Australis Biological in Bittern, Victoria | Community organisation

Australis Biological

Locality: Bittern, Victoria

Address: PO Box 151 3918 Bittern, VIC, Australia

Website: http://www.australisbiological.com.au/

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• Community organisation
• Environmental conservation organisation

22.01.2022 One of the great botanical wonders on planet earth . A flowering Rafflesia . A leafless parasite of a vine (Vitaceae) found in Borneo. And one of the largest flowers in the plant kingdom with flowers reaching 10 kg. Flies are attracted to its repugnant scent and transfer pollen in the process . Local people have learnt that they can make an attractive supplement to their income by looking after this plant . Good for them and good for rafflesias .

20.01.2022 On the importance of knowing your plants. I thought this was new species of exotic invader from the central highlands . My hands were itching to rip it from the earth . Then I remembered the golden rule . Only kill the things you know . So now that I'm home I find it's a beautiful native senecio. Never seen it before . Those long networks of 4WD tracks between Healesville and Erica are a challenge. But one of the crowning jewels of Victoria's natural assets. It's a pleasure helping guard them from nasty aliens (weeds).

19.01.2022 The cape floral kingdom it’s totally amazing .

18.01.2022 Restoring Mt Holden is definitely a challenge . The mount is an old volcanic eruption point near Sunbury. Volcanic plains EVCs . Until we arrived it was overrun with a big list of high impact weeds . Today we spent a lot of time laying into boxthorn . Chainsaw treatment for the big ones, power loppers for the babies . Thanks Kim Adair and Sheridan Lee. Sorry about all the puncture marks

17.01.2022 On the red slopes of Holden the slain bleed sap at the battles end . It's a remarkable sight to see the invasive shrub stratum removed so quickly . Boxthorn is a chronic transformer and uses feral birds to its advantage .

16.01.2022 You want a dude that can terminate the unwanted hordes ( alien plants)? This is him . Dressed for the kill .

15.01.2022 When alien biomass gets this thick things starts to go wrong . In this coastal swamp scrub at Shoreham two New Zealand Coprosma took over the mid stratum resulting in a collapse of native richness. A chainsaw, herbicide, a mulcher and a lot of grunt saw these pesky exotics stripped back . With them gone we now have access to the blackberry and ivy. Dense planting of native species will occur once we have reduced the soil seed bank .

15.01.2022 South African Orchid is in trouble at Marengo . A partnership with DELWP, Colac Otway Shire and Apollo Bay Landcare is keeping it out of the Otways .

14.01.2022 The KGB found the ice pick an effective tool for despatching enemies of the state . So does Australis Biological ! In a grassland at the southern Grampians the highly invasive grass serrated tussock poises a threat to the grazing industry and nature conservation . Armed with the instrument of death and with a slow zombie like shuffle , tussocks are systemically removed and piled for incineration . The near by sheep flock watch with interest half suspecting their grazing fodder is being protected . Lamb steaks will taste good tonight .

14.01.2022 At the mouth of the Fitzroy River near Portland, we found this large clump of Cladium procerum washed up on the sand . The Cladium was dead but look carefully . Those green bits are Yellow Flag , Iris pseudacorus, a very high risk wetland invader . That one way it gets around - soil erosion in times of high water .

14.01.2022 We control exotic vegetation to improve habitat for terrestrial and aquatic fauna and flora. At this reserve on the outskirts of Melbourne, spiny freshwater crayfish are an important asset. These are impressive aquatic creatures.

11.01.2022 A new insect was found on Polygala myrtifolia today. The insect is a tiny fly that galls shoots of Polygala myrtifolia which is rampant coastal weed in Australia but is native to South Africa. While walking in hills of Klein Karoo I found it . It was uncommon . I have spent the last 10 years working the case for national acceptance of biocontrol of this plant which was achieved about a year ago. This find may spur interest and refresh the discussion which could lead to funding investment. It’s undescribed but I will give it a name to help with permitted entry into Australia some time way down the track

11.01.2022 Even the troublesome Cape Weed is a stunning wild flower in its native habitat

10.01.2022 To see aboriginal shelters associated with the oldest known fish catching structures on the planet is an enriching experience . And it’s just on our doorstep - Bundj Bim in SW Victoria, nominated as a World Heritage Site. It’s near Tyrendarra by the way . Willows threaten the ancient waterways and fish trap channels . But not for much longer . A willow removal project is underway. To walk in the shadow of Mt Eccles that erupted 6000 yr ago and spewed larva across the landscape to create stone country is amazing

10.01.2022 While we sleep comfortably in bed at night , exotic herbivores are out trashing our native vegetation ( and a lot of other things) . Feral deer are uncomfortably close to urban areas of Melbourne. This stag was caught on camera near Berwick. photo courtesy: Kim Adair

08.01.2022 Always nice to see a new rust fungus. This one was on the exotic Oxalis pupurea where symptoms were severe . It’s Puccinia oxalidis .

06.01.2022 I can understand why earlier horticulturists fell for Oxalis . They are are certainly colourful . In Victoria we don't see this one a lot : Oxalis debils ( pink shamrock) . Native to South America .

05.01.2022 Disa bracteata was very recently found at Marengo near Apollo Bay . On an air strip of all places . An eradication program has commenced undertaken by AB . An interesting exercise in detection methodology . The most powerful process of detection was a combination of parallel lines searches with zig zag searches in opposite directions . The search image and focus of search were really important in this exercise. Patience is required in eradication programs , including patience in our own ability not to get every plant with the first go. Well done Colac Otway Shire for wanting to keep this alien out of your patch . Retrieved plants were burnt . Bye bye Disa .

05.01.2022 It’s not every day you see a patch of several hundred of these rare orchids . At first I thought it was an another introduced Ixia . So glad to have stopped the car .

04.01.2022 Biological control of variegated thistle . Plants on a farm at Yambuk are bristling with seed feeding weevils . Rhinocilus conicus . Every flower head on every plant with many adults. Feeding scars abundant. Farmer would be happy. Very happy.

04.01.2022 "If you go down to the woods today you're in for a big surprise " Well that happened this week . Who would have thought that deep inside the vast pine plantations of the green triangle on the south Australian and Victorian border , pockets of beautiful native vegetation persist . And what's more plantation companies like Timberland Pacific care about them enough to send in poisoning crews to kill wildlings that threaten habitat of rare plants and animals. Well done TLP.

02.01.2022 Interesting piece of work happening at Red Hill on the peninsula Not everything we cut is weedy . In this case we are rejuvenating an olive plantation using pollarding methods. Lots of tops that need stacking and mulching Thanks Kim and Laura - work in 36 degree heat is never fun