Trees For LifeSummer 2010Number 117

TFL Founders still passionate

Outback Loop prize in lottery

Japanese visitor inspects Monarto plantings

Bordertown students lead by example

Special Christmas gifts liftout inside

2 Trees For Life Summer 2010 Number 117

Contact usReLeaf is a production of Trees For Life. Editorial/Advertising: Tania Kearney (ph: 8406 0500 or taniak@treesforlife.org.au) Production/Graphic Design: Fusion Printing: Finsbury Green

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

Cover photo: Swainsona formosa Sturt’s Desert Pea, taken in far north-east SA by Richard Temple.

Trees For Life 5 May Tce

Brooklyn Park 5032 Ph: 8406 0500 Fax: 8406 0599

info@treesforlife.org.au www.treesforlife.org.au

TFL Board well-placed to handle future challenges

Thank you to those who made our Annual General Meeting such a success. A strong presence of members on what

turned out to be a wet evening resulted in a very enthusiastic and supportive atmosphere. Some familiar faces and several new ones provided an audience that reflects the health, diversity and great energy of the organisation. It was truly gratifying to see so many members taking an active interest in the governance of the organisation.

Both constitutional amendments considered at the preliminary EGM were approved. The unqualified agreement of the meeting to increase the number of ordinary members by two enabled us to appoint four outstanding individuals on the night. The facilitation of voluntary postal voting was also given a tick but the discussion beforehand suggests that we have more work to do to ensure a secure process and a need to consider the use of technology. The Board values the support of the membership and its preparedness to embrace change when required.

There was a tinge of sadness to the evening as we said ‘au revoir’ to Vice President Mary-Anne Healy and Treasurer David Bradley. Mary-Anne, a former staff member, has served the Board for eight years with the last three as Vice President. Her love and knowledge of TFL are immense. A strong champion of an inclusive style of management, she also provided keen insights into natural resources and land management.

David was recruited four years ago as Treasurer and in that time has contributed greatly to the development of our commercial activities but always with a clear understanding of, and respect for, our underlying values and principles. We wish both Mary-Anne and David well, confident in the knowledge that we will see both of them around from time to time.

Thankfully we have appointed more than adequate replacements in Michael Cain as Vice President and Wayne Turner as Treasurer. Both have excellent credentials and great enthusiasm for the TFL cause. Also with the appointment of Megan Antcliff and Natasha Davis to the additional ordinary member positions, we have added to the diversity of talent on the Board available to guide the organisation wisely and well. The range of professions currently represented is wide and includes architecture, the law, geology, information technology, ecology, natural resources management and financial management and planning. Furthermore, myself excluded, this is a relatively young Board which combines a wide range of experience with a strong determination to maintain the TFL standard of excellence. We are, I believe, well placed and keen to tackle the challenges ahead.

And so another year draws to an end. Unfortunately environmental damage is ever-present, but Trees For Life remains focused on being part of the solution. On behalf of all at Trees For Life I wish you the compliments of the season and best wishes for the new year. Your various contributions are much appreciated and help keep the organisation strong. Please take care over the holiday, enjoying the company of friends and family. We look forward to celebrating our 30th anniversary with you in 2011!

By DAVID MITCHELL

Tell us your story

As many of you may be aware, Trees For Life will

be celebrating our 30th anniversary next year. We think this is the perfect time to show the wider community just what our members and volunteers have achieved over the years. We have already started collating some wonderful stories from around the State, detailing revegetation and conservation works, and welcome your input.

Many of these stories will be publicised in the wider media and internally at TFL. You will soon see many stories appearing on the website. ReLeaf will also feature one or two great stories each edition, starting in this issue with a lovely landholder-grower story in the Tree Scheme section, and on Page 15, a story about the Bordertown Primary School raising 15,000 trees since 1992. We’re sure you will be as proud of their efforts as we are.

If you want to tell us your story, please email taniak@treesforlife.org.au

The winner is ...

Congratulations to Colin Wilson and Bev Maxwell of

Kingscote, Kangaroo Island, who have won a case of wine after going into a draw for completed landholder survey forms. Congratulations also to Anne Lockwood, who won a TFL t-shirt for nominating Dominic Richardson for a Thank You Tree Award.

Green ReLeaf

ReLeaf’s format is made possible through the

generous sponsorship of Fusion and Finsbury Green Printing.

ReLeaf is printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper and printed with 100% vegetable-based inks, ensuring the ‘greenest’ possible publication. The sponsorship has also enabled major savings in printing costs and postage, enabling the product to be designed at no extra cost.

Office closure over Christmas

The Trees For Life office and Betty Westwood Nursery in

Brooklyn Park will be closed for the Christmas period from 12.30pm December 24, reopening Tuesday, January 4.

Management and staff of TFL wish all members and volunteers a safe and happy Christmas and New Year. We thank you all for your continued support in 2010 and look forward to your company in 2011.

President’s Message General News

3Trees For Life Summer 2010 Number 117

Here’s one I prepared earlier: South Australian Governor His Excellency Rear Admiral Kevin Scarce, learning about the Tree Scheme and propagation. Photo courtesy Campbell Brodie, The Advertiser.

Governor grows for SA

A big thank you goes to the Governor of SA, His

Excellency Rear Admiral Kevin Scarce, who has agreed to become a volunteer grower for us this year.

He also agreed to a photo shoot with The Advertiser, which appeared in October along with a call for more volunteer growers.

With help from his staff, the Governor will grow a box of seedlings for the Tree Scheme (approx 50 native seedlings) and he is keen to be a hands-on grower, propagating the seedlings and watering them throughout the summer period, as a genuine effort to understand more about our organisation and the processes involved in the Tree Scheme.

Our thanks also to long-term grower Francoise Piron for helping show the Governor some tips.

Adelaide High School students undertook their tree planting in an area off Henley Beach Road. The students grew 500 seedlings as part of the schools’ project.

Schools Pilot Project completeBy JENNIFER HOWE

Volunteer Grower Coordinator

The Schools Pilot Project has come to an end, culminating

in planting day events of student-grown seedlings by each school.

Over the past seven months I have been facilitating an assisted growing project in three separate schools, conducting workshops and follow up visits to help students successfully propagate, raise and maintain indigenous seedlings. The last stage of the project was to plant out their seedlings.

