Over the next few weeks we are going to feature products from a range of Tasmania's finest photographers that have supported The Tasmania Land Conservancy with there work. Just in time for Christmas !

This week it is the work of Andy Townsend. He has two calendars featuring TLC reserves.

The Vale of Belvoir and Skullbone Plains

Over the next few weeks we are going to feature products from a range of Tasmania's finest photographers that have supported The Tasmania Land Conservancy with there work.

First of the ranks is the 2012 Wild Tasmania Calendar by Rob Blakers, Chis Bell and Grant Dixon. It features fantastic images from around Tasmania including the TLC's Skullbone Plains reserve.

You can start your Christmas shopping here.

Thank you to all who braved the wet weather for our ten year family celebrations at Chauncy Vale on the 29th October.

A special thank you to those who helped make the day a real success with guiding walks, set-up and pack-up, face painting, house tour and sign launch and gold coin donations to cover hosting costs. A special word of thanks to the Friends of Chauncy Vale and Heather Chauncy for the tremendous help before and on the day and allowing us to use the wildlife sanctuary as the venue.

Congratulations to the winners of the lucky draw book prizes - Jo McRae, Deb Wace and Josephine Korn win "Family bush walks in Tasmania's Huon Valley" and Hilary Fawcett, Sam Mulcahy and Jet Lan win "Animals of Tasmania, wildlife of an incredible island".

Saturday the 29th October proved to be wet and wonderful for the TLC 10th anniversary family celebrations at Chauncy Vale Wildlife Sanctuary and Flat Rock Reserve.

Thank you to everyone who made it happen , made it special and came along to join in the fun.

The winners of the 3 copies of the book "Animals of Tasmania" by our own Sally Bryant and Tim Squires are:

Jet Lan, Hilary Fawcett and Sam Mulcahy

The winners of the 3 copies of the book " Family Bushwalks in Tasmania's Huon Valley" by Nell Tyson and Annie Rushton are:

Josephine Korn, Deborah Wace and Jo McRae

Congratulations to you all !

Project Skullbone is an exciting initiative from our friends at the BookEnd Trust. They are currently running five-day camps with four Tasmanian school groups at the TLC's Skullbone Plains Reserve to provide students with the opportunity to learn outside the classroom as part of research projects in world-class Tasmanian wilderness areas.

You can follow the real life expeditions of students from the four schools around Tasmania- Ogilvie High School, Jordan River Learning Federation, Scottsdale High School and Ulverstone High School. A daily update is available from the BookEnds blog click here.

Dr Sally Bryant, Manager of TLC Reserves and Research says the project is a win-win. "We are very pleased to help support challenging educational opportunities for Tasmanian students, while also gaining valuable information about the conservation values of our TLC permanent reserves."

Well done Bookend Trust, project leader Andrew Hughes and all students involved.

To help support the TLC to protect other important places please support our New Leaf project here

Photo Credit: Kip Nunn

[Caption:"A perfect April morning at "the bones""]

Dear TLC supporters,

I am shortly moving on from my role as CEO of the TLC after ten years at the helm. Since being part of the founding group of the organisation back in 2001 we have already achieved so much for conservation in Tasmania and I want to thank you for your support and encouragement over that time.

I believe that Tasmania has an important global role to play. We have one of the most diverse and beautiful islands as well as one of the world's most advanced reserve systems. With careful additions like the reserves established by the TLC we can be a living example how to properly balance protection of the environment with production and economic activity.  It is really important to have a non-political, science-based, community-owned conservation organisation like the TLC to work towards that goal.

My time as the CEO of the TLC has been exciting and incredibly rewarding. I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to work on building the organisation and working with financial supporters, farmers, foresters, landowners and volunteers, and the TLC's fantastic team of staff and volunteer board to protect so many important natural places in the state. Long Point, the Egg Islands, the Vale of Belvior and Skullbone Plains stand out among the amazing places that I am proud to have been part of establishing as protected areas.

After ten years it is time for a new adventure. I am committed to bringing up my young family in Tasmania and to establishing a small business in Hobart. I will also continue to work part-time with the TLC in a project role for the foreseeable future and remain absolutely committed to the TLC's mission and vision.

