Grants – Nangarin

Nangarin Landcare 2023

By Reg Collins

Project Update

January 2023 marks the conclusion of the two year Nangarin Nature Corridor – ‘Cumberland Plain Woodland Restoration – Stage 2’ project assisted by the NSW Government through its Environmental Trust 2019-20 Restoration and Rehabilitation Grants.

The Project targeted areas of remnant Cumberland Plain Woodland (CPW) within the East-West nature corridor within the Nangarin Vineyard Estate, where the endemic biodiversity of the CPW was threatened by invasive Lantana (Lantana camara) and other weeds. Planned in three stages with site work commencing in February 2021, the project involved engaging a team of professional ‘Bush Regen.’ Contractors (Ecohort P/L) to work on the eastern corridor, while members of the Nangarin Landcare Group addressed areas of dense Lantana along the western corridor. Extensive periods of wet weather during the project posed challenges with planning and access to the steep slopes, coupled with the high rate of Lantana growth.

The most recent review of the Contractor sites showed a high success level in treating Lantana. A followup session in early January targeted any regrowth or areas missed in earlier sessions. Photo below shows reduction in Lantana in Contractor Stage 2 area:
Nature Safari

By Reg Collins
Sunday June 19, a mild sunny winter’s day, saw the running of the Tom Covell Nature Safari at Nangarin. Postponed from 2021 due to Covid restrictions, the event organised and funded by Greater Sydney Land Services provided a wonderful opportunity for local residents to gain an informed insight into the unique and diverse ecology of bushland within the Nangarin Estate.

Naturalist and Ecologist Tom Covell from ‘Hooked on Nature’ guided participants along a path travelling through open grasslands to narrow tracks along Stonequarry Creek, observing with his keen eye the range of flora and fauna listed below. Due to the high level of interest from residents, the activities were divided into two 2-hour sessions, with each session accommodating 18 residents.

A sausage sizzle lunch, provided by the Nangarin Landcare team, and the opportunity to chat with other residents rounded out a great day, as feedback from one family states: “We absolutely loved yesterday’s session. We learned a lot and feel so lucky to live in such a beautiful place. We took away quite a bit from the session. “

The Nangarin Community is appreciative of the efforts of Tom Covell and Angela Maier, Greater Sydney Local Land Services, for providing this unique opportunity to enhance our understanding of our local environment

Here is a list of some of things seen, heard or talked about on the day and links to further information and resources:
- Some of the animals/critters we saw or heard:
  - Glossy black cockatoo – listed as a vulnerable species in NSW – read more about them & get involved in the Great Glossy Count HERE – they feed on the seeds of Casuarina trees
  - Brown goshawk
  - Swamp wallaby
  - Golden orb weaving spiders
  - Weebill – small birds high in the canopy
  - Common eastern froglet – Download the FrogID app and report frog calls
  - Bell miner bird – which feed on psyllids
  - Centipedes and Earthworms
- Native plants:
  - We saw a lot of Grey Gums (Eucalyptus punctata – also known as Salmon Gums) – which are koala food trees
    
    Check out this Koala food trees fact sheet from Wollondilly Council
  - Native cherry tree
  - Native mistletoe – read about how they are important habitat trees for critically endangered species like the Regent Honeyeater HERE and about the Mistoetoe bird
  - Parramatta Green Wattle (Acacia parramattensis)
  - Various forms of Fungi
- Animals/critters that are likely to live in the area:
  - Koala – Read more about the Wollondilly Koala Conservation project
  - Yellow bellied glider – listen to calls HERE
  - Sugar glider – has left lots of small scratches on trees – read more about them and hear calls HERE
  - Monitor lizard/goanna
  - Echidna
  - Microbats
  - Wombats
Other websites that may be of interest:
- Cumberland Plain Woodland is a critically endangered ecological community – read more about the Cumberland Plain Restoration program that Greater Sydney Landcare is running HERE
- Wollondilly Council’s Community Nursery at Wonga Rd, Picton has a range of native plants. Local residents are entitled to 20 free plants per year.
- Habitat hollows – learn about the importance of retaining tree hollows HERE, or report a wildlife using a hollow HERE
- Feralscan – report sightings of pest animals such as foxes, deer and rabbits HERE
- Subscribe to the Greater Sydney Landcare and Community news HERE to stay up-to-date with events, citizen science opportunities and other great information.
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Nangarin Flora Report by CPR

By Reg Collins

This report covers a site visit at the Nangarin Landcare site in the Southwest of Sydney near Picton. The Landcare sites are in and around Nangarin Vineyard Estate. The estate is accessed off Barkers Lodge Road and bounded by Long Gully hydroline to the north and Stone Quarry Creek to the east and south.

