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LOWER HUNTER VALLEY THREATENED SPECIES TEACHER RESOURCE KIT
‘OUR LOCAL THREATENED SPECIES’
STAGE 3 HSIE
INFORMATION SHEETS
A RESOURCE FOR TEACHERS OF THE
CESSNOCK AND MAITLAND LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS
Prepared as part of the Hunter Valley Threatened Flora Recovery Program.
© 2007 Hunter-Central Rivers Catchment Management Authority.
This work is copyright. However, material presented in this plan may be copied for personal use or published for educational
purposes, providing that any extracts are fully acknowledged. Apart from this and any other use as permitted under the
Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced without prior written permission from the Hunter-Central Rivers Catchment
Management Authority.
Hunter-Central Rivers
Catchment Management Authority
Private Bag 2010
Paterson NSW 2421
Phone: (02) 4930 1030
Fax: (02) 4930 1013
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.hcr.cma.nsw.gov.au
Cover illustrator: Marc Thumm
ABOUT THIS RESOURCE KIT
Welcome to the Teacher Resource Kit for the Threatened Species of the Lower
Hunter Valley to include parts of Cessnock and Maitland Local Government Areas
(LGA’s). The Lower Hunter Valley region is home to many unique and special
plants, animals and ecosystems. Unfortunately, many of these ecosystems and
the plants and animals that live within them are threatened with extinction,
in many cases due to human activity. Around 40% of the original vegetation
remains and sadly the region now supports more than 50 threatened species and
11 different threatened ecosystems. The people that live within the region can
make a valuable contribution to helping to save these threatened species and
ecosystems.
Central to the Kit’s resources is a unit of work based on the Stage 3 Environment
strand outcomes and indicators in the NSW K-6 Human Society and its
Environment (HSIE) syllabus. Local threatened species and their habitats
(woodlands, forests, wetlands) can be used to represent global environments and
issues in Australia. They can also help explain how various beliefs and practices
influence the ways in which people interact with, change and value their
environment and be used to identify how individuals and groups can act in an
ecologically responsible manner.
The Kit includes lesson plans, information sheets (for both students and
teachers), details of a suitable site for school field excursions, student activity
sheets, a range of images and maps, and also provides ideas on what schools and
students can do to help conserve threatened species within the region.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This Kit is an initiative of the Hunter Valley Threatened Flora Recovery Program and has been
developed by the Department of Environment and Climate Change (NSW) in partnership with
Cessnock City Council and Friends of Tumblebee. Funding was contributed by the HunterCentral Rivers Catchment Management Authority’s Environmental Education Grants Program
and also by Cessnock City Council.
Written and developed by Tricia Hogbin of the Department of Environment and Climate
Change (DECC NSW) and Erin Dufty, Neil Dufty and Ross Wellington of Molino Stewart Pty Ltd.
Illustrations and artwork by Marc Thumm.
Layout by Katrina McKay, DECC.
The following people are greatly acknowledged for their valuable contribution to the
development of this kit: Marc Thumm, Tricia Donnelly, Kylie Watkins, James Ryan, Katrina
McKay, Mark Fisher, Paul Houlder and Lucas Grenadier.
CAUTIONARY NOTE
When your parents were young, they were likely to learn about plants, animals and their
habitat by exploring their local bushland; picking and maybe pressing native flowers; and
catching animals including frogs, lizards, and insects. How you learn about plants, animals and
their habitat will be very different. Local bushland is now much rarer due to clearing of native
vegetation and you may have to travel further to find bushland areas. The plants and animals
that live in the bushland are also rarer and are now protected. It is now illegal is many cases to
pick and collect native plants and animals.
It is still possible to explore bushland and learn about native plants and animals and their
habitat without picking, collecting or damaging bushland. Spend time just watching, taking
notes, drawing or taking photos.
CONTENTS
ABOUT THIS RESOURCE KIT
1
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
2
CAUTIONARY NOTE 2
CONTENTS
3
INFORMATION SHEET 1
5
Threatened species
5
Some species are more threatened than
others. 5
INFORMATION SHEET 2
7
Habitats and ecosystems 7
INFORMATION SHEET 3
11
Biodiversity
11
INFORMATION SHEET 4
13
Threats 13
INFORMATION SHEET 5
15
Woodlands
15
Case study
16
Kurri Sand Swamp Woodland
16
INFORMATION SHEET 5A
17
Tiny Wattle 17
INFORMATION SHEET 5B
19
Dirty Gum 19
INFORMATION SHEET 5C
21
Woodland birds
21
INFORMATION SHEET 6 23
Forests 23
Case study
24
Lower Hunter Spotted Gum Ironbark Forest
24
INFORMATION SHEET 6A
25
North Rothbury Persoonia 25
INFORMATION SHEET 6B
27
Small-flowered Grevillea
27
INFORMATION SHEET 6C
29
Heath Wrinklewort 29
INFORMATION SHEET 6D
31
Owls 31
INFORMATION SHEET 6E
33
Swift Parrot 33
INFORMATION SHEET 6F
35
Gliders (Yellow-bellied Glider, Squirrel Glider)
35
INFORMATION SHEET 6G
37
Spotted-tail Quoll. 37
INFORMATION SHEET 7 39
Wetlands
39
INFORMATION SHEET 7A
41
Black-necked Stork 41
INFORMATION SHEET 7B
43
Green and Golden Bell Frog 43
FIELD EXCURSION SITES
45
Werakata National Park
45
Suggested Activities 46
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP CONSERVE
THREATENED SPECIES? 47
School Actions
47
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP CONSERVE
THREATENED SPECIES? 49
Individual Actions 49
The threatened plants, animals and communities
of the Hunter valley Floor region of the Cessnock
and Maitland LGA 51
Threatened animals 51
Threatened plants 53
Threatened ecosystems
53
TEACHER INFORMATION SHEETS
INFORMATION SHEET 1
Threatened species
Australia is home to thousands of different plants and animals. The majority of these species
are unique or endemic to Australia – that is they do not occur anywhere else in the world.
Changes to our environment as a result of human activity have put many of these unique
species at risk of extinction. Since Australia was colonised in 1788, more than 100 different
plant and animal species have become extinct. Today, in NSW alone, 850 additional species of
plants and animals are threatened with extinction. Once a species is extinct it is gone forever.
Extinction decreases Australia’s biodiversity.
Species at risk of becoming extinct are called ‘Threatened species’. Threatened species are
considered likely to become extinct in the near future if nothing is done to reverse their
decline. The Lower Hunter Valley region supports its fair share of threatened species, with the
region supporting 44 threatened animal species and 9 threatened plant species. (See a list of
the different threatened plants and animals that occur within the Lower Hunter Valley region
on page 51).
Many activities or actions can cause the decline of native plants and animals and consequently
place them at risk of extinction. These actions or activities are called ‘threats’. For example,
within the Lower Hunter Valley region one of the main threats is vegetation clearance.
Information on other threats can be found in Information sheet 3: Threats.
Some species are more threatened than others.
Within NSW we recognise threatened species as either ‘Critically Endangered’, ‘Endangered’
or ‘Vulnerable’. Critically Endangered species are considered at most risk of extinction and are
considered likely to go extinct sooner than Endangered species, which in turn are considered
likely to become extinct sooner than Vulnerable species. For example, a shrub called the North
Rothbury Persoonia is recognised as ‘Critically Endangered’. This shrub is reduced to less than
400 plants, grows only near the suburb of North Rothbury and has a total distribution range of
only 4kms. In contrast, the Glossy Black Cockatoo which is recognised as Vulnerable, is reduced
to many thousands of birds and occurs in Queensland, NSW and Victoria. Find out more about
the listing of threatened species.
TEACHER INFORMATION SHEETS
INFORMATION SHEET 2
Habitats and ecosystems
What are habitats and ecosystems?
A habitat is the ‘home’ or specific place a plant
or animal lives (e.g. under a rock, in a tree
hollow, in a pond). A particular area of native
bushland provides habitats for many different
plants and animals. These plants and animals
rely upon each other for their survival and
together form an ‘ecosystem’.