I think it is healthy for organisations to refresh their leadership teams to ensure that energy remains high and new ideas can flourish. The TLC has always endeavoured to act with effective leadership and governance. Renewal of the CEO role is a critical part of any organisation's journey and it is particularly important for the transition of the founding CEO to be smooth and timely.

Jane Hutchinson is taking over as the CEO after a two-year succession plan in which she has led the fundraising team. Prior to that Jane was on the TLC's board for seven years and served as president for three of those  years. She is an outstanding skilled leader who is dedicated to conservation and to Tasmania. I am delighted that she will be the TLC's next CEO.

As well as working in a part-time capacity I intend to continue to support the TLC by providing ongoing monthly donations as I have done over many years. The monthly donations are absolutely critical to the work of a small community organisation as they provide some financial certainty particularly in the face of ongoing land management costs for the important habitats and ecosystems that the TLC now stewards.

I also intend to establish a fund in the TLC's Foundation and plan in the future to make a bequest.  These are means of providing the special lands protected by the TLC with the long-term certainty that they will need beyond all of our lifetimes, as well as building an enduring association for myself with the organisation.

I hope you will join me in considering both of these means of supporting the organisation in the long-term. I believe in the TLC as a vehicle which we can trust to enact a conservation vision for this unique and special island. The TLC's vision needs support in the decades and centuries to come and it is one that I know many people are committed to.

In closing, I want to thank you personally for your part in the TLC's work over the last decade — it has been a great journey so far and one that is set to continue into the future. I will maintain a lifelong commitment to this organisation and its conservation work and I look forward to working with you in my new role as a project officer for the TLC and ongoing supporter of the organisation.

Thanks and best wishes

Nathan Males

Tasmanian Land Conservancy

Donate Here

Download TLC newsletter Spring 2011 (30) here

[Caption:"Nathan Males and Jane Hutchinson"]

Wet weather didn’t stop 12 enthusiastic volunteers from spending their weekend helping TLC to manage the weed threat at Egg Islands Reserve in Franklin on the 6^th and 7^th August.

The Egg Islands support the largest remnant of black gum (Eucalyptus ovata) woodland in southern Tasmania. This vegetation community is both rare and endangered, thanks to its habitat preference of productive fertile floodplains. Spanish heath has invaded four hectares of TLC’s Egg Islands Reserve, and can outcompete native plants, including black gums.

After assessing the weed threats to the islands in 2008, volunteers and staff have worked hard over the last two years to control the Spanish heath infestation at the northern end of Egg Islands, which covered around 4 hectares. Having treated all of the mature plants in 2010, this year’s efforts are focussed on controlling any newly germinated Spanish heath plants, as well as removing any mature plants that we may have missed in the past.

Despite the inclement weather, everyone left with a smile on their faces, having enjoyed the work, the beautiful location and the wonderful company.

More working bees will be held at Egg Islands over the coming months – if you’d like to participate, please contact the TLC.

[Caption:"Volunteers Bill Bragg & Erica Holding pulling Spanish Heath at EggIslands Aug2011. photo: Denna Kingdom"]

A small Caring for our Country grant through the Understorey Network enabled Sally Bryant and Fiona Hume (TLC) to undertake a follow up survey of the forty-spotted pardalote on Flinders Island in July 2011. Joined by Phil Bell and Matt Webb from the Threatened Species Section DPIPWE, the team spent five days searching areas of white gum in the north and the south of the island.

Forty-spot colonies previously known on Walkers Lookout and Broughams Sugar Loaf were re-surveyed, but no birds were found. Patches of white gum throughout the Darling Range, on the track to Mount Strezelecki and at North East River were searched but no birds were found. Thankfully, the small colony identified in August 2010 in Costers Gully in the Strzelecki Range, south of Bob Smiths Gully, were re-sighted and an identical count of six birds made. While it was terrific to re-sight the species on Flinders Island, there has to be more birds somewhere, and we are determined to find them.

To read more about the work of the TLC please visit our web-site here or please donate

[Caption:"Fiona Hume scanning white gum in Costers Gully, Strzelecki Range National Park."]

[Caption:"Endangered forty-spotted pardalote Photo Credit: Dave James"]

Over the month of June we had the privilege of hosting two teams of International Students Volunteers for a week from USA and Canada to work on our Flat Rock and Long Point properties. The students volunteered time from their summer break to work in Tasmania on different conservation projects and then go on an adventure tour on the mainland.

