WILDCARE Inc News Library
Group Reports - Friends of Maatsuker Island (FoMI) -
Complete Envirofund Project
This article appeared in Wildtimes No. 27 on 27th May 2006
- Craig Saunders PWS Volunteer Facilitator and Karen Ziegler Project Manager
Volunteers from Wildcare group FoMI and PWS staff visited the island in February for the third working bee in an 18-month program to control environmental weeds on the island. The project was designed to control the spread of weeds from the gardens around ex-lightkeepers’ houses into the surrounding native vegetation, particularly into seabird rookery areas. Blackberry and montbretia (a member of the lily family with striking orange flowers) were identified as the major weed problems.
FoMI volunteers managed most of the project themselves with funding from the Australian Government Envirofund. PWS provided volunteer training, assistance with transport costs and support while on the island.
Each of the three working bees (November 2004, February 2005 and February 2006) travelled to the island by helicopter and were accommodated (very comfortably) in ex-lightkeeper house ‘Q2’. The group used a range of weed control techniques in this project. These included brushcutting, backpack spraying and cut and paste. With some refinements learned on the island, these techniques proved particularly successful. It was great to see over 18 months huge blackberry patches converted to areas with no blackberry and good native plant regrowth.
And the working bees weren’t all just work! Ask any of the participants about kite flying, visits to remoter parts of the island and dinner parties with a view!
As with most weed projects, there is rarely an end! Most of the sites treated in this project will need to be revisited over many years to monitor and treat any regrowth.
The group also discovered major infestations of another weed on the island, a native of New Zealand, Hebe elliptica.
FoMI plans to work with PWS staff and the island’s volunteer caretakers to continue this valuable work and have submitted a follow-up application to Envirofund to tackle H. elliptica and to also survey areas of the island not covered by the last project.
If you’ve never been to the island, consider joining us in this exciting venture. You can contact FoMI through secretary Fiona Taylor at Fiona.Taylor@utas.edu.au
A note from PWS: Congratulations to FoMI for a great job well done, and particularly to project manager Karen Ziegler for dedication and professional attention to detail. It was great working with you.
President Report and AGM – Jason Whitehead
Friends of Maatsuyker Island met in Hobart on 23 March for their AGM. It was reported that over the last 12 months the group has been involved in a number of activities, which included:- Submission of a Tas Community Fund grant application to conserve and restore former lighthouse-keepers quarters
- Day trip by boat at Easter
- Input to PWS's Reserve Activity Assessment on proposed Maatsuyker Island wind generator project
- Opening discussion between Arts Tasmania and PWS re 'Artists in Residence' program on Maatsuyker Island in 2007
- Weed Control Program working bee in February 2005 and February 2006, lead by Karen Ziegler, FoMI, and Craig Saunders, PWS, with FoMI volunteers
- Completion of Envirofund (Round 2) final report
- Work in collaboration with PWS to establish visitor guidelines to Maatsuyker Island
- Landcare grant application
- Envirofund (Round 8) grant application for ongoing weed control programs
- AGFEST – FOMI display as part of Wildcare display.
President: Jason Whitehead
Vice-President: Karen Ziegler
Treasurer: Jodie Epper
Secretary: Fiona Taylor
General Committee: Christian Bell Ailsa Fergusson Jean Jackson Kate Kiefer
With the ‘official business’ out of the way the group was then treated to two talks. Karen Ziegler highlighted the strategies and outcomes of the weed control program and volunteer working bees that were held on the island in November 2004, February 2005 and February 2006. Methods to date appear to have been successful in controlling and/or removing blackberries, montbretia and Hebe elliptica from the target areas, but ongoing follow-up is essential.
Kate Kiefer followed with a fantastic slide show about her research as a botanist with the Australian Antarctic Division and living and working on sub-Antarctic islands. As the newly appointed President of FoMI I’d like to thank the 2005 Committee for their enthusiasm and who, with the encouragement and assistance of Craig Saunders, PWS Regional Volunteer Facilitator, made last year’s FoMI activities such a success.
I look forward to working with the new FoMI Committee to continue these efforts, and more, in 2006.
