Volume 38 - Spring 2023

iNaturalist- citizen science at your fingertips

First-time users of the popular citizen science app iNaturalist are routinely amazed when species are reliably identified from their hastily taken, blurry snaps.

Thanks to modern technology, these days it is not necessary to haul around expensive cameras and well-worn field guides to record the natural world around us, though of course, that still has its place.

This free, ready-made smartphone app is easy to use. If you know how to take a photo and send a text message, iNaturalist will not demand much more of you.

There are many benefits to using iNaturalist; you can contribute to threatened species recovery, browse locally found species and get involved in global projects. With the camera on your phone at the ready, you can contribute data on threatened, data deficient, or invasive species.

Simply take a photo or two and the app will make suggestions on what it might be. When verified by experts, records are made available for use in scientific research.

For budding naturalists, browsing photographs of well-known species can be very rewarding and help them to identify species in the future, and even those who are more experienced can help out the community by browsing and offering positive identification to unknown records.

You can also explore your local area or reserves prior to visiting and find out what has already been recorded there by other naturalists. With over 150 million observations you are sure to find something in your neighbourhood.

Many organisations are now turning to iNaturalist for their own programs due to its ease of data capture and being able to set up their own projects.

Why not try out the app by recording and submitting observations for the upcoming Great Southern Bioblitz from 24-27 November? Even observations of common species like magpies and kangaroos are valuable records.

If you’re interested in participating in a Bioblitz group focused on observations within the City of Whittlesea, why not become a member of the Wild Whittlesea group. Once you have signed up to iNaturalist search for ‘Wild Whittlesea’ under the projects tab.

At the time of writing, notable observations for the municipality include169 Eastern Grey Kangaroo, 32 Echidna, 18 Wedge-tailed Eagle and 17 Gang-gang Cockatoo, among many others.

Spring is the perfect time to give the app a go with plenty of plants in flower and animals becoming more active. Everyone can be a Citizen Scientist.

Click here to visit the iNaturalist webpage for more information and download the app for free on your smartphone. 

To get involved in the Great Southern Bioblitz 2023 click here.

I want to buy livestock or a horse- what next?

You’ve just purchased a rural property and decided to buy some stock for your property and/or a horse for weekend trail rides. You go to the local saleyards or contact a local breeder to explore the options. Do you buy cattle or sheep? What breed of horse do you buy?

Purchasing and owning livestock can be exciting and daunting for the first-time owner and can be a big decision that requires multiple steps to ensure you are meeting your legislative obligations.

Before purchasing any stock, you must apply for a property identification code (PIC). A PIC is an eight-character alphanumeric code allocated by Agriculture Victoria that assists with traceability for market and consumer confidence or for a biosecurity outbreak.

It is also used for emergency relief and recovery activities in the event of a natural disaster.

This code is required for any property on which you graze or keep the following livestock, even if the livestock are not yours and are on agistment: cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, alpacas, llamas, deer, horses, camels, more than 50 poultry, more than ten emus/ostriches.

It is also recommended to have a biosecurity management plan (BMP) for your property if keeping any of the livestock mentioned above. This plan can help to protect yourself and any visitors to the property from animal diseases and outbreaks, as well as protecting your property from unlawful trespassers.

For further information or assistance with understanding your obligations, you can send our Industry Development Officer, Agri-Food and email or call on 9217 2170.

Visit the Agriculture Victoria website for more information on PICs and BMPs- click here 

Gorse Bitter Pea (Daviesia ulicifolia)

Bitter peas, parrot-peas and bush-peas

Do you know how to tell the difference between the Western and Common Golden-tip? How about the difference between the Red and Showy Parrot-peas?

These plants, along with many others, belong to the Pea family and are in a subgroup with distinctive red/brown and yellow flowers, which are sometimes collectively called the egg and bacon plants.

City of Whittlesea, together with Beveridge landowner and naturalist Suzi, have produced a booklet detailing the egg and bacon pea plants of Whittlesea. Suzi became interested in this group of plants while researching which plants might grow well on her property and increase understorey diversity.

Suzi began to photograph different plants and decided to create her own booklet.

She has very generously provided text and photographs to City of Whittlesea which we used to create our own booklet which has recently been published.

The booklet contains photos and descriptions of 19 different species across eight genera including: Bossiaea, Daviesia (the Bitter-peas), Dillwynia (the Parrot-peas), Eutaxia, Gompholobium (the Wedge-peas), Goodia, Platylobium (the Flat-peas) and Pultanaea (the Bushpeas) all of which are indigenous to Whittlesea.

Having our new pea plant guide in your pocket could be exactly what you need to identify the types of peas on your property or during your next bushwalk.

This booklet will be the fourth in a series which includes: Wattles of Whittlesea, Eucalypts of Whittlesea and Small Mammals of Whittlesea.

If you would like a hard copy of the new Egg and Bacon Pea booklet, or any of the other booklets, send us an email.