The teams followed up on approximately 25 ha of gorse and removed 800 tree guards from Long Point. At Flat Rock they tackled broom, removed approximate 150 tree guards and made barriers on disturbed sites to encourage sediment collection and natural re-vegetation.

One of the students, Joseph Giglio from New Orleans, Louisiana said:

“This experience was extremely gratifying. We often learn about land conservation in school, however, we rarely, if ever, have the opportunity to get hands-on with helping the environment.”

The group not only helped us out, but also worked with some of our community partners: planting trees in Swansea and Stony Rise.  Getting personal with native animals while raking the grass at Bonarong Wildlife Park and removing pine trees with the NEBEN skyline conservation project at Scamander.

A big thank you to the international students for all the fun and hard work they have given to the TLC.

To find out more about our volunteering programs and how you can be involved please contact us on (03) 6225 1399, email info@tasland.org.au and visit our website for information about our work or for making a donation. TLC website or donate

[Caption:"ISV team2 June 2011 at Long Point"]

[Caption:"ISV gorse-busters at Long Point June 2011"]

[Caption:"(from left to right) Rose Boylan, Morgan Febey, Eva Kline and Kate Johnson from Devonport High School"]

As part of their Independent Project class four Devonport High School students have developed an innovative and eco-friendly way to raise money for the Tasmania Land Conservancy.

The students, Eva Kline, Rose Boylan and Morgan Febey (Year 9) and Kate Johnson (Year 10), came up with the idea of gathering empty printer cartridges from the community and selling them to the Tasmanian Printer Cartridge Company, who have agreed to purchase refillable cartridges for $5 each, and to recycle any that can’t be used.

The students met with Mr Paul French, manager of the Tasmanian Printer Cartridge Company, and negotiated an agreement with him that will provide the Tasmanian Land Conservancy $5 for each usable, empty printer cartridge the students collect.

They are presenting their plan to the school in a whole school assembly shortly, and will also be contacting local primary schools and offering to develop a collection program with them as well.

This exciting project has been developed and is being managed by the four students with only minimal supervision by their teacher, and is an outstanding example of how young people can play an important part in preserving Tasmania’s natural heritage.

Thank you girls !

If you would like to find out more about this great initiative or to donate to the TLC please contact us on (03) 6225 1399 or email us at info@tasland.org.au

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Recently one of our supporters, Stuart Smith, purchased "Snows Hill" near Colebrook through the TLC Revolving Fund. The property contains threatened black peppermint, blue gum and silver peppermint forest and provides habitat for spotted-tailed quolls, Tasmanian devils, possums, wombats and lots of birds. Stuart has now had the opportunity to continue the fauna survey of the property and says,

"The property is excellent!! Over the last few months there has been a considerable amount of rain. The ground has been damp for all that time, resulting in seemingly dead trees etc bursting with new growth. I've recorded nine more species of birds to the original list the TLC gave me, including this beautiful  Tasmanian brown falcon."

[Caption:"Tasmanian Brown falcon (Falco berigora tasmanica) : Photo credit Stuart Smith"]

In 2011 a conservation covenant was registered on private land at Ironhouse Point, through the Protected Areas on Private Land program. The property is situated at the base of Mt Elephant and provides protection for two species of threatened fern that have an extremely restricted distribution in Tasmania.

The coastal foothills of Mt Elephant in northeast Tasmania  provide a significant refuge location for conservation of threatened ferns.  In late summer, the steep coastal terrain is sometimes subject to short periods of extremely heavy rainfall that results in frequent and intense flash flooding of coastal streams (Garrett 1993). This has excised deep gullies where damp and shaded conditions exist in an otherwise dry, fire-prone landscape and provide a haven for rare and unusual species, as in the image below -  riparian forest, Old Billy Creek.

A population of prickly rasp fern (Doodia aspera) was discovered during the covenant survey by a TLC conservation officer. This is a highly significant find, as the species had not previously been recorded in Tasmania. The population is confined to the riparian forest understorey in a narrow band along Old Billy Creek that is subject to frequent disturbance from flash flooding and also less frequently by wildfire.

