SPANISH MOSS: DESCRIBED COMMERCIALLY AS A WONDER OF NATURE BUT …
Article and photos by courtesy of Lyn Langtry
Described commercially as a wonder of nature that grows on air, Spanish Moss, also known as Old Man’s Beard or Whiskers (Tillandsia usneoides), is a threat to vegetation on which it is placed. It is an epiphyte that just hangs out, literally, on a tree or shrub gathering nutrients from the air, moisture, dust and debris around it.
If you live in East Ryde, on one side of the Field of Mars Reserve (FoM), or in Gladesville, on the other, you will have noticed a proliferation of the plant on privately owned vegetation and on Council’s street trees. You may have seen it in other areas of the City of Ryde. It is now three years since the Society first expressed its concerns to Ryde City Council and in that time the plant has been carried by wind and birds around the area and even into the FoM.
Society members have removed it where low enough to be physically possible in the FoM.
While not parasitic the plant has the potential to smother its host. The photos show how much. Unfortunately, it is not a declared noxious weed so taking action is not required by Council. However, it is apparent that more pieces of it are being plucked off trees and shrubs to be left on the nature strip or hung ‘attractively’ on privately owned trees. It continues to spread on street trees and on those in the Heatly Reserve in Sager Place. Birds like it for lining their nests and people believe it to be harmless and attractive. This combination contributed to the spread in residential streets and bushland areas.
The Society’s latest request to Council in March 2024 asked for an education campaign to be commenced in the most affected areas to inform ratepayers and residents. I reinforced this request, as the Society’s representative for natural (termed ‘landscape’ in the NSW Heritage Act) heritage on the Ryde Council Heritage Working Group when it met for the first time this year on 12 June 2024. To date no response has been forthcoming.
By contrast…
Hunter’s Hill Council has commenced a program to remove Spanish Moss from affected trees in reserves, park and street trees. So far this has dealt with half the recorded trees and Council will monitor them for re-infestation. The next round of treatment is delayed while further funds are sought and until more is understood about the regrowth and spreading potential of the plant. Meanwhile, Council is looking at designing a flyer outlining why it's a problem and this can be distributed to areas where it has been reported and/or recently removed.
City of Ryde residents are urged to support our efforts:
* Write to Council;
* Ask councillors why there has been no response to the issue following the Heritage Working Group meeting;
* When candidates ask for your vote at the September elections, ask them what they propose to do about this issue and other environmental concerns.
THINGS WE CAN DO AS INDIVIDUALS…
1. WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Mike Pulsford, from PARENTS FOR CLIMATE, suggests Letters to the editor of newspapers are a great way to make more people think and talk about issues. And sharing our experiences and concerns can encourage editors to cover these issues more. Councillors, along with state and federal politicians, also take notice of letters in newspapers. Here are some tips…
* Keep it short. Don't go over 200 words. Some great letters are just 20-50 words.
* Be constructive. Aim to get the audience on side. Funny or clever letters are more likely to be published and stick in people’s minds.
* Make just one or two key points. People read fast, so use short sentences. Avoid jargon and acronyms. Ensure your letter makes sense to people who don't know much about it.
* Make it timely. Refer to articles or letters published yesterday or the day before.
* Be relevant to the readers. Refer to local stories to illustrate why your point matters.
* Include a call to action. Ask readers to do something, such as asking for local MPs’ action.
* Try to get your letter in before noon for daily newspapers; it’s more likely to get printed.
* Include your full name, address and a daytime phone number with your letter. Papers do not print all of this information but may use it for verification.
It's often competitive but even if you don't get published, it is valuable for the editor to hear what people in their community are concerned about. We recommend sending to our local media: TWT - https://www.weeklytimes.com.au/letters/
The Village Observer: email editor@thevillageobserver.com.auThere's less competition in local print media than in the big national newspapers.
2. MAKE HABITAT GARDENING FEEL SIMPLE
Advice from Dr Holly Parsons - Birdlife Australia
Build on what you already have
You don’t need to completely start from scratch to provide wildlife habitat - add to your garden before you take away. It’s worth remembering that sometimes non-native plants, especially established trees, are an important component in your backyard. Keep an eye on things and see what gets used. If you do keep some non-native plants, ensure they are not environmental weeds in your area.
Create layers in your garden
Simplified habitat structure (like lawn with a few trees) doesn’t provide the variety of food and shelter that small birds in particular need. Simplified habitats can also attract more aggressive species. Layers of ground covers, grasses, and shrubs of varying sizes provide lots of different foods and shelter sites for small birds. Choose shrubs that are local to your area, and plants that flower at different seasons.
Go locally native if you can
If you choose locally native, or indigenous, plants for your garden will provide the best food and shelter for the birds that occur in your area. Local plants are more tolerant to your climate so they take less effort to look after. Get some at The Habitat at 251 Quarry Rd Ryde (in Santa Rosa Park) - open Wednesdays and Saturdays, 10am-3pm.
Leave rocks, branches and leaf litter
These attract reptiles and creepy crawlies to your yard - things that many of our birds like to eat.
