Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater

Water Sensitive Farm Design

2012-01-29T12:10:00.002+11:00

The Water Sensitive Farm Design pilot program through Melbourne Water provides financial assistance and advice to land mangers to undertake on farm works that keeps soil and nutrients on farm and out of waterways. The innovative pilot program is part of Melbourne Water’s River Health Incentives Program. The program has been designed to improve on-farm management practices and support increased productivity, while helping to improve the health of waterways for the benefit of the broader community.

The program is available to eligible land managers in the Woori Yallock catchment, however, flexibility exists for opportunities for landholders outside of these target areas. Funding is available for a range of works on farm up to $40,000 on a cost share basis

For further information please refer to the website

Or contact Clinton Muller 9235 2111 clinton.muller@melbournewater.com.au

Your input needed - public submissions close 20 February 2012

2011-12-21T18:27:00.003+11:00

Have your say about public land and biodiversity in the Yellingbo area

The Victorian Environmental Assessment Council (VEAC) has been asked by the State government to provide advice on the biodiversity and ecological values on public land near the Yellingbo Nature Conservation Reserve, identify threats and opportunities in relation to these values, and make recommendations relating to appropriate management arrangements. More information including a map of the public land in the investigation area can be found here.

VEAC is receiving public submissions until 20 February 2012.

Your feedback is important and you may wish to:

make a formal submission
post your comments and ideas in the community online forum.

This investigation is the result of over 6 years of lobbying by local environmental groups and a positive outcome will be vital for the long-term conservation of this area - home to the critically endangered Helmeted Honeyeater and endangered Leadbeaters Possum.

Please help us spread the message.

2011-12 breeding news

2011-11-22T11:27:00.003+11:00

We are currently recording the highest number of breeding pairs of Helmeted Honeyeaters in Yellingbo since the 2004/2005 breeding season; 17 (there may be a couple more pairs to confirm too!). 15 fledglings have been confirmed (but one disappeared quickly). A family group has also been spotted in a 'new' section of the reserve. Healesville Sanctuary's captive breeding program also reports that 8 of the Sanctuary's 13 pairs have bred, which is a terrific result too!

The breeding season extends into February, so we are quietly hopeful of a good breeding season.

With a little help from our friends...

2011-11-17T19:01:00.002+11:00

It's so nice to get some feedback isn't it?! This email arrived today:

Dear Sue and Bruce, Michelle and the friends group

Now it's coming to the end of the year we just wanted to say a big thanks for having us at the reserve and giving us the opportunity to get some experience with the planting days and in the nursery.

We have had an amazing time and have thoroughly enjoyed coming up to the reserve.

Our work at the reserve was a real advantage with our job interviews at Parks Victoria and Parks were really keen to hear about our involvement with the friends group.

Now that we have our Summer Rangers positions we are going to miss coming up to the reserve every week but we're really keen to continue volunteering in the new year.

Big thanks and we look forward to seeing you next year.

Tina, Jayne and Rachael

Looking for a great way to help your local community and yourself at the same time? Check out how you can get involved?

Can we go over the bridge?

2011-11-05T16:06:00.005+11:00

Floods, floods, floods. 2011 & 2012 have been years of flooding in Yellingbo Nature Conservation Reserve. After 45 mm of rain in the Dandenong Ranges, Jack and Sean checked out the impact downstream in Woori Yallock Creek. Pretty significant! Usually 3-4 metres wide, Woori Yallock Creek was over 30 metres across in some places! A day later, the creek was back to 'normal', revealing revegetation areas that didn't show any worse for wear.

Find out more about why Yellingbo is a special place here

Image: Jack and Sean really wanted to explore the other side of the bridge.
Photographer: Jan Tardif

Vale Harold Johnson 2-1-1921 to 22-5-2011

2011-09-03T18:05:00.005+10:00

REG Johnson, who returned from flying duties in World War II to become the Victorian

government's chief cartographer and draughtsman and then played a leading role as a

conservationist and environmentalist, died at the age of 90, still sharing his vast

knowledge with students.



He gave his time unstintingly to community work, and obstacles were minor hiccups.

Victoria's bird emblem, the helmeted honeyeater, owes its official status to Johnson,

who was the convener and blistered-hands shovel man of a group dedicated to restoring

degraded creek land at Silvan in what was a remnant of the bird's original habitat.



For years, Johnson and his wife, Kathleen, and co-members of the Bird Observers Club

of Australia lobbied governments to halt private clearings on public land, and coaxed

politicians to see this elusive bird, with its erectile helmet, still nesting in the

area. Eventually, government funding meant additional land could be bought along

creeks, leading to the establishment of Yellingbo Conservation Reserve. Many of the

indigenous eucalypts there today are

Johnson's plantings.



The helmeted honeyeater's existence and status remain precarious, but no one did more

for its chance of survival than Johnson. For him, the protection of public land was a

moral obligation. On one well-known occasion in 1969, when Henry Bolte's government

announced its intention to subdivide the Little Desert into farms, Johnson was

instrumental in forming a coalition of concerned groups to save its fragile

environment with its vulnerable species.



It was Johnson's encyclopaedic knowledge of the environment and his vision of

enhancing natural habitats that led to Land for Wildlife. The initial response from

officialdom was tepid, but he persistently trod on toes in a gentlemanly fashion

until politicians and bureaucrats agreed that wildlife habitat on private land would

diversify gene pools. Johnson and the nature writer and amateur ornithologist Ellen

McCulloch, OAM, jointly ensured the launch of Land for Wildlife, which is now a

national undertaking with thousands of participating properties.



Excerpt taken from: The Age. Date: 02/09/2011. Page: 18

2011-12 Helmeted Honeyeater breeding season

2011-08-25T19:17:00.003+10:00

Keep checking in for an update.

24/8/11.
They're off to an early start out in the wild at Yellingbo. 2 pairs have eggs and 4 additional nests are being built.

Guest speaker - Peter Menkhorst

2011-08-20T21:12:00.000+10:00

AGM
Guest speaker - Peter Menkhorst, Chair of the Helmeted Honeyeater Recovery Team

Sunday 4 September 2011
12 noon start (lunch at Robert Eadie Pavilion)
2pm AGM (theaterette)
3.30pm finish

Venue: Healesville Sanctuary - free entry with your paid up membership. Join now to take advantage of this great offer.