The Ironhouse Point protected area also supports a population of the threatened fern Blechnum cartilagineum. This species is only recorded in four geographically isolated locations in northern and eastern Tasmania.

The private landholder, Greg Unwin is a lecturer in Forest Ecosystems and in Wilderness Management at UTAS School of Geography and Environmental Studies in Launceston. His original proposal for the  protected area was based on the site’s original stand of blue gum forest and its observed value for swift parrot and sea eagle habitat. “I have always considered Old Billy Creek to be a special place for native ferns as well,” Greg said. “So I was extremely gratified when Matt Taylor of TLC identified Doodia aspera on site and advised me of these two important records as a result of his covenant appraisal. This simply added the cream to the biodiversity cake which is now protected and managed by the covenant agreement.

The regeneration of this forest site since widespread defoliation by the Scamander / Four Mile Creek fires has been prolific. Both the Doodia and Blechnum ferns and many other plant species, including young blue gum seedlings, have flourished in the wake of extensive canopy and understorey disturbance as a result of the fire.”

We are delighted to announce that on World Environment Day, Friday 3 June, TLC won two awards at the prestigious Tasmanian Awards for Environmental Excellence.  The first award was in the category of "Environmental Stewardship" for the New Leaf Project which TLC embarked upon in partnership with leading Australian philanthropist Jan Cameron.

We then went on to win the overall prize: the Ministers Choice Award.

Thank you to all of our marvellous supporters, dedicated volunteers and partners who have made the extraordinary New Leaf Project possible.

To view the award nominations and winning projects in detail please click here

We could not have achieved the permanent conservation of over 2% of Tasmania's private land without the tremendous support of all TLC supporters, volunteers and partners - THANK YOU TO ALL.

To celebrate this significant achievement, we will have a weekend of festivities and acitivites at the Chauncy Vale Reserve , adjacent to the TLC Flat Rock Reserve, on 29 and 30 October 2011.

So, keep an eye out for more information over the coming months and pop that weekend into your diary.

[Caption:"View looking south from Flat Rock Reserve"]

In May 2011 the TLC was invited to participate in the Friends School "Consuming Ethically Conference - Fair Trade Fair" in Hobart.

The 3 day conference for years 11 and 12, culminated with a Fair attracting around 360 students, including some from the primary school.

Sunday was a fun filled, activities day at Tasmanian Land Conservancy’s Recherche Bay Reserve.

It was a fantastic event with perfect weather and over 100 people  making the journey down south to visit the reserve.

Part of Australian Heritage Week 2011, with the terrific support of the Australia Government, the  celebration was the first of its type on the property since it was protected in 2006.

The reserve is of national significance - the site that Blue gums were first described scientifically by the French botanist Labillardiere who was part of the 1792 D’Entrecasteaux expedition. The land also forms the natural bookend of the beach where French scientists and Tasmanian Aboriginal people had historic friendly meetings.

With the help of the fantastic team from the Living Boat Trust and supporters Adrian Dale and Allegra Biggs-Dale, with their craft Sealegs aquila, people were ferried over to the reserve in wonderful replica whale boats before being guided on walks and having time to take in the atmosphere of the area.

In May, The Tasmanian Land Conservancy took the opportunity to engage with the community at large at Agfest 2011.

Our team of conservation staff are able to help landholders with

• biodiversity assessments,

• reserve management services,

• biodiversity offset services and

• carbon market opportunities.

If you are interested in finding out more please call us on (03) 6225 1399 or email us at info@tasland.org.au

[Caption:"Dr Sally Bryant (TLC) chats about conservation at Agfest 2011"]

Recherche Bay Open Day & Heritage Celebration

As part of Australian Heritage Week 2011 celebrations, the TLC is delighted to have the support of the Australian Government to host the public for an Open Day at our remarkable Recherche Bay Reserve. We hope you and your family and friends will join us.

What: Recherche Bay Open Day Heritage Celebration

When: Sunday 22 May 2011 from 11am – 3pm. BYO picnic

Where: Moss Glen opposite Recherche Bay in Tasmania’s Far South.

As part of Australian Heritage Week, the Tasmanian Land Conservancy will open the stunning Recherche Bay Reserve in Tasmania’s far south to the public on 22 May 2011. This is the first Public Open Day on the property since it was protected in 2006. The site is on the National Heritage List.

