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30 Dec 2020 - Melissa and Daniel went out for 4 hrs to de-head thistles and cut and past gorse around the carpark and along the road. The heads were disposed of at the Bicheno waste centre.

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21 Dec 2020 - Daniel initiated a Variation Request for our ​Communities Environment Program Grant CEP79328 to include the eastern part of the access track the area of the aquitted Landcare grant.

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20 Dec 2020 - Daniel removed and cut and pasted the regrowth of Lupins over the whole site.

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17 Dec 2020 - Peter Stronach from Landcare Tasmania wrote to confirm that ou Landcare Action Grants Rd 1 project has been acquitted.

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10 Dec 2020 - Quentin and Daniel tended to the tree plantings slashing and weeding buffers around the trees. Quentin also sprayed gorse with his backpack unit.

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30 Nov 2020 - Jason Jacobi from Parks replied to Quentin having passed on his letter to John Lloyd (Director of Operations) to investigate and to make further contact with Quentin regarding the status of the road and what plans there are for repair or maintenance.

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27 Nov 2020 - Quentin wrote to Parks management re the state of the E road which provides access to the northern end of the Douglas Apsley National Park.

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26 Nov 2020 - Kez completed and distributed the AGM minutes to all members.

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26 Nov 2020 - Melissa and Daniel represented SCAGI at the AGM of the NE Bioregional Network in St Helens.

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24 Nov 2020 - A successful AGM was held a bit later than planned due to Covid-19. 10 of our members met at Aurora Beach Cottage with Cheryl Quon & Alison and Paul Peacock sending an apology.

With the minutes of the last meeting being confirmed Quentin gave his President's Report of the past years activities. The Financial Report was tabled and approved and all existing office bearers and committee members re-elected.

In the following general meeting Todd recommended and we agreed to use Habitat Nursery  for the propagation of understory plants following this years tree plantings. For the management of the Blackberry patches we decided to purchase a battery operated ground cutter.

The full minutes are distributed to the members by Kez on the 26th November.

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16 Nov 2020 - Quentin Daniel and David met at the tree planting to hand weed and mattock fresh gorse growth around the plantings. Due to the recent wet, the young gorse plants were easy to pull by hand or with the assistance of a trowel.

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15 Nov 2020 - Daniel wrote a letter of request for a Review of Granting of Water Licence 500844 Doctors Creek to MP Guy Barnett.

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2 Nov 2020 - DPIPWE decision re Water Licence at Doctors Creek. Licence has been granted as applied for by Andrew John Nugent. The licence is from 1 May to 30 Nov for the next 40 years. Only 50% of any given flow can be pumped during these winter month with a maximum daily take of 1 Mega Liter. The maximum extraction rate allowed is 20 Mega Liters per day. Any water taken under this licence must be measured and recorded by an approved non-urban water metre.

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1 Oct 2020 - Quentin assisted Tim Reid on a full day spray on the eastern side of the access track. Spot spraying new growth gorse Tim on his quad bike and Quentin on foot with the backpack unit.

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19 Oct 2020 - Quentin made contact with Ellise Dewar, DPIPWE Wild Life Biologist about a possible  Frog Survey.

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15 Oct 2020 - Received response from the Minister Roger Jaensch MP. He acknowledged our achievements and expressed his congratulations and appreciation, concluding his letter with:

"As Minister responsible for the Nature Conservation Act 2002 and on the strength of the case you have
presented, I have instructed my Department to re-assess the values of the public reserve at Seymour
against the criteria in the Act for the Conservation Area reserve class. I look forward to notifying you of
the outcome of this assessment."

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2 Oct 2020 - Daniel prepared and submitted an objection to a water licence to Andrew John Nugent from the catchment of Doctors Creek. The licence is for 95% off all available water to be licenced from the catchment and is to a person with no connection to Seymour at this time. (letter)

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22 Sep 2020 - Quentin assisted Melissa and William Fergusson with sucessfully securing a grant for the mulching of the gorse on there property next door to the wetland site.

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18 Sep 2020 - Quentin spoke to Tayla Hamlet, the project officer for the CEP grant re diverting funds to the completed Landcare Section C portion of our project. She advised that it will be ok as long as the objectives stay the same. She requires a written request with an amended map. She thought the Landcare Grant would not be classed as Government Grant as Landcare is in part privately funded. Landcare was not able to confirm.

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16 Sep 2020 - Quentin communicated with Graeme Wathen from Falmouth re assistance for a weed management project at the Creek Reserve at Falmouth. He lent them tools and dappers at the request of Peter Stronach.

