Potholes Revegetation Project
Phase II
by Peter Ackroyd, 1 October 1996
The project so far
Most members of the Friends of Buchan Caves will know of the success
of our first foray into the revegetation of "The Potholes" reserve at
Murrindal. This was a pilot project which covered 0.9 Ha on the eastern side of
the Potholes reserve.
It was commenced in 1992 under the direction of Jim Daly from the Department
of Natural Resources and Environment and Geoff Hammond of the Friends. The
whole project was initiated by Graham Parkes, then Ranger in Charge at Buchan,
and was based on the 1991 'Plan for the Management of Karst and Cave Resources
in the Buchan and Murrindal Area'. This plan called for the return to a natural
state of a major portion of the 40.5 Ha (100 Acre) former grazing block
purchased by the Government in the late 1980s. The pilot revegetation project
was funded by a grant of $1,000 from "Tree Victoria" and was also supported by
the Department.
By September 1994, following several setbacks, including a deliberately lit
fire by a local arsonist, the friends had planted a total of 500 or so trees.
Of these, about 300 survive to this day. Many of these trees are now over two
metres tall and it is clear they will be able to withstand all but the worst of
disasters.
In early 1996 the executive officers of the Friends applied for, and were
granted, an additional amount of $4,020 from the Department of Natural
Resources and Environment to allow us to continue with phase II of the
revegetation project. Geoff Hammond volunteered to co-ordinate the extension of
the electric fence. This fence helps keep stock and wildlife away from the
young trees in the plot. Peter Ackroyd undertook to assist in the fencing work,
to co-ordinate the collection of seeds from endemic (local) tree species and to
oversee the propagation and planting of the 1,200 trees needed to revegetate
the new area.
The area selected for phase II was the southern part of the Potholes
paddock. It adjoins the existing plot on its northern boundary and runs all the
way up to the southern boundary fence, which is near the top of a very tall
hill! The total area to be enclosed and revegetated would then be 3.5 Ha.
The project got off to an awkward start during the working bee of 20-21 July
1996 when there was a problem due to a lack of fencing materials (see Report
on Working Bee Weekend, 20 - 21 July 1996 elsewhere in this issue). Geoff
and Peter resolved to spend a week and a half at Buchan to ensure the main
fencing work was completed prior to the next working bee which was scheduled
for 14-15 September 1996.
Friends doing fencing work at the Potholes revegetation plot
Photo: P J Ackroyd 20 July 1996
Fencing during 6 - 13 September 1996
On Friday 6th September, the car groaning under the combined weight
of battery for the electric fence, battery container, tools, weedicides and
foodstuffs, they made their way to Moe where they picked up Wayne (Spot)
Matthews who had likewise offered to donate some of his time. At Bairnsdale
Farm Supplies some more materials and tools were purchased and added to the
load for the last leg of the journey to Buchan.
Saturday was spent on a site inspection during which it was noted that the
young sheoaks, after being nursed through the rabbit nibbling stage, had all
had their tops eaten off. The offenders were cattle which had entered via a
breach in the non-electrified eastern boundary fence. The two other species of
tree, the yellow box and the limestone wattle, were not eaten at all -
presumably they didn't taste very nice.
On Sunday Peter walked from Buchan township to the Potholes and back,
collecting seeds from eucalypts along the way. These seeds will be used to
propagate the next batch of trees.
Monday 9th September was the start of work proper. Arrangements were made
with the Caves Reserve staff for the heavy fencing materials to be transported
up to the Potholes the following day. After that it was off to the Potholes to
commence the installation of a new heavy duty battery for the electric fence,
and to make the necessary modifications to the wiring. Spot retired early while
Geoff and Peter soldiered on till washed out by a rainstorm at 4.30 pm.
Early Tuesday morning Peter walked into the Caves Reserve to help Jack
Lewendon load up the fencing materials and to make arrangements for the supply
of some odds and ends that would be needed later in the week. Peter and Jack
took the fencing materials (steel posts, timber "droppers", fencing wire, etc)
up to the Potholes and unloaded them in the light rain. When Peter returned to
Buchan he found Geoff and Spot unwilling to work in the rain and a rest day was
voted on - carried.
Wednesday dawned clear and bright - no excuses today! While Peter installed
the new battery, its container and associated wiring, Geoff sighted the line
for Spot as he started driving in the new posts for the fence extension up the
hill. In the early afternoon Peter took over from Spot, whose hands were
getting blistered, and finished the line of steel posts. Peter collected some
blisters of his own, despite gloves. Some of the steel posts were "installed"
up to six times before a piece of earth was found that didn't have a hidden
rock layer below the surface.
Before finishing for the day, Peter installed another five steel posts to
repair the eastern boundary fence at the point where the neighbour's cattle had
invaded the revegetation area.
Thursday was a windy, overcast day. Peter was up early and was able to help
ranger Dale Calnin to take Jim Daly's loaned wire spinning cradle from the
Caves Reserve up to the Potholes. Dale returned to the Reserve while Peter
continued his electric fence work. He was later joined by Geoff and Spot who
disconnected the now unwanted southern leg of the original fence and ran it up
the hill through the newly installed posts. While this was happening Peter
installed some natty new ratchet strainers on each end of the fence to allow
the fence tension to be adjusted as and when required. Rain showers commenced
at 4.30 pm, marking the end of work for the day.
