Friends of Piesse Brook

Welcome! The Friends of Piesse Brook encourage you to take the responsibility of caring for your local patch of the planet

We are a small bunch of local residents working as a team to eradicate noxious weeds from the Piesse Brook area.  We formed in 2000 and began the clean up in 2001 taking one area at a time to work on.  We have cleared 5 kilometres of weeds from the Kalamunda National Park so far and are now working with private landholders upstream to help them remove the weed seed sources from their properties.

Please take a look around our website.  We have information on our journey so far, and our plans for the future.  There is also information on weed identification.  You can help us too, by removing the problem weeds (Watsonia, blackberry and arundo especially) from your garden to stop seed dispersal by wind and birds.

We normally meet on the third Sunday of the month between April and November at 10.30am till 12.30pm.   We meet at the entrance gate to the Kalamunda National Park (at the far end of Schipp Road).  If you would like to join our merry team, please email for updated information on meeting places.

July Busy Bee

Present – Linda Stanley, Bridget Hogarth, Paddy Hogarth, Jane Hogarth, Gerry Brown, Thea Brown, Lynda Tomlinson, Craig Chaudrey.

Transport of people and equipment to our work area is now a challenge due to the distance into the park.  Craig Chaudrey offered to assist us this month and bring his rodeo which is capable of transporting 5 people.  The Hogarths brought their tractor with trailer as well as three quad bikes, one with a trailer to enable us to transport people, chemicals, equipment and knapsacks the 4 kilometres into the park.

   

An intensive effort tackling Cape Tulip achieved approximately 10 acres of area treated with Glean in the area underneath and beyond the pylons through to the bridge leading up the hill towards Gooseberry Hill.  The areas treated in June are showing signs of the Cape Tulip dying off, while the areas treated last year where Cape Tulip had been growing thickly and vigorously, are almost completely clear of the weed this year.  So it does appear that we can get on top of this virulent nuisance provided we get it at the right time of year and make focused, intensive control of it at that time a priority.

Friends are now River Guardians

The River Guardians Program was launched on Sunday, June 22 2008. River Guardians keep the rivers healthy.

The Friends of Piesse Brook have been nominated along with other friends groups and individuals as Honorary River Guardians “in recognition of their excellent work to protect the Swan and Canning rivers”.

Membership gives new opportunities to connect with other friends of the Swan and Canning rivers from Fremantle to Guildford, Muchea and to Armadale, and also to help protect and restore the rivers and their foreshores.

Members share ideas and knowledge, take part in river events, enjoy new networks and receive training to better understand the rivers and their cultural heritage, and how everyone can help to look after them. Free events, networking, volunteering and training opportunities are provided. Members can be involved as little or as much as they would like.

Visit www.riverguardians.com to find out more.

Phosphorous Awareness

The Phosphorous Action Group is a volunteer group whose aim is to reduce nutrient loads to the Swan and Canning Rivers and wetlands by mounting an awareness campaign. Please visit their website at http://www.sercul.org.au/pag.html

Aims
The Phosphorous Action Group aims to reduce the amount of nutrients (phosphorus and nitrogen) people contribute to waterways through stormwater drains and catchment run-off by:

Making the connections for people between their backyards, the stormwater drainage system and water bodies such as the Swan and Canning Rivers;

Educating householders to use P-free (NP) detergents, particularly in unsewered areas of the catchment, and to consider the contribution of pet faeces to nutrient loads in the catchment as well as bread fed to water birds; and

Promoting appropriate fertiliser practises for the soils of the region. The lack of general awareness of nutrients in fertilisers is a target for the campaign

Through education the group targets the community, schools, local government and industry to encourage them to decrease their nutrient outputs.

They have a number of downloadable information guides that are very informative and useful.  Please visit their website at http://www.sercul.org.au/downloads.html to view the list of downloads.  Amongst the list is

Wise Fertilise Guides - with one for the Scarp.