The Environmental Studies SACE students at Warriappendi Indigenous School grew 500 seedlings in their school courtyard as part of their SACE studies. An estimated 300 seedlings were planted at Monarto Zoo, while the remaining 200 were planted with the assistance of their local West Torrens Council. The students undertook ‘top up’ planting along the Westside Bikeway and Jubilee Park in Glandore.

The environment group at Lockleys Primary raised 200 healthy seedlings of local water wise species. Thirty students from year R-7 were involved with the care and

propagation of the seedlings and these have now been planted within their own schoolgrounds to beautify and shade the teachers car park.

Adelaide High School (AHS) students grew 500 seedlings on the rooftop of their school building (for optimal sunny conditions) and have now created a large planting area along Henley Beach Road to buffer and shade their cricket oval. The AHS student environment group ‘Eco-Vision’ was responsible for the propagation and care of the seedlings project, and they cleverly employed the help of the AHS cricket team to give them a hand to plant on the day.

Year 9 student Han Sam of AHS said: “It was really cool to see the progress of the seedlings, going from little seeds to healthy seedlings. It was amazing to watch.”

Although Trees For Life’s part in the project has now officially finished, for the schools and their planting sites they are only just beginning. They will now be involved in the ongoing maintenance of their sites, watering the plants through their first summer, managing weeds and enjoying watching their hard work grow and flourish.

Thanks to the Coopers Foundation for their kind contribution to this project.

New funding for 2011 schools program

Thanks to a grant from the Bendigo Community Bank

West Beach, and additional support from the Minter Ellison Foundation, Trees For Life will be offering our new schools program ‘Big Back Yard’ to two schools in 2011.

Schools in the western suburbs will be invited to take part in the program which enables a group of 30 students in each school to participate in a six month propagation and planting experience.

The program aims to support the many dedicated teachers already presenting a strong environmental curriculum in their school.

Interested schools can contact Trees For Life or check the website for details and deadlines.

4 Trees For Life Summer 2010 Number 117

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.

Million Trees talks about the birds (and not the bees)

The Million Trees Program has been busy in 2010. We

planted our two millionth local native in our 7th year. So how do we determine the habitat value of our projects? This is not measured by simply counting plants and can’t be expressed in terms of a single number.

Birds are ideal ecological indicators because they are conspicuous, vocal, ubiquitous and diverse. There are birds in nearly every landscape as well as species for all niches - from nectar feeders to top level predators. Therefore, number and type of species present can give us a picture of habitat quality.

Predictably, the bird diversity in our revegetation sites is less than that found in nearby remnant woodland. However, even the most isolated of our survey sites is being used by small insectivorous species like weebills and yellow-rumped thornbills. These native species, once common on the Adelaide Plains, are now rarely seen in urban environments.

Volunteer surveyors are Birds SA members who generously donate their time to perform monthly surveys. Contact Craig Gillespie, Monitoring Officer (P: 8278 0600, E: craig.gillespie@sa.gov.au) or Birds SA www.birdssa.asn.au for more information.

Creating Backyards for Birds

Birds are important parts of the urban landscape, assisting pollination, seed dispersal, insect control and nutrient recycling, all to benefit the environment and all free. To encourage more native birds, we need to provide diverse yet balanced habitats. Take the opportunity to add resources to your backyard, like local native food plants, water and shelter (e.g. nest boxes or dense, prickly shrubs).

Remember that more is not necessarily better! Mass planting cultivar nectar resources can provide food year round, but the dominant birds will be fighting to defend this resource... and all this to the detriment of smaller, less common, species. Find out more at www.milliontrees.com.au or www.backyards4wildlife.com.au.

We wish you the best of luck with your seedlings this summer and thank you to TFL members for growing a great future for Adelaide and its feathered biodiversity.

Dinner, bed and breakfast for a family of four at the Birdsville and Innaminka hotels, valued at $900, is one of the TFL lottery prizes.

Outback Loop trip offered through lottery

Prizes worth more than $24,000 – including $10,000

cash – are again up for grabs in Trees For Life’s annual lottery.

The lottery is our main fundraiser each year and last year helped raise more than $90,000 to support TFL’s on-going environmental programs.

We are hopeful this year’s lottery will be as successful, and thank all businesses and individuals involved in donating 32 of the prizes available.

Overall, there are 33 excellent prizes, including the first prize of $10,000 cash.

Second prize is a 22,000 litre tank from Team Poly valued at $3000, and third prize is an air conditioner from Seasonair worth $3000.

Fourth prize, worth $900, is a family holiday with a difference – a chance to experience the unique beauty of Australia’s outback via The Outback Loop.

The Outback Loop features two iconic pubs - the Birdsville Hotel and the Innamincka Hotel. Visitors are invited to travel The Outback Loop – an itinerary that celebrates the history, heritage and culture of this fascinating region and offers traditional bush hospitality at two award-winning hotels. The Outback Loop also has its own website

at www.theoutback.com.au.Other prizes include

accommodation at Rattleys at Pear Tree Hollow, accommodation in the Chapel at Clare Valley Cabins, return travel to Kangaroo Island, worm farms and several gift vouchers covering home cleaning products, native plants, wine, dining and art.

As an added incentive, those who sell lottery books this year will have a chance of winning a free ‘Working with Wildlife’ tour at Monarto Zoo and a mixed dozen wine pack from Fox Creek Wines.

The Working with Wildlife tour gives you a chance to work side by side with animal management staff. This unique experience involves close-up interaction with Monarto’s rare and extraordinary animals, and provides an insight into the many breeding programs undertaken at the zoo.

The lottery tickets are just $2 and can be bought from TFL members or the TFL office.

If you would like to sell some tickets, or want to purchase tickets, phone us on 8406 0500.

The lottery will be drawn on February 8, 2011.

General News

5Trees For Life Summer 2010 Number 117

TFL’s first secretary, Gillian Middenway, with IT whizz, Rob Fairweather.

29 years on and still hugging treesBy CARMEL DUNDON

TFL CEO

This month Board member Megan Harper and I had the

great pleasure of meeting some of the inspirational people that started Trees For Life back in 1981.

When I first started working at TFL in 2006, I read about the moment when Lolo Houbein and Burr Dodd had finished listening to a radio program featuring Men of the Trees Founder, Richard St Barbe Baker, speaking about the impact of deforestation. When the program finished Lolo said “Someone should do something. Maybe this time it should be us”.

