Brush–tailed Phascogale: Revegetation of the Watsons Creek Biolink

A Black Saturday Bushfire Recovery Project

August 2010

The project• ‘Vulnerable’ listed Brush-tailed Phascogale is no

longer found in Kinglake NP after Black Saturday fires - but still at Warrandyte State Park

• 80 hectare Biolink project for linking Warrandyte State Park with Kinglake National Park

• One of only two connections to Kinglake NP with unburnt forest - vital significance

• Creating a link between the two parks will provide greater protection to the range of the Brush-tailed Phascogale and will also benefit other vulnerable species such as the ‘Common Dunnart’

• Fire affected communities are assisting with the planting and much community support already exists

• Planting managed by Parks Victoria (National Parks) in conjunction with Greenfleet

Vulnerable 'Brush tailed Phascogale’

Kinglake NP,February 2009

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Local community involvement

• Seed collection

• Local nurseries impacted by fires provided competitive quotes

• Friends of Warrandyte & Friends of Yarra Valley Parklands (volunteers) have already raised 5,000 seedlings and happy to repeat in 2011

• Local contractors undertake ground preparation, spraying & maintenance

• Community Groups have already planted over 5,000 trees

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Watsons Creek BiolinkThe site is situated near St Andrews and Christmas Hills, north-east of Melbourne.

The planting project will take place in Autumn & Winter 2010 and with further plantings in 2011 and 2012 to complete the linkages.

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Ferguson Plarre and Suncorp’s contributions to the project• AAMI staff members raised $5,000 for the cause,

with AAMI matching this donation, reaching a total of $10,000.

• Ferguson Plarre Bakehouses has brought forward its carbon offset purchase for 2010 to contribute $10,000.

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Planting Day – 27th August 2010• During morning tea donated by Ferguson Plarre Bakehouses,

Sara Gipton (CEO Greenfleet), Cr Peter Beales (Mayor of Murrindindi Shire Council), Tony Fitzgerald (ranger from Parks Victoria) and Annabelle Butler (EM of Public Policy and Stakeholder Management for Suncorp General Insurance) all said a few words about the project and its significance before thanking the volunteers.

• 50 volunteers from Parks Victoria, Greenfleet and Suncorp planted 1,285 seedlings on the Watsons Creek Biolink.

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7August 2010

List of seedlings planted on this site

Scientific Name Common name Scientific Name Common name

Acacia dealbata Silver Wattle Eucalyptus radiata Narrow Leaf Peppermint

Acacia leprosa Cinnamon Wattle Eucalyptus tricarpa Red Ironbark

Acacia melanoxylon Blackwood Goodenia ovata Hop Goodenia

Acacia verticillata Prickly Moses Leptospermum continentale Prickly Tea-tree

Acaena novae-zelandiae Bidgee-widgee Lomandra filiformis Wattle Mat-rush

Carex appressa Tall Sedge Lomandra longifolia Spiny-Head Mat-rush

Clematis microphyla Small-leaved Clematis Melicytus dentata Tree Violet

Coprosma quadrifida Prickly Currant-bush Microlaena Weeping Grass

Eucalyptus fulgens Green Scentbark Olearia argophylla Musk Daisy-bush

Eucalyptus marcrorhyncha Red Stringybark Poa ensiformis Sword Tussock-grass

Eucalyptus melliodora Yellow Box Poa labillardieri Common Tussock-grass

Eucalyptus obliqua Messmate Pomaderris aspera Hazel Pomaderris

Eucalyptus polyanthemos Red Box Prosanthera lasianthos Christmas Bush

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9August 2010