Wirraminna Environmental Education Centre | Education
Wirraminna Environmental Education Centre
Phone: 02 60 293 185
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25.01.2022 Over the last few months Wirraminna has been updating our website. We think it is looking great! Many thanks to PeeKdesigns and Petaurus Education Group for helping to support the upgrades. You can take a look here: https://www.wirraminna.org.au/
25.01.2022 There is a couple of places available for the Thursday & Saturday sessions of the Visualising the Environment Photography Workshops with Alison Pouliot. This is a free workshop. Please click on the link below to register.
25.01.2022 The August #WoodlandBirdoftheMonth is the Eastern Spinebill. Eastern Spinebills love the brightly coloured flowers of both natives and non-natives that give the...m a good source of nectar. As they can even hover mid-air as they feed, they are Australias answer to the Hummingbird! Small birds like the Eastern Spinebill prefer dense areas that offer them the protection of understory plants. Plant lots of prickly local natives your garden to give small birds somewhere to hide from aggressive, bigger birds and predators. Put out a bird bath, and in the late afternoon you may just have some Eastern Spinebill visitors. Position your bird bath near to shrubs or a tree. Spinebills often take a bath by quickly dipping in and returning to a branch just above the bath. Find out more about Eastern Spinebills http://birdlife.org.au/bird-profile/eastern-spinebill Clockwise from top left thanks to: Glenn Pure 2020 birdlifephotography.org.au, Thomas Buckwalter 2019 birdlifephotography.org.au, Tim Van Leeuwen 2019 birdlifephotography.org.au, and Peter Higgins 2020 birdlifephotography.org.au.
25.01.2022 Stunning colours We love this shot of a scarlet honeyeater perched on a vibrant red bottlebrush. Whats in bloom at your place right now? ... : Tasman Hayes Photography
25.01.2022 CLEVER PLATYPUS Isnt this a fascinating photograph of a platypus climbing the weir at Maleny? You can find more of Ren Linigers beautiful wildlife photog...raphy on his Instagram account @linigerrene Thanks for sharing Ren!
24.01.2022 Huge thanks to Australian Ornithography for a different view of a Spotted Pardalote. One that shows off their wonderful colours and patterns from above. shot at Scott Creek CP, S.A.
24.01.2022 Diamond Fire tails feeding on the last of the wallaby grass seed. Havelock this week.
23.01.2022 Some spring colour in backyard: Acacia fimbriata, Grevillea banksii and Pultenaea daphnoides (Dan Clarke - Conservation Officer)
21.01.2022 FELICITY FINISHED! I completed Felicity Fruit Bat today . The outer wing was a bit tricky given available space between the folded wings but I think its OK. T...hanks everyone for the encouraging words and having now studied the animal and then created it, I have a new respect for these cute critters. More pics in next post. See more
21.01.2022 Come join our awesome team at Jayfields. Various positions available.
21.01.2022 NEW BORDER ZONE MAP RELEASED The border bubble travel zone will be reinstated to 50 kilometres either side of the border from tomorrow. Residents will be all...owed to cross the border with a permit for essential goods and services, care and compassionate grounds and for work or education. Existing permits will remain valid until they expire. You can zoom in on a digital version of the map here https://www.service.nsw.gov.au//border-region-map-covid-19
20.01.2022 Thought this group might appreciate an arthropod joke
19.01.2022 A Spotted Pardalote poised. September 5
18.01.2022 Peek a boo! What do you think this bird is thinking? A beautiful captured by local photographer Lucy taken in the Adelaide Hills ... : @lucycmfrancis via Instagram #abcmyphoto
15.01.2022 At the entrance to her excavated home The Metallic Green Carpenter Bee nests by hollowing out stalks of grasstrees - Xanthorrhoea, or soft wood such as Bank...sia, Casuarina, Melaleuca and Leptospermum. The females will excavate a tunnel with her jaws, then picks up and dumps the wood shavings outside. The hollow can reach 30 cm long by 1.1-1.4 cm in diameter. Larger pieces of wood may allow for multiple tunnels. Several female bees may use a nest, one breeding and the others guarding. Adult bees hibernate communally, with both sexes in the nests. In spring, females may form reproductive associations or start nesting solitarily. Males tend to gather in old nests and have been observed to occupy non-resource based territories at hilltops, but also inspect nests in search of receptive females or exhibit territorial behaviour around nests. A female defends the 7mm-10mm wide entrance by blocking it with its abdomen. Both male and female bees may overwinter within the tunnels. The tunnels are partitioned into several cells, where the mother bee lays an egg in each accompanied by provisions of nectar and pollen. Xylocopa (Lestis) aerata female Northern Beaches, Sydney 30th Aug