I was very struck by the power of these words and have gone on to quote them often. I feel that they still embody the essence of Trees For Life – the idea that if you really want to see something changed, you have to do something about it yourself. This is what our members do. They propagate the plants they know need to be planted, they do the heavy work to distribute materials, they care for the bush that needs protecting, they collect the seed that will preserve the species, they allocate space on their land for native habitat, they fund the work that they know is important.

Having also read that Lolo and Burr were a retired couple back in 1981, I was not expecting to meet such youthful and vibrant people, still incredibly active in environmental action. (Lolo wrote the tremendously successful book One Magic Square, a guide to growing your own food).

Over coffee and homemade cake, we revisited the early days of TFL and Lolo and Burr recalled the many, many people who worked so hard to get the organisation established and successful.

A second visit took us

down to Strathalbyn to meet neighbours Gillian Middenway and Rob Fairweather. Gillian was the first TFL secretary as well as being a propagator, planter, official banker and compiler of the newsletter with the help of Dulcie Jay. One of the ways Rob contributed was by setting up our systems and computerising our records. Both Gillian and Rob were able to list dozens of fellow founding members who all played a crucial role in the success we continue to enjoy. I hope to meet all of the founding members at special events planned for next year. These will be

announced in the next ReLeaf.A final treat for my

Strathalbyn visit was a guided tour of both Gillian and Rob’s beautiful gardens featuring wonderfully established local natives.

Working at Trees For Life is always inspiring but these visits were a really special treat.

Trustee offer to members

In our spring edition of ReLeaf we had a small article about

the Trees For Life Trust Fund established through the Public Trustee’s Community Foundation SA.

We warmly thank those members who responded to the item and approached the Public Trustee to make a contribution.

We hope over time to build up the Fund to help ensure Trees For Life can continue its work well into the far distant future.

Our members have appreciated the 30% discount on the cost of Wills. The discount is ongoing and applies to clients who do not wish to use the Public Trustee as Executor. For more information call Graham Stagg 8207 2074.

Special TFL calendar to be launched early

Having just published our beautiful 2011 calendar

featuring South Australia in flower, we are now turning our thoughts to the 2012 calendar which will be launched at our big birthday celebration in September 2011.

Entries are invited from all Trees For Life members on the theme: Trees For Life.

The theme can be interpreted broadly to include not only great images of native South Australian trees but also the myriad of local native creatures that use trees for food, shelter and habitat.

Photographs need to be in landscape format and be a minimum of 300dpi. Reduced versions can be initially emailed to taniak@treesforlife.org.au

You can start submitting photos now and entries close on June 30, 2011.

TFL Founders Burr Dodd and Lolo Houbein, with Board member Megan Harper.

General News

6 Trees For Life Summer 2010 Number 117

PepsiCo and BFL staff at Happy Valley’s Glenloth Reserve.

PepsiCo staff help at Glenloth

A group of 12 PepsiCo employees spent a day with

Bush For Life volunteers and team members recently, helping to restore Glenloth Reserve in Happy Valley.

BFL volunteers have been using minimal disturbance techniques in the high biodiversity areas of the Grey Box grassy woodland for three years. This year we planned to re-establish shrubs and wetland species that have disappeared completely from the reserve, particularly in the degraded, river red gum zone in the lower parts of the reserve that have been mown continuously for years.

The PepsiCo employees asked to participate in the day as part of the company’s volunteering program. This gives people the chance to undertake work for a non-profit group, usually for a day each year, while still getting paid by their employer.

On the day with BFL, volunteers were given an introduction to the site, planted over 400 tubestock, put guards and mulch around new plantings and learnt about other bushcare activities. Despite some torrential downpours, the PepsiCo team

did a splendid job and by all reports enjoyed the day immensely. At least we know the plants were well watered-in!

The day’s activities were funded by the City of Onkaparinga who own the reserve and are funding Trees For Life to undertake long term bush regeneration on the site.

Bush For Life Program report for 2009-10By MARK ELLIS

BFL Manager

The last year was largely one of consolidation for the Bush For Life team, after several major changes to the structure and

staffing of the program. We’ve seen some familiar old faces move on and some

new enthusiastic staff members take up the challenge. We’ve created some new positions and some existing duties reorganised. Of course recruiting and sustaining our volunteers has been our major emphasis.

One major change was to re-align Regional Coordinators’ territories more closely with council boundaries to allow a closer relationship with our local government partners and to allow the coordinators to have a better connection with their local volunteer pools. While these changes took some time to implement, and meant that many volunteers needed to get to know a new coordinator, they have improved the efficiency and effectiveness of the BFL team.

There has been a strengthening of our relationship with the Adelaide & Mt Lofty Ranges and Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resource Management Boards and the program has received substantial financial and in-kind support from most local government partners, in particular City of Onkaparinga and City of Mitcham. We continue to struggle with the limited financial support from Adelaide Hills Council however, despite the numerous high quality BFL sites in the area.

We are continuing to review our BFL sites in consultation with our partners, swapping some for higher value sites that are more suitable for volunteer activities and address regional biodiversity priorities.

Strong partnerships beneficialThe partnership with SA Water on 12 sites both north

and south of Adelaide continues to facilitate high-quality management of large areas of native vegetation across the Greater Mt Lofty Ranges, with regular Bush Management Days and Bush Action Teams. Our partnership with ElectraNet has now entered its third year at the Cherry Gardens sub-station, with regular group activities for volunteers, together with on-ground work by BFL staff, seeing significant steps made towards the restoration of this 70ha patch of important bushland.

There was a substantial increase in the number of supervised group activities scheduled over the year, including a summer Bush Action Team program for the first time. Summer is traditionally a quiet time for bush regeneration activities but, despite this, we have found that many volunteers are looking for opportunities to maintain their involvement. The greater choice provided ensures most volunteers can find an activity that suits them.

Based on the results of our end of 2009 survey, Bush For Life volunteers’ in-kind contribution of their time to the protection of South Australia’s precious biodiversity through the BFL program was in excess of $1 million last year - an outstanding achievement.

Overall this was another highly successful year, with many thanks to our hard working volunteers and staff. Thanks also to the bushcarers who retired this year, many of whom needed a well-earned break!

Groups wanted

Over the coming months BFL will be pitching our

message to groups who may be interested in doing a BFL workshop and adopting a site.

