LANDSCOPE Winter 2019

WAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PARKS, WILDLIFE AND CONSERVATION MAGAZINE

Volume 34 Number 4 Winter 2019 $7.95

MILLSTREAM HOMESTEAD

100 years of history

Plan for Our Parks

Conserving more of Western Australia

People power

Celebrating our volunteers

Big hopes for tiny frogs

Protecting two south-west species

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Celebrate WA’s beautiful natural environment year round PRESENTED BY

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Featuring 12 stunning photos, large date squares and spiral binding.

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Keep an eye out for the LANDSCOPE Western Australia 2021 calendar, which is in stores now.

29 Look out for whales off the coast as humpback whales travel south from the calving grounds in the Kimberley.

Presented by LANDSCOPE

Buy a copy of the Western Australia 2020 calendar for your chance to win a two-night family camping adventure experience in Yanchep National Park. This fantastic prize includes park entry, a unique cultural experience, a cave tour led by a park guide and a family pass to zip, traverse and climb through the bush with Trees Adventure.

See page 35 to order your calendar.

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GOVERNMENT OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Foreword

ON THE COVER Front cover The spectacular 240,000-hectare Millstream Chichester National Park takes in rolling spinifex hills, spectacular escarpments and winding tree-lined watercourses. The Fortescue River snakes through the park and supports a diversity of plant, bird and insect species. The area has a long and dynamic cultural history. It forms part of the Yindjibarndi homeland and was an active pastoral station. You can read more about the 100-year-old homestead on page 28. Photo – Ingo Oeland/Alamy

Contributing

Back cover Painted pyrgomorph (Greyacris picta). Photo – Peter Nicholas/DBCA

Molly Moustaka is a research scientist in the DBCA Marine Science Program based in Kensington. She started at DBCA in 2018 and is responsible for establishing a longterm monitoring program in the Dampier Archipelago under the Pluto Environmental Offset D. Molly’s work encompasses a variety of taxa including fish, coral, seagrass, macroalgae, and invertebrates.

his year marks 30 years since the former Department of Conservation and Land Management’s formal volunteer program began. Since 1989, thousands of men, women and children have contributed a staggering 8,470,000 hours to the conservation, protection and promotion of our State’s precious plants, animals and ecosystems across a range of Parks and Wildlife Service projects and programs. Our volunteers come to us from all walks of life, with a range of experiences and expertise, interests and ages (including several who are in their 90s) and undertake diverse tasks, in locations throughout the State. They make a significant and meaningful contribution, and their passion, commitment and enthusiasm enable us to offer many services and complete many tasks that would otherwise not be possible. And the program continues to grow; last year, 22 new volunteer projects were registered with DBCA. You can read more about this on page 37. Celebrating milestones gives us the opportunity to reflect on WA’s conservation history – from the proud and ancient connection of WA’s traditional owners to the State’s land and sea, to the more recent influence of European settlers. In this issue of LANDSCOPE you can read about Millstream homestead, which has stood for 100 years in an area known to the Yindjibarndi people that is now managed as a national park. There is also a profile on Karara Rangeland Park – a rugged and spectacular area in the heart of the Murchison, where ex-pastoral stations and former timber reserves steeped in European and Aboriginal history have been set aside for conservation and to provide tourism opportunities. Plan for Our Parks is a bold new initiative that will guide WA into the next chapter of conservation. Under this plan, the State’s conservation estate will be expanded by 20 per cent over the next five years. This plan will involve Aboriginal people through joint management arrangements and will create employment, training and business opportunities. You can read about this on page 12. Unfortunately, as time marches on, we are forced to farewell people who have played a key role in our history. Jim Williamson and Frank Campbell were both pioneering foresters, whose work continues to inform our operations. We remember these two men on page 6. Mark Webb, Director General Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions

Chenée Marrapodi is a media officer with DBCA. Before starting her role with the department in 2018, Chenée was a reporter for Channel Seven’s Today Tonight. She is passionate about journalism and story-telling and enjoys helping staff share their knowledge and expertise with media outlets and the community.

