ANZ Dockland Enviro Volunteers Working Bee

On Thursday September 15th, Newmarket Stationeers received an unexpected boost when five capable and enthusiastic young volunteers from the staff of ANZ Docklands donated their time and effort to our group. They completely spruced up and renewed the embankment garden, including planting strategic shrubs, succulents and shade-tolerant plants to enhance the existing garden. Their help came out of the blue when our  group most needed some additional hands and muscle-power. During the working bee Thomas repaired the vandalized watering system. Newmarket Station garden is ready for summer!

Ros & Thomas surrounded by ANZ Volunteers: Simha, Elizabeth, Gina, Matt & Sylvia; photographed by Ed.

April Working Bees 2016

We conducted two working bees in April to make up for no working bee in March. 

We reinstating drip irrigation under the station on April 12th.

Our original watering system was destroyed when the old ramp, landing and stairs were demolished. Plants were struggling as no rainfall penetrates under the landing.

On April 19th we tweaked the watering system, put some new plants under the station landing and mulched the area.

 Anita, Jennie and Chris got stuck into the pruning.

The whole embankment garden was tidied, cleaned and watered.

Working bees April 2016

Due to popular demand, we will hold the next Stationeers working bee on Tuesday, April 12th beginning at 9:30 am. We will concentrate on installing the watering system plus litter collection. Thomas has created a rough diagram  for the watering system.The following Tuesday (19th), Jennie, Thomas, Ros and anyone else who is free that morning is welcome to attend a second working bee to do some planting and lay mulch under the station. Once again we will start at 9:30 am.

Cheers,

Ros

February 2016 Working Bee

February Working Bee

Only four people attended the working bee this morning: Roger, Ed, Thomas and Ros.One of the changes we noted was extensive die-back of Myoporum insulare ground cover. The photo was taken last year when the Myoporum had been indiscriminately sprayed with Roundup along the footpath edge but now the ground cover is uniformly brown over most of the embankment.The fact that the Myoporum was still green under the Peppercorn tree indicates that perhaps the latest damage is the result of heat or sun damage. However the plants are not completely dead and when the summer is over we will prune them severely with an aim to rejuvenating them.

Although we brought with us 15 plants to fill in the planting gaps along the station under-croft,the soil was so dry that we resisted planting until we can improve growing conditions in this part of the embankment.Without access to rainfall,the existing plants continue to struggle. Thomas measured the site to install a manual watering system with a timer that we can operate between working bees.