February
Constable Creek wade and walk – St Helens.
A warm watery stroll up the creek, where many ferns were identified, and a variety of other vegetation including dogwood, silver wattle, bulloak and native cherry. A Tasmanian water spider, Megadolomedesjohndouglasi, was also seen.
March
Explore Scamander River
We looked at the river’s catchment characteristics, geomorphology and social history.
April
Dorset Dredge – Gladstone
A walk through the bush to this relic of mining history. Historians and Geologists told the story.
May
Scott Bell’s devil enclosure
Scott told us how the project has progressed. Steve Cronin shared some information on many different habitat types in the area. A bonus was the chance to see a carbonised piece of pine between 20 and 23 million years old revealed by an excavator whilst digging a dam.
June
Brid River Reserve at Duncraggen Hill
A walk through a narrow Crown river reserve extending along the Brid River for 3.5 Kms. It is surrounded by State forest, and is a dry-to damp sclerophyll forest dominated by stringy bark and black perppermint, with a scattering of fine old whitegums.
September
Fern Foray, Little Chook bike trail, Weldborough
The Little Chook mountain bike trail, arguably one of the most beautiful trails in the Blue Derby network. The easy grade 6 km circuit walk, wending through a myrtle forest, is a hotspot for ferns.
October
Mt William National Park – Boulder Point
Mt William rises above a plain which is near the coast and contains heathland vegetation, grass trees (Xanthorrhoea) and black peppermint (Eucalyptus amygdalina). Three plants of special interest were observed on this walk. Dockrillia striolata (streaked rock orchid), Hibbertia aspera (rough guinea flower) and Pterostylis dubia (blue tongued orchid). A family of five or six fledgling dusky woodswallows (Artamus cyanopterus) was also seen.
November
A walk up Mount Maurice
Climbing to an altitude of 1100 metres, we saw three main types of forest: wet sclerophyll (mainly Eucalyptus delegatensis, or whitetop), mixed forest (whitetops with a predominantly myrtle understorey), and rainforest. At the summit, with it’s 360 degree view, was more flora, including Richea scoparia, a prickly plant endemic to Tasmania.
December
Diddleum Plains
The track, which started at East Diddleum, followed the route which the Camden irrigation pipeline now takes, and we were disappointed to realise that soon many beautiful manfern glades, myrtles and sassafras will have to be cleared to make way for the pipeline. The shady manfern gullies give way to the radiata pine forest, then the track meanders through mature native forest, An interesting discovery was a largeforest land snail, Anoglypta launcestonensis.