Already we have several groups who work together as a team on sites.

Are you a member of a religious, sporting, work or social group looking for an opportunity to socialise while giving back to the environment at the same time?

If you would like to register your interest or receive more information please phone Emma, the BFL Volunteer Coordinator, on 8406 0542.

Bush For Life

7Trees For Life Summer 2010 Number 117

Marty Krieg (Office of Recreation and Sport), Adam Durst (SA Mountain Bike Association - SAMBA) and Erik Lock (Eagle BFL and SAMBA) inspect one of the park’s sites.

Mountain bikers keep an eagle eye on their patch

You don’t often hear mountain bike riders and

conservation being discussed in the same sentence. Well, not usually in a positive way.

One group of local mountain bike enthusiasts however, is leading by example and proving there can be wonderful synergy between the two.

These enthusiasts focus their efforts within the Eagle Mountain Bike Park, south of the Heysen Tunnels exit towards Crafers.

The site itself has a long history, originally known as Benbow Farm before Boral Quarries took it over in 1964. The quarry closed in 1990 and the site was subsequently used by Transport SA as the base office for the Heysen Tunnels project, as well as a repository for excess fill from the tunnels project.

Once that project was completed, the Office for Sport and Recreation acquired the Eagle quarry and it was suggested the site could be used by BicycleSA for mountain biking.

Assessment doneAccording to one of the

mountain bike members, Erik Lock, before biking was allowed in the park, a vegetation assessment of the site was undertaken. The assessment identified 202 native plant species on site, 36 of those having conservation significance ratings.

Two areas within the park were established as Bush For Life sites, after being identified as having important vegetation communities threatened by weed infestations.

Erik said in 2003 a small group of people attended a Bush For Life workshop, funded by BicycleSA, where they learnt how to manage bushland so that they could

help care for these sites.And since then, this group

has worked hard at removing broom, gorse and boneseed that are threatening rare ferns, tea tree wetlands and stringybark forests.

“We have had considerable success in the fern habitat areas,” Erik said.

“Now, after years of removing broom and boneseed, we are able to monitor the site for maintenance only and watch the previously repressed native plants flourish, reclaiming what was once theirs.”

Erik said the “small but reliable crew” work on the first Saturday of each month and take a break over the summer months.

“Most of the team are from the mountain bike community and we are keen to put something back to the environment that we love riding through.”

Bikes a priorityThe park now has over 30km

of trails, primarily designed for mountain biking. And although walkers are welcome to share the site, within Eagle, bikes have priority over walkers.

The group has also undertaken some plantings at the site, but have found that managing the weed problem is a more valuable use of their time.

Team members Mark and Kalindra Simpson do however grow TFL seedlings for other members’ Ollie and Jen Klein’s property in Clare. Over the last few years they have planted nearly 4000 trees on Ollie and Jen’s property.

(Mark and Ollie were featured in a ReLeaf edition last year for designing the TFL cycle jerseys and representing TFL in a major mountain bike competition).

“When we aren’t weeding, team members love to ride their bikes. In May this year, Ollie, Mark and I took part in a five-day stage race in Alice Springs, which involved seven race stages, including one day of over 100km, a night race and a hillclimb in the middle of town. We proudly wore our TFL jerseys!” Erik said.

Warming up for Summer BAT Program

Our Spring schedule of Bush For Life group activities

(October to December) is well underway and it is at this time we start thinking about what we’ve got planned for summer.

While we’ll all take a well earned break from group activities over the busy Christmas holiday period, we will be running a Summer Bush Action Team (BAT) Program in February and March 2011.

The program consists of a planned Bush Action Team every Wednesday from February 2 through to March 23 (weather permitting). So for those who can’t wait

for our Autumn schedule, these days are for you!

A flier asking you to register your interest will be sent out to all our current bushcarers with our BFL Annual Feedback Questionnaire, but if you would like to register your interest before then, please phone 8406 0500.

Ollie Klein, Mark Simpson and Erik Lock at the Red Centre Enduro in Alice Springs - all proudly wearing their TFL jerseys.

Bush For Life

8 Trees For Life Summer 2010 Number 117

Propagation workshops another great success

Our TFL growers have embarked upon another

growing season, starting with a full schedule of successful workshops.

Last year the workshops proved so popular that this year the Tree Scheme decided to add an extra five workshops to accommodate more people, taking the total number to 20. Despite the increase, the response was again overwhelming, with all workshops full to the brim.

Apart from new growers learning the ropes, many experienced growers also attended. In fact most workshops consisted of a 50 per cent mix of both new and return growers. By attending the workshops, experienced growers gain reassurance and learn new techniques to improve on their existing skills, with many participants leaving with a renewed enthusiasm for growing.

Here’s what people have been saying about the workshops:

‘Well explained, simple and clear; a very valuable morning.’

‘It was very informative, and expands on information in the handbook.’

‘I realised I’ve been doing the transplanting wrong all these years!’

‘Great practical demonstrations for filling tubes, transplanting and thinning.’

‘I realized all the things I’ve been doing wrong - I’ve been tubing the soil too wet, packing the tubes too tight and leaving the transplanting too late. It used to take me 2 hours to fill one box, and now I know how to do it in 45 minutes. It was excellent!’

‘For a new grower – simple and manageable. Great hands-on approach. Thanks.’

‘It was very thorough,

and it covered what I wanted to know.’

‘I’m so relieved to figure out what I wasn’t doing quite right. I’m now really excited about starting another growing season. I can’t wait to apply what I learned.’

‘I’m glad I came!’The purpose of the

propagation workshops is to help our volunteers feel confident with the task of raising healthy seedlings and more importantly, helping them to enjoy their growing experience.

We want growers to be proud of what they are contributing and overall, for TFL volunteer growers to be known as reliable suppliers of good quality seedlings that our rural landholders can rely on.

We’re happy to know that even people who have grown successfully in the past aren’t afraid to consider there may be more they can do to enhance their growing.

Volunteer Grower, Peggy, practicing her transplanting skills with workshop facilitator Harry Chambis (right), instructing.

Volunteer growers pick up some handy tips from Harry during one of the propagation workshops.

D-days a team effort

Distribution days were held at 47 depots throughout

the State in November, following a successful boxing up day at the Betty Westwood Nursery.

