Summing up the very successful “What’s Sleeping in Your Swamp?” wetland field day
Last Friday, the 13th November 2015, about 20 people from took part in our workshop entitled What’s Sleeping in Your Swamp? Attendees came from a wide range of backgrounds, and many groups and organisations were represented including Parks Vic, Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority, Friends of Yatmerone, Hamilton Field Naturalists.
Heading out to Scale Swamp (Photo: J. Bain)
First stop of the day was Scale Swamp, where Lachie spoke about the site history, restoration techniques used, the importance of simplicity in recreating a functioning system, and the need for a variety of complementary wetland types in the landscape. Dunkeld Pastoral staff were also on hand to add landholder perspectives on the economic considerations which go into such a wetland restoration project.
Flora hunting at Scale Swamp (Photo: J. Bain)
Following on from there, Michelle spoke about wetland plant response types and how they are affected by restoration and grazing regimes. Michelle is very familiar with the site having conducted a study on the site’s seedbank before restoration when it was part of a cropped paddock. A ramble around the site provided the opportunity to add several entries to the list of flora species known at the site – a great result illustrating the inherently changing nature of wetlands.
Cath showing several new species for the site (Photo: J. Bain)
The group then headed on to the second site visit of the day, Yatmerone Swamp Wildlife Reserve, where Friends of Yatmerone member, Dave, explained the history of the spring-fed site and the management actions the group has been involved in since its creation in 2009. A period of botanising nearly doubled the native species list of the reserve!
Michelle donned waders for some serious wetland flora investigating at Yatmerone (Photo: J. Bain)
Thanks very much to all who attended, and especially to our speakers Lachie and Michelle, and to Jan Bain for sharing her fantastic photos with us.
Mike and Cath delving deep in the Yatmerone (Photo: J. Bain)
Liz and Marcel enjoying a chat over lunch (Photo: J. Bain)
(Photo: J. Bain)
