Will Reports: Spraying and clearing weeds seeking out those pest vines that have sprung up in our plantings through December. Thanks to Paul Peychers for another lot of native plants. Some have been planted out and some potted up for the next planting season. Thanks also to Ross MacDonald and Brian Hirst for their gift of all those native plants and to Richard Hilton of TDC for his help with materials, spray and native plants. 

For us during 2020 it will be keeping the new plantings weed free, with spraying and weedeating, plus any prep work (clearing etc) nearby the table and down to Jimmy Lee Creek and planting this area during the winter. There still will be the trapping, maintenance of the tracks and such. 

The ‘Results” for 2020:

Plantings of 1330 native plants in the gully this year but probably more than that as I forgot to record them all. 

Catches of pests for 2020:

85 mice; 88 rats; 2 stoat; 1 weasel; 9 possums;  10 hedgehogs; 6 wasp nests; and 9 others. 210 pests in all. In 2019 the total pests knocked off were 188. 

 A welcome to Dougal Pollock who is interested in joining our team. He has already been helping with some weeding!

Thanks to all the team: Kevin, Bruce, Bryan, Dawn, Peter, Ross, Mike, and Alastair for your help over the year.

Kevin Reports: There are an impressive number of people passing through Grassy Saddle while we are working up there.  Sometimes it is like being in the middle of Richmond Mall (well, not quite…)  It is encouraging seeing so many out enjoying the bush tracks – keep fitters, families, young and older, locals and visitors.  Also encouraging are the comments and thanks we are getting, and the helping hand that some have given with weeding, releasing, fetching and carrying for us as they pass through.

The Grassy Saddle table is now in its new site, with great views, and we have been concentrating on weeding and releasing plants.  Grass is head-high in places, and the sneaky attempts by gorse, Old Man’s Beard, Banana Passionfruit and their allies take constant tracing and eradicating.

Bryan Riley Reports: Hi Will, Happy New Year.  Final trap line report for the year! December tally. Cheers, Byran.

Waterfall line – 1 Rat, 1 Mouse

Wilks line       –   2 Rats,  2 Mice

Bruce Harvey Reports:  Hi Will,  Happy New Year to all.

Quiet month of trapping thru December with just one rat caught, it was a big one though. Enjoying walking to the top of the hill again, and observing a quail family. Unfortunately the family seemed to get progressively smaller as the weeks went by. Cheers Bruce 

Alastair Mackintosh Reports: Hi Will. Away part of this last month which means I was not able tolook after traps as I would have liked. I might add that when goingaway, I set traps off as I do not like the thought of anything dying aslow death from thirst or whatever. Total for month: 2 hedgehogs & 2rats. That about winds the years catch. Happy New Year to all. Regards,  Alastair.

Mike Oliver Reports: For December 2020: 1 stoat and 1 mouse. 

At the Lookout: 2 rats and 1 possum. 

This months total Gully Catches:  4 mice; 5 rats; 1 stoat (a big one); 2 hedgehogs and 1 waspnest.

Thanks to all the Gully Volunteer team: 

plus thanks to; 

TDC; Ewing’s Poultry; Olsen’s & Sarah & Rick Griffin.         

And of course Pic’s Really Good Peanut Butter!