14.01.2022 Yawny Tawny Frogmouths our pic of the week! Perth-based wildlife photographer Rebecca Harrison was out searching for an owl in her neighbourhood when she stum...bled across this roosting family of four Tawny Frogmouths. It was an overcast morning, she says, and the four of them were snuggled together, napping. I fired off some shots and was lucky to get an image just as one let out a sleepy yawn. Dont you just love this cosy capture! Tawny Frogmouths are often confused with owls, but they are actually more closely related to another group of nocturnal birds the nightjars! Have you visited our Birding at Home page yet? Weve gathered some resources to help you continue to enjoy the beauty of our feathered friends from home. Even in times as strange as these, there are so many ways to keep busy and having fun while #birdingathome ! Find out more at https://www.networkbirdlife.org/birding-at-home Tawny Frogmouths by Rebecca Harrison
14.01.2022 Wirra Saturday A couple of plant pictures. A great display for a cloudy day. Robust In depth discussions on topics close to the heart had Trevor waving his ha...nds vigorously, sorry the pic were too blurry to post, maybe next time. Next Saturday come and visit and you wont miss a thing. See more
14.01.2022 WIRRAMINNA WEDNESDAY Great day the sound of chainsaws and the scent of petrol fumes doged the early morning. That gave way to clear sky and lots volunteers working through the park. Finished with birthday celebrations and beestings to eat great day great company. Wish you were here. Wednesday 9.30 start, front carpark, good gloves. Cheers Keiran
14.01.2022 A very rare event is taking place in City of Cockburn. A family of Forest Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos is nesting, with the chick very close to fledging! I had th...e pleasure of watching them yesterday with Claire Greenwell, who located the nest and took these pictures. This is unusual, since most red tails nest in forested areas. They are spending more time in Perth now and it seems some are now breeding here. Whether this is good or not is debatable, with chicks having a much higher mortality rate in urban areas. According to WA Museum it is also extremely rare to see the male feed the chick at the nest, so all round this is a very important record.
13.01.2022 Special weekend price Case 25B with loader and mower deck
13.01.2022 Never underestimate the value of your small lot backyard as an important ecosystem. This little fellow was starving and spent the week gorging on nectar laden ...flowers from a backyard Grevillea. The flying fox usual food source had been decimated in the bushfires and his survival relied on suburban back yards. This is our September post in recognition of #IYPH2020 #PlantHealth plus enjoying the #PlacesWeLove with The Wilderness Society The Bayside Wilderness Society are a group of like minded local residents around the Bay who work together to protect the environment in our backyard and beyond. To find out more or get involved email [email protected] See more
13.01.2022 Behold: the Rainbow Lorikeet. August 29.
13.01.2022 Article by Holbrook Landcare Network in The Border Mail on the weekend. Impacts of heatwaves can be reduced for stock and wildlife by returning more tree cover to the landscape for shade and shelter - plan ahead for your farm's future.
12.01.2022 Wirra on a Saturday Fantastic sunny DAY, good friends and a quite spot wander around. Found this stunning plant putting on a good show. In a couple of days it will be spectacular. Drop in check, out the sights, and if your lucky we might let you pull put some weeds! Wednesday or Saturday morning are good days to drop by if you would like to help. Cheers ... Keiran See more
12.01.2022 The Reed Warblers and New Holland Honeyeaters are ensconced in the reed beds of the Green Hill Lake spillway. Its challenging but entertaining photography. Heres a New Holland on the tear. September 16.
11.01.2022 I had a strangest feeling yesterday at Wirraminna, it was like I was being watched!
11.01.2022 We’re loving seeing the exceptionally talented work of local artist and Woolshed Thurgoona Landcare Group member Tracie MacVean Artwork come to life at Thurgoon...a Community Centre. #Talent #StunningArt #Antechinus #ThreatenedSpecies Image: A large painting of an Antechinus is almost completed on an external brick wall. Sitting on a milk crate next to the wall and artwork is a woman. She has blue hair, is wearing an orange hi-vis vest and she is smiling. On the ground beneath the painting is a white drop sheet with open tins of paint in many colours along with paint tray, paint stirrers and brushes. See more
09.01.2022 Welcome to The Great Tree Collective, a new initiative from the Great Tree Project. Weve been busy these last months, Covid may have shut us in but it cant sh...ut us up. Today on National Threatened Species Day we are excited to show you what weve been doing during lockdown. Weve been busy making some lovely things to sell to raise funds for our friends that are doing such great work in the forests and in the courts to protect our environment. It seems fitting that we begin our new project with the Leadbeaters Possum on Threatened Species Day. Our Leaddies are $35 plus postage, just pm us and we can arrange payment and delivery.
08.01.2022 This is a 393-years old Greenland Shark that was located in the Arctic Ocean. It's been wandering the ocean since 1627. It is the oldest living vertebrate known on the planet. Photo by Julius Nielsen.
