Friends of Onkaparinga Park Inc. in Port Noarlunga, South Australia, Australia | Community organisation

Friends of Onkaparinga Park Inc.

Locality: Port Noarlunga, South Australia, Australia

Phone: +61 427 826 721

Address: 27 Kym Street 5167 Port Noarlunga, SA, Australia

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24.01.2022 Beautiful day for a walk in the park!!

23.01.2022 A peaceful scene until....! More Olive control north of the campground overlooking the gorge.

23.01.2022 Were excited to announce the new program! Primary producers and conservation landholders will be able to a...ccess expertise and resources for practical on-ground conservation work, which will improve the quality of their native vegetation and the financial sustainability of their properties. Good for farming, good for conservation! Nature Foundation is thrilled to deliver this important initiative in partnership with Conservation SA, Livestock SA, Trees For Life (SA) and Nature Conservation Society of South Australia. Minister for Environment and Water Hon David Speirs MP visited a farm at Macclesfield this week to launch the $3 million program, which is funded by the Government of South Australia and includes a revamped Heritage Agreement grants program. Find out more at www.revitalisingconservationsa.org.au. Josh Teague - Member for Heysen, Environment SA News, The Pew Charitable Trusts, Primary Producers SA, Australian Land Conservation Alliance, Landcare Association of SA, Bush Heritage Australia, Nature Glenelg Trust, Greening Australia, National Trust of South Australia, Alinytjara Wilurara Landscape Board, Northern and Yorke Landscape Board, Limestone Coast Landscape Board, Green Adelaide, Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board, Eyre Peninsula Landscape Board, SA Arid Lands Landscape Board, Kangaroo Island Landscape Board, Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board

22.01.2022 Olive control on a windy & cool day near the Pink Gum Campground. Well done, Above & beyond the call of duty!!

22.01.2022 Another one or two bite the dust!! The fight against the ferals goes on.

22.01.2022 Thanks to all the VSO's for a job well done, especially Jodie Woof, Rachel Godoy, Jemma van den Bos & Sam Buxton Stewart. Best wishes to you all!!

20.01.2022 COVID-19 update: SA parks open for locals to visit, campgrounds and accommodation closed South Australias national parks are available for local people to visi...t their local park, as long as visitors follow all State and Federal Government COVID-19 guidelines. Cleland Wildlife Park will also remain open, along with the Adelaide Botanic and Wittunga Botanic Gardens and Mount Lofty Summit visitor centre. However all campgrounds in SA parks have closed from Friday 27 March, along with DEW-managed bookable accommodation. Mount Lofty Botanic Gardens, Seal Bay, Naracoorte and Tantanoola Caves and Old Adelaide Gaol will close also in the interests of public health and safety. Refunds will be automatically processed for existing bookings as soon as possible. For further enquiries email [email protected] More information: https://www.environment.sa.gov.au//20/03/sa-parks-are-open Stay up-to-date on COVID-19 at: www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/COVID2019, https://www.sa.gov.au/covid-19

20.01.2022 What do you do when not at a working bee? Go for a walk from the Porosa Track to Old Noarlunga along the southern side of the river!!

20.01.2022 A message for Adelaide Mt Lofty Ranges Volunteers from our volunteer coordinator, Robyn Molsher Hi everyone We have had a lot of enquiries from volunteer groups... about volunteer activities during the COVID-19 pandemic and whether those activities can be continued. We greatly value our volunteers and your health and safety is always a priority. We would strongly encourage you to stay up to date on information regarding COVID-19 from the South Australian and Australian governments: SA Government COVID-19 website https://www.sa.gov.au/covid-19 Australian Government Department for Health website https://www.health.gov.au/ These websites include the latest advice about restrictions on non-essential activities, hygiene practices, social distancing, symptoms of COVID-19, and COVID-19 testing. It is important that we all do everything we can to reduce the spread of the disease. The Department for Environment and Water on Friday asked the Friends of Parks groups to cease all of their volunteer activities in SA parks. If your volunteer activity is operating outside a SA park on public or private land, we strongly recommend seeking advice and approval from the relevant land owner/manager in relation to any activities you may have planned. It is their decision as to whether continued volunteer work is appropriate in the present circumstances. The Natural Resources Adelaide and Mt Lofty Ranges Volunteer Support Program is aware that this is a very difficult time for volunteer groups. Our team of dedicated Volunteer Support Officers are continuing to work from home to ensure support continues to our passionate and hardworking volunteers. Take care everyone and we will get through this together. Cheers Robyn Robyn Molsher Manager Volunteer Support Natural Resources Adelaide & Mt Lofty Ranges | Parks & Regions Department for Environment and Water Natural Resources Centre 205 Greenhill Road, Eastwood SA 5063