Review of the Reintroduction Strategy is underway

2011-08-20T20:58:00.005+10:00

Much has been learnt about the Helmeted Honeyeater over the 22 years a Recovery Plan and captive breeding program has been in place. 2011 marks the start of a major review of the reintroduction strategy.

Some interesting snippets:

Definition of success of captive bred released birds? Greater than 40% survival to 12 months after the release.
Birds were making use of burnt habitat within 10 months of the Black Saturday bushfires
Females never settle in their natal colony
With habitat loss being a major issue for long-term survival, we cannot rely on conservation measures on public land being the sole answer. Private landholders play an important role

Breeding season has started

2011-08-12T22:27:00.003+10:00

It seems like such a short break between breeding seasons for the Helmeted Honeyeater. July sees the birds in full swing establishing and defending their territories. Now that we're in August, nest building and courtship behaviour is hotting up both in the wild and in the captive breeding program. how long before the first eggs and nestlings? Stay tuned.

Image: Courtship behaviour of a Helmeted Honeyeater pair
Photographer: M Serong

Radio tracking is re-established in 2011

2011-06-05T11:47:00.005+10:00

Through Briony Mitchell, an Honours student from Monash University, radio tracking of the May 2011 captive bred released birds has been a possibility. Briony reports that 5 of the 11 birds were predated subsequent to the release. Two of these were seen to be taken by a small hawk, probably a Sparrowhawk. Another two birds are 'missing'.

Though this is disappointing, the results aren't surprising. We know that larger birds are a serious threat to small birds. When there's only a handful of Helmeted Honeyeaters in the wild, any predation is a set back.

As Peter Menkhorst, Chair Helmeted Honeyeater Recovery Team, observes "That is one reason we need large numbers of releasees for re-introductions to succeed."

The true positive coming from the radio tracking is that we can say for certain what has happened to these releasees rather than speculating. It gives the Recovery Team much more knowledge when planning for future releases.

Thanks Briony.

Image: Briony preparing to track the releasees (L), A Helmeted Honeyeater with transmitter (R)
Photographer: Emma Campbell

Sunday 5 June: World Environment Day

2011-06-04T18:44:00.001+10:00

What are you doing on World Environment Day or anytime after that...?

For a few ideas on how to get involved in the conservation of Victoria's threatened species, take a look here or here

Bouncing back with the rains?

2011-05-29T17:33:00.008+10:00

20th May 2011. An exciting and significant observation happened at Yellingbo when at least three Helmeted Honeyeaters were spotted in swamp habitat that the birds had become 'locally extinct' from for almost two years. A colony of up to 11 breeding pairs once existed there prior to its extinction. It has been suspected that the extinction from this area had been due to habitat decline associated with drying of the floodplain. It is unknown at this stage whether the group of Helmeted Honeyeaters were temporarily using or genuinely re-colonizing the site. Hopefully, habitat at this site has recovered sufficiently to support a breeding colony of Helmeted Honeyeaters once again! Overall, 46 individuals have been recorded at Yellingbo sites in recent months.

International Day of Biodiversityhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

2011-05-23T15:39:00.004+10:00

What did you do for International Day of Biodiversity - 22 May?

If you missed it, don't despair. Any time is a good time to take action for biodiversity. Check out a whole range of ideas here

Or if you're looking for a planting day on various Fridays during May-September 2011, look here

Be part of the solution

2011-04-15T22:22:00.003+10:00

For endangered species we are both their greatest enemy and their only hope.

These wonderful creatures will not argue their case.
They will not put up a fight.
They will not beg for reprieve.
They will not say goodbye.
They will not cry out.
They will just vanish.

And after they have gone, there will be silence.
There will be stillness.
And there will be empty places.
And nothing you can say will change this.
Nothing you can do will bring them back.

Source: Bradley Trevor Greive, Priceless: The Vanishing Beauty of A Fragile Planet

Habitat loss is the major reason species become endangered. We are gearing up for our revegetation and plant propagation activities now. Find out more about how you can take action with us today. You'll be warmly welcomed.

Seeking Volunteers - Supplementary Feeding Program

2011-03-26T17:34:00.006+11:00

The Helmeted Honeyeater Recovery Program has been running since 1989. It is one of the longest running recovery programs for a critically endangered species, the Helmeted Honeyeater - Victoria's avifaunal emblem.

We are currently seeking interest from new volunteers able to assist with the important role of supplementary feeding a colony of Helmeted

Honeyeaters at either Yellingbo NCR (near Woori Yallock) or Bunyip SP (near Gembrook or Tonimbuk). Feeding occurs daily (weekdays and weekends) and each feeding activity takes roughly between 2 - 4 hours, but many volunteers often take longer if they are enjoying their visit into the forest.

Volunteers tasks will include:

preparing supplementary feed

walking into forested areas to supply feed at designated feeding stations

recording birds observed and adding to data sheets

cleaning up feeding equipment

These tasks can be undertaken as an individual or in pairs/small group.

As a small amount of training is required it is hoped that volunteers will be able to participate for a minimum of at least 5 sessions over a year with a preference for being willing to take on a more permanent feeding shift either weekly, fortnightly or monthly. As our current group of more permanent volunteers often have to take a day off here or there; being on a volunteer "on call/backup" list is also very useful if this suits your situation better.

Joining the Friends of Helmeted Honeyeater group would also be beneficial but is not a requirement. For more information visit

Note: a 4WD is required to access the parks and supplementary feeding areas.

For more information or to register your interest please contact Bruce Quin, the Senior Ornithologist for the Helmeted Honeyeater Recovery Program. E-mail: bruce.quin@dse.vic.gov.au
Mobile: 0412 576 646

Image: Supplementary feeding at Yellingbo
Photographer: S Tardif

How long do Helmeted Honeyeaters live?

2011-03-21T11:56:00.003+11:00

It's a common question when we're out and about talking to groups. How long do Helmeted Honeyeaters live?

Well, hot off the presses is this news from the Helmeted Honeyeater Field Ornithologist:

"Delighted to re-find our oldest known bird (swp) on 16/3/11! He hatched on the 18/11/94. So, we know that a male Helmeted Honeyeater can live for at least 16 years and 4 months in the wild at Yellingbo. We have had other males and females live to about 15 years at Yellingbo."

