Hey Yorlye
I have had a few comments in the past few months about the 'state' of the Cockpit area of the Cascade Reserve we have been doing rehabilitation on since 2006. I would remind people that Landcare is about rehabilitation and the mowing was done til the trees got to a height that they could survive on their own. This area is a reserve not a park and we have a very small crew who make up Landcare. Added to that is that most of the equipment we use is that of Norfolk Industries or Jimbos personally and provided at no charge. Since his accident he has not been able to do any kind of work.
Since our decision not to continue mowing we have used our funds to pay an operator to poison the woody weeds on the slopes. We will soon have a raffle out to get some more funding and this work will continue after that. We have not given up on Cockpit and will continue work there when able to.
We sorely miss Warren Langman who was our previous president and who made the time to make grant applications for us. We did try and get fudning as part of Norfolk's Caring for Our Country Grant application but were unsuccessful in the first round and dropped from the second. There are other grants available to us but unfortunately, I am short on time and could well do with a helper to do this job and if anyone is keen please let me know.
I would like to outline what Landcare has put into the Cockpit area in the past years. We think it is a pheomoninal effort from such a small working group. Much of this could not have been done without grant funding and we must thank the Australian Government for this.
Income
Grant - Envirofund $11,725.00 24/11/06
Donation $ 1,000.00 11/1/07
Landcare Aust $ 6,000.00 25/5/07
Fundraiser $ 525.00 26/7/07
Grant National Heritage $18,000.00 10/1/08
Fundraiser $ 850.00 24/3/08
Fundraiser $ 860.00 6/5/08
Grant - Envirofund $ 5,046.00 26/2/09
Fundraiser $ 350.00 24/6/09 $44,356.00 to date
Workers hours
2005 12 days/10 person/3.5 hrs each/$20ph $8,400.00 labour value
2006 17 days/12 person/3.5 hrs each/$20ph $14,280.00 labour value
2007 19 days/10 person/3.5 hrs each/$20ph $13,300.00 labour value
2008 18 days/9 person/3.5 hrs each/$20ph $11,340.00 labour value
2009 19 days/8 person/3.5 hrs each/$20ph $10,640.00 labour value
2010 17 days/7 person/3.5 hrs each/$20ph $8330.00 labour value
2011 8 days/8 person/3.5 hrs each/$20ph $4480.00 labour value $70,770.00 to date donated
Mowers/whippersnippers/chainsaws/equipment & fuel provided by many members at own expense.donated
Excavators/bobcat/tractor slasher - supplied by Jim Tavener donated at no cost except where grant funding covered specific areas
Slashing using own equipment on occasion donated at no charge - Rob Ward/Neil Tavener/George Nebauer
Building of bridges -
Bridge 1:- Poles - Electricity, timber Howard Christian donated
Bridge 2:- Poles - Electricity, timber ex old cockpit bridge when boards replaced donated
Bridge 3:- Poles - Electricity, timber Howard Christian donated
Fertilisers/water crystals paid by fundraising
Plants - donated Norfolk Island Administration
Where are we at now...
We currently have funding from the Toon Trust for the fencing of the Ball Bay Reserve in a partnership with the Forestry Dept. This reserve is severely degraded and requires much rehabilitation. Following protests from graziers on the prospect that there may be the exclusion of cattle from the reserve; the Minister suspended making a decision until after the plans of management of the reserves is completed. This is currently in process and expected soon. We have applied for an extension of time from the Toon Trust and hope that this work will be able to proceed.
We are about to do some planting work in the Selwyn Reserve to enhance the new bike track there. We will be looking it over this week and then will get planning about planting dates. The public will be invited to assist in these planting dates.
I would like to thank all the people who make up the Landcare team and those who have supported us. We are always in need of more members so if anyone is interested in joining our team, please let us know.
Best Regards
Lou
Louise Tavener
President - Norfolk Landcare Group Inc.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Planting Day Sat 7th May at Cockpit
Well after a few delays we finally got a planting afternoon at Cockpit. Thankyou to Forestry for the trees, and to Dick & Wayne who went and collected them. A small team comprising of Dick Massicks, George Barff, Sorrel Wilby, Ruby Ciantar, Don & Sue Brian and me & my girls Lexi & Brianna Tavener - Thankyou yorlye Thankyou also to Neil Tavener who again lent us his tree hole digger... certainly makes the job easy.
The area was fairly steep although not as bad as some in Cockpit we have worked in. Despite this we got around 70 trees planted in around an hour.... what great teamwork!! This area was one we had left clear due to a dead pine on the slope above. Thankfully the last cyclone took it down and with the great growing weather of showers and sun that Norfolk is experiencing currently; the trees should fly.
