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Phillip Island Conservation Society

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25.01.2022 Here is a Triangular Spider (Arcys clavatus) that PICS members found inside yesterday. It must have come in on someone’s clothing. They are not often seen, and spend their time moving around from tree to tree or shrub to shrub looking for small insects to feed on. They do this by casting out a silk thread and, when it catches, use it to move to the next point. They hunt down prey directly, and don't build a web or snare. The specimen photographed is probably a female judging by its size (abdomen 6mm long). Males are smaller. This one was carefully relocated to the outside world once the photographic session was concluded! There are a number of species of Triangular Spiders in Australia, with the shape of the abdomen giving rise to the common name.

25.01.2022 NAIDOC - In case you are not aware, this week is NAIDOC Week, when we particularly celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. The theme this year is "Always was, always will be" ATSI land. The draft PI Millowl Wildlife Management Plan refers to the possibility of using indigenous cultural practices as a management tool. Phillip Island/Millowl environmental managers have not really embraced much joint management with the Bunurong people in the past. If you would like to learn more about joint management practices which enable mutual learning and ATSI people to practice culture on their Country, you can view videos and discussions here: https://www.vic.gov.au/connecting-country Photo shows Royal Botanic Gardens Aboriginal guide Kalkani Choolburra on one of the videos explaining native plant uses.

23.01.2022 PUBLIC EATING SPACES HAVE COME TO TOWN: Olive Justice Place, just west of cnr Thompson Avenue and Chapel St, has replaced its crushed basalt grey with some instant artificial lawn green and a row of 'instant trees' behind protective barriers, 2 sizeable marquees, tables and chairs, etc. This is one of several 'parklets' in Cowes and other BCSC urban areas (such as Inverloch) to provide free seating and outdoor eating to the PUBLIC. We attach a photo of OJP as it is now, the ...map of Cowes showing other public outdoor-eating-created spaces, and a link to further information about this here:https://www.basscoast.vic.gov.au//dine-outdoors-this-summer . There is more than a food takeaway message here: what BCSC wants to hear is if people really want these spaces in our urban areas. As far as OJP goes, PICS answer is a resounding YES, but preferably with real, not plastic, grass and planted trees, and not just a temporary fix to a public health issue. You can read about the history of OJP and the original intentions of Olive on the PICS website in About, Documents section here: https://picsvictoria.org.au//OLIVE-JUSTICE-PLACE.CG-11.11. Meanwhile please spread the word: we do not want people sitting in their cars with their air conditioning running if they can be directed to a free and public outdoor eating space nearby. (BCSC is cleaning the OJP area and has undertaken to keep the rubbish cleared.) See more

21.01.2022 HOORAY! Barb Martin Bush Bank is reopening to the public tomorrow! See their hours, etc, below the photo of the beautiful indigenous species nursery on our doorstep at the Koala Conservation Reserve. Our thanks to 2019 co-ordinator Candice, and to Kate W and team for their work at BMBB during lockdown. Go along and have a look at the revamped nursery and meet new co-ordinator James who has hit the deck running with seed collection and reactivated the BMBB volunteer program.

18.01.2022 An application has been lodged for the proposed Caravan Park at 1285 Phillip Island Road, Newhaven. Application No.: 200028 Description: Use and development of land for Camping and Caravan Park, Creation of Road Access and removal of vegetation The application and supporting documents can be accessed by visiting Council’s website at www.basscoast.vic.gov.au/planningads and enter application number 200028. Submissions related to planning permits can be made right up until a ...decision is made, which for this application is likely to be a couple months away. The 6th of January is the earliest point that Council can make a decision on the application however given the level of community interest this application will likely go to a Council meeting. Council can explain this further if needed. Please be aware that copies of objections/submissions received will be made available for any person to inspect and Council will be make objections available for viewing on its website. To protect the privacy of objectors Council will redact personal information from the objection. Should you require further information regarding this applicant please contact the assessing officer Lachlan Stephenson on 0435 535 899 or by email at [email protected]. Please send your submissions direct to BCSC rather than post them on this page. https://www.basscoast.vic.gov.au//advertised-planning-appl See more