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15 Sep 2020 - Received a reimbursement form from Peter Stronach, re an  incorrectly processed GSBC payment by Landcare. Quentin returned the completed form for payment of a Water Tank plus fuel for collecting plants for planting for $185.

 

3 Sep 2020 - Quentin sent an application to Minister Jaensch for the re-classification of the wetland site to be included in the Seymour Conservation Area. This was supported by the top management of PWS, the updated WMP by Daniel and Todd Dudley's contribution. 

 

28 Aug 2020 - Daniel updated our Weed and Disease Management Plan for the Gorse Eradication Strategy for Seymour Wetlands Restoration. Version 2020 update 6.

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27 Aug 2020 - Quentin delivered locally sourced seeds to Habitat Nursery at Liffey for the next round of germination.

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26 Aug 2020 - Quentin collected additional seeds for the next round of propagation by Habitat Nursery.

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26 Aug 2020 - Quentin organised with Bob Oats to fly an update of drone photography for our site. The mainly oblique aerials are included in the updated Weed Management Plan.

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22 Aug 2020 - Quentin cared for the new plantings and cut & pasted flowering gorse at different days for the odd hour or two.

 

18 Aug 2020 - Graeme Beech, Todd and Quentin had a good meeting with Jason Jacobi Head of PWS and John Lloyd Operations Manger PWS. They met at the car park and Quentin gave them a brief history of the Wetland Restoration Project and community involvement starting with Landcare Award nomination for the sand blow stabilisation in the early 1980’s to present day.  They commented on the “very professional Weed Management Plan and appreciated the large overall project aerial photo and the salt and fresh wetland poster which gave an overview of the area and what had been accomplished.

We then walked through the Restoration area, past all the newly planted trees and on down to the recently mulched unburnt gorse. With the swamp full with lots of noise from the frogs and the ground squelching with water the wetland was living up to its name. Both John and Jason were complimentary about the progress with the Project. Jason has encouraged us to re-apply to the Minister to have the area classified as Conservation Zone and has committed to back us.

 

5  Aug 2020 - Quentin wrote: Todd has advised us that it is time to consider plans for further planting in the wetland restoration area in 2021. We need to get seeds to Habitat Nursery soon to have them ready for next autumn.

We managed to get 400 trees planted this year and the Utas students are keen to return in the future to assist.

All trees are going well. Kez and I have been out three times watering and tending the trees and guards and we have so far lost 6 trees to animals and a few of the gums are looking a bit frost bitten. The recent rain may give all a boost. We have also done a few hours cutting gorse since the last working bee, keeping ahead of the flowering regrowth.

The pandemic has made it a little tricky to organise meetings and help for the follow up with the trees. We have had great turn out for the two planting days and ongoing gorse control. We still have funds available for a summer gorse spray with contractors and backpacks and will seek further funding for another round of planting next year.

It would be great to get feed back on how many trees to aim for next year. Kez and I are happy to continue with follow up work but will need local assistance if we go with more trees. Please revert with ideas on how best to proceed with the project.

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3 Aug 2020 - Kez and Quentin went out to water the the newly planted trees, while fixing some protectors and cutting and pasting flowering gorse plants.

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18 & 19 July 2020 - Thank you to all who came out over the weekend to help with the Restoration Project and to those who wanted to be here and couldn’t make it. We hope all are going well in these changing times.

(link to photo album) (link to YouTube video)

15 group members and friends came for the planting on Saturday morning and we were joined by 20 young, enthusiastic people from the newly formed UTAS Landcare Society. Many people stayed on after lunch to cut and paste gorse and begin clearing a track through all the burned & mulched gorse stalks.

 

Thanks to Paul and Allison Peacock for the water, Alan Richmond for sharpening the stakes, Peter Stronach and Evie Drinnan for organising the UTAS Landcare Groups attendance, thanks to Kez for organising the catering and all who contributed with cakes and snacks. Special thanks to Todd Dudley, our Ecological Restoration Consultant Advisor and mentor. The UTAS students benefited from his deep knowledge and passion for the work and many are enthused to visit the Scamander Skyline Tier Restoration Project, which Todd continues to work on.

 

We were fortunate to have Tasmanian artist Sue Lovegrove with us for the weekend. We first met Sue after she spent time with her colleague Adrienne Eberhard here at Seymour, working on a wetland project of their own.

Margie Jenkin from the Tasmanian Land Conservancy introduced us when Sue and Adrienne worked together to produce a book, some of which Sue shared before it was published at our SCAGI Field Day in 2019.

 

It was indeed an uplifting weekend and great to have the energy of the UTAS students, creativity of Sue Lovegrove's art, help and support of all the volunteers, good food to share and the passion and inspiration of Todd for ecological restoration.
 

