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Fotpin's first planting day for four years was successfully held on 5 May 2019. The day was bright and clear, though with a nasty, cold southerly wind. (I was reminded of a comment from a recent arrival from Darwin, who said: "It's (expletive deleted) freezing and you keep saying 'It's a bit fresh.'"). This day rated as a bit nippy, at least.
John Brannan had led a small team on Thursday (drawn from the Thursday and Saturday weeding teams) to recover tree guards and stakes from the May 2014 planting in western Bottom Pinnacle and recycle them to the new planting locations. Our friendly ParkCare Ranger Marty had augered holes and installed a water tank the previous week. Another advance party set up our "camp" earlier on the morning of the planting and distributed the plants to their new homes, so all was in place for us to start planting by 9.30 am. A hundred tubestock plants were provided by Greening Australia, paid for by a generous grant from Evoenergy.
The aim is to establish ten island plantings on this rather barren slope (as shown by the aerial photo to the right) to act as stepping stones between existing larger patches of woodland. Each "island" consists of a single gum tree accompanied by smaller trees, shrubs understorey plants. The eucalypt species selected for the plantings were local box woodland gums (Yellow Box, Blakely's Red Gum, Apple Box and Scribbly gum); the smaller trees were wattles (Acacia dealbata, Acacia rubida and Acacia implexa), and the shrubs were Cassinia (two types), Bursaria and Dodonea. All were sourced from local seed. [see full list below].
John demonstrated what to do and everyone fell to with a will (partly to keep warm with exercise).
By about 10.30, all one hundred plants had been planted, with only watering to be done, so we took a break for a very welcome morning tea or coffee, with cakes or savoury nibbles, provided by fotpin members.
Watering didn't take long, and the task of cleaning up and stowing away all the equipment happened in record time.
Once we got back to the parking area near De Salis Street, the wind was blocked by the ridge behind us and it seemed surprisingly warm. Well, that's Canberra in Autumn.
All in all, a very productive and enjoyable time: a job well done, all down to volunteers, with help from the professionals. Thank you so much everyone – we couldn't do it without you all.
Elizabeth Smith*
24 May 2019
* who also supplied the photos below
| List of species planted | |
| scientific name | common name(s) |
| Acacia dealbata | silver wattle, |
| Acacia implexa | hickory wattle |
| Acacia rubida | red-leaved wattle, red-stemmed wattle |
| Bursaria sp. | native blackthorn |
| Cassinia longifolia | cauliflower bush |
| Cassinia quinquefaria | rosemary cassinia |
| Dodonaea viscosa subsp. Angustissima | narrow-leaved hop bush |
| Eucalyptus blakelyi | Blakely's redgum |
| Eucalyptus bridgesiana | apple box, apple gum |
| Eucalyptus melliodora | yellow box, honey box |
| Eucalyptus rossii | scribbly gum |