Friday 13th was the last day available before the rest of the Friends group
arrived for a working bee expecting a completed fence! Peter ran the new wire
up the hill by careful use of Jim's wire spinner. He was then able to strain it
up and tie it off. Later in the day Geoff joined him at the Potholes to help
complete the work. The final electrical connections were then made and the
fence ceremoniously "switched on" for the night.
14 - 15 September 1996 working bee weekend
On the working bee weekend Spot and Jude Matthews did some cleaning
in Fairy Cave while Mick Adler, Cathie Cranston, Glenn Baddeley, Erica
Maggs and Thomas Maggs joined Geoff and Peter at the Potholes revegetation
plot. This injection of enthusiasm was a great boost and over the course of the
weekend timber "droppers" (to keep the wire spaced properly) were installed
along the whole length of the electric fence and some additional steel posts
were installed along the old section of fence to strengthen it. Three "weed
killers" went about their gruesome work using 'Round Up' with malice
aforethought on any non-native plants in the new plot. The extended plot is
badly infested with Horehound, Great Mullein, burrs and thistles and will
require many applications of weedicide before the weeds can be brought under
control.
Propagation required
The next step will be the propagation of trees from the seed already
collected and from seed to be collected later in 1996. The first transplanting
of the established seedlings into the plot is planned for March/April 1997.
This will be followed by further plantings in June/July and September 1997. We
will certainly need assistance in the form of weeders (using chemical 'wands'
is a lot easier than the pull-it-up-by-the-roots method) and tree planters. At
first sight these activities may seem to be far removed from caves and karst
but consider the fact that the weeders on this particular weekend found three
or four caves in their wanderings and you can see that there may be hidden
rewards.
(A brief report appeared in October 1996 Nargun 29(4):24)
Glenn, Erica and Cathie on a search and destroy mission for weeds
Photo: P J Ackroyd 15 September 1996
Departmental name change
by Peter Ackroyd, 24 July 1996
The Department we used to know as the Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources (DCNR, often also jokingly known as the Department of Constant Name
Review) has, after the last State election, undergone another transformation to
now become the "Department of Natural Resources and Environment". The new
department incorporates the former Department of Agriculture, Energy and
Minerals, the Offices of the Surveyor General, Valuer General, and Geological
Survey , Land Titles Office and the Office of Geographic Data Coordination as
well as the former DCNR, ie it is still responsible for National Parks, State
Forests and Crown Lands.
The National Parks Service will continue to be responsible for the
management of National Parks, State Parks, Marine and Coastal Parks and other
conservation Reserves, the Forests Service is responsible for State Forests and
for prevention and suppression of fire on Victoria's public lands.
The former Crown Lands and Assets, now known as Land Management and Resource
Information Services will continue to be responsible for the management of all
other public land not the responsibility of the National Parks or Forest
Services, ie public land managed by committees of management.
Under the new arrangements a separate Fisheries Service has been established
and the Flora and Fauna is now a branch within the Parks, Flora and Fauna
Division.
Working Bee Weekend Trip Report
14 - 15 September 1996
By Erica Maggs, 1 October 1996
Saturday greeted us with bright sunshine and a fine morning, it was even
warm! Although by the time we were ready to head off to the Reserve, it had
started to cloud over a little bit. Once we arrived in the Reserve we were
supposed to find Dale, but he was nowhere to be seen. George told us that a
coach load of tourists had turned up without making a booking, and that Dale
was doing their tour. Our time wasn't wasted whilst we were waiting though.
Glenn and I went to have a look at the information shelter so that we could
work out the best way for the new "Friends" display board to fit, then we
joined the others who were talking with Alan Oldroyd about our projects and the
application for a new grant. Dale joined us when the tour had finished.
Peter Ackroyd, Geoff Hammond and Spot Matthews had been in Buchan since the
6th of September, and had achieved a considerable amount of work at the
Potholes. They extended the electric fence at the revegetation plot, adding a
further 200 metres to the existing fence line. The area of the revegetation
plot is now 3.5 hectares. The revegetation area is electrically fenced on three
sides, the fourth side is the boundary fence of the Potholes, which is not
electrified.
When we had finished our morning chat, Mick, Cathie, Peter, Geoff, Glenn,
Thomas and I headed out to the Potholes. Dale brought out the 'Round Up' and
the wooden droppers for the fence. Our task for the day was to exterminate
weeds by using 'Round Up', and to help finish the fencing. The weather was
rather bizarre. It was extremely windy, but the wind was hot! This hot wind
proved to be a bonus, because it rained quite a few times but we didn't
actually get wet! The wind blew the rain away before it had a chance to be very
effective, and if it did succeed in getting us wet, we were blown dry very
quickly by the hot wind. Mick, Peter, Geoff and Thomas were working on the
fence, while Cathie, Glenn and I were using the weed wands to apply 'Round Up'
to the weeds.
Sunday saw us at the Potholes once again, where we picked up our weed wands
to eliminate more weeds. Peter took some photos of Cathie, Glenn and I using
the weed wands, then he went to help Mick, Geoff and Thomas with the fence.
When Cathie, Glenn and I had finished with the weed wands, we walked up to the
top of the hill just for a look at the view. We were all finished by lunch
time, and so we headed back to Homeleigh.
The "Friends" who attended this weekend were:
