Matt's orchid surveys - more needed for Freycinet field trip!

[Jenny Calder]

Hi all,

- Matt needs to confirm who is attending the orchid survey trip to
Freycinet on the 8th and 9th of November, as accommodation needs to be
booked as soon as possible. This will be a really good trip looking at
recently burnt vegetation and we are likely to see lots of orchids!
Please email Matthew....@dpiw.tas.gov.au with your preferred
accommodation option:

Hostel: (special price for volunteers) $20/person and the hostel has
large communal kitchen and living areas.
Caravan: (special price for volunteers) $75/van sleeping 4.
Cosie Cabins: $95/double + $20 per additional adult.
Deluxe Cabins: $150/double + $20 per additional adult.

All options have cooking facilities, but Matt will be eating at the
pub if anyone would like to join him.

- There are 2 spaces left for the orchid survey at Dodges Ferry on the
4th of October. Jaz and Matt will also be conducting a short
pollination workshop on this day. To register email
Matthew....@dpiw.tas.gov.au



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Original message below:

The orchid season is beginning and there will be some exciting events
and field trips happening this spring.


1. Presentation on orchid monitoring techniques by Victorian expert,
Fiona Coates
2. Orchid surveying trips with Matt (Threatened Orchid Project
Officer)
3. Field work with Jasmine (Orchid Seed Bank Officer)

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1. On November 2 and 3 Fiona Coates, who is one of Australia's leading
experts in orchid population monitoring, will be in Tasmania.

On Sunday 2nd of November she will be giving a one hour presentation
on orchid monitoring from 9am at the Hobart botanic gardens Riverview
Room, followed by morning tea.
She will be giving the same presentation in the Devonport Recreation
Centre Community Meeting Room (34 Forbes St.), at 7:30pm on Monday the
3rd of November. This will be followed by tea and biscuits.

Please RSVP to Matt Larcombe for catering purposes
(Matthew....@dpiw.tas.gov.au, 62336236)

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. There is a great opportunity to participate in several threatened
orchid field surveys with Matt this season. Numbers are strictly
limited to 10 per survey, as too many pairs of feet will not only lead
to the inevitable squashed orchid or two, but also soil compaction
which can lead to reductions in population size and viability. It will
be first in best dressed. Contact Matt if you are interested
(Matthew....@dpiw.tas.gov.au, 62336236).
Survey dates
Saturday 4th October: Caladenia saggicola extension surveys in the
Dodgers Ferry area.
Friday 31st October: Caladenia sylvicola extension surveys, Waterworks
Reserve.
Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th November: threatened orchid surveys in
recently burnt bush around the Coles Bay area. We will hopefully be
staying at the Coles Bay Caravan Park and there will be a small cost
involved for accommodation. Two vehicles from TSS will be going up
with three spare seats in each so if we could arrange car pooling for
the remaining contingent that would be great.
Monday 22nd and Tuesday 23rd December: Prasophyllum crebriflorum
extension surveys and establishment of a demographic monitoring site
at Surrey Hills. This survey is on private land in the northwest owned
by Gunns Ltd. and I will be looking for no more than five keen
volunteers. I realise the timing of this trip is not great with
Christmas just around the corner but this is going to be the best time
to catch this species in flower. I’ll give priority to people from the
northwest on this one, as we would like to see volunteers working with
the landowner in the future to continue the monitoring.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Jaz Janes, the orchid seed bank officer, is looking for a couple of
volunteers who would be happy to go on some field trips.

These trips may be up to 6 days long and will be at various locations
throughout the state during October, November and December. The
purpose of these trips will be to locate endangered orchid
populations, record population and habitat information, collect fungi,
hand-pollinate orchids and tag them ready for the collection of seed
capsules approximately one month later.

She will also be looking for one or two volunteers to assist with the
fungal isolation, fungal growth and endangered orchid germination at
the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens. This work will involve
preparation of fungal media, fungal subculturing, germination trials
and maintainence of living collections of threatened orchids.

If you are interested or require more information, contact Jaz
(Jasmin...@dpiw.tas.gov.au, 62332801).