7th April, 2019

SUMMARY & FOLLOW-UP

Bemboka River Reserve is a significant example of Lowland Grassy Woodland. On a beautiful Autumn day, the group enjoyed a relaxed and informative exploration of the northern section of this special ecological community.

We were privileged to have local botanist Jackie Miles lead us on an exploration of the 40 hectare reserve. It was Jackie who originally recognised the importance of this piece of land, and she was instrumental in its subsequent protection as a reserve.

The Bemboka Landcare Group continue to play a vital role in the management and protection of the reserve. We thank them very much for their efforts in welcoming our visit.

Scattered amongst the seed heads and curing grasses of the reserve were a wide array of fungi – so the group was able to take full advantage of Teresa’s experience and knowledge as a mycologist.

There were some insects about, but none in large numbers.

Over lunch we collected a quick sample of the river - uncovering an impressive array of insects and other invertebrates.

Below are a few more shots taken on the day.

And, yes, there are platypus in the river! We think we got a brief glimpse of one. Maybe.

Species identification & the NatureMapr database

All (non-human!) species in the photos above - and more – will be added as sightings to the Atlas of Life NatureMapr database over coming days. So if you are looking to identify things you saw on the day, to learn more about the plants and animals shown above, or if you have your own photos to add, please visit the NatureMapr site.

New to using NatureMapr and like to know more? - click here for an explanation of what it is and how you can use it.. The Atlas Naturalists Workshops are also a good opportunity to add sightings, identify species, and share ideas with other local naturalists (see calendar below).

Further information & useful resources

Details of the Endangered Ecological Community listing (OEH site ).

Lowland Grassy Woodland in the South East Corner Bioregion (Environment NSW - pdf)

Waterbug identification resources used on the day: The ID chart we used is part of the Waterbug toolkit, available here . We also highly recommend the associated The Waterbug App. This is a very helpful guide for identifying aquatic invertebrates - including larval insects such as dragonflies and damselflies. The App is free, and available for iOS and Android devices.

UPCOMING ATLAS NATURALIST EVENTS

More about waterbugs

The Special Topic for our April 12 Workshop is aquatic invertebrates … get to know waterbugs better, including an introduction to their value as bio-indicators of water quality. Further details here.

More about fungi

The Field Day on Sat May 4th is a special Fungi Field Day. We’ll be guided through the Box Cutting Rainforest by Teresa & John VDH, who will share their deep knowledge of the fungi and slime moulds integral to the health of the rainforest. Further details here.

Atlas Naturalists is an initiative of the Atlas of Life in the Coastal Wilderness. More information here