPI Grant but due to staffing changes within the department Gerry was feeling abandoned and unsure of what & how things were supposed to happen !
25mm of rain fell the night before and the cape weed patches were very slippery.

You can see from the pics the problems we had going down the slope and then not being able to get back up without recovery straps and help from a tractor.

Thank goodness Gerry was able to be with us to guide us around this complicated site , we might have still been there without his help !

11kms of seeding.

Winton Raceway

11/11/2010 - After 11am on Remembrance Day.
The second part of our day with Ray and the Regent Honeyeater Project.

We had a little bit of seed left over from the previous site and Ray had an idea for where to plant it . The back of the Winton Raceway. We were adding understorey to enhance last years tree planting , filling in the gaps and squeezing between the trees . Ray led the way on foot , plotting a course through the bush . Andy was there to point out the small trees planted last year so that we would not squash them . Another 1 km was completed before the seed ran out .

I photographed a rare Datsun 180B its natural habitat at Winton.
(Note the camouflaged plumage of the wild Datsun )

'Molliacca' at Pylong

Record for most seed sold to a single project , $22,000 worth

DPI Peter Mitchell EMI Grant

An early autumn break and Wills urgency to get thick habitat established quickly ( fox hunting season ) prompted us to get started early on this site.

Seed sown at higher rate of 300gms per Km ( added extra silver wattle from personal supplies )

' Molliacca ' 555 West Rd Pylong .
21/6/2010 Day 1 Site 1 = 8 ha sprayed and ripped .

22/6/2010 Day 2 Sites 4a & 5= 14 ha sprayed and ripped

65mm rainfall

28/6/2010 Day 3 Sites 6B & 4 = 12ha ripped not sprayed yet . Got bogged once .

5/7/2010 Day 4 Site 6 = 11ha not ripped or sprayed yet .

EVC seed mixes:

Damp Sands Herb Rich Woodland , Swampy Riparian woodland, Valley Grassy Forest