The Torbay Catchment Group has secured 3 years of funding through the State NRM Community Stewardship program and Federal National Landcare Phase Two via South Coast NRM (until 30th June 2019). The project will protect habitat, raise awareness and survey populations of critically endangered Western Ringtail Possums.
Included is an integrated feral predator control program which received praise by the State NRM panel stating that “This project represents an important contribution to feral animal control in Western Australia” The program includes support for the annual Torbay Community Fox Shoot, subsidised 1080 baiting training and accreditation workshops and feral animal awareness events. Support is provided to assist experienced local shooters to remove foxes and feral cats on private properties in the area and to collect fox and possum data.
Another very important aspect of feral predator control is reinstating 1080 baiting and trapping in West Cape Howe National Park, with support and in collaboration with the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation, and Attractions (DBCA).
The Torbay Catchment Group will contract Mike Butcher and his team at Animal Pest Management Services (APMS) to bait, trap and conduct camera monitoring in West Cape Howe National Park in May and October for the next 3 years. We understand the ethical treatment of all animals is extremely important and feral predator control will be undertaken in line with relevant legislation in a humane, ethical manner and with approval from DBCA. Mike has 37 years professional experience Australia-wide controlling pest animals and his methods of strategic baiting and trapping have had outstanding results.
Mike was awarded the 2014 Australasian Wildlife Management Society Practitioners Award for the management of loggerhead turtles at Gnaraloo, Western Australia, having reduced fox predation from 80-100% to zero for the past 5 seasons.
“Foxes can have devastating effects on native fauna and small livestock. We are urging all local landholders to concentrate their feral animal management during May and October to support our whole of landscape approach to feral predator control.” said Wendy Coffey (project officer) “Targeting these months will capture young animals finding new territory in autumn, and breeding pairs in spring. Strategic baiting, trapping and shooting is very effective at these times.”
The Torbay Catchment Group on the south coast of Western Australia, is a community-based volunteer organisation, whose primary focus is on protecting and restoring the health of the lands and waterways within the greater Torbay catchment and supporting a prosperous and sustainable community within the area.
For further information contact:
Project Co-ordinator
Pip Tilbrook
Available: Mon to Wed
Tel: 0439 461 591
Email: info@torbaycatchment.org.au
Photo Credit: Possum-Wendy Coffey; Fox-Sporting Shooters of WA
The Donnelly River shelters upgrade was completed on 3rd of May by Bibbulmun Track Foundation Support Volunteers.
The team stripped and de-nailed the old jarrah boards. Oiled, cut and installed all new jarrah boards, both sides. Applied second oil coat to exteriors after installation.
One of the shelters was installed with a cooking bench and transparent roof sheets were replaced with new.
The jarrah floor boards were washed and oiled, thanks to Macca and Donnelly District for supplying the timber preservation oil.
If you’ve been thinking of becoming a member of the Bibbulmun Track Foundation, then this is truly the best time! Join up before 31st May and you’ll be in the running to win a Bibbulmun Track merchandise pack valued at $150.
Plus, if you’re planning a walk in the future, take advantage of our members only Trip Planning Advice sessions (one-on-one in depth sessions either in person or via email with one of our experienced end-to-ender volunteers).
With the addition of three colourful and informative Bibbulmun News magazines during the year, and the knowledge that you are helping to maintain this amazing Track, what more could you wish for?!
Individual, family and senior memberships available - Sign up now and join our Bibbulmun family.
P.S. You’re also eligible to come along to our members & friends Tales from Other Trails night at Rosie O'Gradys, Northbridge on 27th June - $10 per person. Fun and interesting with lots of prizes, finger supper and sweets.
The Adventure Raffle is the Bibbulmun Track Foundation’s major fundraiser for the year and we need your support!
Fantastic prizes include exciting holidays and your choice of outdoor and travel gear.
100% of funds from the raffle will be used to stabilise the Track on the south coast. This will include the installation of steps or matting in badly eroded dune areas and a simple boardwalk at Conspicuous Cliffs. Due to the remote locations, just getting the materials on site by helicopter will cost $20K. All work will be carried out by our volunteers.
Growing up in Baldivis, Trevor Walley knew a low shrub whose yellow-green fruits, which he called “snottygobbles”, were sought out as bush tucker. The scientific name is persoonia saccata which is the shrub-like form and not as commonly seen as the persoonia longifolia pictured. The first popular book on Western Australian wildflowers, Emily Pelloes marvelous Wildflowers of Western Australia published in 1921, gives it the common name of ‘swottie bobs’. The next popular publication, West Australian Wild Flowers, first published by the West Australian in 1935 and running too many reprints and new editions, did not mention persoonias at all. By the publication of Rica Erickson et al’s Wildflowers of Western Australia in 1973, the whole genus persoonia was referred to as “snottygobbles’. Where did this odd name come from?
A name’s origins
Common names are part of the living, cultural heritage, reflecting ordinary people’s knowledge of the land around them. As part of getting to know Australia, settlers would have transferred familiar name to unfamiliar, but vaguely similar plants. A good example is the name ‘buttercup‘ given in Western Australia to species in the genus hibbertia, not at all related to the buttercup of Europe. But they do have golden-yellow cup-shape flowers that spangle the bush in springtime.
In the United Kingdom, yew trees have squishy fruits with a hard centre. Growing up in Wiltshire, Penny Hussey called these fruits ‘snotty gogs’ (or snotty globs’) and remembers that naughty small boys liked to put them where a girl could inadvertently squidge them—like down the neck of her blouse. The girls, of course, responded with obligatory squeals of disgust! Arriving in WA, the children would soon have discovered any squishy fruits, especially if shown them by Aboriginal friends. It is likely they simply transferred the name to their new land as an oral tradition.
Chinese whispers
Such things were not written down until much later and can change during this time, especially if they were part of the lore and language of school children. But once a name becomes formalised in a widely distributed publication, a common name ‘becomes‘ set.
So this is how we think the name snottygobble got here –via settlers’ kids. Although the plant was well known to be good bush tucker, alas no Nyoongar name—also transmitted in oral tradition—seems to have survived. Perhaps all the kids just like the name ‘snottygobble’—it is a super word—so that’s the one that remained in use.
