To say the least, Isle of Bags has always been a challenge.  Our aim has been that we establish revegetation that will not only keep the weeds at bay but also look good and not pose a fire risk.  It's been a real case of "if at first you don't succeed - try, try, again". ... Continue Reading →

Here is a contribution from Dr Johannes Martens.  Hanne works with the Wildlife Conservation & Science section of Zoos Victoria. "The Orange-bellied Parrot (OBP) is not only brilliantly coloured and one of only two truly migratory parrot species in the world, but is also critically endangered, with fewer than 200 of these beautiful birds having... Continue Reading →

Now, where did that Boardwalk get to? Our attack on the Island’s Italian Buckthorn was going to start again at the end of March.  The best laid plans of mice and men… Just in time for Easter and the school holidays, the river mouth did its intermittent and normal thing and closed.  One result, is... Continue Reading →

A perfect day for it.  Not too hot, not too cold, not too sunny.  A good crowd of us showed up and enjoyed ourselves. The location at Moleside Creek Picnic Area was idyllic with the falls still running nicely despite the long dry period.  The only disappointment was some weeds.  Italian Buckthorn, Twiggy Mullein and... Continue Reading →

Welcome to the Livingston Island Nature Walk Audio Guide. There are 7 tracks in MP3 format. You can play directly from this page or download the files using the options at the right of the audio bar (the three dots)*. For those on a data budget, there is free WiFi at the Visitor Information Center... Continue Reading →

What's in flower?  Slim pickings this month. A few yellow daisy species eg. Groundsels, some tea-tree and guinea flowers are still around, but not much else. The reason - adaptation.  Plants that avoid flowering and producing seed during Australia's hot, dry summer stand a better chance of surviving and having offspring. Plants that concentrate on survival rather than... Continue Reading →

Our weed contractors, Trevor and Jacqui, finished off their 123 hours on the Island just before Christmas. The map shows where our volunteers worked last winter in blue and where Trevor and Jacqui worked in pink.  Our volunteers used the cut and swab method whilst the contractors used basal-bark treatment, so it will be an interesting... Continue Reading →

Thanks to a Glenelg Shire Community Grant, Nelson Coastcare will be able to expand its treatment options for invasive woody weeds – especially Italian Buckthorn The Grant covered the cost of Agricultural Chemical User’s training and an Agricultural Chemical User’s Permit (ACUP).  We have also been able to upgrade our personal protective equipment (PPE) and... Continue Reading →

Found on a track near Nelson.  Cause of death unknown. Jono was able to make an ID. “Agile antechinus (Antechinus agilis) - nice one!  Similar to the dusky but the underparts more pale brown than grey and lacks black granules on soles of feet.  Weight is about right too at 20 grams.” Here’s what Wikipedia... Continue Reading →

Thanks to Nursery Coordinator, Angela, and the Nature Glenelg Trust for an interesting tour of their native plant nursery at Vansittart Park in Mount Gambier. Angela took us through the whole process - from seed collecting and storage, species identification and selection, propagation and plant care. Angela and her trusty volunteers are making sure endangered... Continue Reading →

The featured image is Pale Turpentine Bush (Beyeria leschenaultii). Austral Stork's-bill (Pelargonium australe) Coast Sword-sedge (Lepidosperma gladiatum) Scented Paperbark (Melaleuca squarrosa) Scented Groundsel (Senecio odoratus) Common Fringe-myrtle (Calytrix tetragona) Woolly Everlasting (Argentipallium blandowskianum) Photos C Young & M Styles

The featured image is a Wallflower or Donkey Orchid (Diuris orientis). There is so much happening out in the bush at the moment. There will be many more flowers to see this month. It seems that the transition to Summer may be quick this year and the spring flowering season short-lived. So, get out there... Continue Reading →

The featured flower is a Slender Rice-Flower (Pimelea linifolia subsp. linifolia). Ivy-leaf Violet (Viola hederacea) White Elderberry (Sambucus gaudichaudiana) Love Creeper (Comesperma volubile) Coast Swainson-pea (Swainsona lessertifolia) Variable Groundsel (Senecio pinnatifolius) Photos C Young & M Styles

Further to our post in June where we promised to keep you posted on progress..... With all the paperwork and formalities completed, work got underway on the 5th July.  Unpredictable weather and many people away made it hard to arrange working bees so we worked in pairs and threes when chances came up.  So far,... Continue Reading →

