Welcome to the Autumn edition of Eco News, the first edition for 2011! Apologies to you our loyal readers from the team for unavoidable delays in getting this edition out, we look forward to keeping future editions back on track with the seasons!

Autumn brings with it the relief of some cooler weather after the sizzling summer, but it's not time to put your swimmers away yet! April temperatures average around a very pleasant 22 degrees and the water stays at around the same temperature so it's perfect conditions for a paddle or a dip. Why not take advantage of the fantastic walking conditions by packing a picnic and going for a stroll around Manly Dam? The gorgeous yellow Sunshine Wattle will be on full show as it flowers during this season – check out the Flora Spot below to appreciate the natural beauty of this native plant.

And some very exciting news from Council's Biodiversity Team – it has just been discovered that Warringah is actually home to a rare and threatened species of fish-eating bat! The Large-footed Myotis is a wonderfully wacky creature that uses its large feet to catch prey – have a look at the Fauna Spot below to find out more about Warringah's newest animal discovery.

Enjoy the lovely time that is Autumn and as always, tell your friends, neighbours and colleagues about Eco News. Subscription is free and open to everyone.

Waste or Wonderful?

The annual Warringah Art Exhibition, which includes Waste to Art, will open for entries from 6 June - 6 July, so get creating! Local artists are asked to create an artwork from recycled materials with the aim of challenging the way we look at waste by transforming it into imaginative artworks with an environmental message.

The Warringah Art Exhibition will take place from Wednesday 13 - 24 July, 2011 at Artfocus Gallery, Brookvale. More information will be available soon on our website.

Get inspired: view some of last year's artworks.

Winner of 2010 Waste to Art, Love 2010 by Akira Kamada

Warringah Gets a Helping Hand on Australia Day

On 26 January 2011, Warringah Council residents braved the scorching summer heat and celebrated Australia Day with the rest of the country. The Forestville event included the ever popular Rent-a-Chook, waste displays and composting and worm farming demonstrations.

Over 100 diligent community members made a commitment to protecting the environment by making their handprint in exchange for a free native plant. These colourful handprints created a big, bright, colourful banner supporting sustainability which will proudly be displayed at various Council buildings over the next few months.

Out with the Old, in with the New

At the recent Warringah Council clothes swap, residents had the opportunity to walk into a hall with a bag of old clothes and walk out with a bag of totally different outfits! The event was held as part of National Recycling Week and saw residents from all over Warringah raid their cupboards for clothes, books, CDs, DVDs and accessories they no longer needed, and swap them for something new.

Swapper Erin was delighted with her new wardrobe: "I loved it, I wish they could happen more often. It worked really well and I'm really happy with my swap." Interested in hosting your own swap with friends and neighbours? Feel free to contact Waste Education Officer Matina Psaltis on 9942 2732 or psaltm@warringah.nsw.gov.au for advice.

Warringah Home to 20 New Power-Mates

Due to the overwhelming popularity, the Library now has 20 more Power-Mates available for loan - bringing the total up to 28. The Power-Mates were made available by the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage.

The Power-Mate is the perfect tool to help you control your electricity bill. It lets you to find out the running cost of an appliance and the amount of greenhouse gas it generates. You can see exactly how energy efficient your appliances are and how much energy they use on stand-by.

These devices can be borrowed for three weeks from Warringah's four libraries - Dee Why, Warringah Mall, Belrose or Forestville.

Catchment & Coast

The Flair of the Flora and Fauna Fair

The Flora and Fauna Fair, held in Jamieson Park during January, was a celebration of Narrabeen Lagoon. The event was part of the Sydney Summerama Program which was supported by the Sydney Coastal Councils Group.

The slightly drizzly and warm conditions did not dampen the morning of free family activities, which included two live native animal shows, mask-making, tree planting and ice cream from a solar powered ice cream cart.