Tree Scheme staff and volunteers were joined by a team of Green Corp

volunteers, with all hands making for a productive half-day of heavy shovelling and carting.

More than 15,400 propagation kits have now been handed out to 906 volunteer growers (+ 555 grow-your-owns) who will, over the summer months, raise 1500 combinations of species for 42 different zones – a mammoth effort!

On track for 30 millionth seedling

Thank you to all those who helped make 2009-10

another successful year for the Tree Scheme. An estimated 789,350 seedlings were grown for revegetation through SA, bringing the total to date 29,189,350 seedlings raised over the life of the Tree Scheme program.

Westwood Nursery staff and volunteers raised about 50,000 seedlings for revegetation projects, such as the Urban Forests Million Trees program, as well as receiving and managing the 77,000 volunteer-grown seedlings brought in for backup.

Next year we will be celebrating out 30th anniversary and, coincidentally, the growing of our 30 millionth seedling. It’s a remarkable achievement and one which we should all be proud of. Volunteers and Heta Green Corps volunteers help nursery staff with boxing

up.

Tree Scheme

9Trees For Life Summer 2010 Number 117

TFL volunteers Bunty Parsons and Michael Jaensch hug one of their ‘babies’ that they grew for the Rose family in Wynarka.

Trees For Life = friends for lifeBy NETTA ANTONINO*

Trees For Life volunteers don’t just grow seedlings for

rural properties; they also have an opportunity to cultivate lasting friendships in the community.

For long-term growers Bunty Parsons and Michael Jaensch, of Klemzig, the bond they have forged with rural landholders Peter and Di Rose has been just as special as their work for the environment.

Bunty and Michael have been growing trees for the Rose’s 650 hectare Wynarka property, 13 km west of Karoonda in the Mallee region, for 16 years and say they have built a strong friendship.

The closeness of the two families has also let Bunty and Michael see the results of their teamwork in action.

“You could say Trees For Life equals friends for life,” Michael said.

“We’ve enjoyed the relationships that we’ve developed with our farmers; apart from the altruistic enjoyment of actually growing the trees it’s the fact that we’ve made some very special friends.

“When we go up to Wynarka and we see the first trees that we handed over, the tallest ones are 7 metres tall and you can actually climb the trees that we grew from the seeds; it’s quite a remarkable feeling to see them and to remember where they started.”

Bunty agreed, saying the friendship has been an unexpected blessing in their desire to help the environment.

“And we’ve really made a difference,” she said.

“It might just be one very small part of the State but we’ve made a big difference to one property.”

After suffering years of clearing before the Rose family joined TFL, several portions of land on the Wynarka farm have now been revegetated.

Landholder Peter Rose said the trees have brought native

wildlife back to the property and provided protection for stock from the elements.

He said while progress has suffered because of drought in recent years, the outlook of the land has changed dramatically because of the team effort with the city growers.

“I’m very proud of what we’ve done ... instead of being able to see for miles, now you can’t see past the tree-line, which is good,” he said.

He also credited the trees with stopping the spread of a crop fire from a neighbour’s property, giving fire-fighters enough time to stop the blaze.

“Because the tree-line was there it broke the wind enough that they could get in front of the fire and put it out ... it certainly helped them stop it.”

Peter agreed he has built a strong friendship with the growers and praised them for their hard work.

“It’s a special relationship we have with Bunty and Michael, they are excellent growers and the quality of the tree stock is just unbelievable.”

“The environment is a team effort and with people in the city helping us to look after it, I think it’s excellent.”

And the partnership looks set to continue into the future, with Bunty and Michael supporting the Rose family’s desire to keep planting trees.

“As far as we’re concerned, as long as Peter wants trees we’ll grow them for him,” Bunty said.

“It’s good fun.”

* Antonietta ‘Netta’ Antonino is a 3rd Year UniSA Journalism student who is working with TFL.

Wynarka landholders Peter and Di Rose, with daughter Jacinta.

As well as the friendship, Bunty and Michael are proud their efforts have made a big difference to the Rose’s property, as evidenced above.

Tree Scheme

10 Trees For Life Summer 2010 Number 117

Patience pays off at Annie’s Lane

Hope turned into pessimism for Annies’ Lane Vineyard

management when it appeared a Trees For Life direct seeding project had failed, 18 months after seeding was undertaken in 2007.

Patience and perseverance – coupled together with some much-needed rainfall in the Clare Valley – has paid off however, with that same direct seeding project now being labelled effective and second year germination taking off.

The project was given the go-ahead in late 2007 by the then vineyard manager Greg Pearce, and technical officer John Peet, as part of Treasury Wine Estates’ plan to establish, replace or enhance areas of natural vegetation.

According to John, they were looking for an effective method to revegetate a large area of approximately 45ha, situated between three vineyards. This area is in the heart of the company’s major vineyard holding in the southern end of the valley.

The initial direct seeding (DS) was carried out on a 10ha parcel of land and the early perception was that the program had succeeded, with a significant number of seedlings appearing up until late January, mid February 2008.

Long term heatwaveTFL Direct Seeding manager

David Hein agreed, saying that given there had been reasonable germination in the first year on the site, he and project officer Dennis Hayles always thought the site would have good seedling numbers on it.

“At this point there was a major long term heatwave combined with the low rainfall and that killed nearly everything that had emerged,” John said.

“Initially we noted approximately one emerging plant per metre but after the heatwave in February it was less

than one plant per 200 metres.” Only “a miniscule number of

seedlings” survived, according to John, and this was followed by plantings of tubestock supplied from both TFL and the local Mistletoe Action Group.

“We did hold out some hope especially after conversations with David and Dennis that there was potential for further germination but we started to become pessimistic after18 months with little further germination obvious.”

John said it was only in late spring 2009 that they noticed some Acacia seedlings emerging; the number and size of these steadily increasing over the next 10 months.

Significant coverageAnd although not uniform

across the entire area that was sown, many areas are now showing significant coverage, with acacias being the primary species.

David said despite concerns being raised about the project, he had remained hopeful as they always put a lot of seed in the ground when direct seeding and knew germination could occur on a site for up to three years after.

“Direct seeded plants are also difficult to see until they get above weeds, which can take a few years. Once the seedlings get above the weeds they tend to out-compete them. That’s when the seedlings have strong, quick growth. They are very resilient and once established, they’re quick to catch up to tubestock plantings,” David said.