The featured image is a close up of Old Man's Beard or Small-leafed Clematis (Clematis microphylla). You can see why it has its common name from this second photo. Stately or Veined Helmet-Orchid (Corybas diemenicus). There is a Sundew next to it. Running Postman (Kennedia prostata) Showy Bossiaea (Bossiaea cinerea) Broadleaf Early Nancy (Wurmbea latifolia)... Continue Reading →

The feature photo is Bower Spinach (Tetragonia implexicoma). We have been trying to just include the new flowers we see each month. There are plenty of long-flowering plants still doing their thing over several months. The Coast Beard Heath, Common Heath, Silver Banksia and Guinea Flowers to name a few. The wattles are coming out... Continue Reading →

Nelson Coastcare's application for a Coastcare Victoria Community Grant 2023 has been successful! We have received funding to carry out a project on Livingstone's Island. Livingstone's Island lies at the estuary mouth of the Lower Glenelg River within the Lower Glenelg/Discovery Bay National Parks and Ramsar site.  It is a high value tourism site with... Continue Reading →

Nelson and the nearby Lower Glenelg National Park are home to a dozen or so species of wattle. They all have yellow flowers but they are easy to tell apart with just a few clues. Here are the ones you are most likely to find. BLACKWOOD (Acacia melanoxylon) • Can grow to a very big... Continue Reading →

Not many new flowers to see yet in June - but wait until the Wattles get going! The feature photo is of a Large Fruited Yellow Gum (Eucalyptus leucoxylon subsp. megalocarpa). Scented Sundew (Drosera whittakeri subsp. aberrans) This plant is carnivorous. The sticky fronds on the leaves are used to lure and capture insects for... Continue Reading →

The Man O' War or Bluebottle is a fascinating creature.  It is actually four animals with specialised functions living together.  Each has a different role to play - digestion, reproduction, hunting (the tentacles) and the float or sail. The float is about 6cm across and the tentacles are up to 1m long.  The tentacles dangle... Continue Reading →

There is always a bit of excitement when the fungi season gets going.  There are some weird and wonderful fungi out there.  Knowledge about fungi in Australia is, however, very limited.  There are still more unknown than known species and only a small number can be identified just by look.  Mycologists (fungi scientists) often need... Continue Reading →

The featured image is a Common Heath (Epacris impressa). The pink form of Common Heath was proclaimed the floral emblem of Victoria on 11 November 1958. It also comes in white and in various lighter shades of pink. Coast Beard-Heath (Leucopogon parviflorus) Dwarf Boronia (Cyanothamnus nanus) Bundled Guinea-flower (Hibbertia fasciculata). Mainly flowers between September and... Continue Reading →

The featured image is a Drooping She-Oak (Allocasuarina verticillata). Messmate Stringybark (Eucalyptus obliqua) Flame Heath (Astroloma conostephioides) Silver Banksia (Banksia marginata) Widespread shrub or small tree. Silver because the underside of the leaves is just that. Native Oxalis (Oxalis perennens) Photos C Young & M Styles

Nine of us had a pleasant afternoon.  We met up and, as usual, we started with a bit of theory and made the acquaintance of the CSIRO Euclid App1.  Euclid makes Eucalypt identification very easy but it still requires good observations of features. Then there was a bit of scampering about Mary’s block to make... Continue Reading →

Ixodia (Ixodia achilliaeoides subsp. alata) A patch of small shrubs on Moore's Track Dune Fan-flower (Scaelvola calendulacea) On the way to the Ocean Beach. Conservation status is Vulnerable. Coast Everlasting (Ozmanthus turbinatus) Winged Spyridium (Spyridium vexilliferum subsp. vexilliferum) Silver Banksia (Banksia marginata) Widespread shrub or small tree. Silver because the underside of the leaves is... Continue Reading →

Moonah (Melaleuca lanceolata) Large shrub or small tree. This one at Isle of Bags Reserve. Featherheads (Ptilotus macrocephalus) Widespread and easy to identify Sweet Bursaria (Bursaria spinosa) Everywhere.  Bush to small tree.  Sweet smelling but spiny. Woolly Everlasting (Argentipallium blandowskianum) Widespread, there are plenty along the tracks west off North Nelson Rd. The leaves are... Continue Reading →