07.01.2022 A Spotted Pardalote flits through grasses. September 11.
07.01.2022 1/2... Congratulations to Trevor Bullock! Trevor has had three additional images selected for use to illustrate Australian birds. Great work, Trevor! This image... of the Crimson Chat was Bird of the Month on the Gunning Historical Society blog written by Bob Spiller who says the Crimson Chat was first noted in Gunning in 1967. It is usually found in very dry areas in the west of NSW and has been seen around Henty and Yerong Creek in drought years. Stay tuned for part 2. See more
06.01.2022 Have you seen the virtual tour of the Wirraminna walking tracks on our website? Explore the park, the different garden beds, facilities and features and even learn some of the stories behind the design. https://www.wirraminna.org.au/visit/
06.01.2022 Daisy day at Wirraminna. A frosty foggy morning cleared rapidly to a beautiful sunny day, perfect for planting the hundreds of native daisies grown by volunteer Pam. Thank you to the Wirraminna volunteers and APS members who got everything planted and enjoyed a successful event. One photo shows flowering daisies from last years planting and gives an idea of how fabulous they will look scattered through the park. Have a good laugh, stay safe, do yourself a favor and come for a look round Wirra. Cheers Keiran.
05.01.2022 The January 2021 #WoodlandBirdoftheMonth is the Rainbow Bee-eater - a stunningly colourful and beautiful bird. Bee-eaters migrate into the Murray region from n...orthern Australia and New Guinea in summer to breed. They burrow into sandy cliffs and river banks to create grass-lined nesting chambers. The nest tunnel is very narrow, and the birds' bodies press so tightly against the tunnel walls that when the birds enter and exit their movement acts as a piston, pumping in fresh air and pushing out stale air. Rainbow Bee-eaters are often seen flying in and out from their nesting burrows or perched on fence-posts or overhead wires in lightly-timbered areas, then launch after flying insects, conducting aerial acrobatics whilst chasing their prey. They usually catch insects in the air and return to a tree branch to beat and scrape the stings off bees and wasps before consuming them. Rainbow bee-eaters mostly eat flying insects (bees, wasps, dragonflies, beetles, butterflies and moths), but, as their name implies, they have a real taste for bees. They can consume up to 300 bees and other flying insects a day! Rainbow Bee-eaters can currently be found nesting in river banks, so please keep an eye on curious dogs (& children) when picnicking or camping down the river and avoid disturbing areas with active nesting burrows. Find out more about Rainbow Bee-eaters https://www.birdlife.org.au/bird-profile/rainbow-bee-eater Clockwise from top left thanks to: Graham Cam 2018 birdlifephotography.org.au, Graham Gall 2020 birdlifephotography.org.au, Hayley Alexander 2020 birdlifephotography.org.au, and Brian O'Leary 2017 birdlifephotography.org.au.
05.01.2022 Investing in new tools to tackle the threat of feral cats on our native wildlife Last week, the Australian Government announced it had committed $2 million t...o upscale the production of two feral cat control tools, the Curiosity bait for feral cats and Felixer Grooming Traps. The Curiosity bait for feral cats is a small sausage with a hard plastic pellet containing a humane toxin (para-aminopropiophenone, or PAPP). The bait has been designed to minimise the risk to native animals. A hard pellet limits access by animals other than cats. The Felixer Grooming trap is an innovative and automated tool to help control feral cats and foxes. This tool uses sensors to distinguish target cats and foxes from non-target wildlife and humans and sprays the targets with a measured dose of toxic gel. Across Australia the toll of feral cats on our remarkable wildlife is significant. According to Australias leading scientists each day, more than 3.1 million mammals, 1 million birds and 1.7 million reptiles are killed by cats across Australia. More information about these tools and feral cats can be found at http://environment.gov.au//feral-animals-austra/feral-cats : Felixer cat traps being trialed at Pullen Pullen reserve. Credit: Dr Alex Kutt Feral cat. Credit: Hugh McGregor
04.01.2022 Look out for next Wednesday. Cheers Keiran
04.01.2022 A sea of wildflowers! These spectacular pink everlastings were spotted near Latham, WA. Arent they just beautiful? ... : Santosh Shotemba
03.01.2022 So dont let anyone tell you its not possible! And theres only upwards from here - were aiming to be on the same page as Costa Rica, which generates almost 1...00% of its electricity using five different renewables sources (hydropower, wind, geothermal, biomass and solar)! _________________________________ Due to COVID-19, 1 Million Women is in a similar position to many others right now the future is looking scary financially. So, if you are able to, will you donate just $2 to help us through the next few months? A groundswell of support from our community would give us enough to continue our critical work empowering women and fighting the climate crisis through the next few months and beyond. Donate here: https://keep-1mw-going-through-covid.raisely.com/
03.01.2022 More SPA (seed production area) photos - because the wild flowers are just so beautiful and the volunteers are doing amazing work
01.01.2022 Rudolph the Red.capped Parrot?? Our pic of the week! We just love Georgina Steytler Photographys gorgeous shot of a Red-capped Parrot munching on Kangaroo Paw..., and we hope you do too! Happy Saturday! Thanks for tagging @birdlifeoz, Georgina! If you have any unusual bird photos, wed love to see! Just tag us at #birdlifeoz Please consider making a donation to support our work at https://support.birdlife.org.au/donate Red-capped Parrot by Georgina Steytler