Go swp!

Yellingbo State Emblems Park: Minister speaks for its establishment

2011-03-05T11:57:00.003+11:00

Good news! Read James Merlino MP's full statement in the 1/3/11 Hansard (the record of parliamentary debates).

In part it reads...

State emblems park: establishment
Mr MERLINO (Monbulk) — I raise a matter for the attention of the Minister for
Environment and Climate Change. The action I seek is that the minister proceed with the
creation of a new state emblems park in the Dandenong Ranges. I represent a very special part
of Victoria. .... This is the sole remaining natural habitat of the helmeted
honeyeater... As representatives of this region we need to ensure that our state emblems survive and flourish. ... The issue is that at the moment the management of the land in which these special animals live is divergent — the land is fragmented.... A new state emblems park would create a coordinated series of nature reserves under one park management system with a total area of approximately 5000 hectares. Other benefits would include the ability of volunteer and friends-of groups, such as the Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater, to coordinate their
activities and to secure grants from the three levels of government and philanthropic
organisations, and then those resources could be distributed right along the corridor. .... I commend this issue to the minister and request that he proceed with plans to create this new park. It is the single best thing that we can do to ensure the survival of our state emblem endangered species.

Ethical Paper Pledge

2011-03-04T13:28:00.004+11:00

Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater have joined the Wilderness Society Australia's call and signed the Ethical Paper Pledge, asserting our commitment to sustainability and the environment by not purchasing Reflex Paper until its producer, Australian Paper, stops sourcing from native forests.

The production of woodchips for pulp and paper is the largest driver of forest destruction in Australia. At a time when viable alternatives to native forest logging exist - Australia currently has an excess of plantation wood available - there is no excuse for Australian Paper to be sourcing paper from the destruction of our native forests.

Native forest logging damages crucial wildlife habitat. It also damages water catchments and releases huge amounts of carbon into the atmosphere - globally, logging accounts for almost 20% of all greenhouse gas emissions.

It is International Year of Forests in 2011. Both individuals and organisations can support the cause by signing the Ethical Paper Pledge.

Landholder funding opportunity

2011-02-15T11:23:00.006+11:00

Great news for landholders in the Woori Yallock Creek sub-catchment. Does your property border Yellingbo Nature Conservation Reserve, Kurth Kiln or another significant reserve in the region? Yarra4Life, a major project of the PPWCMA that the Friends are key stakeholders in, has just announced new funding for habitat protection and conservation projects to assist local landholders. The project will prioritise landholders that work together with their neighbours. The project will run until 2013. See this article for more details and contact Adam, Yarra4Life Project Coordinator, to find out more on 8781 7900.

Food, plants & people. A healthy combination

2011-02-04T17:26:00.008+11:00

We have a great life at the Friends! Take 23 Sept 2009 for example. A day in the outdoors with a group of interesting people that you've never met before but you know really well after a couple of hours, planting over 3,000 habitat plants for threatened species. What could be better? Well, add in lunch delivered to the reveg site and morning & afternoon tea before and after the event, and... I'd say pretty confidently... life couldn't get much better!

A number of groups, individuals and organisations got together to make it all happen. Check out the details here

Image: Habitat planting day at Yellingbo Nature Conservation Reserve
Photographer: Yarra4Life program

Mid Jan & plenty of activity in the field

2011-01-23T17:50:00.005+11:00

It's been an interesting year for the Helmeted Honeyeater Recovery Team. The Yellingbo populations are holding their place on the globe (they tend to stay put in the general area they're released or wild born) and they're breeding well. The Bunyip State Park populations are proving more challenging to keep track of. They seem to be finding richer pastures than the release sites - somewhere - whilst making an occasional visit back to where they were released! Different individual birds are being seen intermittently at sites well away from the release sites, including areas that had been burnt in the Feb 2009 fires. Not exactly what was expected, but, the ultimate aim is that the birds find their own way in the world and establish colonies. Perhaps this is nature telling us people aren't that good at choosing the best habitat for them.

Meanwhile, we are still seeing breeding activity with 3 known pairs currently sitting on nests at Yellingbo and new fledglings just joining the population at Bunyip State Park. How luck are we to be part of this fantastic program? Want to find out how you can help?

Image: A typical Helmeted Honeyeater nest
Photographer: S Tardif

2011 - International Year of Forests

2010-12-23T16:15:00.005+11:00

The United Nations General Assembly declared 2011 as the International Year of Forests to raise awareness on sustainable management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests.

We look forward to doing our bit through our education programs and volunteering efforts to celebrate people’s action to sustainably manage the world’s forests.

We'd love you to join us! The best way to start is to drop in to our community nursery at 1217 Macclesfield Road, Yellingbo (Melways reference 305 G11) on any Tuesday or Thursday throughout the year. Our nursery volunteers are on deck from 10am-1pm and would love to talk to you about the volunteer roles the Friends are involved with including plant propagation, planting, school talks & bird surveys to name just a few. BYO lunch to enjoy together at 1pm. We provide morning tea. See you there!

NB. We are closed on days of High Fire Danger.

Yellingbo State Emblems Park - next steps

2010-12-17T18:32:00.002+11:00

Not quite the outcome we planned on.... but the Yellingbo State Emblems Park Alliance of which the Friends are a founding member, look forward to working with The Hon. Ryan Smith, MP (Minister for Environment and Climate Change) and the new Victorian State Government to progress the Park. More on this as things develop...

A step closer - Yellingbo State Emblems Park

2010-11-20T15:30:00.008+11:00

Environment and Climate Change Minister Gavin Jennings announced at Yellingbo Nature Conservation Reserve on Thursday 18 November that a future Brumby Labor Government would examine ways to create a new 5000ha State Emblems Park in the Dandenong Ranges to help protect endangered species. It is proposed that the park would be called Yellingbo State Emblems Park.

The YSEP interconnects high biodiversity public land in the Woori Yallock Creek catchment, using existing streamside public land without acquiring any new land. The existing uses of the public land involved will not be affected by the creation of the proposed Park.

Why do it?

The creation of a single Park will rationalise the current confused mixture of public land tenure and management arrangements, streamlining the complex regulations that apply on the many different parcels of land. Currently there are a range of public land managers, Dept. of Sustainability & Environment, Parks Victoria and local Councils.