Christine Taylor is a DBCA conservation officer based in Bunbury. She has worked on a variety of projects including managing wetlands restoration programs and threatened fauna monitoring programs for a range of species – from tiny invertebrates and frogs to larger endemic mammals. She is particularly interested in waterbirds and beachnesting birds, and enjoys working with community members to monitor and protect these species.

LANDSCOPE 3

4 LANDSCOPE

Contents Volume 34 Number 4 Winter 2019

Features 8

Parks for people: Karara Rangeland Park A rugged and beautiful park steeped in history.

12 Plan for Our Parks Expanding Western Australia’s conservation estate. 19 TREEmendous trees WA’s natural areas from a different perspective.

Editor Rhianna King. Scientific/technical advice Margaret Byrne, Steve Crawford, John Huisman, Lachie McCaw, Keith Morris. Design and production coordinator Tiffany Taylor. Design Katie Bryden, Gwendolen Monteiro, Karen Shaddock. Illustration Philippa Nikulinsky. Cartography Promaco Geodraft. Prepress and printing Quality Press, Western Australia. All material copyright. No part of the contents of the publication may be reproduced without the consent of the publishers.

22 Big hopes for tiny frogs Safeguarding two tiny species.

Maps should be used as a guide only and not for navigational purposes.

28 Building a home and a place in history One-hundred-year-old Millstream homestead.

Please do not send unsolicited material, but feel free to contact the editors by email (landscope@dbca.wa.gov.au).

37 People power Celebrating 30 years of volunteers. 44 Build it and they will come Supporting nesting little penguins on Penguin Island. 48 Adventure out: Bush Buddies and Scaly Mates Behind the scenes at Perth Zoo. 50 Tropical seagrass Small in size but big in nature.

ISSN 0815-4465

Published by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, 17 Dick Perry Avenue, Kensington, Western Australia. © State of Western Australia, June 2019.

Subscription information Annual subscriptions to LANDSCOPE are available for $30* (four issues plus free postage within Australia). *Overseas subscriptions add $22. Prices will increase to $33 from 1 July 2019.

For more information contact us: On the web shop.dbca.wa.gov.au By email customer.service@dbca.wa.gov.au By phone (08) 9219 9000

Regulars 3

From the desk of Mark Webb A foreword from the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions Director General.

Bush telegraph A collection of stories from around the State, readers’ pic and a guest word.

Discovered Caliphylla – the green thief.

In review A collection of books and applications.

Kaleidoscope Connecting kids with nature.

Nature’s pin-up Redlead roundhead (Leratiomyces ceres).

By free post Reply Paid 25, Locked Bag 29, Bentley DC, Western Australia 6983 @waparkswildlife

LANDSCOPE is printed on recycled paper which is certified carbon neutral, contains 55 per cent recycled fibre and is made from virgin pulp, which is derived from well-managed forests and controlled sources.

This page Cortinarius kula. Photo – Mark Brundrett

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Bush telegraph by Karla Forrest

READERS’ PIC Rufous night heron (Nycticorax caledonicus) Photographed by Lawreen McIver The rufous (nankeen) night heron just loves being around swamps and still water. This one was photographed at the ‘Lakes Walk’ in Dalyellup first thing in the morning. I had seen him several times earlier in the week. I also photographed a juvenile a few months earlier at the same place. Maybe it is the same bird. These birds are mostly nocturnal. The adult bird has a slender white plume which is retained. They are found over the greater part of Australia.

Have you got a fantastic nature photograph you would like to see published in LANDSCOPE? Send it, along with a 100-word description of the species or how and where you took the shot, to landscope@dbca.wa.gov.au.

