Category: Plants
No ‘white Christmas’ for Alice please!
— by Kate
At this time of year, old Christmas Carols and songs are often heard through sound systems of businesses, shopping centres, radio stations, churches, parks, gardens and family homes (admittedly some of these areas may not reverberate with musical Christmas cheer!) But Land for Wildlife Central Australia request that you be mindful of what song you
Red Mulga Lerp
At a recent Land for Wildlife property assessment, I came across a great example of Red Mulga Lerp that I wanted to share with the members. Red Mulga Lerp (Austrotachardia acacia) is a structure produced by the larvae of ‘lac’ insects. The Red Mulga Lerp is found on Mulga (Acacia aneura) bushes and the crystallised
Ecological Observations by Des Nelson
By Des Nelson My article on the origin and spread of Buffel Grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) posted in the Alice Springs News online (and shared on the Land for Wildlife blog as A Buffel Grass Story) promoted some discussion. Among topics it was said that the cover provided by Buffel Grass would prevent dust storms such
NT Register of Significant Trees Online Register Launch
Land for Wildlife Central Australia is proud to announce the National Trust Register of Significant Trees Northern Territory is now available online. Visit our website and explore the interactive map of tree listings. Why not even go on a self-guided Significant Trees Tour in your region? View the Register: wildlife.lowecol.com.au/projects/significant-trees
Mistletoe and Seed Dispersal
Ever wondered about how a new Mistletoe plant comes about? As with most other plants, it relies on birds for seed dispersal and the Mistletoebird (Dicaeum hirundinaceum) is the key. They are one of the major species that feeds on Mistletoe fruit. Another local species that consumes the fruit is the Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater (Acanthagenys rufogularis).
Property Profile: Bruce and Meg Simmons
Bruce and Meg Simmons moved to Schaber Road in 1993, initially moving into a shed while the house construction was being completed. As an avid gardener, Bruce has been working tirelessly to remove weeds from their 2.0 hectare property ever since. Bruce was ‘Buffel busting’ within the year—beginning with the western (roadside) portion of the
Property Profile: Olive Pink Botanic Garden
Note that sections of this article were written for the Australian Plants Society Alice Springs Inc. and the Alice Springs Field Naturalists Club as part of a joint walk of Olive Pink Botanic Garden the groups ran at the end of April. Regular visitors to Olive Pink Botanic Garden over the years will have noticed
A Buffel Grass Story
By Des Nelson Having recently heard the sometimes repeated view that CSIRO was responsible for the invasion of Buffel Grass in central Australia, I would like to present some observations of my own. I do not write of hearsay. I had first-hand experience of all places and events here described. In the early 1950’s I
Barking Curiosities
Bark is a non-technical term for the layers of tissue outside the vascular cambium of a tree, woody vine or shrub. The purpose of bark is to protect the tree against sun damage, fire, invertebrates, bacteria and fungi. Bark is made up of two components – the inner bark (living tissue composed of the innermost
Erodium Are Fun… Hear Us Out!
Heron’s Bill, Crowfoot, Cranebill, Storkbill. Call them what you like! I’m talking about the fun Erodium genus. Herbs in the genus Erodium (Greek: erodiós or ερωδιός, meaning Heron), have fruit that resemble long bird beaks (hence the name). They are closely related to the Geranium (Greek: geranós or γερανός, meaning Crane) genus and the Pelargonium
Seed Collection in Central Australia
At the recent Land for Wildlife birthday event, Samantha Hussey from Charles Darwin University presented a workshop on seed collection to our members and it was of great interest and debate among attendees. Seed collection is something that may interest you at the local level, as you may be interested in revegetating your property through
Pruning Grevilleas
By Candice Appleby Little known fact: Grevilleas can cause skin irritation and some people can be quite allergic to the foliage and flowers. Be careful while pruning, wear gloves and long sleeves and be sure to wash your hands, arms and legs when you are finished. One of the best times to prune your grevilleas
Property Planning for Wildlife
We all love the plants, animals and other aspects of the natural world that we are surrounded with and want to learn how to protect them – the best that we can. You can aim as high as you like – or as humble as you like. Just do what you can. At the basic
Land for Wildlife and Garden for Wildlife Central Australia: Celebrating 15 years of Wildlife Habitat Preservation, Enhancement and Restoration
Land for Wildlife is celebrating 15 years of the program in central Australia, and Garden for Wildlife is celebrating 10 years of the program! We hope that the two complementary programs have been beneficial to our members and we look forward to continuing to support local landholders to preserve, enhance and restore wildlife habitat on
National Tree Day Festivities
By Candice Appleby To celebrate National Tree Day on Sunday 30th July, the Land for Wildlife team hosted an official launch of the new online interactive Central Australia Register of Significant Trees map. Thanks to the support from Territory Natural Resource Management, Olive Pink Botanic Gardens and Low Ecological Services P/L. It was a lovely
Significant Tree Register Goes Online
By Candice Appleby As you may all recall earlier this year Land for Wildlife announced that we would be coordinating the rejuvenation of the National Trust NT Significant Trees Register. Overall, LFW are appointed to coordinate the maintenance of the register for the entire Northern Territory, however initially we have decided to focus our energy
Plant Scent: What’s That Smell?
The production of a scent by a flower is well-understood by many as a method of attracting birds, bats, butterflies, beetles, ants and various other invertebrates to the flower. The smell produced by a flower acts as an attractant, which is generally combined with a reward of nectar, and has the primary function of assisting
Plant Stowaways in Camel Harness
By Marg Friedel Back In March, Marg gave a talk to the Alice Springs Field Naturalists Club, which she called “Where did they come from and how did they get here? Examining the evidence for some familiar weeds of arid central Australia”. As part of her rummaging in the records of Australia’s Virtual Herbarium (AVH),
A Selection of Grasses from Central Australia
For those that attended the Biodiversity Matters: Buffel Busters Tour of Alice Springs, you may be familiar with the booklet that we have been developing—A Selection of Grasses from Central Australia (yet to be formally titled). The information used was sourced from an excellent online resource called AusGrass2, in combination with 30 grass samples collected
In the Garden
By Candice Appleby All the rain we have been having of late has bought with it a burst of growth around the garden, which is great! But at times this can lead to unwanted over-hanging limbs, smaller shrubs becoming crowded or just an overall scruffy looking yard. Correct pruning techniques are essential to plant health