Death in the Environment:

 Spring celebrates birth so why not think about death in autumn.

Animal: A couple of months ago a vehicle hit and killed a wombat on the side of Tindalls Lane. It was under the roadside canopy of trees and was not close to anyone’s driveway. It has undergone the process of decay in the sight of passing cars. Initial decay saw crows and foxes scavenging the body. This was followed by the bloating period with attack by maggots and beetles. The third stage of the decomposition saw the fluids and other nutrients purge out on to the surrounding ground killing vegetation immediately around the carcase. This process deflated the remains to a flat mat of fur and bones. The current state of the dead animal is the advance decay which will leave just the skeleton. The spilled nutrients will create new life in the area. Nothing is lost.

Vegetable: On land adjacent to the new highway the contractors have placed many large logs adjacent to the alignment fencing where they will decay. In some places they have left large dead trees standing like ghosts at a safe distance from the traffic.  These may be considered ‘eyesores’ by the passers-by many of whom come to Berry because of its natural beauty. These dead trees, however, can be nesting or perching places for birds and local fauna. They will decay and be eaten by wood borers and termites. New life will be created.

Mineral: These processes have been going on in the Berry area for literally millions of years. Fossil collectors in the Broughton area have found many large numbers of Brachiopod in the exposed strata along a Creek in Broughton Vale. These are mussel like Marine animals from the Late Permian. 260 million ago this Broughton formation was a Near-Shore Marine and Volcanic environment, part of the Southern Sydney Basin. It was part of the Gondwana continent and was situated at the present day position of Ross Ice Shelf. The density of these fossils in the rock indicates that they were an extremely fecund species that has been overwhelmed by a cataclysmic volcanic event.

Working Bees for May 2018:

Alexandra Street Parkcare: 9-11 am Friday 18^th: Gail Paton 44487915.

Bong Bong Road: 9-11am Sunday 13^th: Julia Woinarski 4464 2084.

Broughton Vale: 9-11am Sunday 6^th: Kelvin Officer 0427 255417.

Bundewallah Bushcare: 3-5pm Sunday 27^th: John Clark 44643911.

Camp Quality: 9-11am Sunday 20^th: Hugh Sheil, hugh.sheil@realtimecom.com.au or Jeanne Highland 4464 1271.

David Berry Hospital: 2-4pm Saturday 19^th: Leslie Pigott 44643241.

Mount Coolangatta: Nola Barker. Mobile 040944-6418, nolajbarker@live.com.au. Time to be advised. Meet at end of Roxbrough Rd, Far Meadow.

Mark Radium Park: 9-11am Friday 25^th: Sue Seldon

Princess St. Parkcare: 9-11am Monday 28^th, Terry Oades 44643651.

Tindalls Lane: 9-11am Sunday 13^th: Jim Jefferis 4464 2988.

Plant identification service: Please contact Harvey Blue 4464 1880 or Ian Parker, 4448 6359.

Visit our pages at:  http://www.landcare.nsw.gov.au/groups/berry-landcare for more on Berry Landcare and late changes to working bee details. Information can also be found on Facebook.