Nine volunteers took part in our BioBlitz. Credit: Matthew Newton.
Specimens were photographed, collected and packaged for later documentation. Credit: Matthew Newton.
Volunteers spent six hours exploring the landscape for potentially undocumented species. Credit: Matthew Newton.
Three volunteers take a closer look at some invertebrate-rich dam water. Credit: Matthew Newton.
Before the BioBlitz, our flora species list contained 298 entries. Now, the list is 310 entries long. Credit: Matthew Newton.
When specimens can’t be collected, a close-up photo is the next best thing. Credit: Matthew Newton.
Each of the volunteers has their own unique expertise, from native plants to birds. Credit: Matthew Newton.
Looking forward, we hope to run more BioBlitzes to contribute to better understanding The Quoin’s ecosystems. Credit: Matthew Newton.
As a result of attending the event, three volunteers later returned later to collect Pomaderris phylicifolia subsp phylicifolia seeds for the Tasmanian Seed Bank. Credit: Tasmanian Seed Conservation Centre.
Pomaderris phylicifolia subsp phylicifolia seeds were collected from approximately 150 plants across a roughly 5-hectare area. Credit: Tasmanian Seed Conservation Centre.
Date
16 November, 2023
Location
Teagardens Dam
Junction Middle
Junction North
Banksia Hill
Participants
Rae Young: botanist and owner of Lewisham farm
Lindsay Young: owner of Lewisham farm
Colette Glazik: consultant
Louise Gilfedder: botanist
Tim Rudman: botanist and Tasmanian Seed Conservation Centre volunteer
Lorraine Perrins: horticulturist and Tasmanian Seed Conservation Centre volunteer
Simon Groves: Senior Curator of Invertebrates at the Tasmanian Museum & Art Gallery
Kerry Bridle: ecologist and UTAS lecturer
Glen Bain: ecologist, Tasmanian Land Conservancy WildTracker coordinator and bird expert
Andrew Wenzel: The Quoin’s Property Manager
Karina West: The Quoin’s Head of Strategic Operations
Aim
To engage with the community, introduce them to The Quoin, and expand our understanding of the species that call the property home.
Context
As of November 2023, The Quoin’s flora species list contained 298 entries (including non-vascular and lichen species), while our fauna species contained 58 entries. Our hope was to expand these lists by drawing on a wealth of community and local expertise.
Outcomes
On November 16, nine volunteers took part in a BioBlitz, spending six hours on site, scouring the landscape, documenting and collecting specimens.
In total, 12 new flora species were identified, including bushman’s bootlace (Pimelea nivea), mazus (Mazus pumilio), small beaked hakea (Hakea microcarpa), white peppermint (Eucalyptus pulchella) and fairies aprons (Urticularia dichotoma).
There will be more to come too, but we’re awaiting the verification of a white-necked heron (a rare visitor to Tasmania/Lutruwita from the Australian mainland) and a range of invertebrates based on photos and specimens collected on the day.
Early in the afternoon, Tim Rudman and Lorraine Perrins spotted some Pomaderris phylicifolia subsp phylicifolia in a narrow valley beside the Tinamarakunah/Macquarie river. The pair, who volunteer at the Tasmanian Seed Conservation Centre (TSCC), asked if they could return to the site and collect some seeds to add to the bank.
Tim, Lorraine, Louise Gilfedder, and Adrian Pyrke have since returned to the site, collecting seeds from approximately 150 plants across a roughly 5-hectare area — some plants had not developed many seed capsules at all, some had a lot of mature seeds on them (particularly those on the higher slopes) and many plants on the bottom of the slopes still had green capsules developing. The seeds were transported to the TSCC to be cleaned and stored.
Looking forward, we hope to make The Quoin a regular seed collection site, and to run more BioBlitzes, so we can contribute to regeneration both inside and beyond our fenceline.