A number of existing reserves located within YSEP's boundaries are home to a range of significant fauna and flora species including Helmeted Honeyeater, Leadbeater's Possum, Emerald Star Bush, Sedge-rich Eucalyptus camphora Swamp, Powerful Owl, Swamp Skink, Dandenong Freshwater Amphipod, Slender Tree Fern, Southern Sassafras Cool Temperate Rainforest Community, Pomaderris eliptica, Lace Monitor and many more. These species however are often contained within 'islands' in the landscape, restricting their dispersal into other conservation zones. Coordinated management of the YSEP will create a much improved environment for these species to adapt to change.

Thank you to members of the Woori Yallock Creek Park Alliance for their commitment to this project over many years. The Woori Yallock Creek Park Alliance is a collective of Community Groups primarily within the Woori Yallock Creek Catchment. They include:

Friends of Helmeted Honeyeater Inc
Meander-A group caring for the Menzies Creek and Emerald Tourist Track Inc
Macclesfield Landcare Group
Monbulk Landcare Group
Johns Hill Landcare Group
Friends of Sassafras Creek
Friends of Wrights Forest
Friends of Hoddles Creek
Cardinia Environment Coalition
Upper Yarra and Dandenongs Environment Council
Friends of Leadbeater's Possum

Our thanks also to Member for Monbulk James Merlino and Member for Gembrook Tammy Lobato for their support of this proposal.

Thank you

2010-09-27T19:34:00.005+10:00

Without our volunteers Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater would not be able to achieve what we do. Our sincere thanks go to the many people who have helped us this year in our community nursery, our school planting days, our community talks, as committee representatives, as Helmeted Honeyeater supplementary feeders and the myriad of other activities Friends are involved in. Thank you.

Images: Over 5,800 habitat plants were planted at 2 recent corporate planting days in September 2010. Thanks to Zoos Victoria staff & volunteers, NAB staff, Swinburne TAFE CLM students, Deakin University Environment Group and RACV staff for their time & enthusiasm.
Photographers: Sue Tardif & Mark Krause

Eastern Yellow Robin nestlings

2010-09-13T20:17:00.004+10:00

How lucky are we to have spotted a family of Eastern Yellow Robins on a walk through Yellingbo Nature Conservation Reserve today? The wet weather has not dampened parenting instincts. Has it heightened it?

Image: A Millipede was the food of choice for this nestling
Photographer: Bruce Tardif

The floodplain is living up to its name

2010-08-07T16:57:00.006+10:00

Winter 2010 has been a great season for the Yellingbo Nature Conservation Reserve.

After consistent rain we postponed a planned planting day with Macclesfield Primary School on 5 August. At one time during the morning we doubted our decision. The sun was out. The rain had stopped.... but a walk to the site showed we made a good call!

Gumboots haven't been needed too often in the past few years so a quiet time of reflection was in order.

Revegetation is a major priority for the Friends. Read more here

Image: Woori Yallock Creek floodplain 5 August 2010
Photographer: Sue Tardif

Spotted on the web

2010-07-09T22:52:00.003+10:00

Below is an email we received recently from a teacher after our Google alert 'found' a presentation posted by one of her students. The power of the web. Thanks Britt & Sarah for spreading the message about threatened species.

Hi FOHH,

I thought you may be interested in a couple of posts following a threatened species project I did with my Year 6/7 Science students at:

http://hawkesdale.globalstudent.org.au/2010/06/08/friends-of-the-helmeted-honeyeater/

http://brittgow.globalteacher.org.au/2010/05/28/our-threatened-species-projects/

http://www.slideshare.net/brittgow/helmeted-honey-eater

Sarah was very grateful to receive the newsletter and postcard from your members - it really is delightful when students get feedback from the 'real' world and when they know that the work they do is relevant and connected to the community.

Thanks Again, Britt G
Hawkesdale P12 College

Bob Anderson OAM

2010-06-25T10:05:00.007+10:00

Our very own Bob Anderson (President, Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater) was recently recognised when he was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list. He was interviewed by Michael Cathcart on Radio National's Bush Telegraph. You can listen to the interview here

Image: Bob plants some orchids in the Friend's nursery display garden
Image: Sue Tardif

28 birds released - it's a record!

2010-05-16T16:52:00.005+10:00

Six birds released into Yellingbo Nature Conservation Reserve on 6 May 2010 added to 22 released into Bunyip State Park two weeks earlier.

DSE’s Senior Field Ornithologist Bruce Quin said: “Before this release, there were only about 40 Helmeted Honeyeater's left at Yellingbo Nature Conservation Reserve, with 40 more at Bunyip. The release site was chosen to give the new birds the best chance of survival,” Bruce said, "with ideal swamp and stream-side vegetation and a permanent water source. A major aim of bolstering the Yellingbo population is to diversify the birds gene pool. With the new releasees mixing with wild birds, the Helmeted Honeyeater population at Yellingbo is critical in maintaining a long-term, healthy outcome for the sub-species as a whole.”

Of the 12 captive-bred birds released last autumn in Yellingbo, we can still account for 7. This is a fantastic result and we are hoping for a similar one this year.

Image: Bruce and Bob release birds. A 'hands free' method of release will occur from 2011
Image: Iain Stych

Microchips vs leg bands - monitoring Helmeted Honeyeaters

2010-04-05T18:25:00.002+10:00

We are often asked during our community education talks why we don't use microchips instead of leg bands to monitor the Helmeted Honeyeaters in the wild. It's a good question. So good in fact that Healesville Sanctuary are currently undertaking a trial to determine whether it's a viable option in the future.

Read more here: http://www.zoo.org.au/Conservation/Research/Wildlife_Reintroduction/Microchip_Trial

Thank you - another reveg plot is possible

2010-04-05T18:16:00.003+10:00

Our recent fundraiser - Rochford Winery movie night - raised $320. The Friends sincerely thank Rochford Winery for making the night possible, Healesville Sanctuary who advised us of the opportunity and those families who came out on a mild balmy night to enjoy Up with us. The Friends will use the dollars raised to pay a fencing labourer to erect a revegetation plot designed to exclude feral animals, in particular feral deer on the Woori Yallock Creek arm of the Yellingbo Nature Conservation Reserve. Habitat plantings have proven to be 95% successful using this methodology. Thank you.