Best Regards
Lou Tavener
President - NORFOLK LANDCARE GROUP
The area was fairly steep although not as bad as some in Cockpit we have worked in. Despite this we got around 70 trees planted in around an hour.... what great teamwork!! This area was one we had left clear due to a dead pine on the slope above. Thankfully the last cyclone took it down and with the great growing weather of showers and sun that Norfolk is experiencing currently; the trees should fly.
Best Regards
Lou Tavener
President - NORFOLK LANDCARE GROUP
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Landcare planting afternoon this weekend we hope!
After having to reschedule now a few times due to weather and conflicting events; we now have planned a PLANTING DAY for Sat 7th May 2011 2.30pm at Cockpit C3 area – dependant on weather. We’ll be planting the slope which used to have a big dead pine above which thankfully now has fallen down. The area is fairly steep so you need to be good on your feet. We’ll have machinery to dig the holes but spades etc are handy to fill them in after the trees go in. All helpers are welcome. We’ll finish with afternoon tea
Keep an ear out for a radio notice if we have to postpone again for rain.
Keep an ear out for a radio notice if we have to postpone again for rain.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Hey Yorlye
Time for another PLANTING DAY…. Sun 24th April 2011 8.30am at Cockpit C3 area. We’ll be planting the slope which used to have a big dead pine above which thankfully now has fallen down. The area is fairly steep so you need to be good on your feet. We’ll have machinery to dig the holes but spades etc are handy to fill them in after the trees go in. All helpers are welcome. We’ll finish with morning tea... we'd love to see you there if you can make it!
Time for another PLANTING DAY…. Sun 24th April 2011 8.30am at Cockpit C3 area. We’ll be planting the slope which used to have a big dead pine above which thankfully now has fallen down. The area is fairly steep so you need to be good on your feet. We’ll have machinery to dig the holes but spades etc are handy to fill them in after the trees go in. All helpers are welcome. We’ll finish with morning tea... we'd love to see you there if you can make it!
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Landcare working bee at Cockpit Sat 2nd Apr 2011
Just a small crew that turned up for the mowing & cleanup afternoon at Cockpit on Sat 2nd April 2011 2-4.30pm Jimbo brought his big mower and got stuck in assisted by Dick who moved rocks that got in the way. Luke got on the whippersnipper and did the fenceline and around trees that the mower couldnt get around. I did a bit of cutting back then walked right up and over the hill to see how the trees that we planted fared now that we have had a bit of rain. To my surprise, we havent lost any further trees - I reckon less than 20 in total which is great. Thankyou to Dick Massicks, Luke Steven & Jim Tavener our workers for this day.
The easy afternoon did give us a chance for a chat and to make a few decisions.At the suggestion of Tim Sheridan, we have decided to change the format of Landcares Annual Woody Weed Roadside Cleanup. It will now be a 1 day event later in the year when all the winter sports are finished. Hopefully we will get good community participation this way. I'll let you know a date when decided.
Also; we have decided that we will give up mowing and whippersnipping at Cockpit. The trees are now big enough to make it without constant maintenance and it is a reserve not a park.
The next working bee will be Sun 17 April 8.30am to remove the big olive on the corner of C1. I will arrange for the big Admin chipper and with a pole saw we will take it down in sections and feed it in the chipper. The stump we will poison afterward.The hill behind still needs poisoning of woody weed which is impossible to dig out. One of the young guys will be starting on this leter this week.
After that we will have a planting day on the hill in C3 where the rotton pine finally came down. It is a pretty clear area and not as steep as some places we have been and should be relatively easy going.
Down the track we'll see whats happening with Ball Bay; not sure when Forestry are getting the fencing started. More about that closer to time.
Regards
Lou
Louise Tavener,
President - NORFOLK LANDCARE GROUP INC
The easy afternoon did give us a chance for a chat and to make a few decisions.At the suggestion of Tim Sheridan, we have decided to change the format of Landcares Annual Woody Weed Roadside Cleanup. It will now be a 1 day event later in the year when all the winter sports are finished. Hopefully we will get good community participation this way. I'll let you know a date when decided.
Also; we have decided that we will give up mowing and whippersnipping at Cockpit. The trees are now big enough to make it without constant maintenance and it is a reserve not a park.
The next working bee will be Sun 17 April 8.30am to remove the big olive on the corner of C1. I will arrange for the big Admin chipper and with a pole saw we will take it down in sections and feed it in the chipper. The stump we will poison afterward.The hill behind still needs poisoning of woody weed which is impossible to dig out. One of the young guys will be starting on this leter this week.
After that we will have a planting day on the hill in C3 where the rotton pine finally came down. It is a pretty clear area and not as steep as some places we have been and should be relatively easy going.