An ecosystem (also called an ecological
community) is a community of plants and
animals interacting with each other and their surrounding environment. An ecosystem
supports many different types of habitats for many different plants and animals. Australia
has many types of ecosystems (e.g. desert, alpine, woodland, rainforest and wetland). The
relatively small Lower Hunter Valley region even supports many different ecosystems (see
a map of the ecosystems of the Lower Hunter Valley region in this kit). Some of the main
ecosystems of the region are wetlands, forests, and woodlands.
What factors control the location of ecosystems
What ecosystem occurs where is influenced by environmental factors including climate (i.e.
temperature and rainfall), aspect (e.g. north-facing vs. south facing), soil type (e.g. sand vs.
clay), geology (e.g. the Carboniferous rocks of Barrington Tops vs. eroded Permian rocks of the
Hunter Valley), and altitude (e.g. 50m above sea level vs. 250m above sea level).
Some ecosystems are very restricted (e.g. Kurri Sand Swamp Woodland) and others are
more widespread (e.g. Lower Hunter Spotted Gum Ironbark Forest). Kurri Sand Swamp
Woodland grows only on ancient sand deposits that occur near Kurri Kurri and Cessnock and
consequently this ecosystem is very restricted in distribution. Whereas the Lower Hunter
Spotted Gum Ironbark Forest grows on a soil type that occurs widely across the Hunter Valley
floor and consequently this ecosystem is more widespread.
The structure and species composition of different ecosystems are
different
Plants are the foundation of most ecosystems. In most ecosystems plants can be found in a
number of layers. The ‘upper layer’ supports trees. Trees are typically upright, taller than 5m,
woody, and have a single distinct trunk. The ‘middle layer’ supports shrubs. Shrubs are typically
30cm – 5m in height, woody and have many branches and multiple stems. The ‘ground layer’
supports herbs, grasses, and grass-like plants such as sedges and rushes. Herbs (also called
forbs) are typically less than 30cm high and do not produce a woody stem.
The height of the different layers varies among ecosystems. For example, the height of the
upper layer in forest ecosystems is typically greater than 15m whereas in woodlands the upper
layer is typically less than 15m high. The density of the different layers also differs among
ecosystems. For example, the Kurri Sand Swamp Woodland has a relatively sparse ‘upper layer’
with large gaps between the trees, whereas the Lower Hunter Spotted Gum Ironbark Forest
has a much denser upper layer with the tree canopies being closer together.
You also get different types of species living in different ecosystems. For example, the upper
layer of Lower Hunter Spotted Gum Ironbark Forest is typically dominated by the trees BroadLeaved Ironbark and Spotted Gum whereas the upper layer of Kurri Sand Swamp Woodland is
dominated by Dirty Gum and Narrow-Leaved Apple.
In response to the different structure (height and density) and different species of plants
growing within each ecosystem you also see different animals occurring in different
ecosystems (although many animals do occur in more than one ecosystem type). For example,
the Green and Golden Bell Frog occurs only in wetland ecosystems as it lives and breeds in
water. It would not survive in a forest or woodland. The Yellow-Bellied Glider occurs only in
forest ecosystems as it needs the large tall trees to glide between, whereas the smaller Squirrel
Glider can occur in both forest and woodland ecosystems as it is able to glide between the
shorter woodland trees. Neither glider occurs in wetland ecosystems because the hollow trees
that provide food and shelter do not occur in wetlands.
Having many different types of ecosystems helps conserve biodiversity
Having many different types of ecosystems within the Hunter Valley region helps save all the
different types of plants and animals - in other words helps conserve biodiversity. Given that
some species occur only in one type of ecosystem, if we lose that ecosystem from this region
we also lose the species that occur only in that ecosystem and consequently lose a lot of
biodiversity. For example, if we lost all Kurri Sand Swamp Woodland we would also lose the
Dirty Gum, the Tiny Wattle and the woodland birds.
Plants and animals within an ecosystem interact with each other
The plants and animals within an ecosystem interact with each other and often depend upon
each other to survive. For example, a flowering plant may depend upon bees to pollinate it
so that it can produce seed; a Yellow Bellied Glider depends upon trees to provide hollows so
that it has somewhere safe to sleep; and a Spotted Tail Quoll depends upon birds and small
marsupials such as possums and gliders as sources of food.
The interactions between the plants and animals within an ecosystem are very complex and
we often do not know what interacts with what. Often the role of a particular species does not
become apparent until that species is lost. For example, some orchids can only be pollinated
by a particular species of insect. If that insect becomes extinct the orchid will also become
extinct because it cannot produce seed and any other animals that depend upon those plants
will then disappear and so on.
One way of trying to describe the relationships in an ecosystem is through the use of food
chains and food webs. A food chain shows the flow of food at a very simple level. e.g. Dirty
Gum - Squirrel Glider (eats the sap and nectar of the dirty Gum) - Powerful Owl - Fox. A food
web is far more detailed as it shows the flow of food between many species e.g. would depict
the Powerful Owl eating not only Squirrel Gliders but also other gliders and possums, birds,
and flying foxes. The web would then depict the multiple types of food each of these animals
ate. Food webs when drawn often become so complex they look like a spiders web, hence the
name.
Many of the ecosystems in the Lower Hunter Valley region are
threatened
See a list of the threatened ecosystems that occur within the region. Similar to threatened
species a threatened ecosystem is considered likely to become extinct in the near future if
nothing is done to reverse its decline.
10
TEACHER INFORMATION SHEETS
INFORMATION SHEET 3
Biodiversity
‘Biodiversity’ in simple terms can be described as the variety of plants and animals (species)
and the places they live (ecosystems). Break the word up and its meaning is revealed - ‘bio’
(living things) and ‘diversity’ (variety).
To be more specific, biodiversity is the variety of all living things, including plants, animals,
micro organisms and their interrelationships. It includes the genes they contain and the
ecosystems they form, on land and in water.
Australia contains a huge variety of different species of plants and animals (almost 500,000
of the earth’s 10 to 30 million species). The Hunter Valley region alone supports a relatively
high level of biodiversity because plants and animals typical of coastal environments mix with
species more typical of the dryer inland areas (resulting in double the diversity!).
11
Why is biodiversity important?
Biodiversity provides us with all of our food and many medicines and industrial products. For
example, many of our medicines are derived from plants or animals and many of our future
agricultural crops may be native species which are better adapted to Australia’s environment
than those crops that originated overseas.
Biodiversity also provides and maintains a wide array of ecological ‘services’. These include
provision of clean air and water, soil, food and shelter. The quality of our life and our economy
is dependent on these ‘services’. We cannot live without clean air and water.
12
TEACHER INFORMATION SHEETS
INFORMATION SHEET 4
Threats
Many activities or actions can cause the decline of native plants, animals and their ecosystems
and consequently place them at risk of extinction. These actions or activities are called threats.
There are many threats within the Lower Hunter Valley region. Some of
the main threats include:
Clearing of native vegetation
Within the Lower Hunter Valley region one of the main threats is vegetation clearance.
Vegetation clearance can kill plants and animals and also destroy their habitat leaving them
with nowhere to live. The vegetation of the Hunter Valley was cleared relatively early in the
settlement of Australia due to its high value as agricultural land. More recently, the vegetation
has been cleared for mining, suburbs and roads. Today, less than 50% of the original
vegetation remains (see a map of the native vegetation of the Lower Hunter valley region in
this kit) and what remains is highly fragmented.
Habitat degradation
Much of the remaining native vegetation is subject to habitat degradation due to a range
of activities including grazing by livestock including horses and cattle, rubbish dumping,
mowing, feral goats, bush rock removal, frequent fire, and removal of dead wood and trees.
Habitat fragmentation
When native vegetation is cleared, habitats or ecosystems which were once continuous
become divided into separate smaller fragments. Given the extensive clearing that has
occurred in the Lower Hunter Valley, the separate fragments tend to be very small islands
isolated from each other by suburbs or agricultural land.
Small fragments of native vegetation can only support small populations of plants and
animals. Small populations are more vulnerable to extinction. Fragments of habitat that
are separated from each other are unlikely to be recolonised. For example, once the North
Rothbury Persoonia disappears from a patch of bushland, it will not recolonise unless
kangaroos or birds can carry seed back to the patch. Kangaroos or birds will not be able to
travel safely between the patches of bushland if it is cleared for roads and houses.