Parents and brave children had the chance to get up close and personal with a diamond python, a lace monitor, a tawny frogmouth and the adorable Blossom the Possum.

The event was an opportunity to reconnect with Narrabeen Lagoon and its catchment by meeting some of the wildlife that call it home, and supporting them by planting a tree that will help build their habitat.

If you value your local environment, why not take a minute every day to remember how much it gives us and find some way to give back so that future generations can enjoy what we are lucky to have right on our doorstep?

And That's a Wrap!

It has been a valuable three years but the $1.9million Narrabeen Lagoon: Creating a Sustainable Catchment project will shortly be coming to an end. Since the project began...

This artwork depicting Narrabeen Lagoon Catchment is courtesy of the CEC and Australian Government Envirofund Program. Artwork created by local Indigenous artist Jessica Birk.

Flooding in Warringah

Warringah Council invests a significant amount of resources into managing flooding in our Local Government Area, including:

Flood studies:

Council has developed a flood management program to identify and manage the risk of flooding in Warringah. This 10 year program is already underway and includes new flood studies for Narrabeen and Manly Lagoons. These flood studies will identify the impact sea level rise will have on flood behaviour.

Floodplain Risk Management Studies:

Following the completion of these studies, management options will be assessed through Floodplain Risk Management Studies. These studies will determine the most suitable and feasible options to reduce the risk of flooding. Your input will be sought for the best way to manage flooding in your area.

Managing our Lagoons:

In addition to planning, Council monitors the water level in each of our lagoons. When it rains the lagoons fill up, and once they reach a specific water level Council opens them by digging a channel in the beach to allow the water to escape to the sea. This then lowers the water level and reduces the risk of houses flooding.

Development applications:

Council comments on development applications located in the current flood extents.  This ensures buildings are suitably built and can withstand water when flooding occurs. In order to do this effectively, Council has developed a new development control plan that aims to protect people and property.

Flood Risk in Frenchs Creek Catchment - Belrose:

Warringah Council has recently received the final version of a Floodplain Risk Management Study for Belrose. Belrose is predicted to experience flash flooding in times of heavy rainfall and 208 properties have been identified to be at risk. The study has investigated options to manage the risk of flash flooding from Frenchs Creek in Belrose and will help form a plan to enable Council to implement feasible options and manage flooding in the area.

If you are concerned about flooding for your property and suburb and want specific flood advice, please feel to contact Council on 9942 2111.

Molino Stewart, a consultancy specialising in flood risk, is currently doing some research into flood perceptions in Australia. If you are interested, please take this two minute survey.

Sustainable Schools

Schools Watch their Waste

Council supported 10 local primary schools who participated in the Keep Australia Beautiful Waste Watchers program in March. The schools chose one of two modules on waste management - The Mechanics of Organics or Wide World of Waste. Both modules provided an interactive and fun way of teaching the students how to avoid, reduce and recycle waste.

Waste Watching is a fun way for students to analyse potential waste items and consider how to reduce or avoid sending it to landfill. Issues explored include correct bin usage, sorting waste, the impacts of landfill, recycling and composting. Various types of plastic were inspected, their recyclability determined and the reprocessing of all recyclables into new products investigated - young minds have brilliant imagination!

Sustainable Living

Kayaking the talk

Ten waste education officers from the Northern Sydney Region celebrated Christmas by collecting waste instead of creating it. Kayaking out to the island in Narrabeen Lagoon they found dumped chairs, surfboards and loads of plastic drink bottles and beer cans. Seeing such a beautiful environment strewn with litter was a clear reminder that waste just doesn't disappear and everybody who visits the lagoon and any reserve needs to put their rubbish in the bin or take it home with them. Well done to the waste educators for practising what they preach!

Own a Business? Get a Water Bill? BizFix Could Save you Dollars!