Grow Local Plant Guides – with one for the Scarp.

The are downloads for alternative detergents – non-phosphorous cleaners

EcoFriends Don't Beat About Bush

This fantastic article appeared in this weeks Kalamunda Reporter.

Finalist for the Banksia Awards 2008

We are all very proud to report that the Friends of Piesse Brook is a finalist for the Banksia Awards 2008 in the “Friends Group Protects Parkland Biodiversity” in the Land & Biodiversity
Category.

You can read the letter we received last week by clicking here. .

June Busy Bee

Present – Linda S, John S, Lara S, Gerry B, Thea B, Andrea W, Lynda T and Tom Fraser

Friends now spray their booths with methylated spirits to prevent spread of Phytophthera c. (dieback) .

Cape Tulip is now up and the focus of the June Busy Bee was spraying the Cape Tulip with Glean.  Linda and John S sprayed the area from just beyond Rocky Pool back to the Bibbulmun track.  Tom Fraser and Lara S sprayed Cape Tulip around Rocky Pool, Gerry B, Thea B, Andrea W and Lynda T sprayed Cape Tulip in areas leading up to the Bibbulmun track.

Tom Fraser was presented with his Friends group hat. John Stanley and Tom Fraser were presented with their lip balm and zinc cream.

Community Newspapers have requested the group come together on Monday after the busy bee for a group photo for the the community newspaper regarding the group being finalists in the Banksia awards.

GreenPage May 2008

Download greenpage_may_2008.pdf

May Busy Bee

Present: Linda S, John S, Paddy H, Bridget H, Thea B, Gerry B, Andrea W, Lynda T, Nick, Emma & Kate M

Linda and John Stanley -  maintenance spray of west side of Schipp Road from Hummerston Road  to the first bridge, and from city side of brook from first bridge to base of first steep rise past the first bridge. 

1. Heavy Watsonia are was sprayed at bottom of boulders at old mine encampment ruins area.
2. Watsonia sprayed at 1st bridge downstream for approx 100 metres.
3. Blackberry needs spraying at 1st bridge downstream at 100 metres.

Bridget –
1. Walked creek bank from gate to front entrance clearing up weed.
2. Very bad bridal creeper and arum lilly at little Caledonia
3. A LOT of watsonia coming up in the area.

Andrea W and Lynda T –
1. Lots of cape weed all over.
2. Few single watsonia
3. Blackberry near the creek.
4. Lots of nightshade Fleabane (heads removed)
5. 1 thistle removed
6. 8 small cottom bush
7. Lots of polygala car park side in centre.

GreenPage April 2008

Download greenpage_april_2008.pdf

April Busy Bee

Present Linda S, Bridget H, Lynda T, Gerry B and Thea B.

Linda Stanley  -Too early and too wet for spraying  - maintenance sweep of west side of Schipp Road from Hummerston Road to the gate of the National Park – removed rubbish, pulled out stink weed and lucerne trees that were mostly in the old encampment area below boulder outcrop that the Browns call “room with a View”.

Still to be sprayed at encampment area boulder outcrop is Arundo grass, Watsonia, Blackberry and deadly nightshade.

Bridget Hogarth – east of creek entrance to opposite Jorgenson Park Access Road  - lot of cotton bush – little patches of blackberry and a lot of bridal creeper east of Little Caledonia.  Little Caledonia also has arum lily.

Lynda Kaye Tomlinson – Entrance – general weeding at sign.  In creek itself – lots of little cotton bush, blackberry, 2 figs, little thistles, 2 clumps of peppermint removed, night shade, cape gooseberry  and 2 dead Watsonia stalks (deseeded)

General Notes: 
1. We need more rubbish bags – only 1 left.
2. Lip balm and zinc given to Linda S, Bridget H, Lynda T, Gerry B and Thea B.
3. This is the first time that we have had bridal creeper and arum lilies.

We must seek information on how to deal with bridal creeper and arum lilly.