13
The best solution to habitat fragmentation is to conserve ‘big’ areas of native vegetation. One
big area of bushland is better than many small areas. A popular solution in those areas where
most of the vegetation has already been cleared is to link the fragments by planting corridors
of native vegetation.
Weeds
Weeds compete with native plants for resources such as light and nutrients. They can
aggressively invade areas, displacing native plants and animals. Weeds that have invaded
native ecosystems in the Hunter valley include: Salvinia, African Box Thorn, Alligator Weed, and
Mother of Millions.
Pest animals
Introduced animal species can compete with, and prey upon, native animals. They can also
damage native plants and degrade natural habitats. Common pest animals in the Lower
Hunter valley include: feral cats, foxes, and the Plague Minnow Fish.
Diseases
Exotic fungal infections, viruses and other pathogens can weaken and kill native species.
Diseases threatening native animals in the Hunter Valley region include Beak and Feather
Disease, Chytrid Fungus, and Phytophthora.
14
STUDENT INFORMATION SHEETS
INFORMATION SHEET 5
Woodlands
One of the ecosystems found in the Lower Hunter Valley is Woodlands. An ecosystem is a
community of plants and animals living together. An ecosystem supports many different
types of habitats (homes) for many different plants and animals. Other examples of Australian
ecosystems include desert, forest, rainforest and wetland.
How to recognise woodlands:
Woodlands look very different to other ecosystems. The ‘tree layer’ is much shorter and sparser
than in forests. Woodlands also have an obvious ‘shrub layer’ which supports many beautiful
flowering shrubs, including the small, and not so visible, Tiny Wattle.
What habitat do woodlands provide?
Woodlands provide important habitat for a range of plants and animals. For example, the local
Kurri Sand Swamp Woodland is the only place in the region where the Dirty Gum can grow.
The Dirty Gum has lots of hollows in its trunk and branches. These hollows provide homes for
small gliders, woodland birds and reptiles. The flowers of the Dirty Gum and other trees also
provide nectar for birds, insects and mammals to eat. The ‘shrub layer’ provides important
nest sites for smaller birds and also produces different types of seeds which are food for many
animals. The leaf litter in the ‘ground layer’ helps to keep the ground moist (like the mulch used
in gardens) and provides a home for insects. Rocks and logs also occur in the ‘ground layer’ and
provide safe places for animals to hide from predators.
Some woodlands may be missing their ‘ground layer’ and ‘shrub layer’ due to mowing or
clearing. The loss of these layers results in the loss of animals and plants that depend upon
those layers for food or shelter. Maybe your local parkland was once a woodland that has now
lost its ground layer and shrub layer due to mowing? A healthy woodland has all three ‘layers’
of plants.
15
Case study
Kurri Sand Swamp Woodland
The local Kurri Sand Swamp Woodland is recognised as a threatened ecosystem. A threatened
ecosystem is likely to become extinct in the near future if nothing is done to save it. This
woodland is unique to the Kurri Kurri - Cessnock area and occurs nowhere else in the world.
Once it becomes extinct it will be gone forever.
Kurri Sand Swamp Woodland grows only on very sandy soil and can be distinguished from
other vegetation within the area by its ‘woodland’ structure: it is much ‘shorter’ and more ‘open’
in comparison to the taller ‘forest’ areas. It has a low open ‘tree layer’ of Dirty Gum and NarrowLeaved Apple and a diverse ‘shrub layer’ containing many beautiful flowering plants. All these
beautiful flowers turn into lots of different types of fruit. When you visit a patch of Kurri Sand
Swamp Woodland see how many different types of flowers and fruits you can see.
The main threat to this ecosystem is clearing. Much of this woodland has already been cleared
for roads, homes and factories and it is unfortunately still being cleared today for new factories
and homes. The woodland is also being destroyed by frequent fire (often caused by arson and
the dumping and burning of cars) and physical disturbance such as rubbish dumping and trail
bike riding.
Fire is a natural part of most ecosystems _ but too much fire is not good
The plants and animals within most Australian ecosystems are able to survive fire. Some
plants even need fire to reproduce. Plants survive fire by regrowing from their roots or
sprouting new growth from buds under their bark. You may have seen this sort of growth
from Gum Trees in an area of burnt bushland. Other plants may die in the fire but leave
seed so that new plants can grow after the fire. Seeds are stored either in the soil or in
protective cones or pods that open after a fire, like Banksia cones. If another fire occurs
before the seedlings grow and have produced their own seed, local extinction may occur.
This is one of the main problems of fire too often.
A small area of this woodland is conserved in Werakata National Park. The majority of the
woodland occurs on land not identified for conservation.
To help prevent extinction of this community, the NSW Department of Environment and
Climate Change has prepared a Recovery Plan that outlines what needs to be done and by
whom to conserve the woodland.
16
STUDENT INFORMATION SHEETS
INFORMATION SHEET 5A
Tiny Wattle
The Tiny Wattle (Acacia bynoeana) is a threatened shrub. It occurs from the Shoalhaven region
in the south to North Rothbury in the north. It is so small it is difficult to see, particularly when
not in flower, even if you are standing right next to it.
Within the Lower Hunter region, the Tiny Wattle is not known to occur in any conservation
reserves. Werakata National Park supports suitable habitat but it has not been found there.
Maybe you can find it in Werakata National Park?
Threats:
The main threat to the species survival is vegetation clearing for houses and factories. One
problem is that when scientists conduct surveys of an area to be cleared they often do not find
the Tiny Wattle because it is so difficult to see.
What is being done to conserve it?
To help prevent extinction of this community, the NSW Department of Environment and
Climate Change is preparing a recovery plan that outlines what needs to be done and by
whom to conserve this Wattle. An action that has been identified is to ensure scientists survey
sites identified for houses or factories when the Tiny Wattle is flowering so that it is easier to
see.
Diversity of wattles
Wattles provide a great example of how diverse the native vegetation of the Lower Hunter
Valley is. Growing in the Kurri Sand Swamp Woodland near Kurri Kurri is at least 14 different
species of wattle (there are almost 1000 species across the whole of Australia!). Each wattle
species can look very different to the next. The Tiny Wattle is less than 30cm high, whereas
the Sydney Golden Wattle grows up to 8m high. The Prickly Moses has short and very spiky
leaves; Swamp Wattle has long and narrow leaves, and the Blueskin has soft fern-like leaves.
While the leaves are all very different, wattle blossoms are very similar – fluffy and yellow and
lots of them. If you look closely (you will probably need a magnifying glass) you will see it each
blossom is made up of many tiny individual flowers.
17
See how many different types of wattles you can observe on your next visit to bushland.
Remember do not pick the wattles. You can draw or photograph the different types of leaves.
Smart seeds
All wattles develop pods from their flowers (which look a little like pea pods or beans) which
contain beautiful shiny hard black seeds – perfectly adapted to the Australian environment.
Why are they perfectly adapted? The seeds have a little fleshy outgrowth called an ‘aril’. Ants
love to eat the aril and take the whole seed back to their nests. Back at the nest the ants eat
only the aril and leave the seed. So when the ants collect the fallen seeds they are actually
moving the seeds to a safe place. Seeds within an ants nest are safe from seed eating birds and
mammals. The seeds will eventually germinate, once their hard seed-coats have been cracked
by the next bushfire, following rain.
Celebrate Wattle Day
Wattle day is celebrated every year on 1st September. Perhaps your school could host a Wattle
Walk to see how many different species of wattle occur in your local bushland.
Tiny Wattle buds and flower
Tiny Wattle (Acacia bynoeana)
18
STUDENT INFORMATION SHEETS
INFORMATION SHEET 5B
Dirty Gum
The Dirty Gum (Eucalyptus parramattensis subsp. decadens) is a small attractive gum tree that
grows only in the woodlands around Kurri Kurri and also near Port Stephens. It does not occur
anywhere else in the world.
It grows only in very sandy soil and does not grow much taller than 10m (unlike forest trees
which grow taller than 15m). The Dirty Gum provides very important habitat for many animals.