The land is of national significance, it is the site that Blue gums were first described scientifically by the French botanist Labillardiere who was part of the 1792 D’Entrecasteaux expedition. The land also forms the natural bookend of the beach where French scientists and Tasmanian Aboriginal people had historic friendly meetings.

No RSVP required.

For more information on the TLC and our work, please visit our website or call us on 03 6225 1399

Tasmanian Land Conservancy website

Tasmania 40°South is a magazine that celebrates all that is good about Australia’s island state.

In the latest issue there is an article about the TLC's New Leaf Project. Tasmania 40 Degrees South and its editor Warren Boyles has long been a supporter of the TLC. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Warren and his team and encourage everyone out there to get themselves a copy of the magazine.

You can read the article Here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmB9qmBZlXg

This macropod is a Bennetts wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus).  TLC TV captured video of this one ambulating along a vehicle track at Skullbone Plains.

Male Bennetts wallabies can weigh more than 20 kg and stand up to 1.5 m tall. Their black nose and paws, and white stripe on the upper lip are all distinguishing features from their smaller wallaby cousins – the pademelon.

Bennetts wallabies are abundant in Tasmania and TLC’s most recent reserve: Skullbone Plains in the central highlands is no exception.  Unlike their mainland counterparts, Bennetts wallabies have defined breeding seasons and the females give birth in late summer to early autumn.

If you visit Skullbone Plains you will surely see them.

Image: Andy Townsend

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qot1iif0_2k

Feral cats are widespread throughout the state with sightings occurring in such remote areas as southwest Tasmania and the central highlands.

This video was shot at Skullbone Plains in the central highlands a short distance from the World Heritage Area boundry.

Feral cats prefer live prey but do occasionally scavenge carrion or human food scraps. They are opportunistic predators meaning that their diet generally reflects the fauna present in the area where they live and hunt.

Rabbits are usually the staple prey in Tasmania while other food items include small mammals, birds, reptiles (particularly skinks), frogs, fish, invertebrates and even vegetable matter. Where rabbits are absent or in low numbers -- for example in western Tasmania -- the diet mainly consists of small native mammals and native birds. Unfortunately native birds well outnumber introduced birds in the diet of feral cats in most areas of the state.

The TLC will be using its new remote cameras to help with management strategies on many of our reserves.

Tasmanian Land Conservancy website

We are really excited to show you some of the new images from Skullbone Plains.

The following images are from Andy Townsend, Rob Blakers, Hillary Younger and Matthew Newton.

You will start to see more of the new images in all the TLC publications and on the website in coming months.

[Caption:"Rob Blakers"]

[Caption:"Matthew Newton"]

[Caption:"Andy Townsend"]

[Caption:"Hillary Younger"]

A group from Nature Photographers Tasmania recently spent four days chasing the light at one of the TLC’s newest reserves, Skullbone Plains.

The NPT aims to use photography to help safeguard bio-diversity and the integrity of natural systems and coordinate projects and work with like-minded organisations ( like the TLC )to further conservation aims.

After a couple of days of wind and rain the light arrived on the plains, with clear sky’s and frosty mornings the photographers had everything they needed to produce some fantastic images. The TLC values enormously the pro bono contribution by NPT and we are all really excited to see the images that resulted.

We will be posting a few here as soon as they come in.

[Caption:"Photographers Andy Townsend and Rob Blakers at Kenneth Lagoon, Skullbone Plains. Photo: Matt Newton"]

Ptunarra brown butterfly surveys at the Vale of Belvoir are underway, with the butterflies halfway through their three week flying season. Surveys completed on Monday 21 March have supported previous findings of a large population of Oreixenica ptunarra, which are endemic to Tasmania and listed in Tasmanian legislation as vulnerable. This is the second year that surveys have been conducted at the Vale of Belvoir, with assistance from volunteers and financial support from Cradle Coast NRM. Researchers and volunteers walk slowly around permanent 10m wide transects, recording how many male and female ptunarra browns that they see, as well as other species of butterflies. This work is being undertaken as part of a greater study on ptunarra brown butterflies, including an assessment of the threats to this species, which include European wasps.

[Caption:"Ptunarra Brown Butterfly at the Vale of Belvoir. Photo: Denna Kingdom"]