Rocks and fallen branches provide great shelter; decaying logs and leaf litter are shelter and food.
The best ways to get bang for your buck:
Landscaping doesn’t need to be expensive. Save money as you establish a bird-friendly garden…
Start small
Plant densely in a small patch of your garden rather than spreading a few plants over a large area.
Tubestock
They may look small, but tubestock are considerably cheaper than larger plants, and will grow quickly and often establish better quality root systems than larger and more expensive plants.
Go local
Plants that are locally native to your area will be more likely to thrive in your area, and so require less attention, fertilizers and chemicals - all saving you costs. These are available at The Habitat.
Get it right the first time
Do your research before you buy – know the characteristics of your garden and find out about the types of plants suitable to the climate and soil you have. Volunteers at The Habitat can advise.
Propagating Plants
Raising cuttings and seeds is free (and addictive). Native succulents are the easiest for beginners, then move on to cuttings from any local natives that are thriving in your garden (or your neighbours, with permission). If growing from seed, be aware that natives have a variety of germinating conditions; some need heat or smoked water, while others may be sown directly.
Up-CycleYour garden can make wonderful use of scraps lying around your house and yard – an old plant saucer could be an instant bird bath; old timber can be used to make garden beds.
INVASIVE SPECIES COUNCIL – NEWS FROM ANDREW COX, CEO:
Whether stopping feral horses and deer from destroying our protected areas, galvanising action to prevent cats and fire ants from killing wildlife, or making senate inquiries really count for nature – lots of supporters are having a real-world impact for Australia’s wildlife. Together we are holding governments to account, ensuring nature gets the investment it needs to create lasting change.
Notable Wins for nature:
* $593 million in funding to combat fire ants
* Successfully eradicated yellow crazy ants from two sites in Cairns, totalling 48 hectares.
* Significant progress to protect the Alps with effective measures like aerial shooting
* Feral deer control plans now underway in various regions including Tasmania’s Wilderness World Heritage Area.
BUT…
NEWS FROM THE NATURE CONSERVATION COUNCIL (NCC)
The NSW budget document was released on 18 June. It sets out the priorities, aspirations and ambitions of the NSW Government.
The news for nature is dire. For the second year in a row, spending on the environment is down, with just 1.61% of the budget allocated to the environment.
Premier Chris Minns loves talking about how special nature in NSW is. But when it comes to delivering on his election promise of turning the tide for nature, they are manifestly failing.
It simply isn’t good enough for a government to respond to an extinction crisis this way. 1043 plants and animals in NSW are currently listed as at risk of extinction, a 50% increase in 10 years.
Our state can only support 29% of the plants, animals and biodiversity it did before colonisation.
Without significant public investment to grow protected areas, restore degraded ecosystems and support endangered species, many places that make this state so special will cease to exist.
ENVIRONMENT LAWS AND THE FEDERAL EPA – NEWS FROM THE WILDERNESS SOCIETY
Recent changes to Australia’s nature laws passed through the lower house of parliament, including a bill that establishes a federal environmental protection agency (EPA).
An EPA is desperately needed, but the version the government is trying to push through parliament is simply not up to the job of protecting nature. Its plans would let those who profit from environmental destruction control who is consulted when development projects are proposed. So, the bill fails to uphold the public’s right to a fair say in environmental decisions.
To make matters worse, the plans would establish an EPA that can only enforce the current, broken national nature laws with loopholes that allow rampant deforestation.
The Senate is the last chance for rescuing and strengthening the government’s proposed changes.
We need to show the government that Australians want laws that actually:
* Stop deforestation
* End the extinction crisis and
* Provide a fair say for communities, not just corporations.
Aiming to rescuing the proposed new laws, independent federal MPs introduced amendments that would have empowered the EPA to stop deforestation and ensure the community is properly consulted. But the government refused to vote for any of the proposed amendments.
The Senate resumes sitting in August.
THE NUCLEAR DISTRACTION – comments from The Australia Institute
the Coalition’s nuclear power strategy, an uncosted ‘plan’ offers very little detail and commits Australia to the most expensive form of new energy - eschewing cheap and abundant renewables.
The Coalition’s nuclear announcement is not about nuclear. It’s not even about energy.
It’s a deliberate political strategy designed to create chaos and uncertainty ahead of an election.
This distraction means our major political parties are fighting about renewables versus nuclear; meanwhile, no one is talking about the bipartisan support for the gas and coal industry.
$14.5 billion tax-payer funding for the fossil fuel industry
In 2023-24, Australian governments subsidised the fossil fuel industry to the tune of $14.5 billion.
And while media attention has been on the nuclear ‘debate’, the NT government has given the go ahead to the Tamboran fracking project without a full environmental management plan, and the Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has just approved a new gas pipeline in Queensland.
Gas prices have tripled since Australia started exporting liquified natural gas (LNG).
At the same time, six of our 10 facilities that export LNG paid no royalties on the gas.
All of this ensures that the planet keeps heating, perpetuating what our Writer-in-Residence for
2024, Dr Joëlle Gergis, calls an “intergeneration crime against humanity”.
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