Hobsons Bay Wetlands Centre in Altona, Victoria, Australia | Environmental conservation organisation
Hobsons Bay Wetlands Centre
Locality: Altona, Victoria, Australia
Address: 274 Queen Street 3018 Altona, VIC, Australia
Website: http://www.hobsonsbaywetlandscentre.org.au
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25.01.2022 Lichen comes in all kinds of colours. Is it a plant or something entirely different? Come along tomorrow to our Explore and Draw workshop with Chris Rockley - the art of science to find out and explore them both in greater detail. To find out more about our event, click on the link below. Limited tickets left! Tickets $20... https://fb.me/e/27MvK0JrY
23.01.2022 Herons are possibly the most familiar and well-loved wetlands birds. These tall, graceful wading birds feed in wetlands on every continent. In Australia we have 16 species. And of those, the White-faced Heron is perhaps the most comfortable living in close proximity with farms, suburbs, and cities. If you live near wetlands in Hobsons Bay, you may have white-faced herons roosting in your neighbourhood. Could that explain the grunting and croaking you hear in the trees at night? Allan Williams, Altona.
23.01.2022 Probably the most vivid colours in the Australian landscape belong to the flowers that we call pigface. At this time of year you can find two species of pigface in bloom. They both live close to the shore, on nutrient poor soils. This picture shows Carpobrotus rossii, blooming along the Bay Trail near the 100 Steps. This species, which is also called kakalla, is a slightly larger-leafed plant, usually growing in smaller clumps than the similar Disphyma crassifolium which is also called noon-flower. A splash of colour along the trail makes it so rewarding to be outdoors at this time of year!
20.01.2022 Take a look at these tiny architects! Gall midges are a type of fly that during their larvae stage, cause the tissue of plants to form into galls around the larvae. They then are able to feed inside the gall. You may not have observed gall midges here at the wetlands, but they are very well present in our common coastal succulent, the beaded glasswort (Salicornia quinqueflora).... Deakin University PhD candidate Alison Orchard is particularly interested in learning more about these mysterious creatures, often too small for us to notice. There is so little that we know about them! Tomorrow, the HWBC will be giving a presentation to Altona Primary, along with Alison thanks to Science in Public. Let's hope this is the beginning of many young conservationist careers!
20.01.2022 Have you booked a spot in our Birds and Wetlands Online Workshop with Rob Mancini? Join Rob in an exploration of the fascinating resident and migratory shorebirds and the special local habitats they frequent. Also learn about his art and the way these birds and places have inspired his work. Suitable for all birding skill levels, with only a fascination and interest in the natural world required! Click the link below for details. https://fb.me/e/1Mlk5wcuJ
19.01.2022 You may have noticed how much work it is for swans to get airborne. They can't lift themselves straight off the water, but with a long enough runway and enough flapping, they just manage to take off. Even though take off is a struggle, swans are actually very powerful fliers, able to cover long distances if they need to. In our area they are constantly moving between wetlands. And when they travel in a group, as they often do, we get to see their impressive formation flying. Flying in a V-shaped flock is an aerodynamic trick, exploited by many large birds that helps reduce the effort of long-haul flights. Allan Williams, Altona.
18.01.2022 You may have noticed these little whitish guys flitting about in relatively large numbers a little while back. They are caper white butterflies (Belenois java). Initially they can be mistaken for the pesky, introduced veggie garden decimator, the cabbage white butterfly, however on closer inspection you will see the pretty colourful black and yellow underwing patterning. Usually a species west of the Great Divide, in some years they can be blown off course during migration and end up in south easterly locations such as along our coast - a much more welcome and pleasant visitor than the cabbage white. This one is seen on one of our special coastal plants that is currently flowering creating spectacular magenta carpets of colour in our coastal reserves, the rounded noon-flower (Disphyma crassifolium ssp clavellatum). Rob Mancini
18.01.2022 Today at 10:30am, don’t forget to come along to our online workshop: Coastal and Other Weeds. Join the zoom link via our event page, here https://fb.me/e/116VCFBul
17.01.2022 Before European settlement, there were miles and miles of grasslands in Melbourne's west. Today, we refer to these grasslands as the Victorian Volcanic Plains. They have mostly vanished since settlement because they made good rangeland. Before settlement, grasslands also met up with the saltmarsh growing along the coast. A few grassland species tolerate a substantial amount of salt in the soil, allowing them to grow right down to the edge of the tidal flats. Unlike most of ...our Plains Grassland, much of our coastal saltmarsh is still preserved today, and along with it is a narrow fringe of the original grassland in a few places such as this parcel near the mouth of Laverton Creek. by Gordon Lescinsky
12.01.2022 We are so proud to be Highly Commended in the Environment category of the Keep Victoria Beautiful Sustainable Cities Awards 2020! Thank you to all our volunteers for making HBWC a reality and we look forward to working with you all as we grow our organisation. A big congratulations to the winners, Southbank Sustainability Group and the community of volunteers behind it!... Pictured here is our wonderful wetlands that we are working hard to protect. We hope to encourage a deep appreciation from the community for the biodiversity our wetlands hold and the many ecosystem services that this critical habitat provides for us. Let's hope we can continue protecting and enhancing our local environment! To find out more about the Sustainable Cities Awards 2020, follow the link: https://www.kvb.org.au/libr/sustainable_cities2020_winners/ by Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority
11.01.2022 A large adult black swan can be up to 9 kilograms in weight. They're not as massive as the white swans on other continents, but still among the heaviest flying birds in the world. Perhaps 9 kg doesn't sound like a lot? Well, it is for a bird and is about half the weight of the largest wedge-tailed eagle. It's over four times the weight a royal spoonbill (a large spoonbill can weigh just over 2 kilos), and barely a quarter the weight of a German shepherd! Allan Williams, Altona.