Nikulinsky naturally

Jump online for more LANDSCOPE

Long-time readers of LANDSCOPE will likely recall the name Philippa Nikulinksy, whose beautiful botanical illustrations graced the covers of the magazine between 1990 and 2011. The internationally recognised Western Australian artist is showcasing her work at the Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery at The University of Western Australia from 25 May until 17 August 2019. The exhibition will include many of the works she created specifically for LANDSCOPE magazine, as well as illustrations from her books, ceramics and stationery. Philippa has been drawing and painting WA’s unique flora and fauna for almost 50 years, and uses her art to increase public appreciation for the natural world. Visit lwgallery.uwa.edu.au/ exhibitions/#nikulinsky for exhibition details. You can also see Philippa’s work on page 54.

LANDSCOPE magazine is now available online. Subscribers can access the magazine and a raft of bonus features, such as species profiles, mini documentaries, photo galleries and interactive maps, wherever they have internet access, including in a number of national parks where internet and phone coverage is available.

6 LANDSCOPE

S, WILDLIFE WA’S PARK

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r 4 Winter

34 Numbe

2019 $7.95

Visit http://dpaw.myshopify.com/landscope for more information and to register for the digital edition.

Straws be gone In an effort to help protect Rottnest Island’s precious wildlife and keep WA’s favourite island playground free from plastic waste, single-use plastic straws are no longer available on the popular holiday destination. The ban came into effect on 1 May 2019 and, since then, biodegradable paper straws have been made available to guests upon request. Removing plastic straws from the litter stream is a significant step towards protecting the environmental values of the A-Class reserve and improving visitor amenity. This latest mandate builds on recent waste-reduction initiatives on the island, such as the single-use plastic bag ban and biodegradable Above Rottnest Island Photo – Tourism WA fishing bait boxes.

E MAGAZIN ERVATION AND CONS

EAM MILLSTR EAD HOMESThistory

100 years

Plan for Our Parks

more of ConservingAustralia Western

er People pow nteers

ing our volu

Celebrat

s for tiny frog Big hopes Protecting two south-west

species

Bush telegraph Quenda digging improves soil quality Research has shown that one of Western Australia’s small marsupials plays a key role in improving soil quality, which promotes plant growth. Quenda (Isoodon fusciventer) are avid diggers that forage each night for seeds, fungi, insects and plant roots, creating about 45 cone-shaped holes each night and moving an impressive four tonnes of soil in one year. The study, which was carried out in Yalgorup National Park by researchers from The University of Western Australia and DBCA, has revealed that soil turnover encourages leaf litter decomposition and increases microbial activity. This improves the soil condition and promotes seedling growth. The study also showed that the soil that quenda had dug had higher levels of potassium and electrical conductivity, which led to taller, heavier and thicker stems of seedlings. And it revealed that tuart seedlings in soil that had been disrupted by quenda grew faster and bigger than seedlings in undug soil. Above Quenda have long front claws that they use to dig. Photo – Alice Reaveley/DBCA

Pioneering foresters farewelled The Western Australian community lost two well-known and highly regarded foresters recently. Jim Williamson, who is remembered as a gentle, unpretentious and humorous man, was involved in a pioneering project that used aerial photography to map forest types and structures for the entire south-west region. He later oversaw the preparation of blueprints for more than 50 national parks, nature reserves and marine parks and was involved in establishing conservation programs that are still in place today. Frank Campbell’s career began as a junior forestry officer and ended as Public Service Commissioner. He brought courage and compassion to his work, during which time he developed the Karnet Working Plan – a blueprint for sustainable management of the jarrah forest. Frank Campbell and Jim Williamson were both instrumental in battling the devastating Dwellingup bushfires of 1961 and both men remained dedicated to working to ensure that WA never experienced another event like it. Frank was a founding member of the Bushfire Front and Jim was an active member.