The woodland onsite is a mix of Cumberland Plain Woodland (CPW), Shale Sandstone Transition Forest (SSTF) and Riparian Woodland. There is a wide variety of native flora species in the Estate’s remnant bushland and the volunteers have done a great job of improving their local landscape. Each area has varying degrees of woody and annual weeds but also an array of insect and bird life.

Full Report: CPR Report Nangarin Flora visit 22-1-22
Seeding the future

By Nangarin

Nangarin Landcare is one of six local Landcare Groups participating in a ‘Landcare Led Bushfire Recovery Grant’ managed by Lisa Gibson from Upper Spring Creek Landcare.

Working closely with the Robin Davies Wollondilly Community Nursery, two seed collection workshops were planned, one in mid-November and the second in early December 2021 to harvest seed from endemic flora of the local area.

The first of the ‘Seed Collection Workshops’ took place at Nangarin Vineyard Estate on Wednesday 17^th November. Led by Damion Stirling, Sustainability Projects Officer with Wollondilly Shire Council, eighteen participants from the six Landcare Groups worked their way through two woodland sites to harvest ripe seed from a range of endemic plants, while learning flora identification techniques and the importance of particular plant species to the local ecological balance. Seed collected on the day was set aside for a propagation workshop to be conducted mid-December. Continue reading Seeding the future
NSW Environmental Trust Restoration and Rehabilitation Grant 2019 – Cumberland Plain Woodland Restoration Stage 2

By Nangarin

Phase 1 Completion

Lantana infestation – February 2021

Site following treatment – April 2021

Cumberland Plain Woodland Restoration Stage 2 project formally commenced in November with photographing reference sites and seeking a ‘request for fee proposal’ from three accredited members of the Australian Association of Bush Regenerators. Following extensive evaluation of the three very detailed RFP responses, Ecohort P/L was awarded the Contractor section of the project site work.

Ecohort’s team commenced Stage 1 site work on February 7, 2021. The 0.1 ha site of dense lantana thickets on steep terrain, located on the eastern zone of the Nangarin Nature Corridor, required 102 contractor hours to meet the requirements of the primary treatment phase. This phase was completed on March 26. Follow up treatment is anticipated due to the extensive lantana root systems. A Quadrat reference site was established and documented on April 30, with the support of GSLLS, to track the success of site regeneration efforts and weed control.

Nangarin Landcare continued their work on the central zone of the nature corridor, an area identified as Stage 1 Landcare, targeting lantana, privet and moth vine. Heavy summer rainfall increased the weed problem in some areas and additional effort is being made to manage the expanded scope generated by this issue. A checkerboard pattern of lantana treatment has been implemented along fringe areas. This is to maintain habitat for the large number of small birds present and thereby minimise the impact of sudden habitat loss.

Since September the Landcare team have provided ‘in-kind’ project support comprising 268 hours weed control, 51 hours on-site support to high school students and 26 hours follow up watering and maintenance of new plantings. Nangarin Landcare actively worked to engage with and promote project activities to residents and school students in the lead up to and during Stage 1 of the project.

Two street signs were erected close to the major sites outlining the project work and funding support; additionally, three activity reports were provided to Nangarin residents in November, February and April. A Facebook site was used to promote activities and the Nangarin.com.au website contains information about the Landcare Group and project.

Students from Wollondilly Anglican College participated in five on-site workshops between September and November to gain an understanding of the unique CPW ecosystem and assist with revegetation of a steep slope. Sessions were hands-on involving students in weed recognition, site mapping and planting a mix of endemic CPW species to minimise erosion. Wollondilly Shire Council (WSC) staff from the Environmental Outcomes team provided onsite information, tube stock from the Community Nursery and guidance to students on planting techniques, assisted by members of the Landcare team.

A WSC Environmental Project Officer conducted an information session, for Nangarin residents immediately following the Annual General Meeting, on the unique fauna and flora of the CPW ecosystem and stories from the first nation inhabitants of the area. A detailed briefing session followed for members of the Landcare team.

At the end date of Stage 1 the project is tracking on budget and on time.

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Phase 1 Completion