Accomplished over the weekend: 100 trees planted, western side of the project area and swamp perimeter, gorse, blackberries and thistles cut and pasted, track cleared from Champ Street to beach access track passing the trees, and all 400 trees watered, followed by gentle rain Sunday evening. 

 

15 people from the UTAS Landcare group camped the night with us, and went back out for a couple of hours on Sunday morning to complete the track work and work on more gorse control accompanied by Sue, Kez and Quent.

 

During our farewell morning tea overlooking the swamp, Sue Lovegrove generously shared an overview of the lovely book "The Voice of Water" created by herself and Tasmanian poet Adrienne Eberhard. It was very special to hear the frogs and swans from the wetland & see a sea eagle flying over during that time.

https://tasmaniantimes.com/2019/12/the-voice-of-water-an-artists-book/

 

With the 'Decade of Restoration' soon to start Todd sent us the accompanying quote from Krishnamurti.

"As a pebble thrown into a calm lake creates an ever widening circle , so the action of energy in the direction of what is true, creates the waves of a new culture".

The ecological restoration of Seymour Swamp is part of that movement towards a restorative culture

https://www.decadeonrestoration.org/

Thanks and Kind Regards, Kerryn and Quentin Smith

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13 July 2020 - Todd Dudley sent us the following interesting links to the NEBN page on the EcoHealth Network website. Just Google "EcoHealth Network" then click on "EcoHealth Network Sites" and then click on "North East Bioregional Network". 

Also below is a link to a new IUCN document Guidelines for Conserving Connectivity Through Ecological Networks and Corridors where we get a mention on page 78,79

https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.CH.2020.PAG.30.en.

 

9 July 2020 - Quentin organised a round of watering the newly planted trees.

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7 July 2020 - Invitation was sent out by Quentin to join us for the second round of planting on the 18 July. An additional 100 native trees from locally sourced seeds. Todd Dudley, Ecological Restoration Consultant, will talk about the plants, seed collection and best method of planting. . This working bee will also contribute to cut and paste fresh flowering gorse.

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20 Jun 2020 - Thank you so much to the 21 people who came and helped out with the tree planting in the Wetland Restoration Project area at Seymour today, and to those who were keen, but unable to attend.
We were blessed with clear skies and managed to get 300 trees planted in three hours with a shower of rain just after we finished.       (link to photographs)
What a mammoth effort to get this task completed, everything ran like clockwork precision, and SCAGI is looking ahead to nurturing the trees & creating a little haven for flora, fauna and community to enjoy.
Special thanks to Todd Dudley for his guidance in seed collection, organising Habitat Plants to propagate the seedlings,  and coming out the day before to lay out the stakes.
Todd continues to mentor and guide our group in a quiet & inspiring way, which is greatly appreciated.
Thanks to Kez for organising the lovely morning tea and cakes and to everyone else that contributed to what was a feast.
Thanks to Jan Mary Butcher for supplying her great water tank which was just enough to see the job completed.
Also thank you to Peter Dane who arrived early to assist with distributing the seedlings and kept ahead of the quickly moving army of planters all morning.
Sincere thanks to everyone involved with the planting, a great effort by all and really appreciated, and to Habitat Plants, for the excellent job of propagation.
There were many comments on the high quality of the seedlings which we worked with.
A visit to the nursery is highly recommended. The location is beautiful, and the dedication to growing first class seedlings shines out.
Moving forward with our project, there are still over 100 plants from Seymour Seeds on hold for us at Habitat, and we are considering a second round of planting in the next few weeks for any one interested.
It has been suggested we start work on a track through the newly planted trees with some seating in suitably placed spots. Any ideas or feedback will be appreciated.
After the plant out today, there is a quiet optimism that the backbone of the gorse infestation may be in check, and the new focus on restoration of the area is both heartening and motivating.

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19 Jun 2020 - Todd Dudley travelled to Seymour to lay out the stakes for the planting locations.

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18 Jun 2020 - Quentin drove all the way to Liffey to pick up all the propagated plants from Habitat Plants for the planting working bee.

 

29 May 2020 - Tree planting working bee has been organised by Quentin, while Todd is bringing the saplings sourced from seed collected at Seymour and germinated and grown by Habitat Nursery.

The planting date has been set on the 20 June 2020, please join us at 10am Champ St near carpark.

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28 May 2020 - Quentin and Paul Peacock went out to cut and paste flowering gorse for a couple of hours.

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21 May 2020 - Quentin spent a couple of hours cut and pasting flowering gorse.

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15 May 2020 - Three neighbouring properties have joined in, to plant up to 100 trees each on their respective properties this Autumn.