19.01.2022 Interesting story!!

19.01.2022 Snow in the Outback? Believe it or not, Wilpena Pound has turned into a winter wonderland with snow falling for the first time in about 50 years.

17.01.2022 Congratulations to all.

17.01.2022 BREAKING NEWS: The Morrison Government is proposing to immediately hand environmental protections to the states without first fixing the fundamental problems in... Australias environment law and before strong safeguards are in place for species and wildlife. Learn more wilderness.org.au/EPBC-Act-review The Independent Review of Australia's environment laws released today confirmed that our environment is under increasing threat and that the community doesn't trust the EPBC Act to deliver effective protection. Australians need to have confidence that our environment laws will deal with major drivers of extinction like deforestation, build resilience in the face of climate change & protect our globally important wildlife. We need a genuine & reasonable process that will deliver real environmental outcomes by ending the extinction & deforestation crises. But this shouldn't be preempted & undercut by any efforts to devolve responsibilities to the states without fixing the EPBC Act's core problems.

16.01.2022 Did you know that Park visitation in 2020 was up by 77% compared with 2019? (stats from the Bush Babbler park volunteer newsletter) Like most aspects of our liv...es throughout 2020, it was a pretty crazy time for many of the national parks reserves, especially once lockdown was lifted and international travel was still off limits. Some parks were inundated with additional numbers, while other parks e.g. the desert parks, and the parks in the State’s SE were quieter due to a lack of interstate or international visitors. As an example, in December 2020 there was a 77 per cent rise in park entry numbers compared to December 2019, with 28,298 people visiting our parks in December 2020 compared to 15,985 in December 2019. Volunteer rangers and Campground hosts helped out in parks across the State, often at short notice which was really appreciated by park management and the Volunteer Programs staff. So we would like to thank you all for your ongoing support and your contribution to South Australia’s national parks and reserves, it does make a big difference. See more

16.01.2022 YES! Friends volunteer groups can start working in parks again! In a letter sent to all groups from DEW Chief Executive John Schutz and Friends of Parks Preside...nt MacKenzie announced the restart of volunteer activities in Parks 'within certain parameters'. These include social distancing, good hygiene and Maximum group sizes. The Guidelines below give details. http://www.friendsofparkssa.org.au//covid19-safe-guideline COVID-19 SAFE GUIDELINES FOR PARK VOLUNTEERS In response to the South Australian Governments Step 1 in easing COVID-19 restrictions roadmap, we encourage park volunteers to recommence activities in partnership with National Parks and Wildlife Service staff. All Friends of Parks, Volunteer Ranger Program and the Campground Host Program volunteers should familiarise themselves with the below information to keep safe and prevent the spread of COVID-19. SA Health advice Remember to practise good hygiene - this is the first step in preventing the spread of disease. Always apply social distancing. This means avoiding close contact and crowded places wherever possible. Also, maintain a minimum social distance of 1.5 metres, and have no more than one person per 4-square metres when inside. Outdoor group activities and guided walks of up to 10 people at a time are permitted so long as social distancing of 1.5 metres is maintained. If you are unwell or develop symptoms, stay at home and isolate. Friends of Parks activities For your safety and the safety of park visitors: Volunteer with less than 10 members on site at one time, including for working bees. Bring your own safety equipment, e.g. gloves, mask & goggles, per our workplace health and safety requirements If you can, bring and use your own tools, otherwise, use the tools provided to you and disinfect them after use. When possible have group meetings outside, or use an online meeting platform such as Zoom. Only if essential, have indoor meetings with less than five members. Volunteer Ranger Program For your safety and the safety of park visitors: Bring your own safety equipment, e.g. gloves, mask & goggles, per our workplace health and safety requirements Wear disposable gloves when passing brochures and maps to visitors or, if working at a visitor centre, to reduce contact with hard surfaces Use the tools provided to you and disinfect them after use. Limit direct contact time with members of the public (e.g., aim for less than 15 minutes per person) Campground Host Program For your safety and the safety of park visitors: Bring your own safety equipment, e.g. gloves, mask & goggles per our workplace health and safety requirements Wear disposable gloves when passing brochures and maps to visitors or, if relevant e.g., in camp kitchens or visitor centres, to reduce contact with hard surfaces Use the tools provided to you and disinfect them after use. Limit direct contact time with members of the public (e.g., aim for less than 15 minutes per person) Work closely with your local Park Ranger to ensure your safety and wellbeing, including when carrying out maintenance tasks.