Apply now for the Environmental Works Grant Program 

The City of Whittlesea’s Environmental Works Grant Program is currently open for applications until 30 November 2023. The program can fund a range of activities on rural properties greater than two hectares including plants for revegetation, nest boxes for wildlife, environmental weed control, fencing of vegetation and farm dams.

To apply online, click here

Artistic impression of BirdNET-Pi project by Kara Lascaris, age 14

Automated tracking of bird calls

The City of Whittlesea is a haven for both local and migratory bird species and one of our rarest visitors is the threatened Swift Parrot. This parrot migrates from breeding grounds in the forests of Tasmania to various parts of southeastern Australia and there’s only around 2000 individuals remaining in the wild.

They have been observed in various part of the municipality including Plenty Gorge and other conservation reserves and private properties where their main food source is flowering gums. Many enthusiasts log their observations via mobile phone apps such as BirdNET and iNaturalist.

The creators of BirdNET have introduced an innovative tool known as BirdNET-Pi, a compact computer designed to automatically record and identify bird species based on their distinct calls. The tiny computers have been programmed to recognise up to 3000 different bird calls.

The information can be used by Australian researchers and the public to monitor populations of different bird species. The data is then published to BirdWeather.com.

BirdNET-Pi’s have already been installed at sites in Bundoora and South Morang and the City of Whittlesea would like to install more BirdNET-Pi computers on land adjacent to remnant forests and waterways, to help build a more detailed map of birdlife in the area. In turn, we hope this increased knowledge about our local birdlife will encourage greater community involvement in environmental activities, such as treeplanting, to enhance bird habitat.

If you think you have lots of diverse bird activity on or around your property, please contact Council and ask how you can get involved in the BirdNET-Pi project.

We’re also here to assist you in identifying your local birds through tried and tested methods like utilising a quality pair of binoculars or a camera with a good quality zoom.

For more information or to get involved please send us an email 

Artichoke Thistle are a serious weed 

El Niño- a chance to get on top of weeds

Spring is here and the annual weeds are starting to get ready to flower and set seed. With an El Niño forecast declared, now is the time to get ahead of the curve with any weed issues you may have on your property.

If there is very little rain over summer, making progress on Artichoke Thistle and other annuals means there will be less chance of outbreaks well into autumn next year.

The flipside is that plants are smart and if they sense the rain is going to dry up, they may try to flower and set seed more rapidly before the end of spring. Therefore, try to get the jump on Artichoke Thistle and those other seasonal annuals before they get the jump on you.

Gorse is now in flower across the municipality so from now to December is a good time to start controlling this insidious and rather spikey weed. It can be difficult to control, so consider using a contractor, referring to Council’s fact sheets or contacting the Victorian Gorse Taskforce for further advice.

Towards the end of spring will be the best time to tackle any Blackberry infestations you might have. Chances are, if it’s hot and dry by the end of December, the plants will go into defensive mode and be less receptive to herbicides and you may have missed your opportunity.

Every weed requires years of sustained management so take advantage of El Niño to get any of your weed problems under control.

For advice on managing weeds, contact Council's Rural and Environmental Planning Team via email or visit our website

For further advice visit the Victorian Blackberry Taskforce website or Victorian Gorse Taskforce website

Spring is the time for fire preparation

Preparation for the fire season is a critical part of managing rural land and it is the responsibility of every landholder to clean up overgrown grass and cut fire breaks on their property.

Properties with fuel loads that are poorly managed can allow fire to spread rapidly, contributing to property damage and possibly even loss of life. Fuel load refers to the amount of flammable materials, such as vegetation, dead leaves, dry grass and other organic matter on your property.

The main factors in increased fire intensity and spread are the fine fuels such as grasses, leaves, bark and twigs smaller than the diameter of your little finger.

During the fire season, Council’s Fire Prevention Officers will inspect every rural property to ensure the risk of fire is minimised. Fire Prevention Notices may be issued if they determine that fuel loads need to be reduced. Council recommends that all grass is kept maintained for the duration of the fire season and this will usually require the slashing of grass around the perimeter of your property to a defined width.

We acknowledge that meeting these requirements may be difficult for farmers trying to maximise standing feed for livestock and preparing for hay making. If you are issued a Fire Prevention Notice and you intend to graze or cut hay, you must contact Council to discuss.

For the past three years we have had a La Niña weather system which has brought above-average rain and cooler summer conditions. The return of El Niño this season will result in hotter, drier conditions, triggering a busy fire season this year.

Council will progressively slash all rural roadsides under its management during the fire season, with progress updated daily on Council’s website.

Please note, as of 1 July 2023 the following main roads will no longer be managed by City of Whittlesea and will be slashed by VicRoads contractors: Epping/Merriang Road, Donnybrook Road, Wallan Road, Plenty Road, Whittlesea-Yea Road.

Contact your local CFA for more information on preparing for the fire season or visit the CFA website 

For updates on roadside slashing, search "fire prevention" and for VicRoads responsibilities search "road maintenance" on our website