Mt Henry Peninsula Conservation Group Newsletter

Mt Henry Peninsula Conserva2on Group APRIL 2022 NEWSLETTER

Saturday Bush Care Day - 21 MAY 2022 The next Bush Care Day is on Saturday 21st May, end of Week 4. We meet outside Hughes Dining Hall at 1:15pm to mark aFendance. We finish work by 3:30pm and return to outside of the Dining Hall for aLernoon tea.

Students should register their names on the green registraMon form provided in Mt. Sion by Wednesday aLernoon prior to Bush Care Day. A maximum of 25 students are allowed to aFend. We work in the bushland in all weather condiMons so please come prepared with appropriate clothing for the day including enclosed footwear. Tools, gloves and equipment are provided.

Red-Tailed Black Cockatoo near the roundabout

The 2022 Great Cocky Count - Sunday 3rd April

17 students aFended the annual cocky count.

Following the briefing from Mr Paul Rich, they were divided into 6 groups and dispersed to several observaMon points around the College.

A large flock of around 144 White-Tailed BlackCockatoos landed in the trees near the roundabout just before dusk. Thirteen RedTailed Black-Cockatoos were also observed in the area. Around 50 white-tails roosted in two large Marri trees in the College grounds, the others flew to locaMons off campus. Six redtails roosted in the trees at Clery Park. Overall this year was a very successful Cocky Count at Aquinas. Rainbow Lorikeets, white cockatoos, Willy wag-tails and a few ducks were also seen during the evening.

Above - Year 9s Michael ScoF, Xavier Ferreira UlgiaM and Joshua Wijaya were lucky with their observaMon spot at the roundabout where well over 100 White-Tailed Black-Cockatoos landed in the Banksia and Mari trees before moving to their roosMng sites.

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Other locaMons: Trees in front of Angelicvm, College Chapel, McMahon Oval, Clery Park and Rowing Centre. Right above - Mr Terry Andrews with brothers Jaxon 7BRE and Lachlan Johnsen Yr 11DUW at Clery Park. A large number of the White -Tailed Black Cockatoos flew from the roundabout area to the Mari trees at Clery Park with some moving off to roost elsewhere.

Thursday AJer School Service Learning The first aLer school service learning session saw 4 boys trimming the bushes and trees around the perimeter track. Before commencing work a safety briefing covering the use of cuang tools is conducted.

The purpose of trimming is to maintain sufficient width around the perimeter track to allow DFES Fire and Emergency vehicles access if they need to aFend to a fire. Trimmings are discarded in the bush to breakdown. With the banksia and parrot bushes dying due to lack of water and dieback disease, the fuel load in the bush is increasing each year and is of some concern.

Above - Safety briefing Immediate leL Tyler GrantMackay Yr 7TR geang some advice from Mr Terry Andrews

Above - Jayden Trewartha Yr 7BRW helping Brendan Sceresini Yr 7TRE, Jayden’s height and strength was very useful in trimming the higher branches.

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Above - Dead trees are cut down or pulled over to prevent them from falling on the track later in the year.

Right and below - Tyler Grant-Mackay Yr 7TR and the boys at work.

Below right - Michael ScoF Yr 9TRE, a regular bush care volunteer, tackling a low parrot bush.

Thanks to Mr Terry Andrews for supervising and helping out.

Mavis Andrews 11 May 2022

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