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13 May 2020 - Quentin and Paul Peacock went out to cut and paste flowering gorse for a couple of hours.

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7 May 2020 - Quentin spent a couple of hours cut and pasting flowering gorse.

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1 May 2020 - Update on the extension request from Tayla Hamlet re the CEP 2019 grant. Awaiting advice from there policy partners.

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16 April 2020 - Landcare LAP Grant $100 invoiced.

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13 April 2020 - Response to Lara and Tayla from CEP 2019 repeating our request from the 5-1-2020 for a time extension for the CEP 2019 grant, including an update on activities.

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2 April 2020 - Kaylen Jorgensen BODC's new Weed Officer responded to Quentin's email and introduction to our project at Seymour. She welcomed the opportunity to meet and to support our endeavors.

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2 April 2020 - A mid project update prepared for the Landcare Action Grant was received and reviewed as "very satisfactory" by Peter Stronach.

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27 March 2020 - In the absence of Jarrod, Quentin organised Tim Reid to finish off the eastern part of the access track. They worked a full day spraying and were assisted by David Quon and Paul Peacock with the backpacks. (photo)

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17 March 2020 - Quentin organised Jarrod from GSBC to come up for another two tanks spraying.  They covered most of the eastern side of the access track with another day to go in the south eastern part of the Landcare funded area. (photo)

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8 March 2020 - It is great to see water back in the Swamp after so long and the Templestowe Lagoon open to the sea again. When the Lagoon burst open fresh water spread all the way to the south side of the point and I had never seen so much foam on the beach. It has been encouraging to see new baby Hooded Plovers on the beach during the summer. (photo)

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7 March 2020 - Thanks to Todd Dudley, Helen Preston, Michelle Mentz, Jan Mary Butcher, Peter Wall, Kez Smith, Dave Quon and Gary Langford for coming out this morning and helping with seed collection, cutting and pasting and spraying gorse. Also thanks to Benn Richardson for his help preparing the spray packs and pasting bottles ready for the day. We worked for 1.5 hours before stopping for rain. We managed most of the Champ Street verge, seed collection and made a start along the front of the wetland. Thanks also to those who sent apologies for not being able to attend. Quentin Smith

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4 Mar 2020 - Quentin sent out an invite for a working bee this Saturday on the 7th March at 10:30 am for an hour or so, meeting at Champ St car park. The plan is to cut and paste the area along Champ Street that is to be planted and around the wetland in ares of native vegetation. We will also collect seeds for next years planting if we have sufficient numbers.

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3 Mar 2020 - The second day spraying with Jarrod from the GSBC weed team on the western side of the beach access track. Thanks to Cherryl Quon for driving while Jarrod and Quentin were manning the hoses. 

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25 Feb 2020 - Jarrod from the GSBC weed team sprayed the north-western part from the beach access track with Kez driving and Quentin and Jarrod on the hoses. (photos)

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10 Feb 2020 - Warren Bretag had a good portion of his gorse mulched,  BODC had the verge of Champ St done and William Ferguson had a test plot mulched on Chain of Lagoons. It is encouraging to see the neighbouring properties tackling the gorse and we are grateful for their efforts.

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7 Feb 2020 - The far north-west corner near the Quons was mulched today by Rob.  This was the burnt remnant of the and still standing gorse stalks. Quentin did some cutting and pasting around the periphery of the mulched area and the fence line.

 

6 Feb 2020 - Rob from Tas Eco Mulching tackled the unburnt gorse to the west of the beach access track along Richards boundary. Quentin supervised and cut and pasted the fence line to Richard Cooke's property where gorse started to flower.

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3 Feb 2020 - Warren and Quentin removed the old burnt out fence along Champ Street west of the beach  access track in preparation for mulching.

 

​21 Jan 2020 - Quentin met with Polly Buchhorn BODC temp Weed Officer to inspect road verge.

 

21 Jan 2020 - Quentin sent an email to the Fergusons outlining grant opportunities for their land through Landcare and the Weed Action Fund. He also thanked them for meeting on site with SCAGI and Tas Eco Mulching the previous Sunday and welcomed their commitment.

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19 Jan 2020 - Quentin arranged a site meeting with Rob Sellwood from Tas Eco Mulching with

Warren Bretag and William Ferguson. Warren committed to mulching his patch, William committed to dealing with his patch and will decide between using Tas Eco Mulching or his own equipment.

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5 Jan 2020 - Reply to Tayla Hamlet (CEP79328 - Communities Environment Program 2019-20 - Letter of Agreement - Grant Agreement) to confirm three distinct project areas and to request an extension to the project time frame.

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