The tree has a surprising number of hollows which provide a safe nest site or place to sleep
for animals such as woodlands birds, squirrel gliders, bats (including the threatened Greater
Broad-nosed Bat and Eastern Freetail-bat). The blossoms of the Dirty Gum also provide nectar
for these animals and others including insects and the Grey-headed Flying Fox. The leaves of
the Dirty Gum are a favourite food source for Koalas in the Port Stephens area.
The Dirty Gum is a type of Eucalyptus tree. Eucalyptus trees are also called Gum Trees. Some of
the trees that you think are eucalypts may not be. Angophora trees look very similar. It is easy
to distinguish a eucalypt from an angophora. Look at their fruit. Angophora fruit always have
ribs on the outside, eucalypts don’t. See photos of Eucalypt and Angophora fruit in the map
section of this kit.
The Dirty Gum can survive fire. After a fire the Dirty Gums will look black and dead. However,
in the weeks following a fire they will grow new green leaves from buds under their bark.
These buds are called ‘epicormic buds’. These epicormic buds allow eucalyptus trees to survive
fire. The Dirty Gum uses a lot of its energy to resprout following fire. If fires happen too often
the trees eventually use up all their energy and die.
The main threat to the Dirty Gum is the clearing of vegetation for houses and factories. Too
much fire is also a potential threat. The bushland around the Cessnock and Kurri Kurri area
is burnt very often due to arson. Too much fire will kill young Dirty Gums and also some of
the older trees. Weed invasion, rubbish dumping, mowing, and grazing will also damage the
habitat of Dirty Gums and prevent the germination and growth of young Dirty Gums.
19
Dirty Gum fruit
Dirty Gum buds
Dirty Gum
(Eucalyptus parramattensis subsp. decadens)
20
STUDENT INFORMATION SHEETS
INFORMATION SHEET 5C
Woodland birds
The local woodlands support numerous threatened birds, including the Brown Treecreeper,
Grey-crowned Babbler, and the Turquoise Parrot.
If you visit a woodland where these birds occur you are more likely to hear them than see
them. They each have distinctive calls. For example, the Grey-crowned Babbler has a loud and
often repeated ‘ya-hoo’ call which is a duet between the male and female (the female says ‘ya’
and the male answers with ‘hoo’). You can hear the calls of each of these woodland birds at the
above websites for species listed.
These birds are each very different colours.
Understanding what these birds eat and where they breed help identify threats to their
survival and helps us to identify actions that can help conserve them.
These birds search for food in more than one ‘layer’ of woodlands and often use different
‘layers’ to each other. For example, the Brown Treecreeper and Grey-crowned babblers hunt
for food both in trees and on the ground. They hunt for insects (such as ants, spiders, moths,
beetles, flies, cockroaches and termites) on trunks and branches of trees and also amongst
fallen timber on the ground. They also eat nectar and sap from trees. The Turquoise Parrot, in
contrast, spends most of the day on the ground eating seeds, grass and herbs.
Their habitat needs for nests and breeding also vary. The Brown Treecreeper and Turquoise
Parrot nest in tree hollows. Without tree hollows they have nowhere to breed. In contrast, the
Grey-crowned Babbler builds several big, dome-shaped stick nests about the size of a football.
They sleep in the nests each night. Nests are usually located in shrubs or small trees. They look
after there nests all year and if they want to build a new one they often pull apart one of their
old nests to use in the new nest.
Threats
•
Clearing of woodlands for farms, mines and houses.
•
Habitat fragmentation (reducing the size of bushland areas and reducing their connectivity
with other areas). These birds do not survive in small and isolated woodland areas and have
difficulty travelling across large cleared areas.
•
Loss of tree hollows and fallen timber from firewood collection
•
Soil compaction and loss of ‘ground layer’ plants and litter from overgrazing by sheep and
cattle.
21
•
Being eaten by foxes and cats.
•
What needs to be done to conserve them?
•
Conserve existing woodland vegetation.
•
Increase the size of existing woodland areas or their connection with other bushland areas
by planting trees.
•
Do not remove dead trees or fallen timber from woodlands.
•
Stop grazing or change grazing practices in woodland areas to reduce soil compaction and
over-grazing of ground layer plants (e.g. graze only at certain times of the year).
•
Undertake fox and feral cat control programs in key habitat areas.
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STUDENT INFORMATION SHEETS
INFORMATION SHEET 6
Forests
One of the ecosystems found in the Lower Hunter Valley is ‘forests’. An ecosystem is a
community of plants and animals living together. An ecosystem supports many different
types of habitats (homes) for many different plants and animals. Other examples of Australian
ecosystems include desert, woodland, rainforest and wetland.
How to recognise forests:
Forests are one of the tallest ecosystems. They have a very high ‘tree layer’ which is usually
higher than 15m, much taller than woodlands. The ‘shrub layer’ in forests can vary. Most forests
have a very sparse or open ‘shrub layer’ whereas some can have lots of bushy shrubs.
What habitat do forests provide?
Forests provide important habitat for a range of plants and animals. The forests within the
local region provide habitat for a number of threatened plants including the North Rothbury
Persoonia, Small-flowered Grevillea, and the Heath Wrinklewort. The forests also provide
habitat for many threatened animals including the Powerful and Masked Owls, Swift Parrot,
Yellow-bellied Gliders and Squirrel Gliders, and would have once supported the Spotted Tail
Quoll. All these animals live in and feed from different ‘layers’ within the forests. For example,
Yellow-bellied Gliders sleep and feed in the ‘tree layer’ and rarely visit the shrub or ground
layers. Powerful Owls also sleep high in the tree layer, but they also prey on animals that live in
the other ‘layers’ as well.
Tree hollows – a very important type of habitat
Tree hollows are a very important type of habitat. More than 300 different species of native
animals (including mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians) use tree hollows. Tree hollows
are mainly used as somewhere safe to sleep and for rearing young (‘nest sites’).
Only big old trees have hollows. A tree typically needs to be older than 120 years before
hollows start to form. It is difficult to age a living tree. One way is to look at the diameter of its
trunk. A tree typically needs to have a diameter of at least 40cm before it is big or old enough
to have hollows. Scientists call this measurement ‘Diameter at Breast Height’ (or DBH). You can
measure the DBH of a tree by running a tape-measure around the base of a tree about 1m
23
from the ground. If your tree has a DBH of at least40 cm, it is big enough to have hollows.
Unfortunately, many of the older trees within the region have been cleared (for use as timber
or firewood or to clear land for houses, factories and farms), leaving only smaller trees that
have not yet formed any hollows.
Case study
The bark of the Broad-leaved Ironbark and Spotted Gum
Lower Hunter Spotted Gum Ironbark Forest
The local Lower Hunter Spotted Gum Ironbark Forest is recognised as a threatened ecosystem.
A threatened ecosystem is likely to become extinct in the near future if nothing is done to save
it.
The Lower Hunter Spotted Gum Ironbark Forest is easily recognised by its dominant canopy
tree species: Broad-Leaved Ironbark and Spotted Gum. It is the most common ecosystem
within the Lower Hunter region but is still listed as threatened because it has been extensively
cleared for farms, mines, houses and factories. This ecosystem used to occur across large
areas of the region. It is now reduced to many small and isolated fragments of bushland. This
‘fragmentation’, where the size of bushland areas and their connectivity with other bushland
areas is reduced by clearing, makes it very difficult for many plants and animals to survive.
Like all forests, the trees in the ‘tree layer’ of this ecosystem provide important habitat for many
animals that need hollows. The ‘shrub layer’ also provides important habitat. The ‘shrub layer’
in this forest typically supports lots of prickly shrubs such as the Gorse Bitter Pea, Blackthorn,
Paperbark, and the Peach Heath. These shrubs make it very difficult for you to walk through
some areas of bush. This prickly bush not only stops you but also cats, foxes and other
predators. Many small birds, such as the Willie Wag Tails, Superb Fairy-wrens and Thornbills,
nest in these prickly shrubs where they are safe from predators.
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STUDENT INFORMATION SHEETS
INFORMATION SHEET 6A
North Rothbury Persoonia
The North Rothbury Persoonia (Persoonia pauciflora) is a small bright green shrub that is
recognised as Critically Endangered. This means it is considered likely to go extinct in the very
near future unless something is done to save it. It is one of the most threatened plants in the
whole of Australia.
