Waterwatch Report September 2014
In General
Miranda had her baby boy this month. We will miss her while she is sucked into the vortex that is parent world.
Spring has sprung and SACTCG Waterwatch has set the ambitious target of having macro-invertebrate surveys completed at all sites this season. I am enlisting schools, scouts and young teams from elsewhere to help.
Office
Preparations are underway to house the new Landcare officer in our office. Signage needs to be sorted out. There is a cost with mounting the big sign out the front but ACT Property Group have not yet returned a price.
Events
Attended the Eco Focus seminar at CSIRO. Many exciting presentations from CPR and others were given.
Staffed a field trip event stand for the International River Symposium with Woo O’Reilly at the Cotter Avenue. Most of the international delegates were fascinated by the freeze dried Malunggang(Platypus) on display.
Attended River Conservation Management workshop for CPR to brainstorm priorities and actions for ACT Riparian and natural wetland management.
Media
Had a teacher and 3 students from Chisholm School as guests on Radio Landcare this month.
The capture of one carp at South Quay featured in the Canberra Times ‘Gang Gang’ column on 1/9.
Waterwatch
Reach mapping is nearly completed for the ACT CHiP analysis. Macro invertebrate data from last autumn will need to be delivered to UMWW in paper from as the ALA site is still not ready for this. More teams are uploading water quality data yet there are still a few who need chasing up. COPHP have appropriated funding for a second WW test kit for Point Hut Pond.
A group of attendees of the National Youth Leadership forum were taken on a field trip and conducted a macro invertebrate survey for our data.
Assisted ‘Fish’ special needs Waterwatch team with their months monitoring.
Education
Chisholm School have joined the SACTCG Waterwatch program. They will monitor 4 new sites in the Tuggeranong catchment. Yr 9and 10 students and 3 teachers have received water testing kit training. 20 students spent half a day stenciling drains around the school and a team of 10 spent an extra day conducting numerous macro invertebrate surveys in Tuggeranong as part of their ‘Well Being’ week program.
Calwell High School have been collecting data in Tuggeranong Creek and are in the process of registering to become ALA contributors.
Staff at the Murrumbidgee Education and Training Centre (at Bimberi Youth Detention) have undergone WW training and have been issued a kit. They will be visiting sites in Paddy’s R and Cotter R catchment with view to taking on half a dozen sites.
Erindale College will be undertaking a study on Stranger Pond and Pine Island. This will also generate data for SACTCG.
Lake Tuggeranong College have registered to undertake a number of sites for the ACT Frogwatch program with SACTCG support.
Weeds Equipment
Conducted spray pack and spray trailer demonstration at PCS Weed Spray training event for Parkcarers on Mt Pleasant. There was good feedback on the spray packs though no booking have eventuated.
Spray trailer is currently out in Bredbo and is reasonably booked for October.
Urban Landcare
Conducted site visits with both COPHP and TLC to investigate potential areas for volunteer work
Discussion has been held with City Services ranger to flag these ideas.
Hosted meeting of COPHP in office to finalise their Charter and Plan 2014, which is now posted on the SACTCG website.
Warren from Pialligo Native Flora met with members of TLC and COPHP and offered to visit potential works sites. This, however, did not eventuate.
Actew project
No specific news this month. Actew continue to support SACTCG with 1 day a week to conduct core business with a source water quality focus.
Other
The carp that was removed from the South Quay drained section of Lake Tuggeranong is now with a fish taxidermist. This will be used for future displays especially where feral species are a focus.
Hosted ACT Wildlife committee meeting at SACTCG office this month.