AGM November 2016

Following the 2015/16 Annual Report, Cr Mike Clarke chaired the election of committee members for 2016/17. The committee members are:

President: Garrique Pergl
Vice President: James Shannon
Treasurer: Rhonda Adams
Secretary: Anton Pergl
Committee: Robert Pergl, Paul Birch, Michael Merange, Lesley Wilson, Jan Madej

Later guest speaker Deakin University Masters student Nick Bradsworth gave a fascinating talk on his survey project of the Powerful Owl in the Melbourne region. Nick described how a harmless prototype net was developed to attract Powerful Owls. Safely captured owl specimens were then fitted with tracking devices to help determine the location and size of each owls’ territory. The safe trapping technique was then used a second time to recapture each owl fitted with tracking systems to enable the recorded data to be collated and analysed. This research
project is believed to be the first time that the Powerful Owl has been trapped and re-trapped to accurately understand the nature of their
territory including hollow bearing trees where they breed. In the Dandenong Ranges Powerful Owls continue to produce offspring from large
hollow bearing trees including in the vicinity of Birdsland Reserve and along the Monbulk Creek between Dandenong Ranges National Park andLysterfield Lake Park.

Nick with Powerful Owl

Nick Bradsworth with one of the safely captured owls in his Deakin University Masters project

AGM visitors enjoying the Powerful Owl presentation

Nursery closure dates

Our staff and volunteers are busy collecting and processing new indigenous plant seed and hopefully spending some time at the beach. The
nursery reopens for plant sales on Tuesday 14 February at 9 AM. Plant orders during the summer break should be emailed to
sthndandenongscommunitynursery@gmail.com.

Volunteers in action

Volunteers enjoying growing new local native plants at the community nursery

If you would like to volunteer at the community nursery at Birdsland Reserve and learn more about indigenous plants of the Dandenong Ranges on Tuesdays, Fridays & Sundays contact us on 03 9754 6962. Its free, its fun and you get to meet a range of age groups.

As a volunteer at the Southern Dandenongs Community Nursery:-

• You can meet others who enjoy plants
• Increase your skills to help you identify local native plants where you live
• Understand how to grow plants from seeds, cuttings and division
• Gain knowledge of introduced plants (weeds) locally and on your land
• Grow your understanding of what types of wildlife can be attracted to your garden with the use of local native plants

The nursery is open for plant production, plant sales and volunteering on Tuesday 9 AM to 4:30 PM, Friday 9 AM to 1 PM and Sunday 9 AM to Noon.