Movie fundraiser - Up - Rochford 12 March 2010

2010-02-19T16:26:00.002+11:00

Outdoor movie night - ‘UP’ on a big screen at Rochford, Yarra Valley

Date: Friday 12 March 2010.
Time: Gates open 7pm. Movie starts at dusk

From the creators of Finding Nemo & Monsters Inc comes this pixar animated movie that draws
together the most unlikely duo on an Uplifting adventure of a lifetime. Carl, a retired balloon
salesman and Russell an enthusiastic Wilderness Explorer meet some wonderful characters on an adventure that helps protect a rare 13 foot tall flightless bird.

Just like Carl and Russell in Up, the Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater believe that individuals can make a difference to the plight of our state emblem, the beautiful but endangered Helmeted Honeyeater, along with the myriad of plants and animals that co-exist with it.

Come along & enjoy Up under the stars of the Yarra Valley.

• Cost: $10 adults, children under 12 FREE. Tickets at the gate
• BYO chair or rug, warm clothes, food & drink (no BYO alcohol). Food & drinks, including alcohol, can be purchased at the venue
• Event proceeds rain, hail or shine – come prepared
• 50% of the proceeds of this movie night go to the Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater to improve their nursery facilities & ensure a reliable water supply over the critical
summer months.

Venue: Rochford Winery, Corner Maroondah Hwy & Hill Road, Coldstream. Melway 277 D9

Rochford Wines is proud to support the Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater through the hosting of this community event

Yarra4Life Woodlands & Biolinks Project - funding available

2009-12-31T12:54:00.007+11:00

Expression of Interest for landholders has opened for this project that aims to protect, improve and increase the extent of woodlands and biolinks in the Woori Yallock Creek sub-catchment.

Offering generous incentives to landholders to undertake activities such as fencing for stock exclusion, weed control, woodland and wildlife habitat enhancement and strategic revegetation.

Another complimentary target of the project is to create biolinks between the Yellingbo Nature Conservation Reserve and the other nearby environmentally significant reserves i.e. Kurth Kiln Regional Park to the south east, the Yarra Ranges National Park and Warramate Nature Conservation Reserve to the north and the Dandenong Ranges National Park to the west. This is to support and protect the threatened populations of wildlife – especially the Helmeted Honeyeater and Leadbeater’s Possum.

Applications are now open for Round 1 (closing 28 February 2010). More details and an application form at http://www.yarra4life.com.au/opportunities/landholders.aspx

Yarra4Life Woodlands & Biolink Project is funded by the Australian Government through Australian Government ‘Caring for our Country’ and the Judith Eardley Save Wildlife
Association.

Image: Map of project boundaries. See the website (above) for more details

Friends end of year Members’ Day

2009-11-09T13:52:00.001+11:00

Date: Sunday 29 November 2009
Time: from 12 noon
Meet at: 1217 Macclesfield Road, Yellingbo, VIC. 3139 (Melway: 305 H10)
BYO: Food and drink. BBQ facilities will be supplied, along with tea & coffee.
Activities: Enjoy the surrounds and hear the latest about the Helmeted Honeyeater breeding season. An optional walk after lunch for those who are interested will be organised.
RSVP’s would be appreciated by email heho1@optusnet.com.au or phone 5964 8341 and leave a message. We hope to see you there.

Survey results - I came across this website...

2009-11-09T13:43:00.004+11:00

The results are in for our latest Blog survey - I came across this website... From a total of 15 responses:
A. By accident - Nil
B. Search engine - 8 responses
C. I know someone involved in the group - 2 responses
D. Someone told me about it - Nil
D. I am a Friends of HeHo member - Nil

Annual Helmeted Honeyeater Survey Bunyip State Park

2009-11-09T13:41:00.002+11:00

Date: Sunday 22 November 2009
Time: 8.30am arrival for 9am start. Finish at 3.30pm
Meet at: Tonimbuk Hall, Tonimbuk Road, Tonimbuk (approximately 7.5 kilometres north of Princes Freeway). Melway ref: Map X912 grid S5/T5.
BYO: lunch, drinking water, binoculars, compass. Dress for the weather - hat, but rain jacket and gumboots may be a good idea. Toilets available at Tonimbuk Hall.
Agenda: We will be surveying areas of Bunyip State Park and its surrounds that we don't spend a lot of time in, looking for Helmeted Honeyeaters. This work is critical to the success of the Helmeted Honeyeater Recovery Program, so you’re assistance is valued. Orientation will be provided on the day.
RSVP's are essential to help in planning for the day. Please contact Bruce Quin (DSE Ornithologist) on 5954 4010 no later than Sunday 15 November. Please leave the name/s of people attending and daytime contact number/s. If you have a 4WD available, please advise Bruce.

Image: Surveys are a great day in the bush
Photographer: Dean Ingwersen

Survey results - why do you access this website?

2009-07-25T15:47:00.002+10:00

The results are in for our latest Blog survey - Why did you access this website? From a total of 24 responses:
A. I love birds - 7 responses
B. Research - 7 responses
C. Mistake. Not interested - Nil
D. Interest in environment - 7 responses
E. Looking for a way to get involved - 4 responses

Thank you. This helps us tailor the website further.

Prickly Currant-bush & school children

2009-07-25T15:25:00.007+10:00

It continually surprises me what children connect with when we're talking to them about the Helmeted Honeyeater and its habitat. Prickly Currant-bush, Coprosma quadrifida, is one of those things. Why? If you have some ideas lets us know.

Do they relate to it being a great place to get away from predators? Do they like the idea of a hiding place being a source of food as well? Hmmm... Anyway, we received some fabulous letters and pictures from Warburton Primary School students after their recent revegetation day at Yellingbo. We hope you enjoy looking at them as much as we have!

How long do HeHo's live?

2009-06-23T22:49:00.005+10:00

We're often asked this question. On 7/06/09 at Yellingbo a 14 years and 7 months of age male was spotted. How do we know? He was banded as a young bird & his hatch date recorded. Members of the HeHo Recovery Team tell us that this makes him the oldest known-age wild Helmeted Honeyeater.

8/1/10 - he's been spotted again by the Field Ornithologist, making this bird 15 years and 2 months old.