Guest column Anne Arnold Chair of the Heritage Council of Western Australia

n my role as the Chair of the Heritage Council of Western Australia, I have been fortunate to visit many of WA’s magnificent historic, natural and Aboriginal heritage places over the last 11 years. These places and sites capture the stories that have shaped our State and that underpin our sense of self. The Heritage Council works to identify, celebrate and promote the conservation and sensitive development of cultural heritage places in WA, and one of the council’s core functions is to maintain the State Register of Heritage Places, a comprehensive statutory list of places that help to tell the story of WA. The State Register is rich and diverse and although it comprises mostly built heritage, it also includes places of extraordinary natural beauty and places that tell us about the culture and spirituality of Aboriginal Western Australians. WA has beautiful natural landscapes that draw tourists and visitors to our State and I have a particular interest in further integrating heritage into the natural tourism experience. Heritage tourism is on the increase and presents an abundance of opportunities to broaden the State’s tourism base, increase visitor experiences and contribute to the sustainability of our natural and cultural heritage. There are many examples of tourism experiences that successfully combine elements of both heritage and the natural environment to provide tourists with an enjoyable and sustainable visit. The Ngurin Bush Tucker Trail is a two-kilometre self-guided walk in Roebourne that was developed in close liaison with the Ngarluma people, the traditional owners of the land, in the belief that giving people a better understanding will engender a greater respect for Aboriginal people and their culture. Heritage enriches the tourism sector by contributing stories that supplement visitor experiences to a particular place, providing a richer experience and helping protect and celebrate the things that are important to the Western Australian community.

Left Frank Campbell (left) with Jim Williamson. Photo – Michael Wilson/ The West Australian

LANDSCOPE 7

Parks for people by Susan Pedersen and Rhianna King

Karara Rangeland Park Located nearly 430 kilometres north-east of Perth – in the heart of the Murchison – Karara Rangeland Park protects a rugged, yet varied and beautiful landscape, which is steeped in Aboriginal and European history and plays host to visitors looking for an authentic outback experience.

he ancient and fascinating landscape of the 560,672-hectare Karara Rangeland Park is believed to have formed 2.5 to 3.8 billion years ago. At this time, basalt hills were created, which have since been sculpted by weathering, geological processes and other factors to produce a landscape rich in iron oxide locked away in banded iron formations. Many remaining granite outcrops are now dotted throughout the landscape and support a range of unique plant and animal species, while others have been eroded away to isolated hills and ridges known as breakaways.

ANCIENT CONNECTION The land known today as Karara Rangeland Park has long been important to several Aboriginal groups. Sites and items of cultural significance have been identified, including ancient artwork, rock holes, quartz and other ochre quarries, artefact scatters, rock shelters, lizard traps, stone arrangements and grinding bases. 8 LANDSCOPE

The extensive Mongers Lake Waterway, which stretches 200 kilometres around the park, is an area of particular significance, and stories and songs have been passed down from generation to generation about how the area was created by the Bimurra creator being.

MODERN RELICS The area was first occupied by European settlers when sandalwood cutters began harvesting in the central region of what is now the park in about 1845. In the 1860s pastoral leases were granted, and prospectors arrived in the area after gold was found in the region in 1892. The area is rich in mineral resources and evidence of historic mining activities can be seen within the park at Rothsay Mine, Warriedar battery and townsite, Rothchild and Fields Find. The area known as Koolanooka Hills Mine became the first source of iron ore to be exported from Western Australia. Iron ore and gold mining continues in the area, and visitors should

stay clear of mining activities and disused mineshafts and pits as they’re moving around the park. Between 1929 and 1939, the then Department of Agriculture carried out wheat cropping trials at Damperwah State Farm, located in the centre of the park, to determine the best wheat varieties and cropping methods for the region. Extensive sheep farming in the area also contributed to WA’s prospering sheep industry for many years. The oldest known building in the Murchison is a shearing shed at Thundelarra that can still be visited today. A number of other sites in the park, including the relics of three buildings that were built in the 1920s as part of

Above left Ruins at Damperwah State Farm provide a glimpse into the area’s European history. Photo – Marie Lochman Above Red kangaroos occur in the park. Photo – Sallyanne Cousans

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