“There are some sites near Murray Bridge, for example, that were direct seeded in the early 1990s that were deemed failures after early inspections that now would be considered very successful.”

In the Clare Valley, Treasury Wine Estates, owner of Annie’s Lane, has 13 vineyards spread over five general locations. Overall the company manages 404ha of vineyards and has undertaken approximately 33ha of revegetation in the past four years.

“Where possible we are

aiming to establish natural vegetation corridors to enhance biodiversity on our land holdings,” John said.

He said the DS method had been successful on other sites in the past and with the eventual germination at Annies’ lane, it has proven an effective method to revegetate large areas.

“We have just had DS over a 12ha area adjacent to our previously seeded areas to extend the area of the native

vegetation corridor. We have also had seeding undertaken at another site to work in with a local community revegetation project and in the future, we’ll continue to identify areas that are available to be returned to native vegetation.”

The general area where the initial revegetation was undertaken.

New direct seeding at Annie’s Lane. Acacias are the dominant species.

Additional tubestock planting at one of the revegetation sites.

Direct Seeding

11Trees For Life Summer 2010 Number 117

Japanese visitor inspects Monarto plantings

Each year the Japan Australia Cultural

Exchange Association (JACEA) funds native plants for carbon sequestration.

These have been supplied as tubestock for Monarto Zoo and are planted out by South Australian children as part of the Zoo’s Education program. This year’s planting was at the newly acquired Wild Africa site adjacent the present zoo site.

In September we had the great pleasure of hosting

Mr Kimio Shichida, the new Secretary General of JACEA who was keen to see first hand the results of their donations.

Kimio spent two days at Monarto filming the planting activities of local school groups as well as having a tour of previous years’ plantings. Mr Shichida is hoping to get support from other Japanese organisations to fund further and more extensive plantings over the next few years. We hope that the warm and friendly relationship we have built up with JACEA continues to grow and prosper over many years.

Japan Australia Cultural Exchange Association Secretary General, Kimio Shichida, filmed the work being undertaken at Monarto during his visit to Australia.

Loxton Primary School students help plant seedlings at Monarto.

Carbon Expo worthwhile

In October we presented Trees For Life Carbon at the

International Carbon Expo in Melbourne.

The organisers kindly offered us a complimentary Trade Fair booth in recognition of our not-for-profit status.

The conference was extremely informative about international action to reduce carbon emissions but left delegates more than a little embarrassed about Australia’s slow response.

The Trade Fair gave us an excellent opportunity to present TFL as a community organisation offering practical responses to a global problem.

Please contact us if you would like to participate in the program.

Murray Mallee Carbon Forum Closer to home, Trees For

Life also attended and made a presentation to the Mallee Carbon Forum organised by the Murray-Darling Basin NRM Board and the Regional Development Association.

Our Carbon Logistics Manager Dennis Hayles also hosted a site visit to our carbon planting for interested delegates after the forum.

Sponsorship officer Glenys Perri discusses Trees For Life’s Carbon program with some visitors to the Melbourne expo.

Trees For Life Carbon

12 Trees For Life Summer 2010 Number 117

Tree planting in Borneo a tour highlightBy PETER PHILLIPS and SUE BERRY*

As part of the August 2010 WEA Tour to Sabah, one of

the two Malaysian states in Borneo, we undertook a revegetation tree planting at the village of Abai on the Kinabatangan River.

The Kinabatangan is Malaysia’s second longest river, running 560km from the mountains in the west to the Sulu Sea in the east, with much meandering in the flatter coastal region.

Much of Sabah is given over to palm oil plantations, on which its economy now heavily depends particularly as the Sabah government has banned further land clearing, and logging has been reduced to the selective mode. This has left numerous islands of natural primary and secondary forest in which most native species of animals must survive – leading to inbreeding and over-population and ultimately destruction of the environment which is being set aside.

However, there is a movement by locals to establish corridors of forest between these islands to assist passage of wild creatures and maintain their genetic diversity, and lessen the impact on the environment.

Our group was asked by the local villagers of Abai to participate by each planting a tree to help form one of these corridors. The plants had been raised from seed by the locals and were transplanted from plastic bags to a temporary site until being further transplanted later in the year to their permanent sites. Each tree is given an individual tag number, and can have its progress monitored on the web. Even in remote jungle villages the internet is being used constructively!

In a tour over 12 days covering the Sandakan Death

Marches memorial service, visits to Kinabalu National Park, Poring Hot Springs, Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre, Turtle Islands, Tabin Wildlife Reserve and sightings of Borneo pygmy elephants, proboscis monkeys, gibbons, macaques and numerous birds, this activity with the people of Abai village was a tour highlight for us.

* Peter and Sue are TFL members.

Peter Phillips plants a tree at Abai village.

Sue Berry contributes to the Abai village program.

Yus, the Abai villager in charge of the local tree planting program.

Tube filling devices to save time

Two of our inventive members have developed

tube filling devices, designed to save time and effort in filling the soft tubes with soil.

Trevor Bright’s invention uses a funnel outlet and plunger, while Geoff Pfeiffer’s device consists of PVC tubing in a wooden box, enabling 60 plastic tubes to be filled in just 30 minutes.

To find out exactly how they work, full details can be found on our website at www.treesforlife.org.au

Trevor has offered to make the devices on demand at $25 each, so if you’re interested in buying one, phone him on 0407 181 723.

Alternatively, phone Geoff on 0428 119 237 or email geoffmarie@gmail.com. Geoff’s unit costs $325 and he will donate $5 from the sale of each to TFL.

Trevor Bright’s tube filling device.

Geoff Pfeiffer’s filling device.

Bandicoot habitat pics wanted

Are you a good photographer?

The Sturt Upper Reaches Landcare Group (SURLG) is looking for help to complete a habitat gallery on plants for Southern Brown Bandicoots.

The group provides support for landholders involved in monitoring bandicoots in the area, including help with identification of plants that are forming habitat for them.

TFL members are invited to submit their photos to the gallery, which can be found at www.surlg.org.au/habitatpicturegallery.php

Please check the website for species list. Images can be emailed to webmaster@surlg.org.au with maximum file size 1Mb. Accepted photos will be credited to the photographer.

Letter of thanks

Hi,Jo-ann and I would

sincerely like to thank the BAT involvement in our Heritage Agreement area.