This shrub needs special habitat to survive. It grows only on a particular type of geology
(called the Fairley Formation) in forests near the town of North Rothbury. It does not grow
anywhere else in the entire world!
It has a very restricted distribution, with a range of only four kilometres. Human activity has
now pushed this plant very close to extinction. There are less that 400 plants surviving and
very little suitable habitat remains. Most of the remaining habitat is on private property.
Threats
•
Clearing of forest. The main threat to the survival of the North Rothbury Persoonia is the
clearing of its forest habitat for houses.
•
Habitat degradation. Given that most of its remaining habitat occurs in people’s back-yards
it is also degraded or destroyed by mowing and grazing.
•
Habitat fragmentation. Habitat fragmentation is where the size of bushland areas and
their connectivity with other bushland areas is reduced by clearing. i.e. the bushland areas
become smaller and smaller and more isolated. Habitat fragmentation is not good for the
North Rothbury Persoonia. Its seeds need to move around the bush or it will eventually
die out. But the only way its seed can move is when a kangaroo or bird eats a Persoonia
fruit and then visits another forest area and drops the hard seed in its poo (a nice package
of fertiliser!). If the birds and kangaroos can’t move between patches of forest because of
roads and houses then the Persoonia will eventually go extinct.
•
Illegal clearing or picking. In the past some Persoonia plants have been killed by pulling
them out of the ground. Please do not damage any of the Persoonia plants as every one is
very important.
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Aboriginal use:
There are many different species of Persoonia within Australia. Collectively they are called
Geebungs. Aborigines harvested the fruit of Geebung and ate them as a ‘snack food’. The fruits
contain sticky sweet flesh attached to a hard stone-like seed. Birds, wallabies, and kangaroos
also eat the fruit and in-turn help the plant by dispersing the hard seed to other areas of
habitat.
What is being done to help conserve the North Rothbury Persoonia?
A Recovery Plan is currently being prepared to help conserve the North Rothbury Persoonia.
The plan outlines the actions needed to help prevent the extinction of the species. Priority
actions include: community awareness activities, helping private landholders to manage
Persoonia habitat, and trying to prevent the clearing of forest areas that are habitat for the
Persoonia.
North Rothbury Persoonia flower
North Rothbury Persoonia fruit
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North Rothbury Persoonia
(Persoonia pauciflora)
STUDENT INFORMATION SHEETS
INFORMATION SHEET 6B
Small-flowered Grevillea
The Small-flowered Grevillea (Grevillea parviflora subsp. parviflora) grows in forests from
south of Sydney, north to the Hunter valley region. The forests across this region have been
extensively cleared for houses, factories, farms and roads. The remaining habitat of the smallflowered Grevillea is being degraded by weeds, frequent fire, and human activities such as
trail-bikes and rubbish dumping.
You may already know what a grevillea looks like. Maybe you have one in your garden at
home? What you may recognise as a grevillea flower is actually a group or cluster of flowers.
A cluster of flowers is called an ‘inflorescence’. Look closely at a Grevillea inflorescence and
you can see it is actually made up of many small flowers. Grevilleas can have two main types
of inflorescences: ‘spider’ or ‘toothbrush’. The small flower Grevillea has spider inflorescences,
where the flowers all come from a single point and look a little like spider’s legs – hence the
name. Toothbrush inflorescences have the flowers growing out of one side of a short stalk like
the bristles on a toothbrush. The flowers of grevilleas contain lots of nectar which is eaten by
honeyeater birds such as the New Holland Honeyeater, Little wattlebird, and the Silvereye.
Insects also collect pollen and nectar.
Not only are the flowers an important food source for animals, but also the seed. Grevillea seed
fall from the fruit to the ground below where they may be eaten by Bush Rats (a native rat) or
Swamp Wallabies.
Small-flowered Grevillea
(Grevillea parviflora subsp. parviflora)
27
28
STUDENT INFORMATION SHEETS
INFORMATION SHEET 6C
Heath Wrinklewort
The Heath Wrinklewort (Rutidosis heterogama) is a small herb with bright yellow ‘daisy-like’
flowers. It grows in forests from Wyong on the Central Coast up to northern New South Wales.
The Heath Wrinklewort is a rare plant which scientists thought no longer occurred within the
Lower Hunter region. Then, a few years ago, it was re-discovered on a development site near
Kurri Kurri. Further plant surveys within the Cessnock area have found large numbers of the
Heath Wrinklewort, and it appears that the area is in fact a stronghold for the species.
The remaining habitat of the Heath Wrinklewort is being lost to clearing for houses and other
development. It is also being degraded by weeds, frequent fire, and human activitities such as
trail-bikes and rubbish dumping. However, the Heath Wrinklewort is lucky because it also likes
to grow in Werakata National Park where its habitat will be protected forever.
The reason why this little plant was forgotten about in the lower Hunter region for over 70
years was because it looks like a common weed to many people and it sometimes grows in
disturbed areas, such as along roadsides or powerline easements. The Heath Wrinklewort
provides a valuable lesson that all of Australia’s native plants and animals are unique and
worthy of protection, even if they may look like a weed!!
To help the Heath Wrinklewort, stay on formed tracks when visiting forest areas to avoid
trampling plants and only take photographs of wildflowers instead of picking or collecting
them.
Heath Wrinklewort (Rutidosis heterogama)
29
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STUDENT INFORMATION SHEETS
INFORMATION SHEET 6D
Owls
The forests of the local region provide ideal habitat for the threatened owls: Powerful Owl and
Masked Owl. The Powerful Owl is the largest owl in all of Australia and Asia. Adults can weigh
up to 1.45kg; can grow up to 1m in height; and can have a wing-span of up to 140cm!
These owls are nocturnal and therefore you are not likely to see them during the day as that
is when they roost in dense vegetation high up in trees or in tree hollows. If you visit a forest
during the night you may see the owls with a spotlight or you may hear their calls. You can
listen to what their calls sound like at the above web pages.
Both owls eat tree-dwelling mammals such as Sugar Gliders, ground dwelling mammals such
as rats, and birds. The Powerful Owl can also prey on much larger mammals including the
Greater Glider, and the Common Ringtail Possum. Most of the animals the owls prey upon
require tree hollows and a shrub layer to survive so these are important habitat components
for the owl.
These owls need very large bushland areas to survive. For example, a pair of Powerful Owls will
defend a large home range of 400-1450 ha. Many of the vegetation fragments in the Lower
Hunter Valley are unfortunately much smaller than this and are probably not big enough to
support a pair of Powerful Owls.
Threats:
•
Clearing of woodlands for farms and houses.
•
Habitat fragmentation. Habitat fragmentation is where the size of bushland areas and their
connectivity with other bushland areas is reduced by clearing. Habitat fragmentation is
not good for these owls because they need very large areas of bushland if they are to find
enough food.
•
Clearing of hollow-bearing trees. Loss of hollow-bearing trees reduces the availability of
suitable nest sites and prey habitat.
•
Road kills. Owls may be hit by cars when flying across roads.
•
Poisoning from eating rats and mice that had been poisoned by pesticides.
•
Eating of young owls (fledglings) by foxes, dogs and cats.
31
What needs to be done to help conserve them?
•
Conserve and protect large areas of native vegetation, especially areas with hollow-bearing
trees.
•
Increase the size of existing forest areas or their connectivity with other bushland areas by
planting trees.
•
Drive carefully at night through forest areas.
•
Save hollow-bearing trees as well as large, mature trees that will provide hollows in the
future.
•
Limit the use of chemicals such as pesticides near owl habitat.
Masked Owl
Powerful Owl
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STUDENT INFORMATION SHEETS
INFORMATION SHEET 6E
Swift Parrot
The Swift Parrot is a small bright green and red parrot. You are only likely to see this threatened
bird within the Lower Hunter region in late autumn and winter. For the rest of the year it
lives in Tasmania where it breeds. Given that this bird migrates between Tasmania and the
Australian mainland each year it is called a ‘migratory’ bird.
You are most likely to see the Swift Parrot feeding on eucalyptus blossoms in forest, or flying
overhead in flocks. Flocks are very noisy and fast. Although they may look similar to other
parrots they can be recognised by their bright green body, red patches under the wing, thin
and long dark red tail, and the call they make while in flight.