BizFix is a unique service from Sydney Water to help businesses improve water efficiency in their bathrooms and kitchens. By taking part in BizFix, your business can:

• reduce water use by up to 30% in bathrooms and kitchens
• save on water and energy bills
• be recognised by the community as a water efficient business

BizFix participants receive an audit by a qualified plumber, a report with recommendations on how water efficiency can be improved and a quote from Sydney Water for installation of the recommended water saving devices. Sydney Water will pay for half the cost of the audit, and half the cost of supplying and installing the new water efficient devices.

To register, call 1300 160 728 between 8.30 am - 5pm Monday to Friday or 8.30 am - 2pm Saturdays.

Bushcare News

Friends of the Bush Photo Competition

Council is looking for photos and digital images of the Friends of the Bush in action. If you've got any good snaps, enter them in the Friends of the Bush Photo Competition. There are three categories:

1. Happy Volunteers
2. Fantastic Fauna
3. Beautiful Flora

The images will be displayed at the 2011 Friends of the Bush Christmas Party, with prizes going to the best image in each category.

To enter, send as many of your best digital images to casimj@warringah.nsw.gov.au

The competition will close on 1 November 2011. For more information call 9936 2439.

Drosera spathulata, or Rosy Sundew

Focus On Weeds

Farmers Friend, Cobblers Peg or Pitch-forks (Bidens pilosa)

Farmers Friend is a commonly encountered plant on land which has been disturbed in some way, often along edges of our bush sites.

It has a rather pretty daisy type flower which is followed by a spherical head of forked seeds which we all know, because we have all enjoyed picking hundreds of them out of our socks!

This is a tenacious plant. Flowers that have been completely severed from the stem may continue to develop and actually form viable seed heads. The seeds last a very long time in the ground (10-plus years) so if you have this weed on your bushcare site, you are going to be close friends for a while.

Bidens pilosa has been around this part of the country for some time - at least since 1770 when according to plant ecologist Doug Benson, specimens were collected by Joseph banks and Daniel Solander, the naturalists who accompanied James Cook on the Endeavour.

According to Tim Entwisle from the Sydney Botanic Gardens, sorting out the true origins of Bidens pilosa would require DNA sequencing, to compare the genes of the Australian populations with those overseas, a task which hasn't been done as yet.

Until this DNA research has been carried out, we can only theorize as to whether this plant is a true weed, or just a native plant that has been favored by changing circumstances. Whatever the case, it's still no fun stuck in your socks!

Removal techniques - hand pull, or use your trowel to loosen the roots first. Bag the seed heads and remove from the site. Heavy shading or vigorous competition may help to discourage it.

References: Entwisle, Tim (2010). Talking Plants, Sydney Botanic Gardens, 24 December 2010.

Large-footed Myotis (Myotis macropus)

Recent nocturnal fauna survey work conducted on behalf of Warringah Council has revealed the rare Large-footed Myotis or Myotis macropus. The Large-footed Myotis is a small but interesting bat species and recent records at South Creek near Cromer are apparently a first for Warringah. The Large-footed Myotis is also listed as a Vulnerable species under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995.

The Large-footed Myotis is part of an order of bats known as the Microchiroptera, or microbats. Microbats are a diverse group which make up approximately 25% of Australia’s mammal fauna. In contrast to the commonly seen Fruit Bats, microbats such as the Large-footed Myotis are relatively small and rarely seen. Interestingly, microbats use barely audible ultrasonic or high frequency calls to navigate the landscape and hunt prey via ‘echo-location’. While rarely seen, some of Warringah’s more common microbat residents, such as the Gould’s Wattled Bat, can be observed after emerging from roosts just after dusk, darting through the sky in erratic flight patterns while hunting insects, sometimes around suburban street lights. The Large-footed Myotis is one of the most unique and interesting of the microbats.

Description: The Large-footed Myotis is relatively small with a head and body length about 52-56mm and weighing only 7-10g. The body fur is a grey brown with dark brown or black membranous skin stretched over their wings. One of the most interesting features is their unusual and disproportionately large feet that are equipped with sharp curved claws.