The benefit of BAT (Bush Action Team) is far more than the physical work done on the day, and in our case at least, was a great psychological pick-me-up from the otherwise dismal despair at the overwhelming weed problems.

The BAT enjoyed our site - especially amused by the emu observing our work, and we still live in hope that eventually we may find some more regular bushcarer help.

Thanks again, especially to the two volunteers.

Greg & Jo-ann Lamey

Cudlee Creek

For Members

13Trees For Life Summer 2010 Number 117

Planting undertaken by Jim and the Port Moorowie Association Group.

Seed collecting workshops (SC1)Day Date LocationFriday January 28 BelairMonday March 7 StirlingSaturday April 2 Normanville

Group seed collecting days (SD1)Day Date LocationFriday February 4 Bridgewater OvalTues March 15 Mt BarkerMonday April 11 Parawa for Waitpinga

Mozzie Flat planting success

Dear Trees For Life,Earlier this year I picked

up tubestock from Helen Wilmore, of Gawler East.

I have planted some and once again have had great success in the plants taking (see photo below of some of the plantings this year).

These were planted at Mozzie Flat, which is about 3kms from Port Moorowie, southern Yorke Peninsula. The campers in the area were making tracks into private

land, so I had the council block off the access and planted in some of the damaged areas. We have had a good strike rate, not losing very many plants.

I also had the help of the Port Moorowie Progress Association and the landholder was very happy with our efforts.

Thank you to Trees For Life volunteers for their great effort in raising tubestock and the very best for the future of Trees For Life.

Jim Edlington

Port Moorowie

Meeting locations for Belair and Stirling are Woorabinda. The Normanville workshop will be held at the Normanville

Natural Resource Centre, 3/50 Main Street, Normanville. In Mt Barker the meeting point will be in the carpark near the corner of Mann & Walker streets. In Parawa, meet at the main crossroads.

If you are interested in attending either a workshop or seed collecting day, please phone the TFL office on 8406 0500. Please be advised car pooling for the seed collecting days will also be available. Registrations of interest can be made by phoning Seedbank Manager Bruce Smith.

Zoo exhibition

In a first for TFL, some of our stunning photographs taken

by members and staff have gone

TFL photographs on display at the Adelaide Zoo recently.

TFL Volunteer Planting Coordinator Bunti Pellen and her father, TFL member Chris Henley.

Want some help with planting?

The Fleurieu Trees For Life Volunteer Tree Planting

Team works on sites in the Fleurieu Peninsula, from the South Eastern Freeway to Cape Jervis and Callington to Yankalilla. If your planting site is in this area then we may be able to help you.

Contact our fantastic volunteer who helps with planting on the Fleurieu, Bunti Pellen, from late January 2011 to organise a time.

The team plants from May to September. It is essential to book early as in previous years it has been extremely popular and places are limited.

Phone Bunti on 7329 2889 or 0429 016 335 or email bunti@adam.com.au (please don’t call after 7pm Sunday-Thursday).

on show at the Adelaide Zoo.The new Santos Conservation

Centre showcased photographs from recent TFL calendars, which depicted our native flora and fauna. Unfortunately because of timing we weren’t able to alert you in advance, but we promise to give you plenty of warning next time. And in case you’re wondering, the exhibition was a big hit, naturally!

Fundraiser at Govt. House

Government House officials have kindly chosen us as

their charity for an Open Day early next year.

To keep attendees fed and watered, we’re wanting to create a country fair-type atmosphere in the grounds and need your help. If you love to bake or create and want to make some home-made cakes, jams, preserves, biscuits or other goodies for us to sell on the day, then we’d love to hear from you.

We’ll also hold a sausage sizzle on the day. If you can help at the gates, enjoy cooking a barbie, can donate some cakes etc or know of a business that can donate sausages, bread or cans of soft drink, then please let us know by emailing bessh@treesforlife.org.au (or phone 8406 0500).

The Open Day will be either late February or early March so keep an eye on our website for updates!

For Members

Trees For Life Summer 2010 Number 117

Seasonair donates $3000 system to TFL

Seasonair is delighted to support the annual Trees for

Life lottery and provide a Split System Air conditioning Unit valued at $3000.

Seasonair is one of South Australia’s leading commercial air conditioning and ventilation companies, providing the highest level of service, excellent client relationships and unwavering commitment to customers.

Based at 32 Bennet Avenue, Melrose Park, Seasonair specialises in all aspects of commercial air conditioning, heating and ventilation and with a highly skilled and dedicated staff, Seasonair continues to provide air conditioning solutions for new and existing clients.

“The opportunity for us to support Trees For Life and their annual lottery was one we immediately seized upon,” says Mark Beatton, Managing Director. “We pride ourselves on being an environmentally conscious business and environmental sustainability is high on our agenda” he says.

“Working together with Trees For Life and working

towards implementing a carbon offset program is definitely an area we‘re looking forward to developing over the coming months.”

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

Perpetual Sponsor

14

Eco Pest Control offers 10% discount

With growing concern about the deterioration of our

planet and damage caused by chemicals in our environment, Eco Pest Control was formed.

The recorded resistance to traditional chemical methods on certain species of pests has caused an over-application of residual pesticides on our planet, and is dramatically effecting public health and the condition of our environment.

Eco Pest Control is an innovative, South Australian company offering a comprehensive range of products and services designed to have maximum impact on target pest species, and minimal impact on you, your family and the environment.

Eco Pest Control has been a very proud sponsor of Trees For Life since 2007. For every termite project undertaken, they arrange for TFL to plant a native seedling on behalf of their client. They also offset their vehicles through Trees For Life’s Carbon program.

Eco Pest Control is pleased to extend a special offer to all TFL members, with 10% discount on any service. Visit www.ecopestcontrol.com.au or phone 8354 0470.

Lion Nathan support appreciated

Thanks to Lion Nathan for its generous donation of five

cartons of West End Draught. This donation will be used to

reward our Bush Action Team volunteers with a nice cold beer at the end of a hard day’s work in the bush removing invasive weeds and helping to restore our natural bushland.

To quote from Lion Nathan: “The work you and your fellow volunteers do at Trees For Life certainly does a lot for our natural habitats and wildlife”.

Trees For Life welcomes in-kind donations to support the on-ground work of our volunteers. If you would like to know more, contact Glenys Perri on 84060512.