The local Lower Hunter Spotted Gum Ironbark Forest is recognised as being very important
for the Swift Parrot. The forest provides an important food source – flowering eucalyptus trees.
Swift Parrots feed in the canopy of flowering eucalypts, eating mainly nectar, as well as lerps (a
sap-sucking bug), seeds and flowers.. Swift parrots are very noisy, active and acrobatic when
feeding, often hanging upside down. Birds roost at night in groups, often in the same tree
each night. They are almost always in trees, only coming to ground to drink.
The Swift Parrot is threatened because large areas of its habitat, both in Tasmania and on the
mainland, have been cleared for timber (forestry), farms, and houses. The Swift Parrot is also
threatened by collisions with wire netting fences, windows and cars.
The Swift Parrot is a good example of how co-operation between the States is needed to
ensure the survival of a species. In Tasmania, it is important that we protect the parrot’s
breeding and feeding habitat. In NSW and Victoria, where the parrot spends its winter, we
need to protect its feeding habitat. We can also reduce the threat of collisions in areas where
Swift Parrots are feeding by closing window blinds, letting windows get dirty, or hanging wind
chimes or mobiles in front of windows.
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Swift Parrot
34
STUDENT INFORMATION SHEETS
INFORMATION SHEET 6F
Gliders (Yellow-bellied Glider, Squirrel Glider)
The Yellow-bellied Glider and Squirrel Glider are two gliders that can be found in the forests of
the Hunter Valley region. Gliders have large membranes that extend from their wrists to the
ankles which helps them to glide from tree to tree on their nightly excursions looking for food.
They also have long bushy tails to help them hold onto to branches when climbing in trees.
These gliders live in family groups and nest in tree hollows. They feed on insects, nectar,
pollen, and sap from eucalypts and other trees. The Yellow-bellied Glider chews V-shaped
incisions into eucalyptus trees such as the Grey Gum and the Forest Red Gum to collect the
sap. You can look out for the V-shaped incisions when you visit the forests and woodlands
during the day.
Both of these gliders are nocturnal and therefore you are not likely to see them during the day
as that is when they are asleep in tree hollows. If you visit a forest during the night you may
see the gliders with a spotlight (see their reflective ‘eye-shine’) or you may hear their calls. You
can listen to what their calls sound like at the above web pages.
Threats:
•
Clearing of forests and woodlands for farms and houses.
•
Habitat fragmentation. Habitat fragmentation is where the size of bushland areas and their
connectivity with other bushland areas is reduced by clearing. Habitat fragmentation is not
good for these gliders because they need large areas of bushland if they are to find enough
food to maintain family groups.
•
Clearing of hollow-bearing trees. Loss of hollow-bearing trees reduces the availability of
suitable nest sites.
•
Frequent fire. Too many fires in the gliders habitat will reduce the availability of food
resources throughout the year and may kill family groups.
•
Being eaten by foxes, dogs and cats.
35
What needs to be done to help conserve them?
•
Conserve and protect large areas of native vegetation, especially areas with hollow-bearing
trees.
•
Increase the size of existing forest areas or their connectivity with other bushland areas by
planting trees.
•
Save hollow-bearing trees as well as large, mature trees that will provide hollows in the
future.
•
Assist in the control of foxes and feral cats. Keep domestic cats indoors at night.
Yellow-bellied Glider
Squirrel Glider
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STUDENT INFORMATION SHEETS
INFORMATION SHEET 6G
Spotted-tail Quoll.
The Spotted-tail Quoll may no longer occur in the Lower Hunter Valley region. This catsized marsupial has become ‘locally extinct’ in many areas due to the clearing of its habitat,
accidental poisoning during wild dog and fox control programs, and competition with
introduced predators such as cats and foxes. Some people may also be deliberately poisoning,
shooting and trapping the quoll..
Maybe it still occurs in the region. Have you heard or seen it? If the quoll did still occur within
the region you may stumble across a quoll ‘latrine site’. These quoll public toilets can be found
on flat rocks near rocky cliff-faces and may be visited by a number of quolls. Latrine sites can
be recognised by the ‘twisty-shaped’ faeces.
Quolls use hollow-bearing trees, fallen logs, small caves, rock crevices, and rocky-cliff faces as
den sites. A ‘den’ is a small cave or hole where the quoll sleeps during the day. They are mostly
nocturnal, although will hunt during the day. They spend most of the time in on the ground in
the ‘ground layer’, although they are also an excellent climber and may raid possum and glider
dens and prey on roosting birds in the ‘tree layer’..
The Spotted-tail Quoll consumes a variety of prey, including gliders, possums, small wallabies,
rats, birds, bandicoots, rabbits and insects. They also eat dead animals (e.g. road-kill) and will
sometimes take chickens from farms.
Females occupy home ranges up to about 750 hectares and males up to 3500 hectares and
usually travel across their ranges along densely vegetated creeklines.
Understanding where quolls live, what habitat they use within ecosystems, and what they eat
helps us to understand what threatened the quolls survival and also helps us identify what
actions may be needed to save them. Can you identify the threats to quolls in the region and
identify what may be needed to save any that may be left or what may help to make the place
suitable for quolls to live I again?
Hint: Quolls need large areas of habitat like owls, are not very good at travelling across cleared
areas like woodland birds, can be accidentally poisoned like owls, can not have enough food
because cats and foxes have eaten it all, and need a safe place to sleep.
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Spotted-tail Quoll
38
STUDENT INFORMATION SHEETS
INFORMATION SHEET 7
Wetlands
Wetlands are one of the rarer ecosystems of the Hunter Valley. An ecosystem is a community
of plants and animals living together. An ecosystem supports many different types of habitats
(homes) for many different plants and animals. Other examples of Australian ecosystems
include desert, forest, rainforest and woodlands.
How to recognise wetlands:
Wetlands are land areas covered by water some or all of the time. Some of the wetlands in
the Hunter Valley hold water all year – others dry out (although the soil remains wet) when it
hasn’t rained for a long time and fill up again once it rains. Wetlands are also called marshes,
swamps, and bogs. Wetlands do not usually have a ‘tree layer’ like the forest and woodland
ecosystems, although some scattered trees can grow in and around wetlands. Most trees are
not able to grow in the waterlogged soil. Waterlogged soil is soil that contains so much water
that there is no room for oxygen. The ‘shrub layer’ and ‘ground layer’ of wetlands supports
rushes, reeds, herbs, grasses, and other plants that are adapted to growing in the waterlogged
soil.
What lives in wetlands?
Wetlands provide important habitat for a range of plants and animals. Indeed, freshwater
wetlands are considered to support more than 40% of the world’s species. This means they
support as much biodiversity (variety of plants and animals) as coral reefs and rainforests.
Animals that live in or use wetlands include birds (e.g. Black-necked Stork), fish, amphibians
such as frogs (e.g. Green and Golden Bell Frog), reptiles such as turtles and water dragons,
and macro invertebrates such as snails, leaches, crustaceans (e.g. shrimps and yabbies),
dragonflies, water buds, and beetles. Most of these plants and animals cannot survive without
water so once the wetland is cleared or drained these water-loving plants and animals have
nowhere to live.
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Case study: Freshwater wetlands on coastal floodplains
Freshwater wetlands have been extensively cleared, drained and destroyed for farms,
houses and factories. The remaining wetlands are threatened by weed invasion, overgrazing
and trampling by stock such as sheep cattle and horses, pollution, and rubbish dumping.
Consequently, they are recognised as a threatened ecosystem. A threatened ecosystem is
likely to become extinct in the near future if nothing is done to save it.
We can try and save freshwater wetlands and the plants and animals that live in them by:
•
Protecting and managing the remaining freshwater wetlands
•
Educating the public regarding the importance of wetlands
•
Installing stormwater control mechanisms to prevent pollution and rubbish from coming in
from nearby houses and factories
•
Controlling access of cattle and other stock to wetlands by installing fencing
•
Controlling weeds
•
Fencing and protecting the native vegetation surrounding wetlands or where necessary
replanting the areas surrounding wetlands with native plants
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STUDENT INFORMATION SHEETS
INFORMATION SHEET 7A
Black-necked Stork
The Black-necked Stork is the only stork species in Australia. It is a huge bird that stands about
1.3m tall and has a wingspan of around 2m.
