Roleybuschare recently submitted the following report to BEWG on our activities in 2017-18.
Field days
Roleybushcare held field days or events in every month except for January. Other than during the winter months, field days involved stem injecting dieback susceptible trees with phosphite solution. During 2017-18 we treated the following reserves in Roleystone: Hall Road Bushland, Cross Park Precinct, Peet Road, Hellenic, Sylvania Park and Winstanley. Three visits were necessary to complete the treatment of Sylvania Park.
Our dieback treatment for Roleystone reserves is on a six-year cycle. Our chair, Tim Lardner, coordinates our treatment program with Luke Rogers and Dan Walker.
In the winter months we use the field days to weed and revegetate selected reserves in Roleystone as well as spend a day on syringe maintenance. For our July 2018 revegetation day we worked with Armadale Gosnells Landcare Group on planting along part of the Canning River walk trail. In August 2018 we were in the Hall Road Bushland reserve.
Propagation Team
During the year, the propagation group collected seeds and cuttings from a number of reserves and private properties in Roleystone. To date the group has had more success with growing plants from seed than from cuttings but continues to experiment with different soil mixes and treatments with the aim of propagating local plants that are not readily available from nurseries. Some of the plants that were successfully propagated were planted into the Hall Road and Notting Hill Reserves.
Plant Sale
We held plant sales in June and July 2018 to raise funds and to spread our message. The two events enable us to sell plants suitable to local gardens and blocks as well as giving us an opportunity to talk to locals about what Roleybushcare does in helping to protect our local bush reserves.
Propagating information on dieback
Roleybushcare maintains a website that provides details of our field days and other events as well as information on dieback. Detailed information on Roleystone reserves is maintained as well as other relevant information on bush topics.
Since December 2018 our website has been averaging 1175 hits per month, with the majority (82%) from Australia. Within Australia, the majority of course come from WA (75%).
The secretary responds to emails asking for information on dieback as well as a range of subjects to do with the bush.
Roleybushcare volunteers have taken our trailer out on four occasions to meet school and bushranger cadet groups. The Roleybushcare volunteers demonstrate the stem injecting method with our equipment and then assist pupils to treat trees.
A Roleybushcare member runs the local hardware store and she hires out injecting kits, with the money flowing back to Roleybushcare. She also provides advice on dieback treatment.
Three members of Roleybushcare attended the 2018 Dieback Information Group conference and at least one member has attended BEWG meetings during the year.