Category: Uncategorized
Wasp vs Spider – a backyard drama in miniature
Local biologist Holger Woyt photographed a great spectacle in his yard this week. Spider Wasps, family Pompilidae, are common enough around town but it is unusual to witness the full sequence of their hunting behaviour. In the picture above the wasp (on the right) is facing off against a wolf spider Lycosa sp. In these interactions the wasp
Online Sign Up – Available Now!
A bit of tinkering with the blog this week has resulted in a big advance with our application process. You can now apply for registration with Land for Wildlife or Garden for Wildlife – online. The forms are accessed by clicking on the appropriate link at the top of the links column on the right of the
Spinifex Pigeons, Wolf Spiders, Rodents, Dasyurids, Macropods; a smorgasbord for wildlife lovers during annual biodiversity surveys
Jesse and Chris have been conducting the annual biodiversity surveys lately on properties along Roe Creek. There is some stunning habitat through this area, and we have had a few interesting encounters. Stripe-faced Dunnarts Sminthopsis macroura, have been the most common mammals trapped but we have also had Long-haired Rats Rattus villosissimus, and the odd
LFW Alice Springs Wins NT Landcare Award
Central Australia had outstanding representation at the NT Landcare awards held at Parliament House in Darwin last Friday evening. Local Landcare hero Tim Collins was recognised for the tireless work he has put in over the years with the NT Landcarer of the Year award. This is a richly deserved gong for all of the time
The Camel Song – camel control hip-hop straight outta the AP Lands by Lee Brady and Morganics…
An astonishing bit of collaboration has appeared on Youtube; this is a bit of hip-hop freestyling on the theme of camel control in the AP Lands by local elder Lee Brady, produced by Sydney-based hip-hop renaissance man, Morganics. I particularly like the inclusion of some arabic flute in the background and the buzzing fly sample could
Buffel Busting to Protect our Significant Trees
Further to our post yesterday about the Land for Wildlife Significant Tree Register, it is worth mentioning the great success of Alice Springs Landcare at their annual Buffel-Busting day last weekend. Arid lands eco guru Peter Latz was on hand to give his thoughts on the scourge of Buffel and came up with some interesting insights
The Fire Chief – all-in-one water tank/pump/hose unit
This is an innovative bit of gear that has been developed by local Chris Newton. Most of the details are in the brochure image above. We thought that as summer approached, this might be a useful unit for a few LfW properties. Easily manhandled into a ute or trailer when empty, the 1000l tank can
Significant Trees in Central Australia – where are yours?
A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit. Greek Proverb The ancient Greeks probably had it both figuratively and literally right with this proverb. What could be better than thinking ahead about future generations and the possible enjoyment they might derive from having beautiful, big
It’s Beardy Season!
Herp-aware gardeners are probably already noticing an increase in the amount of reptile activity at the moment. With the onset of warmer weather, all things reptilian are making their way out into the open to sun themselves and get energised for the breeding season ahead. Probably the most obvious sign of the return of reptile-friendly
Alice Springs Correctional Centre registers as Land for Wildlife
The registration of the Alice Springs Correctional Centre with Land for Wildlife was finalised at 1pm on the 23rd of August. The Land for Wildlife coordinators handed over the final report produced from their property assessment conducted with Dr. Bill Low and Chief Horticultural Officer Shane Secombe. Superintendent Bill Carroll has given enthusiastic support for the program’s values from the
Controlled Burns on Airport Property This Evening
The fire season in Alice Springs is far from over and many land owners are now busily putting in breaks. One Land for Wildlife property that has been staying on top of their fire regulation compliance from the start, is the Alice Springs Airport. Bushfires NT volunteers and Low Ecological Services staff have been out
LfW Alice Springs on Twitter
We’ve searched high and low, far and wide, but it seems that Land for Wildlife in Alice Springs is now the first of the regional LfW groups to use Twitter. It seems many of these social networking applications take some time to fully mature, but Twitter has been widely adopted by many in the conservation
Volunteers Needed for Biodiversity Surveys in October
That’s right folks! It’s Land for Wildlife biodiversity survey time again and this year promises to be as interesting as ever. The project we have planned will involve 3 nights of trapping at 4 Land for Wildlife properties along Roe Creek – some with excellent Buffel control, and some with extensive Buffel growth. All of
Desert Snow!
No, it’s not what you think. The weather hasn’t gone that crazy – yet. Long time Garden for Wildlife supporter Dave Price has sent in some more of his stunning photographs, this time of an often overlooked desert flower known as Desert Snow Macgregoria racemigera. This is a species which grows on the sandplains after good rains
Fire Plans – have you got one for your property yet?
We’ve already seen predictions of large fires for Central Australia vindicated in the past few weeks. Many people have been donating their time and putting in long sleepless nights to protect private property and conservation reserves around Central Australia. Due to the tireless work of regular and volunteer firefighters, there have been no injuries resulting
Calling All Buffel Busters!!!
Alice Springs Landcare are having their 2nd Annual Buffel Busting Day on Sunday the 11th of September from 9am to 11am. It’s going to be happening at the Sturt Terraca Arboretum between the Stott Terrace Bridge and Undoolya Rd on the east bank of the Todd. This site has some regenerating native plants and the
Feral Photo Competition
The Invasive Animals Centre for Cooperative Research has announced its Feral Photos competition. This is a great chance to learn more about how invasive animals impact the equilibrium of our ecosystems and perhaps win a little something along the way. The winning photo will be featured in the 2012 calendar. All of the details can
Treasures of the Desert Knowledge Precinct
Land for Wildlife coordinators recently carried out a property assessment at the Desert Knowledge Precinct. As locals would know, the precinct is located on the Stuart Highway just south of Heavitree Gap and the town of Alice Springs. The property is large (72 Hectares) and managed as a multi-use property, with areas of landscaped gardens, open space
National Tree Day – Sunday 31st July
National Tree Day is upon us again folks. Sunday week will be the day to head out to a site somewhere and plant a tree. To locate a tree-planting site you can visit the National Tree Day website and enter your postcode for your nearest site. There’s the rub – no sites appear in Alice
The Year of the Bat
This little beauty is Hill’s Sheathtail Bat. While it might have a face that only a mother could love, these little mammals have a crucial role in our ecosystems. We have at least nine species of small insectivorous bats (microchiroptera) here in Alice and while you won’t hear most of them, they are certainly present