The Friends 20th b'day

2009-06-14T18:17:00.008+10:00

23 May 2009 was a great day. The sun shone, the speakers & displays were really interesting, the guests were happy, the food was great and the depot shed on Woori Yallock Creek was full. Thank you to everyone who has been involved with the Friends over their 20 year history - our members and partner groups are vital!

Image 1: Bob Anderson President FoHH, Karina Cartwright Healesville Sanctuary, Mick Kealy Parks Vic, Bruce Quin DSE cut the cake as representatives of the Helmeted Honeteater Recovery Team's Operations Group at Friends 20th bday May 23, 2009
Photograph by: S. Tardif

Image 2: It was standing room only at the Friends 20th bday.
Photograph by: S. Mitchell

The Friends turn 20 - 23/5/09

2009-04-04T17:43:00.005+11:00

On 23 May 2009 the Friends turn 20. Have you been involved with the Friends in the past and lost contact? Now may be a great time to renew that relationship. Download our membership form here , send it in and we'll make sure you receive an invitation to the Friends 20th birthday celebration.

Image: SP Ausnet staff spent the day planting HeHo habitat on a previously grazed section of the Woori Yallock Creek arm of Yellingbo Nature Conservation Reserve.
Photograph by: S. Tardif

Invitation to Members Day - 22 March 09

2009-03-06T18:54:00.003+11:00

Members Day for the Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater starts at 11am at the Rangers house, 1217 Macclesfield Road, Yellingbo. We will start with a talk by Rupert Baker, Senior Vet at Healesville Sanctuary, followed by a BYO picnic or BBQ lunch, and the unveiling of a plaque at our nursery to commemorate the contribution Steve Craig made to the formation of the Friends in 1989.

Not a member but would like to attend? You can join on the day!

All welcome.

Animals affected by bushfires - a practical way to help

2009-02-16T12:14:00.004+11:00

The Judith Eardley Save Wildlife Assoc. have notified us that they have started an appeal for all animals, birds etc burned and injured in the Feb/Mar 09 Victorian bushfires. JE have started the appeal with $100,000 and are asking for donations to be made either:

at their shop, The Judith Eardley Save Wildlife Centre, 193 Maroondah Highway, Healesville, Vic
or at the Commonwealth Bank Healesville, BSB 063689, Account no. 1020 1157

If you're wondering about a practical way to help... this could be it.

Fire threat to Helmeted Honeyeaters - Healesville Sanctuary captive-breeding population

2009-02-08T12:32:00.002+11:00

Emergency procedures have been activated for the threatened species area at Healesville Sanctuary. We can report that the captive breeding population of Helmeted Honeyeaters are safe and have been transported to Melbourne Zoo. Other threatened species evacuated are the Mountain Pygmy-possums, Orange-bellied Parrots and Tasmanian Devil.

Fire threat to Helmeted Honeyeaters - Tonimbuk population

2009-02-07T17:35:00.004+11:00

The Recovery Team have been working actively with DSE over the past few days in regard to the current fire near Tonimbuk in Bunyip State Park. Control lines have been put in place. In case of fire burning critical habitat or reaching the birds, potential actions to best support the population have been determined. We can report that the Helmeted Honeyeater release sites are safe at this time.

The good news story on the re-introduced population of Helmeted Honeyeaters at Tonimbuk ... the 2008-09 spring-summer has been the most successful breeding season yet. More details soon.

Helmeted Honeyeater Christmas Campaign

2008-12-02T14:44:00.004+11:00

Lost for ideas for that hard to buy for person in your life? ZoosVictoria have developed a HeHo Christmas card to plant seeds of hope for Helmeted Honeyeaters! The purchase of 1 HeHo Christmas card will restore 1 square metre of habitat for the Helmeted Honeyeater and give a gift of hope for a future filled with wildlife and wild places.

Through the HeHo Christmas card campaign we hope to raise awareness about the plight of the Helmeted Honeyeater, provide a convenient method to contribute to the conservation of the species and raise enough money to restore two revegetation plots within Yellingbo Nature Conservation Reserve. 100% of the funds raised go directly to this project.

Cards are $15.00 each. To purchase, please contact Margaret Harwood at Melbourne Zoo on 03 9285 9462 or Andrea Burgess at Healesville Sanctuary on 03 5957 2850.

More information at http://www.zoo.org.au/heho

Education through art

2008-10-20T17:17:00.011+11:00

Yellingbo and Macclesfield Primary School students are currently exhibiting work at Karwarra Australian Plant Gardens' Wildlife Art Exhibition. The theme - Endangered Species and their Habitat. You'd never guess HeHos are critically endangered by the number displayed at Karwarra at the moment! Also depicted are Leadbeater's Possums, Powerful Owls and many more species of the bush. On exhibition now until Sunday 9 November 2008 at Karwarra, Mt Dandenong Tourist Road, Kalorama. Oh... and the professional artwork is quite stunning.

Artwork by: Darrien (Helmeted Honeyeater's nesting) & Matt (Leadbeaters Possums), students at Yellingbo Primary School

BlueD's 2008-09 breeding year - parenting in the fast lane

2008-10-07T14:01:00.015+11:00

20/4/09: With the breeding season over, it is interesting to see the bird's behaviour changes. Grey is certainly showing his dominance of one territory. BlueD and pink/white in particular are bustled off the feeding stations. Female fledglings disperse from the parental territory to find a male mate in a neighbouring territory. It certainly looks like Grey is 'encouraging' pink/white to disperse.

3/4/09: Monitoring over past weeks shows mauve/orange and red/dark blue missing - hopefully just temporarily. The remaining unbanded fledglings of BlueD and Grey have now been banded. Light green/mauve, pink/white and green/mauve are thriving and seen regularly.

16/1/09: Grey and BlueD fledged their youngster this morning at about 9.26am - wonderful! (One nestling didn't survive). This fledgling is banded mauve/orange. Things were a little quiet in the colony today, presumably because of a goshawk in the area. They are known as predators of HeHo's around Yellingbo.

11/1/09: BlueD has 2 new nestlings that are 4-5 days old. Her 3 older fledglings are still regularly sighted at the supplementary feeding stations.

19/12/08: The new fledgling has been banded with the colours red/dark blue.

2/12/08: The young chick has fledged! Another milestone achieved. BlueD was actively collecting mealworms for this fledgling this morning, cramming 3 into its mouth and then coming back for more as we watched. She's a great mum!