15.01.2022 Members were sad to hear the news of the recent death of Garth Jackson, life member of our group, at the age of 94. Garth was one of the earliest members of the... initial KI Friends of Parks group that formed in 1986 and founding president of the subsequent Friends of Parks KI Western Districts group. Garth took on various roles within the group as well as being longstanding President and often volunteered his time in service outside official working bees. Occasionally a feisty character, he was always passionate about the importance of national parks and very knowledgeable about the plants and animals of KI. He co-authored an authoritative book on KI birds and was to be seen with wife Ida in all weathers looking for rare Kangaroo Island plants. Garth's service to the Friends of Parks and the Environment Department was recognised with a number of prestigious awards. He was also a keen bushwalker and one of the earliest members of the Youth Hostels Association of South Australia. Our group passes on our sincere sympathies to Helen and Eddy and other members of Garth's family. Friends of Parks SA

15.01.2022 Seasons Greetings from the Friends of Onkaparinga Park.

13.01.2022 Look who came to stay, under our pergola, 4 metres from the back door. Looks to be a juvenile tawny frogmouth. The blackbirds are most offended!

13.01.2022 Church on Malpas Street, circa 1865. Everybody in their Sunday bests. Note the rather bald hills, today re-planted through the efforts of volunteers such as the 'Friends of the Onkaparinga'.

13.01.2022 Into the regrowth forest!! Trying to correct the mistakes of the past.

12.01.2022 The team clearing olives near the Punchbowl Onkaparinga River National Park. Well done!!

10.01.2022 Time to do some camping!? Plant watering patrol at the Pink Gum Campground, Onkaparinga River National Park.

09.01.2022 Great Olive removal work, this time on the link trail above the Punchbowl.

09.01.2022 Also try the many trails in the Onkaparinga Parks

09.01.2022 Planting & weed control on a very cool day at the Knoll. Fine view over the gorge looking towards the sea.

09.01.2022 Friends of Naracoorte Caves recently enjoyed a Bat Night. The Bat Nights are organized by Landscape SA, Limestone Coast as a part education, part fun night for ...families, so they can be more aware of the local bat population, and how to sustain them. It’s a free event, starting with an info session in Blanche Cave, followed by bat activities for the kids, a sausage sizzle and watching in live time (via infrared cameras set up in Bat Cave) as the bats start getting active and ready to fly out for their nightly insect feeding. The best part is just sitting quietly watching the thousands of bats emerge from Bat Cave, flying straight over your head, just after sunset. The numbers for this event were capped at 20, so there were many who booked but were unable to attend due to COVID-19 changes, but another event will be running in March next year. For more information, contact [email protected] (LandscapeSA, Lime Stone Coast)