Down the track we'll see whats happening with Ball Bay; not sure when Forestry are getting the fencing started. More about that closer to time.
Regards
Lou
Louise Tavener,
President - NORFOLK LANDCARE GROUP INC
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Toon Trust Funding Application successful
Landcare was successful in obtaining funding from the Toon Trust - it was all signed up today.
This proposal is Stage 1 of a Project aimed at increasing native forest habitat on the Island by 10% through re-establishing the native coastal forest in Ball Bay Reserve, one of the largest areas of public land outside the National Park. Degradation of native habitat through land clearing, invasion by woody weeds (which today form 100% cover over more than 70% of the Reserve) and grazing, has destroyed the original native coastal forest, resulting in the disappearance from this part of the Island of almost all native bird species and threatened the local extinction of endemic plant species such as Euphorbia norfolkiana.
Luckily, though significantly reduced in diversity and extent, a small number of native trees and shrubs remain with potential as natural seed sources to augment rehabilitation planting.
Rehabilitation of native forest habitat through this large-scale (for Norfolk Island) project will directly engage the community, providing skills and impetus to community environmental and landcare groups, participation by local land owners, and demonstrate how native habitat can successfully be re-established on other, privately owned weed infested areas of the Island.
Large areas of Ball Bay Reserve were fenced to exclude cattle in the early 1970’s to enable re-afforestation and in the late 1980’s the majority of the Reserve was fenced to enable a number of Commonwealth-funded (Bushcare and Green Corps) environment projects to be undertaken. Unfortunately, since that time cattle have been allowed to roam through the Reserve with significant damage to remnant native vegetation and to planting areas.
Re-establishing native forest over the majority of the Reserve is the key management strategy of the Ball Bay Reserve Plan of Management. The re-habilitation of native forest habitat is a priority of the Norfolk Island Threatened Species Recovery Plan(EPBC Act).
This Stage 1 Project will enable grazing of the majority of Ball Bay Reserve by stock to be controlled. This is essential to the re-establishment of native forest habitat in Ball Bay Reserve.
The Norfolk Island Forestry department will partner Landcare in this application by the supply of fence posts, labour,timber for cattle yards, post & rail fence and gates, a cattlestop,pump, water tank & trough for stock and signs.
This proposal is Stage 1 of a Project aimed at increasing native forest habitat on the Island by 10% through re-establishing the native coastal forest in Ball Bay Reserve, one of the largest areas of public land outside the National Park. Degradation of native habitat through land clearing, invasion by woody weeds (which today form 100% cover over more than 70% of the Reserve) and grazing, has destroyed the original native coastal forest, resulting in the disappearance from this part of the Island of almost all native bird species and threatened the local extinction of endemic plant species such as Euphorbia norfolkiana.
Luckily, though significantly reduced in diversity and extent, a small number of native trees and shrubs remain with potential as natural seed sources to augment rehabilitation planting.
Rehabilitation of native forest habitat through this large-scale (for Norfolk Island) project will directly engage the community, providing skills and impetus to community environmental and landcare groups, participation by local land owners, and demonstrate how native habitat can successfully be re-established on other, privately owned weed infested areas of the Island.
Large areas of Ball Bay Reserve were fenced to exclude cattle in the early 1970’s to enable re-afforestation and in the late 1980’s the majority of the Reserve was fenced to enable a number of Commonwealth-funded (Bushcare and Green Corps) environment projects to be undertaken. Unfortunately, since that time cattle have been allowed to roam through the Reserve with significant damage to remnant native vegetation and to planting areas.
Re-establishing native forest over the majority of the Reserve is the key management strategy of the Ball Bay Reserve Plan of Management. The re-habilitation of native forest habitat is a priority of the Norfolk Island Threatened Species Recovery Plan(EPBC Act).
This Stage 1 Project will enable grazing of the majority of Ball Bay Reserve by stock to be controlled. This is essential to the re-establishment of native forest habitat in Ball Bay Reserve.
The Norfolk Island Forestry department will partner Landcare in this application by the supply of fence posts, labour,timber for cattle yards, post & rail fence and gates, a cattlestop,pump, water tank & trough for stock and signs.
Landcare work starts again 2011
After a well deserved break - Landcare will kick back into action again on Saturday 12th February 2011 at Cockpit for a working bee mowing and whippersnipping the area C1. It hasnt been done in quite a number of weeks and could do with a tidy up. Anyone that can give a hand would be most welcome. Afternoon tea will be provided.
Hope to see you there!
Lou Tavener
President - Norfolk Landcare Group
Hope to see you there!
Lou Tavener
President - Norfolk Landcare Group
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