The Black-necked Stork is restricted mainly to coastal and near-coastal areas of northern and
eastern Australia. Throughout the monsoonal areas of northern Australia, the Black-necked
Stork is still widespread, but it becomes rarer further south, becoming increasingly uncommon
in NSW, and is now rarely seen as far south as the Hunter Valley.
It lives in permanent freshwater wetland ecosystems and feeds in shallow, still water on a
variety of prey including fish, frogs, eels, turtles, crabs and snakes. Most prey is caught by the
bird jabbing and seizing it with its large bill.
Due to loss of wetland ecosystems in the Hunter valley, the Black-necked Stork is unlikely to
breed this far south. If you were lucky enough to see a Black-necked Stork nest in the Hunter
Valley region you would be able to easily recognise it. Their nest is a large platform of sticks
and other vegetation, up to 2m in diameter, in a live or dead tree. Two to four eggs are laid and
the mum and dad take turns sitting on the eggs and then share the task of looking after the
young.
The main threat to Black-necked Storks is the loss of its wetland habitat due to clearing and
draining of wetlands for mines, farms and houses. The little remaining wetland habitat is being
degraded by pollution and weeds. To conserve the Black-necked Stork we need to conserve
the remaining wetlands. Conserving wetlands includes not only saving them from clearing
and draining but also managing them by fencing and protecting the native vegetation
surrounding wetlands or where necessary replanting the areas surrounding wetlands with
native plants.
41
Black-necked Stork i
42
STUDENT INFORMATION SHEETS
INFORMATION SHEET 7B
Green and Golden Bell Frog
The Green and Golden Bell Frog is a large colourful frog that can grow up to 10cm long.
The colour of the frog varies, usually it is a bright green on the back with blotches of brown
or gold. The call is a loud “craw-awk, crawk, crok, crok’, much like the sound of a motorbike
changing gears.
The Green and Golden Bell Frog was once one of the most common frogs along the coast and
ranges of south-eastern Australia. In the last 30 years, the frog has declined and is now only
found in isolated locations, mostly along the coast and into the Hunter Valley. They were once
found commonly along the Hunter River but are now confined in the Maitland-Cessnock area
particularly to around Wentworth Swamp.
The decline of Green and Golden Bell Frog is likely due to loss of habitat, introduced predators
such as Plague Minnow Fish and foxes, and diseases such as Frog Chytrid Fungus.
Green and Golden Bell Frogs are found in permanent swamps, lagoons and ponds with lots
of emergent vegetation, especially bullrushes. They can be sometimes be seen sitting on
vegetation during the day basking in the sun. The Green and Golden Bell Frog is bred, and can
be seen, at the Hunter Wetlands Centre at Sandgate near Newcastle.
Threats:
•
Clearing and drainage of wetlands and ponds for agriculture and houses.
•
Poor water quality
•
Use of chemicals like fertilisers and pesticides near wetland areas
•
Predation of eggs and tadpoles by introduced fish, especially the Plague Minnow Fish.
•
Predation of adults by feral cats and foxes,
•
The Frog Chytrid Fungus disease
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What needs to be done to help conserve them?
•
Conserve and protect wetlands and ponds and nearby marshy areas from clearing or
disturbance.
•
Protect wetlands from water pollution
•
Take care or do not use chemicals near wetland areas and water bodies
•
Assist in the control of foxes and feral cats. Keep domestic cats indoors at night.
•
Notify the Department of Environment and Climate Change of any sightings of Green and
Golden Bell Frogs
•
Create some frog-friendly habitat. More details from http://www.fats.org.au/publications/
pdfs/FF206.pdf
•
Leave frogs and tadpoles where they are
•
Research the other threatened frog in the area – the Green Thighed Frog
Green and Golden Bell Frog
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FIELD SITES
FIELD EXCURSION SITES
Werakata National Park
Werakata National Park is located near Cessnock in the lower Hunter valley. It is located within
the largest patch of remnant vegetation on the floor of the Hunter Valley. It is divided into
three sections around the townships of Cessnock, Abermain, Kearsley, and Kitchener.
The park has a rich history of Aboriginal occupation and more recently forestry operations.
Today it conserves a diversity of plants and animals including a number of threatened species
and endangered ecological communities, some of which only occur within the park.
Access
The main entrance to the park is via Lomas Lane which is located off Wine Country Drive.
Astills picnic area can also be accessed from Gibsons Road which is located off Old Maitland
Road. However all roads are unsealed and may not be accessible during wet weather.
Vegetation and Threatened Communities and Plants
Werakata National Park conserves a variety of vegetation types which include woodlands,
riparian forest and wetlands. The park contains 4 endangered ecological communities (EEC)
and 5 species of plants listed as threatened. The EEC that can be seen at Werakata National
Park include the;
•
Kurri Sand Swamp Woodland (refer to Information Sheet 5)
•
Lower Hunter Spotted Gum-Ironbark Forest (refer to Information Sheet 6)
•
Hunter Lowland Redgum Forest
•
Qurrobolong Scribbly Gum Woodland
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Keep a look out for the following threatened plants that can be seen in the park;
•
Dirty Gum (refer to Information Sheet 5B)
•
Tiny Wattle (refer to Information Sheet 5A)
•
Heath Wrinklewort (refer to Information Sheet 6C)
Threatened Animals
More than 210 species of mammals, birds, reptiles and frogs have been recorded in Werakata
National Park, including over 20 species listed as threatened, some of which include;
•
Owls (refer to Information Sheet 6D)
•
Gliders (refer to Information Sheet 6F)
•
Woodland Birds (refer to Information Sheet 5C)
Threats to bushland
There are a number of threats to the bushland in this area:
•
Frequent fire and arson.
•
Clearing of habitat in adjacent areas. The loss of habitat in areas adjoining Werakata
National Park may affect the viability of populations of plants and animals within the park
as their connection to other bushland areas through corridors and stepping stones are
cleared.
•
Invasion by weeds, pest animals and domestic pets, competing with native plants and
animals for resources such as food and shelter and eating native animals.
•
Rubbish dumping of garden plants and other waste that pollutes and destroys natural
habitats for native plants and animals.
•
Physical destruction of habitat through trampling of plants and changes to the landscape
by creating bike tracks.
Suggested Activities
Guided tour / walk to identify EEC, plants and animals:
•
Kurri Sand Swamp Woodland walk (2km return – easy grade);
•
Astills Trail (2km loop – easy grade)
Activities to help conserve the bushland may include planting of trees (permissibility issues
to be sorted out with NPWS prior to field excursion), highlighting threats such as weeds, pest
animals, and rubbish dumping, identification of plants and animals.
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WHAT YOU CAN DO
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP CONSERVE THREATENED SPECIES?
School Actions
Celebrate National Threatened Species Day
This Day is held on 7 September each year to encourage the community to help conserve
Australia’s unique native flora and fauna. National Threatened Species Day was first held in
1996 to commemorate the death of the last Tasmanian Tiger in captivity in 1936.
Develop a School Environmental Management Plan (SEMP)
Schools to include actions for creating and protecting biodiversity in the school grounds.
Guidelines on how to develop a SEMP can be found in the NSW Environmental Education
Policy for Schools available on the NSW Department of Education and Training website.
Organise activities for National Biodiversity Week beginning in
September
•
Ask permission from teachers and the Principal to help with Biodiversity week by:
•
Class by class, brainstorm the types of biodiversity messages needed to get across.
Each class could adopt a biodiversity theme: e.g. Iandcare, pollution, natural resource
management, national parks, remnant vegetation, native gardens, managing domestic
pets, feral animals, introduced weed pests, wildlife smuggling, bio-life cycles, genetic
resources, choose an issue, vegetation community or threatened species in your
neighbourhood (see this kit or research for inspiration).
•
Brainstorm the types of activities that will be effective ways to promote information and
understanding about the chosen theme.