09.01.2022 Instead of sneaking up on you with a nice photo and cheery text and then a little take-home-message at the end, today I am being upfront with the ugly truth. Bu...t can you ha-a-a-andle the truth? I have been wandering our bushland for over 50 years. When I began my work, I saw many more snakes than I saw kangaroos. Many more. I almost never saw a kangaroo. Today I can go into most bushlands, including semi-urban places such as Belair National Park, and see a large mob of kangaroos in the middle of the day. And I see damaging changes in the understorey from overgrazing by unsustainable number of kangaroos. Almost everywhere in the Mount Lofty Ranges there are too many kangaroos, relentlessly grazing the understorey towards a biological desert. Here are just two photographic examples: A. Healthy Banksia marginata juveniles inside protective fencing and others reduced to bare twigs when outside and accessible by kangaroos. Kaiser Stuhl Conservation Park. B. Healthy fenced understorey alongside Sandy Creek Conservation Park compared to the totally denuded understorey in the Park itself. People tell me that the kangaroos do not eat wildflowers and stay only in "open grassed areas". Sorry, but these "open grassed areas" are usually there because kangaroos have eaten absolutely everything else that used to be there. Kangaroos are baby factories. They have one at foot, one in pouch, and one in suspended animation waiting for the occasional good times. Well, it is always the good times now for kangaroos in the Adelaide Hills. Kangaroos are at extreme levels because we have created hundreds of permanent water holes in dams and reservoirs and laid out feed all year round in lifestyle blocks, hobby blocks, government reserves, unmanaged parks etc. And the long-standing regulated culling program shrank. Every action has a reaction. If you think kangaroos are sacred at any number and cannot think about culling, you should sit quietly somewhere and ask yourself the following: How many billions of orchids, daisies, lilies, bush-peas, heath, native grasses, seedlings of bushes, sapling of trees and the insects, reptiles, butterflies, birds and small mammals depend on understorey am I willing to let die or become locally extinct as the end result of my viewpoint? Those who care about ecosystems, habitats, understorey, and wildlife that depend on them need to start saying this out loud to friends and politicians so that there can be responsible and necessary culling of over-abundant kangaroos. I have it on good scientific authority that every single western grey kangaroo could be culled from the Adelaide Hills and Fleurieu Peninsula and there would be no impact on the overall population. Am I advocating that? No. But regular humane culling? Yes. I expect civility in any comments.

08.01.2022 Photos from around the Onkaparinga River Recreation Park. Lovely afternoon for a walk or cycle.

08.01.2022 If you are not required to self-isolate you can step out to take a break in a park or garden near your home. Remember to follow social distancing guidelines t...hat means keeping a safe distance from others and practice good hygiene. More information on COVID-19: www.sahealth.sa.gov.au Find a park near you: www.parks.sa.gov.au www.botanicgardens.sa.gov.au www.southaustraliantrails.com

07.01.2022 A different perspective of the Punchbowl.

07.01.2022 Community members at Yappala Indigenous Protected Area were the first group to trial SAAL's new stem injection applicator machines to tackle some large pepper t...rees on the IPA near Hawker. A modern take on the traditional 'drill and fill' method of weed control, the machine attaches to a drill and is easy to use, injecting a sealed herbicide bait in just seconds. Two new stem injection applicator machines are now available for land managers to loan for a couple of weeks at a time. If you have a patch of peppertrees, athel pines or any woody weeds and would like to trial this machine, please contact your Community Landscape Officer.

06.01.2022 Junior Rangers, heres your chance to start your own nature library with a collection of great books. Simply post a photo of your Autumn Diaries nature journal... in the comments of one of our Autumn Diaries posts or email it to [email protected] by 7:30pm, Monday 8 June, 2020, for your chance to win 1 of 3 Junior Ranger libraries. T&Cs apply - https://bit.ly/2A6Zz2J If you havent started yet, dont worry its never not too late to get cracking! Visit www.parks.sa.gov.au/JuniorRanger to download the activities for weeks 1 and 2. Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Board | Natural Resources Kangaroo Island | Natural Resources SA Murray-Darling Basin | Natural Resources Northern and Yorke | Natural Resources South East | Natural Resources SA Arid Lands | Love EP | Nature Play SA

06.01.2022 Selection of flowering plants from Hardys Scrub.

05.01.2022 The Church on The Hill will be open on Saturday the 10th of April between 10am and 4pm. Please come down and sign the petition papers for the Old Noarlunga Rif...le Range. Meet the Owners and have a look at the improvements currently being made to the Church and the Cemetery. Your support is greatly appreciated! The Church Address is; 30 Church Hill Road, Old Noarlunga, SA 5168 If you can't make it on the 10th, you are still always welcome to come down and sign the petitions during our usual operating hours; 9am - 4pm, Monday to Friday.