23/11/08: BlueD's nestling is now 2 days old. This is one of the critical periods for HeHo survival. At 12-13 days this nestling will fledge and be less vulnerable to predation. At 40 days, it will be almost independent and at 1 year it will be breeding. Life in the fast lane!

14/11/08: Nest No. 3 has 1 egg. It was candled today, showing that it's fertile. BlueD and the father are still feeding their two 43 day old fledglings. Busy times.

27/10/08: BlueD has already begun a new nest, her 3rd for the season, and is still feeding the 2 fledglings from nest No.2. (She was just practicing with nest No. 1 and didn't lay eggs). HeHo's can nest up to 4 times in a season.

14/10/08: 'Grey' is believed to be the father - Helmeted Honeyeaters are cooperative breeders ie aunts & uncles are known to assist with the rearing of some young. Good news today - both birds have fledged (left the nest).

2/10/08: 'BlueD', a female Helmeted Honeyeater at Yellingbo has successfully hatched 2 eggs this week, the first nestlings (baby birds that haven't left the nest) for the 2008-09 season at Yellingbo. Stay tuned as we keep track of this family group.

Image: BlueD grabs a mealworm to feed her young.
Photograph by: B. Tardif

Innovation earns the HeHo community a Landcare Award

2008-09-10T14:06:00.016+10:00

Congratulations to all our members and volunteers. What a team!

The Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater have won the Community Group Caring for Public Land Award at the 2008 Port Phillip and Western Port Landcare Awards held at Zinc, Federation Square on 6/9/08.

The Friends were selected from seven outstanding nominations from among the more than 230 ‘Friends of’ Groups within the Port Phillip and Western Port region, which encompasses Melbourne and its surrounding catchments.

The Awards celebrate people caring for land and focus on the thousands of volunteers making a difference by tackling some of the big issues in Melbourne’s landscape and catchment environments. CEO of the Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority Mr David Buntine said the Friends continue to be leaders in their field.

“The Group is widely recognised for excellence and innovation in conservation activities and has developed strategic links with other organisations, established an indigenous nursery producing 50,000 plans per year for restoration of public and private land,” Mr Buntine said. “Their contribution in the Yarra Valley and particularly in the Yellingbo area has been significant, and their enthusiasm and commitment as a group continues to make outstanding difference to the protection of local flora and fauna.”

The Friends will now be nominated for the 2009 Victorian Landcare Awards.

The Friends would also like to acknowledge two of our friends in conservation who were both nominated in the strongly contested 'Caring for Country' category.

Steve Mitchell from Macclesfield Landcare Group
Bend of Islands Conservation Association (Winners. Congratulations!)

More information here

Ambassadors go behind the scenes

2008-08-11T14:13:00.007+10:00

The Friends' Ambassadors’ program with Yellingbo and Macclesfield Primary Schools involves 8 students from each school. They experience what is involved in efforts to save our endangered bird emblem and are encouraged to spread the word on what each individual can do to preserve our precious indigenous flora and fauna.

Back in June the students were driven into the reserve in 4wd’s to learn about the special habitat Helmeted Honeyeater’s require, and to gain first-hand experience of the supplementary bird feeding and monitoring program. A tour of our nursery, a presentation on the Leadbeater’s Possum and a bushwalk capped off the day.

On Tuesday 29/7/08 we took a bus to Healesville Sanctuary to meet up with Senior Keeper, Karina Cartwright, who showed us through the captive breeding areas for the Helmeted Honeyeater, Mountain Pygmy-possum, Orange-bellied Parrot, Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby and Tasmanian Devil. A really unique experience to see what goes on behind the scenes. We were very lucky to meet up with one of the sanctuary’s vets, Rupert Baker, who showed us a Mountain Pygmy-possum that he had operated on. Not many people get to see these critically endangered animals. We then headed for the Parrots in Flight exhibition with another keeper, Jason which was a great experience before we reluctantly headed home. The Ambassadors’ loved the day and learnt a lot from Karina. Here are some of their edited comments:

Kristy: "Some of the things that the keepers feed the helmeted honey eaters were millworms (sic. mealworms). Karina told us that they taste like popcorn when fried, and also a milky substance that contains dried pollens and seeds.

I think this was an excellent experience and I hope we get to do it again someday. This is a day I will never forget."

Ryan H: "We were given a challenge to find the lyre birds nest. I was one out of the three to find it was on top of a fern stump."

Harry: "The day ended like any other day except for the fact that I just had the most exiting day of the year. The next day I thought that it would be a normal day but I was crowded with people that wanted to know what I did."

Sarah: "The nest was built in the fork of a tree and it was made from emu feathers which had spider webs wrapped around it to stop it from falling apart and dingo hair on the inside to make it nice and soft for the chicks.

The sanctuary put little cameras inside the avaries. When there is a chick the camera is moved above the nest so the sanctuary can watch the chick to make sure there isn’t any problems.

I still can’t believe how lucky I was to get the chance to go into so many places the public never gets to go and do so many things! I wish I could do it again! THANK YOU FRIENDS OF THE HELMETED HONEYEATER AND HEALSVILLE SANCTUARY!"

Image: The Ambassadors are shown how the video monitoring equipment aids the recovery effort
Photograph by: S. Tardif

ACF Peter Rawlinson Award

2008-08-11T13:51:00.003+10:00

The Friends were recently honoured with a Highly Commended award under the ACF Peter Rawlinson Award for our work in conservation. Congratulations to all our volunteers and staff who continue to work with such dedication and enjoyment towards the conservation of the Helmeted Honeyeater and its habitat

Minister Jennings comes to YNCR

2008-06-04T16:58:00.003+10:00

On 14 May 08 Gavin Jennings, Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Innovation (pictured in centre), visited the Yellingbo Nature Conservation Reserve (YNCR) to see and hear first hand about this unique environment, the threats it is facing and the practical actions, planning and drive of those working toward good conservation outcomes for this area. He was shown Helmeted Honeyeaters and a Leadbeater's Possum in their natural environment. After touring the reserve, the Minister was introduced to a number of key Friends’ partner organisations and individuals, who spoke on current local issues such as access to funding opportunities and support for landholders undertaking conservation works on private properties and the linking of ‘island’ reserves and public land to establish conservation bio-links for our native species in this time of increasing pressure from climate change.