•
Allocate jobs and responsibilities to groups and individuals. Don’t forget to include: venue
preparation; publicity; liaison with teachers, the Principal, parents and the community;
and, most important, evaluation. In evaluation, ask what worked? What was popular? What
caused the most debate? What was the most effective? What was too much trouble? Would
you have the day again?
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Some activity suggestions:
•
Prepare posters on biodiversity topics. Place them around the school with a speaker to
explain the poster.
•
Produce a biodiversity drama and present it during the lunch hour.
•
Arrange for outside experts to come to the school and talk on biodiversity topics
•
Appoint photographers and press reporters for the day to record the activities for
evaluation and future planning.
•
Prepare placards to hang around the school identifying products from natural resources,
e.g. chalk, paper, timber, blackboards, etc.
•
Draw a map with clues and hold a competition for the correct answers. Draw a winner from
the correct entries and present with a suitable bio-prize (e.g. a locally native tree seedling).
Create orchestral instruments from bio-things; seed shakers, leaf rustlers, water trickling
from bottle to basin, shell rattlers, and perform a piece of bio-music.
•
Prepare biodiversity statements to deliver as speeches from ‘soapboxes’ at various points
about the school.
•
Organise a biodiversity poetry competition. Winners can recite their poems at lunch time.
•
Contact the local press and arrange a photo story for them.
•
Conduct bio-tours around high and low biodiversity sites in the school grounds.
•
Prepare models of some vital ecosystems e.g. wetlands, mangroves, rainforests, oceans. Use
recycled materials to make the models - nylon stockings, cardboard, plastic containers and
packaging.
•
Construct biodiversity food web mobiles to demonstrate interconnections.
•
Create a school biodiversity mural with each class producing a section to illustrate their
biodiversity theme.
•
Have a VIP (e.g. Iocal alderman, local Member of Parliament) plant a locally endangered
native plant species in the grounds.
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WHAT YOU CAN DO
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP CONSERVE THREATENED SPECIES?
Individual Actions
•
Grow plants native to the local area in your garden.
•
Properly dispose of garden waste, aquarium and pond waste.
•
Protect local wildlife by controlling the activities of pets - for example, fitting cats with a
bell, de-sexing pets and keeping them on your property at night.
•
Purchase environment-friendly cleaning agents - for example, phosphate-free detergent.
•
Recycle or carefully dispose of packaging - rubbish can kill wildlife.
•
Make your voice heard - respond to management and planning proposals that affect
reserves and remnant bushland in your local area.
•
Join a group to help with conservation - for example, park-care groups, landcare groups.
•
Have a “minimal impact” when visiting bushlands - for example, take care with camp fires
and do not collect plants or animals.
•
Help protect marine and aquatic species - for example, by catching no more than you need.
•
Take your rubbish and garden waste to the tip – don’t dump it in the woodland!
•
Keep to the track when walking or bike riding through the woodland.
•
Join a community group and assist in their habitat protection works.
•
Enjoy, appreciate and value the woodland.
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50
THREATENED SPECIES LISTS
THE THREATENED PLANTS, ANIMALS & COMMUNITIES OF THE
HUNTER VALLEY FLOOR REGION OF THE CESSNOCK & MAITLAND LGA
This list identifies the different threatened plants, animals and ecosystems (also called
ecological communities) that live within the Hunter valley Floor region of the Cessnock
and Maitland LGA. You can find out more on each threatened species by accessing the
NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change Threatened Species Website, www.
environment.nsw.gov.au/threatspec/. At this site an information profile for each threatened
species, which shows you what they look like, where and how they live, why they’re
threatened, and what we can do to help bring them back from the brink of extinction.
Threatened animals
Common Name
Giant Barred Frog
Green and Golden Bell Frog
Green-thighed Frog
Littlejohn’s Tree Frog
Red-crowned Toadlet
Stuttering Barred Frog
Wallum Froglet
Adam’s emerald dragonfly
Eastern Bentwing-bat
Eastern Cave Bat
Eastern False Pipistrelle
Eastern Freetail-bat
Greater Broad-nosed Bat
Greater Long-eared Bat
(south eastern form)
Grey-headed Flying-fox
Large-eared Pied Bat
Large-footed Myotis
Little Bentwing-bat
Yellow-bellied Sheathtail-bat
Type of species
Amphibian
Amphibian
Amphibian
Amphibian
Amphibian
Amphibian
Amphibian
Aquatic Invertebrate
Bat
Bat
Bat
Bat
Bat
Bat
Level of Threat
Endangered
Endangered
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Endangered
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Bat
Bat
Bat
Bat
Bat
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
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Australasian Bittern
Barking Owl
Black Bittern
Black-breasted Buzzard
Black-chinned Honeyeater
(eastern subspecies)
Black-necked Stork
Blue-billed Duck
Brown Treecreeper (eastern
subspecies)
Bush Stone-curlew
Comb-crested Jacana
Diamond Firetail
Freckled Duck
Gang-gang Cockatoo
Glossy Black-cockatoo
Grey-crowned Babbler
(eastern subspecies)
Hooded Robin (south-eastern
form)
Little Tern
Magpie Goose
Masked Owl
Olive Whistler
Osprey
Painted Honeyeater
Painted Snipe
Powerful Owl
Regent Honeyeater
Rose-crowned Fruit-dove
Sooty Owl
Speckled Warbler
Square-tailed Kite
Superb Fruit-dove
Swift Parrot
Turquoise Parrot
Wompoo Fruit-dove
Brush-tailed Phascogale
Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby
Common Planigale
Eastern Pygmy-possum
Koala
Spotted-tailed Quoll
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Bird
Bird
Bird
Bird
Bird
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Bird
Bird
Bird
Endangered
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Bird
Bird
Bird
Bird
Bird
Bird
Bird
Endangered
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Bird
Vulnerable
Bird
Bird
Bird
Bird
Bird
Bird
Bird
Bird
Bird
Bird
Bird
Bird
Bird
Bird
Bird
Bird
Bird
Marsupial
Marsupial
Marsupial
Marsupial
Marsupial
Marsupial
Endangered
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Endangered
Vulnerable
Endangered
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Endangered
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Endangered
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Squirrel Glider
Yellow-bellied Glider
Pale-headed Snake
Rosenberg’s Goanna
Stephens’ Banded Snake
Marsupial
Marsupial
Reptile
Reptile
Reptile
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Threatened plants
Scientific Name
Acacia bynoeana
Callistemon
linearifolius
Eucalyptus fracta
Eucalyptus glaucina
Eucalyptus
parramattensis subsp.
decadens
Eucalyptus pumila
Grevillea parviflora
subsp. parviflora
Melaleuca groveana
Olearia cordata
Persicaria elatior
Persoonia pauciflora
Rutidosis heterogama
Tetratheca juncea
Velleia perfoliata
Zannichellia palustris
Common Name
Bynoe’s Wattle
Netted Bottle Brush
Type of species
Shrub
Shrub
Level of Threat
Endangered
Vulnerable
Broken Back Ironbark Tree
Slaty Red Gum
Tree
Tree
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Pokolbn Mallee
Mallee
Small-flower Grevillea Shrub
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Grove’s Paperbark
Shrub
Shrub
Herb/ Forb
Shrub
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Critically Endangered
Herb/ Forb
Shrub
Herb/ Forb
Aquatic plant
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Endangered
Tall Knotweed
North Rothbury
Persoonia
Heath Wrinklewort
Black-eyed Susan
Threatened ecosystems
Common Name
Coastal Saltmarsh
Freshwater wetlands on coastal floodplains
Hunter Lowland Redgum Forest
Kurri Sand Swamp Woodland
Lower Hunter Spotted Gum - Ironbark Forest
Lowland Rainforest on Floodplain
Quorrobolong Scribbly Gum Woodland
Level of Threat
Endangered Ecological Community
Endangered Ecological Community
Endangered Ecological Community
Endangered Ecological Community
Endangered Ecological Community
Endangered Ecological Community
Endangered Ecological Community
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River-Flat Eucalypt Forest on Coastal
Floodplains
Swamp oak floodplain forest on coastal
floodplains
Swamp sclerophyll forest on coastal
floodplains
Sydney Freshwater Wetlands
54
Endangered Ecological Community
Endangered Ecological Community
Endangered Ecological Community
Endangered Ecological Community
55
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