05.01.2022 Photos from the Onkaparinga here & about

04.01.2022 We have received this statement concerning Covid-19 from the President, Friends of Parks and the Acting Director of National Parks tonight. We understand it wil...l be sent to all Friends Groups. Dear Friends of Parks Group Members In light of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak National Parks and Wildlife Service South Australia (NPWSSA) is implementing precautionary measures to prioritise the health and safety of staff, volunteers and park visitors. This includes the cancellation of all campground host volunteer placements and volunteer ranger activities until further notice. I am sure you would have seen the communique from the President Duncan MacKenzie on the 17 March, announcing the cancellation of activities such as the Governors reception in April, Friends of Parks AGM in May and the bi-monthly Board meetings. The decision has now been made that Friends of Parks members cease all organised activities in our parks until further notice. NPWSSA will continue to monitor the situation and provide you with additional information regarding volunteer activities as appropriate. It is important to ensure you are relying on up-to-date and credible information. Australian Government Department of Health https://www.health.gov.au//novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-hea SA Health https://www.sahealth.sa.gov.au//information+for+the+commun World Health Organization https://www.who.int/emergen/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019 Australian Government Coronavirus Health Information Line: 1800 020 080. We appreciate your understanding on this matter and apologise for any inconvenience caused, however your health and safety is of utmost importance to us. Please continue to take care of yourself, your family and friends during this challenging time. Please dont hesitate to contact the Volunteer Programs Unit or regional staff if you have any further questions regarding your groups activities. Kind regards, Mary-Anne Healy A/g Director, National Parks and Wildlife

04.01.2022 Its Floral Friday! Introducing Banksia marginata (silver banksia). Silver banksia is a hardy, fairly fast-growing and long-lived species that can be grown in a... wide variety of environmental conditions. The seeds are eaten by cockatoos (particularly Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoo). All banksias produce copious nectar, favoured by honeyeaters and lorikeets. Birds are main pollinators, and banksias provide excellent means of maintaining bird populations during flowering. Native moths, butterflies and pygmy possums are attracted to the flowers as a food source. Identification: Grows as a shrub or tree 1 to 12 metres tall. Leaves are up to 60 mm long and 3 to 13 mm wide, the upper surface is dark green with the lower surface white and hairy, appearing silvery in the wind. Small serrations may be found on the leaf edges and tips. The pale yellow flowers are arranged in pairs and densely packed in cylindrical spikes which are up to 100 mm long. Old spikes may persist on the plant. The seeds are enclosed in follicles attached to a woody cone. Flowers can occur throughout the year, but mainly February to July. The seed ripens from February to April and is indicated by the wood hardening and the follicle colour changing to dark brown. Silver Banksia will be available at Trees For Life (SA)'s Annual Plant Sale on Thursday 16 to Saturday 18 July from 9am-1pm. **Please note: due to COVID-19 restrictions, we will carefully manage the number of customers at the nursery during the sale to ensure the health and safety of our staff, volunteers and customers. This will include a booking system. Please book here: www.signup.com/go/wzCJdFm. Bookings are essential and youll need to be on the booking list to enter the nursery. Conditions: It favours a sunny or partly shady position and may become spindly if grown in the shade. It can tolerate a variety of soil types including sandy soils, loams and clay. It prefers well-drained soils but can tolerate moist and even waterlogged sites. It is drought-resistant and will do well in exposed windy locations. Uses: Can be used in native gardens and coastal areas. Great for street planting. Bird attracting. Distribution: Restricted to higher rainfall woodlands and shrublands in most agricultural districts in SA where its found in Kangaroo Island, South East, Southern Lofty and rare in Northern Lofty. Also found in NSW, Queensland, Victoria and Tasmania. #TreesForLifeSA #FloralFriday Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Board