We also took the opportunity to ask the Minister to help us connect with new audiences and assist us promote two of our publications, “Yellingbo – a special place” and “Hilton finds a Home”, copies of which were presented to him on the day. Profits from these books go directly into the Friends activities in the reserve so with stock still on hand, the Friends would be pleased to hear from any of our members who are able to offer assistance with marketing through their networks.

Preliminary plans are being made to follow up this visit with an ‘update meeting’ later
in the year.

Image: Steve Mitchell (Macclesfield Landcare), Bruce Quin (DSE Field Ornithologist), Gavin Jennings and Brooke Colbert (Ministerial advisor on the Environment)
Photograph by: R Connor

Bushfire at Bunyip State Park

2008-06-04T15:40:00.004+10:00

A fire that occurred in Bunyip State Park over the 25th -27th April 2008 is still being investigated, however we can report that it got within 4.5-5.0 kms of the Helmeted Honeyeater release sites before a fortunate weather change brought 16 mm of rain and a gentler wind, reducing fire activity and allowing it to be contained and extinguished. Emergency plans were activated as a precaution, but the birds remained safe.

Image: Tonimbuk release site 1, Bunyip State Park
Photograph by: S Tardif

Can you help?

2008-05-07T21:56:00.006+10:00

Did you know we host corporate planting days in the Yellingbo Nature Conservation Reserve?

Contact the Friends Coordinators, Sue or Bruce for details - 5964 8341 or heho1@optusnet.com.au

Image: Australian Unity staff planted habitat plants for their corporate voluntering day
Photograph by: B. Tardif

Going wild in April 08

2008-05-07T21:15:00.008+10:00

Young Helmeted Honeyeaters flew off into the wild in April, blithely unaware of the critical role they must play to save their kind from extinction.

The birds, aged from just two to eight months, were the latest graduates of Healesville Sanctuary’s captive breeding program that supplements two wild populations of honeyeaters.

Six birds were released at Yellingbo Nature Conservation Reserve, with nine others released at Bunyip State Park. The fate of the birds now rests with nature, assisted by the Department of Sustainability and Environment, Parks Victoria and volunteers such as the Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater.

The releases take the wild population of Victoria’s bird emblem to about one hundred, a stark contrast to many years ago when there was plentiful habitat for the birds from Healesville to South Gippsland.

DSE Field Ornithologist Bruce Quin has been working to boost survival rates of the birds in the wild for more than 14 years. Supported by a dedicated group of volunteers, Bruce provides supplementary food for the released birds which enables close monitoring of the population. This assists in the long term understanding of the Helmeted Honeyeater’s habitat needs, potential predators, survival and population dispersal.

President of the Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater Bob Anderson says, “It is a special feeling to be a spectator and watch released captive birds discover that the sky is now their ceiling. Being part of a program that returns birds to their natural habitat is a real joy.”

Without the commitment and cooperative approach of government and volunteers, the long-term aim to bring this species back from the brink of extinction would not be possible.

Image: A young Helmeted Honeyeater flies free
Photograph by: R. Connor

Members Day invitation - Sunday 30/3/08

2008-02-28T22:37:00.006+11:00

Members Day for the Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater starts at midday at the Rangers house, 1217 Macclesfield Road, Yellingbo. We will start with a BYO picnic or BBQ lunch, followed by a talk, the unveiling of a memorial plaque for one of our volunteers who passed away late last year and the planting of habitat plants in her memory.

Not a member but would like to attend? You can join on the day!

Our guest speaker, Karina Cartwright is the Senior Keeper of Threatened Species at Healesville Sanctuary. She will update us on the Helmeted Honeyeater’s captive breeding program. Karina has provided the following brief introduction.

The captive breeding program for Helmeted Honeyeaters at Healesville Sanctuary began in 1989. Today the Sanctuary holds 13 pair of Helmeted Honeyeaters in purpose built aviaries, each aviary housing a single pair of birds. Two pair of Yellow Tufted Honeyeaters are also held for use as foster parents. Each year the majority of Helmeted Honeyeaters bred at the Sanctuary are released between the two sites of Yellingbo and Tonimbuk. Occasionally some birds are retained at the Sanctuary for use as breeders in the captive population. Fledgling birds are released at the end of each breeding season (around April) after spending three days in acclimatisation aviaries at the release sites. Throughout the breeding season eggs and nestlings are also moved between the Sanctuary and wild nests as required. This happens for a number of reasons:

1. If a wild nest is abandoned the eggs/nestlings can be fostered into a captive nest or placed into an incubator and hand raised or fostered after hatching

2. If the age of a captive and wild nest are within a few days age of each other eggs/nestlings can be fostered from captive to wild nests. This is a preferable form of ‘release to the wild’ of captive birds as they are then raised and socialised in a wild situation.

All welcome.

Image: Karina & the Friends at our last Members Day
Photograph by: S. Tardif

Fauna survey 25/01/08 to 27/01/08

2008-02-28T21:58:00.008+11:00

The Field Naturalists Club of Victoria (FNCV) and the Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater conducted a fauna survey for bats and small terrestrial mammals at Yellingbo Nature Conservation Reserve (YNCR) over the Australia Day weekend.

Twenty seven people, including 11 young people, attended and thoroughly enjoyed the weekend. The weather was warm and humid, good weather for trapping our focal species - bats.

Over the two nights forty four bats were trapped in Harp traps. There were five different species recorded – Chocolate Wattled Bat (Chalinolobus mori), Large Forest Bat (Vespadelus darlingtoni), Little Forest Bat (Vespadelus vulturnus), Lesser Long-eared Bat (Nyctophilus geoffroyi) and an Eastern Broad-nosed Bat (Scotorepens orion). A White-striped Freetail Bat (Tadarida australis) was also heard to call during the night. All animals were identified, sexed, weighed, measured and released over the weekend. This information will be included in the Atlas of Victorian Wildlife database.

A full report is included in our Autumn 2008 newsletter.

The information from these surveys increases our understanding of the species diversity and habitat within YNCR which assists with future management plans. If you would like to be contacted about our next survey – a bird survey – please email heho1@optusnet.com.au or phone 5964 8341 with your name and daytime contact details.

Thank you to the FNCV for an enjoyable and informative weekend.

Image: Setting the Harp trap
Photograph by: B. Tardif