15.01.2022 TIME FRAME TOO SHORT: If you, like PICS, are concerned about the short time frame given to read, consider and respond to the new draft Phillip Island Millowl Wildlife Management Plan, (Dec 6) then we suggest you contact the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning at the email address on the plan's Engage Victoria website here: [email protected] Given how central wildlife is to Phillip Island Millowl, and how busy we all are with family and friends emerging from... lockdown, it is essential that we all have an appropriate length of time to consider the various wildlife management options proposed. PICS also considers it essential that if DELWP has research showing efficacy of these proposed management measures that this evidence be linked or placed as pdfs on the Engage Victoria website page for the draft report. Unfortunately the latest relevant Phillip Island research referred to in the draft plan - Jones, L. (2020) "Determining the impact of Swamp wallaby, Cape Barren goose and European rabbit herbivory on agricultural pastures." Master of Applied Science Master of Applied Science, Charles Sturt University - does not seem to be available online. Perhaps a summary could be made available? However, if you would like to read Dr Fischer's research on wallabies in the PI landscape "Living in a human-modified landscape: resource selection, road behaviour and herbivory impact of Swamp Wallabies" on Phillip Island, from 2018, see here: https://minerva-access.unimelb.edu.au//PhD%20thesis_Manuel Image of Black Wallaby near research set up from PINP, 2018. See more

14.01.2022 WORKING BEE HELD: Not normally a particularly exciting headline, but it certainly is in 2020! PICS group Friends of Scenic Estate Reserve (FOSER) held their first working bee for many months at the reserve on Sunday 8th November to remove thistles before they set seed. Numbers of participants were of course limited, but those who were there spent much time catching up with each other's news and activities over the past months, studying photos and also - digging thistles! Our thanks to l-r Jill, John, Sue, Ineke, Carmen, Phil, shown here with bags of thistles, and to Jan, John and Karen (not shown).

13.01.2022 PICS would like to encourage you to attend the online Community Consultation Sessions about the Phillip Island (Millowl) Wildlife Plan. The sessions have been scheduled for 15 December 2020 at 2:00pm and 7:00pm. (Next Tuesday) They are on Zoom and are free of course. These sessions are a great opportunity to share your thoughts with a panel and ask questions about the Plan. You can book in for one of the sessions at: https://www.trybooking.com/BNBAT The Engage Victoria webpage has also been updated to include information regarding the consultation sessions. This is also where you can read the plan and complete an online survey. : https://engage.vic.gov.au/development-phillip-island-millow

12.01.2022 FASCIATION GROWS AND GROWS! Some of our followers will remember the image of a weird growth on one of the Sheoaks planted at Pleasant Point as part of a Rhyll Coast Action revegetation and cliff stabilisation project two years ago. A few people posting comments on that first post told us this was a fasciation and they had a number in their Sheoak plantations. Pleasant Point co-ordinator John Eddy visited the site today for an inspection and was perturbed to find that the fasciation had grown considerably since early in the year and was extending to new leaves on the branch. He decided to cut it off to try to stop it consuming too much of the tree's energy. Here is his photo of it once he got home. The fasciation was behaving like the black hole of the tree world, drawing everything in and ever-expanding!!

08.01.2022 While many of us were working at home, the staff from various sections of the Phillip Island Nature Parks set to work under rigorous Covid-safe protocols to put 40,000 indigenous plants in at Summerland to ensure that all the precious plants raised by PINP volunteers and staff at the Barb Martin Bush Bank did not go to waste. Meanwhile the communications and graphics team with input from local botanical artist Tegan, have designed these excellent interpretive signs at the BMBB. The signs give a general introduction, a clear explanation of the need for biosecurity protection there, and information about various local plant communities. PINP Volunteer Co-ordinator Helen Masters has shared these photos of the excellent signage. We look forward to being able to visit and volunteer when possible again.

01.01.2022 DRAFT PI MILLOWL WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT PLAN The plan is now publicly available and we are all welcome to read through it and make comment. You can find the draft strategy and fill in the survey online here: https://engage.vic.gov.au/development-phillip-island-millow The draft plan takes about 40 minutes to read through, and the survey takes 5-50 minutes depending on the level of detail you wish to add. Please read the draft plan before doing the survey.