04.01.2022 It's time to get to Sundews for a wildflower walk. Also great views from the Lookout.

02.01.2022 Down in the creek!! Searching & removing boneseed.

02.01.2022 Great books for your walks in the Onkaparinga Parks.

01.01.2022 Mainstays of habitat. Sticky Longheads, and friends. These are tiny little complete plants at 3-4 cm high, and most of that is the flowerheads, each holding u...p to 50 flowers. Why waste precious time getting tall when spring and moisture is limited? Get those flowers up and blooming and setting seeds. Hands-and-knees are all the go to see what really holds habitat together. Especially in mallee, where water and nutrients are at a premium. In a good year, Sticky Longheads might be 10 cm apart, on average. In any hectare there are 10,000 1m X 1m squares. If Sticky Longheads were evenly spread across this 1 hectare, there would be 1,000,000 plants of Sticky Longheads in total. Better get busy if you are revegetating that’s a lot of tubes. Of course, they are never all over an area, so perhaps 20,000 tube stock of Sticky Longheads might be enough But in mallee, there may be up to 30 different species under 10 cm tall (3 other species shown). So, you are looking at 900,000 (almost a million) tube stock just for tiny plants in a 1 ha habitat. Revegetating 100 ha of an old farm would take 90,000,000+ tube stock - for just the understorey. This is the essential reason to protect and look after existing native vegetation. All those million understorey plants, for free. This is always the first and most important action needed to protect biodiversity - even if it is degraded. Trees are only just icing in a habitat and planting 1000 trees is never the first action to take. That’s why declaring a large area that was previously a farm as a new National Park does not cut the mustard with me. Never will. A lovely open space perhaps, but not a national park. Creating a new park is the easy (Facebook friendly) part. Managing the parks we already have is the hard stuff, politicians! Everywhere in the system, existing national parks and conservation parks are inexorably degrading because there are too few Rangers and biologists, plus woefully inadequate budgets for weed control, feral animal control, or for culling of overabundant kangaroos. In this situation, diverting biodiversity money and volunteer energy and spending it on tree planting at a degraded farm seems like fiddling while Rome burns to me. MAIN: Sticky Longheads, Podotheca angustifolium IBW5P 2nd Edition pg. 55 TOP: Hairy Stylewort, Levenhookia dubia IBW5P 2nd Edition pg. 211 mixed with Tiny Pennywort, Hydrocotyle callicarpa IBW5P 2nd Edition pg. 133 LOWER: Tiny Daisy, Brachyscome perpusilla IBW5P 2nd Edition 5 pg. 55

01.01.2022 A Day in the Life of a Mistletoe. Well, actually, the only 'day' thing about this is that I took all the photos in one day. Mistletoe - This is Your 25 Year Li...fe! 1. These are mistletoe fruit. If you pry one open, you will find it very sticky inside. Mistletoe birds have a digestive system which takes out what it can from the fruit but the seed comes out within 20 minutes, along with the stickiness. This allows the seed to stick onto anything it hits on the way down, hopefully a branch. 2. The plot stickens. A young mistletoe has successfully threaded its specialised hairlike / root like growths from its landing platform into the tissues of its host tree. It may take up to a year of careful elbowing and wiggling and swelling (haustorium) to become undetachable. 3. The haustorium is so firmly anchored into the host system that it can use water and nutrients from the host to manufacture some of its own sugars through photosynthesis and can also break down sugar pilfered from their hosts. 4. The mature mistletoe, hanging from trees rather than doorways, brings pollinators and provides shelter and nectar to a wide range of animals. Brushtail Possums are foliage generalists; known to eat mistletoe leaves which do not contain tannins found in leaves of some eucalypts. 5. This mistletoe has reached the end of its particular life but should have produced enough fruits to have progeny in other nearby trees. 6. The junction from where the haustorium of a dead mistletoe fell off and the remaining stump of the eucalyptus branch, showing the back and forth tussle between Haustorium and tree branch. You can see this structure quite often in the canopy of eucalypts. A mistletoe can amplify effects such as drought on its host tree, but unless the tree is severely stressed, such as when there has been a drop in water table or increasing salinity, it will outlive the mistletoe. P.S. And its host, a gum tree, can live 300+ years. https://jeb.biologists.org/content/206/13/2093.1 http://biology-assets.anu.edu.au//Marsh%20et%20al%202003%2