Range: The Large-footed Myotis occurs on the coastal fringe in northern and eastern Australia from the Kimberly’s in WA around to South Western Victoria.

Prey/Feeding habits: The Large-footed Myotis uses its large feet to rake the surface of creeks and pools while foraging feeds for aquatic insects and occasionally small fish.

Habitat: Large-footed Myotis usually live in colonies, roosting close to water bodies including streams, pools, rivers and reservoirs. Roosts are known to occur in hollow-bearing trees, dense vegetation, mine shafts, storm water pipes, buildings and under bridges.

Conservation: The occurrence of this species in Warringah highlights the importance of water quality (which may affect food resources) and fauna habitats within the Narrabeen Lagoon Catchment. Other threats to this species are thought to include disturbance of roosting sites (such as hollow bearing trees), clearing vegetation adjacent to waterways and the application of pesticides adjacent to foraging areas.

References:

• Churchill, S. (1998) Australian Bats. New Holland, Sydney.
• Strahan , R.(ed.) (1995) The Mammals of Australia. Reed Books, Sydney.

DECCW (2005) Southern Myotis, Threatened Species Profile. NSW Department of Environment Climate Change and Water Accessed Online, 10 January 2011 -threatenedspecies.environment.nsw.gov.au/tsprofile/profile.aspx?id=10549

This month's native plant is the beautiful Sunshine Wattle, Acacia terminalis ssp. angustifolia. The sunshine wattle is the most common subspecies of Acacia terminalis found in Sydney. As a member of the Mimosaceae family, this plant is part of the largest genera of plants in Australia.

Name: Acacia from the Greek Akis, meaning thorn; terminalis refers to the terminal flower of this plant.

Description: Once known as the Port Jackson Wattle, the Sunshine Wattle is a quick growing species and serves as an excellent attractant for a variety of birds and insects. It can be either an erect or spreading shrub that generally grows to a height of 1.5 metres but has been known to grow up to 5 metres tall. It has a noticeable gland at the base of each leaf stem which is one of the distinguishing features of this subspecies.

Range: Sunshine Wattle can be found in coastal districts in NSW as well as in Victoria and Tasmania. It is common to find this species growing in moist soil in woodland and heath vegetation communities. It could also make a lovely addition to your backyard!

Leaves: Unlike a lot of other Acacia species, the Sunshine Wattle maintains the fern-like leaf structure throughout its life that all Acacia species have at the juvenile stage of growth. The leaves are grouped into 3 - 6 pairs, each comprising up to 14 individual leaflets. These are thick, tough and hairless, ranging from 1 - 5 mm long. The top of the leaf is dark green but the underside tends to be much paler. The rare and endangered Acacia terminalis ssp. terminalis differs from the similar ssp angustifolia in that it has hairy leaves.

Flowers: Acacia terminalis can be easily distinguished by its profuse ball-shaped bright yellow flowers that often occur in clumps of between 5 and 13 individual flowers. The size of the flowers usually ranges from 4 to 12 mm wide.

Flowering Times: Flowering best in full sun or dappled shade, the Sunshine Wattle flowers from late Summer through to Winter and even early Spring.

References:

• Robinson, L (1991). Field Guide to the Native Plants of Sydney. Kangaroo Press, Pymble.
• PlantNET: New South Wales Flora Online plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au Accessed 10/1/2011
• Australian Native Plant Society anpsa.org.au Accessed 10/1/2011
• World Wide Wattle worldwidewattle.com Accessed 11/1/11

This beautiful image was taken by Sally Youdale who participated in the Youth Photography Workshop held in September 2010 at Jamieson Park, Narrabeen. This workshop was funded by the Narrabeen Lagoon: Creating a Sustainable Catchment grant and aimed to engage youth in environmental activities focused on Narrabeen Lagoon. Sally won first prize for her photo in the 'Flannel Flower Photo Competition'.