This article is based on an interview in April 2011 with Andy Russell, a founding member of STEP and currently both the STEP treasurer and Public Officer.
Keith
Telling the understorey
Barbara Payne of Quandong Designs, our pro bono landscape architect, is completing her work on the landscape design for the STEP site. This project is supported by an ACT Environment Grant entitled Growing Our Natural Capital, awarded to STEP in September 2010, by the former Chief Minister Jon Stanhope and the National Arboretum.
Developing Molonglo Connectivity …a proposal
Members will be interested to know that the STEP Committee is supporting the Conservation Council’s application for an ACT Environment Grant round for 2011/2012.
STEP Working Bees
Working bees have been very productive recently. Now is a good time for STEP members to visit the STEP site and see what has been achieved so far. We are always glad to see members who would like to join our Thursday morning ‘working bees’.
The Birdlime Spider of Block 100
Article contibuter by Stephen Skinner
The Birdlime spider (Celaenia kinbergi) is an interesting member of the diverse family of Orb Weavers. She, and yes, she is the big spider, the male is tiny, builds a day-bed and the wonderful ‘lobster buoy’ incubation sacs and little more.
She is believed to lure her diet of moths using a pheromone-mimicking scent. The more she eats, the more of the incubation sacs she will construct, and the ground below her day-bed will be littered with moth carcasses. Given warm weather and so plenty of moths she may build one egg sac every five to seven days, taking a bit longer as the days shorten and the weather cools. She is a long lived lady and may have bunches of about a dozen sacs across the season. The spiderlings are tiny and may have hatched from the early sacs well before the last one is finished. This lady has seven sacs hanging in her chosen sapling. 22nd May 2011.
CVA helps construct Botanic Garden visitor pathways
Saturday 21 May 2011 and at 9.30 the start of a wonderful day at the STEP site, National Arboretum Canberra, in the glorious autumn sunshine. A bunch of conservation volunteers were driven on site in the Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA) van by Tim Harvey.
ABC News Canberra features Festival of the Forests
ABC News Canberra included a feature story on the Festival of the Forests in its evening broadcast on Sunday 20/03/2011.
An accompanying article and the original story may be viewed on the ABC website.
New garden for National Arboretum
Chief Minister, Jon Stanhope, today commemorated the official opening of Stage 2 of the Southern Tablelands Ecosystems Park (STEP) garden at the National Arboretum by planting the first understorey species at the site.
“STEP has a vision, an applaudable vision, to create a community-based regional botanic garden, education and ecosystem recovery centre specifically for Canberra and the surrounding Southern Tablelands,” Mr Stanhope said.
“This project aims to enhance the quality and availability of practical and scientific knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the ecosystems and species of the Southern Tablelands.
STEP Raffle Prize Winners
The STEP Raffle Winners were drawn out of a hat at the STEP exhibit by Ann Duncan, National Arboretum Board member.
The draw was witnessed by Tony Lawson, Andrew Russell and Cathy Robertson.
- First Prize: won by James Overall, Campbell. The prize is: Eucalypts by Murray Fagg and John Wrigley.
- Second prize: won by Jens Svennson, STEP Committee member. The prize is $50.00 worth of southern tablelands tube stock from Seeds and Plants Australia.
- Third Prize: Anthony Widderspoon, Isaacs. The prize is a copy of Grassland Flora by Eddy, Mallieson, Rehwinkel and Sharp.
Arrangements have been made for all prizes have been delivered to their owners.
First Understorey Planting at STEP Site
Southern Tablelands Ecosystem Park at Block 100 in the National Arboretum Canberra invites you to the official opening of the Festival of the Forests by the Chief Minister, Jon Stanhope.