Friends of Scott Creek Conservation Park

As COVID-19 restrictions continue to ease, our activities are almost back to pre-coronavirus levels, though we continue to maintain protocols regarding social distancing, hygiene and asking that people who are feeling ill stay away until they are better. Other than the social distancing, these should have always been practiced, but we often feel obliged to continue to work or go about our daily lives despite having a bit of a cold. It’s at times like these that we realise just how silly that is – if you’re sick, make sure you don’t risk spreading whatever you have to other people.

Since getting back into the park, we have had a few interruptions due to wet weather, which has been very welcome (the rain, not the interruptions). The park is looking wonderful, with many wildflowers progressively coming into bloom and a great variety of fungi this season. The native animals are also active, from insects and other invertebrates to the lizards that are still around as things cool off, while the frogs are getting started, and the ever present birds and mammals.

As July 1st comes and goes, our State Government’s natural resource management reform is almost in place. The Landscape South Australia Act 2019 replaced the Natural Resources Management Act 2004 on that date. The previous NRM Boards have been replaced by Landscape SA Boards, with a new Green Adelaide entity established for the Adelaide region. National Parks and Wildlife SA (NPWSSA) has also been separated out from the new Boards and will be responsible for supporting National Park Friends groups such as ours.

Among other aims, the change is designed to “get back to basics”, with a focus on soil, water and pest plants and animals. After much discussion and insistence from environmental groups, biodiversity was added to this list.

We will very much miss the NRM Volunteer Support Program, which was disbanded on June 30th. This program has supported our group and many others like it across the region for a number of years. Groups received a relatively small amount of funding and equipment without having to write grant applications. We could get a few tools and safety gear, an updated first aid kit, and maybe a bit of money to engage a contractor to do some of the work in the park that is not suitable for volunteers. There was also a Volunteer Support Officer, in our case Kat Hill, to offer us advice and encouragement as we went. While there was also an NRM grant program where we could apply for additional funding, we were able to run most of our group activities using the Volunteer Support Program support. We will also miss the support offered by our local NRM District Officer, Mark Fagan, and his team. The ability to access three year work plans was crucial in managing follow-up weed control after treatment by contractors.

Weed management is a long-term process, as there is always seed and other propagules remaining in the soil after primary treatment of weed infestations. Only with persistent and long-term follow-up of weed regrowth, as the native vegetation regenerates, can we turn these degraded landscapes into the diverse native habitats in which our wildlife can thrive. While it is only early days for the new Landscape SA Boards and Green Adelaide, we can only hope that sufficient funding and resources will be provided to NPWSSA for our groups to continue to restore and preserve our parks for all South Australians, so that future generations will have the same opportunity to receive the positive mental and physical health and wellbeing benefits these parks provide, not to mention preserving the native flora and fauna which live in these special places.

Anyone wanting more information about the Friends of Scott Creek CP, or wanting to get involved, can contact us on info@friendsofscottcreekcp.org.au or visit our website www.friendsofscottcreekcp.org.au. You can also now follow us on our Facebook page where you can find up to date information about our activities, including photos of the park’s flora and fauna.

Programme of activities

August

Sat, Sun 1, 2 Bird banding
Tue 4 Bushcare
Sun 9 Bushcare
Sat, Sun 15, 16 Bird banding
Sat 22 Bushcare
Sat, Sun 29, 30 Bird banding

Members of the group at a bushcare day in the park removing the weed Erica.

A nationally endangered Chestnut-rumped Heathwren, one of two banded in the park in July.