10.01.2022 Both Moss and lichen can grow on many different surfaces, needing very little soil and water. They can flourish on rocks, wood (living and dead), cement and metal. Come along to our next Explore and Draw workshop with Chris Rockley - the art of science to find out and explore them both in greater detail. To find out more about our event, click on the link below. Limited tickets left! Tickets $20 ... https://fb.me/e/27MvK0JrY
10.01.2022 It's that time of year again, when wildflowers are blooming. Actually in the Australian bush, there's something blooming virtually all times of the year. But it's spring and more things are in bloom. For dramatic displays of flowers, it's hard to beat large kangaroo apple bushes, in a good year (Solanum laciniatum). This bush near the 100 Steps is covered with flowers. If you're lucky enough to get out into one of our local natural areas in the next few weeks, see if you can catch this species in flower.
10.01.2022 Join local ‘natural historian’ and artist Rob Mancini in an exploration of the fascinating local, resident and migratory shorebirds and about the local habitats they frequent. Also learn about his art and the way these birds and places have inspired him. Suitable for all birding skill levels, with only an interest in the natural world required. Tickets are $20. Bookings via EventBrite: ... https://www.eventbrite.com/e/birds-wetlands-online-workshop See more
08.01.2022 Mary Mary quite contrary How does your garden grow? With lots of weeds and lots of seeds Let’s learn where they go!... Are you interested in learning how to recognise and identify common coastal weeds? Join our free online workshop on Saturday the 5th of December at 10:30am. Bring along any pictures of weeds that you'd love for our rangers to identify too! No need to register, just join on the day using the Zoom link provided in the event below. Proudly brought to you by Hobsons Bay Wetlands Centre and Hobsons Bay City Council with funding support from Corangamite Catchment Management Authority.
06.01.2022 Don’t forget! This is your last chance to join Rob Mancini’s Birds and Wetlands Online Workshop this Saturday before tickets sell out. Our migratory birds are settling in for the Australian Summer before they need to return to the Northern Hemisphere to breed. Don’t miss this chance to learn about the wonderful shorebirds and their fascinating habitats!... Follow the link for more details! https://fb.me/e/1Mlk5wcuJ
06.01.2022 Don’t forget to sign up to our Coastal and Other Weeds Online Workshop this Saturday. Come and learn about the local vegetation including invasive and pest species, and bring along any pictures of weeds you’d like for our rangers to identify. Did we mention it was free? You can join on the day by following the link below!... https://fb.me/e/116VCFBul
05.01.2022 Most of our visiting migratory shorebirds have left or are about to leave our shores on their epic annual journey to their breeding grounds in the arctic, a trip of up to 15,000 km each way. Read below to hear about Rob Mancini Art's recent observations at our local wetlands, and the critical role they play as a birdlife sanctuary. "Recently near the mouth of the Laverton Creek, there were relatively large aggregations of Greenshanks (GS) and Marsh Sandpipers (Marshies). I ha...d never seen so many Marshies there, so I can only assume they were getting together in anticipation of this massive flight of endurance. A Marshie is basically a smaller ‘cousin’ to the GS, their general colouring and physiology are very similar however size differences aside, look at the finer and more delicate build and bill of the Marshie. Also, note the spotting on the Marshie’s chest and sides which both birds will develop in breeding plumage. I also noted that while most birds were resting or feeding there was the odd sudden flutter of activity. This nervous energy prior to migration is called ‘zugunruhe’, a wonderful German word for this fascinating behavioural trait. We wish them well on this journey, as they have so many challenges to overcome before returning safely. We hope to be able to provide sanctuary and safety for these magical birds at our critically important coastal wetlands into the long distant future." By Pamela Sutton-Legaud
01.01.2022 We know lockdown is over, but podcasts are still in, right? Here's one to add to your list! On 'Stuff You Should Know', this podcast discusses all types of wetlands, not just the coastal wetlands that we are very well used to here in Altona. Tune in to understand the critical role wetlands play in our environment, the science behind how they function and their interesting composition. https://www.iheart.com//wetlands-wetlands-wetlands-713153/