Irongrass Environmental Rehabilitation Services

We provide consulting services including:* Providing plans (revegetation and bush management);* Vegetation surveys for private landholders, local councils,

Government Departments and NRM Boards* and other services

Call Andrew Allanson on 0429 017 853, or email andrew@irongrass.com.au

Member Offers, Sponsors and Supporters

15Trees For Life Summer 2010 Number 117

Trees For Life at Bordertown Primary School

A teacher, Pam Foulis, initiated the plant

propagation program using Trees For Life materials back in 1992. She ran the program for a couple of years, and then I took over upon her retirement.

We operate from a 5x5m enclosure at the back of the school with a small storage shed next door. Each year I order 20 boxes of materials using a variety of seeds from the list. In the early days I collected the materials from a distributor in town, but over the last 10 years or so, distributors Peter & Sheree Gaden, who live out of town, have kindly dropped off the materials, as they have children attending the school.

In early December I do up a propagation kit for each class teacher including seed, labels, fertiliser, gravel, instructions and health warnings.

Being a large school with 20-22 classes, it takes quite a bit of planning and organisation to get each class into the propagation unit during the last week of school to get their filling and sowing done. Some of the younger classes use older “Buddy Classes” to help or invite parents in to assist. They all know that Mrs Artz is very strict about filling those tubes tightly and fitting 60 in per box!

First shootsWe have an automatic

watering system in place, but over the Christmas holidays the groundsman or I usually pop in every few days to make sure all is in working order. We get very excited when the first shoots start popping through.

Around March, when we get some cooler days, we begin

the process of thinning and transplanting. Usually my Year 3 class and our Year 7 buddy class do this as a Buddy Class activity and then keen volunteers finish off what is not achieved in those lessons as a lunchtime activity.

Over recent years I have started collecting extra seed so we usually have more than the 20 boxes. I estimate that we average 800 healthy seedlings each year, which means that we have produced over 15,000 trees over the past 19 years.

Where do all these trees go? Initially trees were used in

our own Natanda Gardens, a 5-acre block at the back of the school. Leftovers were donated to farming parents of students. For a couple of years trees were planted at the local wetlands 2km out of Bordertown. However, for the past 10 years or so we have donated the trees to the local Tatiara District Council who have used them to regenerate areas in and around the township.

These areas have included various parklands, around the speedway, under the new overpass, around the boat lake and along roadsides. Council workers prepare the site, dig the holes and collect the plants the day before planting to slit the tubes. On National Tree Day they then supervise the classes, teachers and parents that go to the site to plant them.

Initially we involved the whole school in this process, but the logistics of that were too difficult. So we decided to just make it the Year 4 classes each year. That way we know that every student will get the opportunity to spend a morning planting a dozen or so trees each whilst at primary school and will have an ongoing affiliation with “their area”. It’s a great sight to see the students eagerly head off in their gumboots and

Bordertown Primary School teacher Jenny Artz and students have raised more than 15,000 Trees For Life seedlings since the mid 1990s. The seedlings are planted out each year to help ‘re-green’ their community. This is Jenny’s story ...

Bordertown Primary School students with teachers and council workers on National Tree Day.

Plantings at the wetlands are now well established while, above, recent seedlings have been planted along the bike track with help from council.

Captions on these pics not coming through ???

Your Story ...

gloves, armed with trowels ready to start planting. They really enjoy the day and are proud of their efforts.

Over the years the success rate has fluctuated, with the recent run of drought years especially taking its toll, but the council now realises the value of mulching and tree-guarding each seedling as soon as it has been planted and this has improved the success rate dramatically, as well as looking much better aesthetically. If the council doesn’t need all of our trees, we donate them to the local meat company which has a strong revegetation program or, as in the case this year, we donated trees to the committee of ‘Mundulla On The Move’ in a nearby small town.

The photographs above show a range of tree stages, from

those planted at the wetlands many years ago to those planted recently at Possum Park and along a new bike track. Hopefully the students will see them as they move in and around town and proudly be reminded that they were the ones to get them started.

I have to say that Trees For Life has been wonderful to deal with. Not once have any materials been late or missing and the instructions have been excellent. The school has been very happy to pay the reasonable membership and material fees, as the benefits to the students and the community have been invaluable. It has been my honour and pleasure to co-ordinate this worthwhile project.

- Jenny Artz

16 Trees For Life Summer 2010 Number 117

Maggie the m

agpie by Hannah

Did you know?

Did you know that there are over 180 species of

Honeyeater birds in the world, and roughly half of them are native to Australia? Honeyeaters belong to the family called Meliphagidae and all have a characteristic brush-tipped tongue which is used to mop up nectar from flowering plants. Most honeyeaters also eat protein-filled insects, berries and sweet sap secreted from plants, and while feeding they spread pollen from plant to plant. Often exhibiting splashes of bright colour, honeyeaters make

wonderful visitors to domestic gardens, and can be encouraged by planting native flowering plants.

Quiz: True or False

Chemical free gardens are more likely to encourage birds?

Most honeyeaters have a curved bill, helping them to access hard to reach nectar from flowers?

Replacing a natural diet with artificial nectar is beneficial for most wild honeyeaters?

1.

2.

3.

Answers:1. True. They have more insects. 2. True. 3. False.

Jolene sent us in this beautiful drawing of Wave, a dolphin her family sponsored.

Cooper, 8, sent Kids Branch this magnificent drawing of a tree. Thanks Cooper!

Hi to you all from Bess

Hello to all the creative ‘Kids Branch’ readers.

My name is Bess and I am now looking after this special page dedicated to you.

I have been working at Trees For Life for over two years, but joined Trees For Life as a volunteer grower 11 years ago (I wonder how big those plants must be now!).

As well as working here, I work as a Wildlife Keeper at Cleland Wildlife Park, where I mostly take care of the koalas, but also work with other mammals, birds and snakes.

I have raised many orphaned animals including koalas, possums and parrots, and I am excited to now be taking

care of the ‘Kids Branch’. I’d love to hear about the

things you do to help our native plants and animals. Can you send me some stories and drawings that I can share with everyone? I look forward to hearing from you.

Bess.

Adelaide High School students took part in Trees For Life’s Schools Pilot Project and grew 500 seedlings during the year. They recently planted them at a site adjacent to Henley Beach Road.