Foxes Lair
  • Home
  • About
    • About Foxes Lair
    • History
    • Landscape and Soils
  • Things To Do
    • Scavenger hunt
    • Picnic Spots
    • Walking Tracks
    • Visit the Arboretum
    • Geocaching and Orienteering
    • Ride Your Bicycle
  • Things To See
    • Birds
    • Wildflowers
    • Trees in the Narrogin district
    • Narrogin spiders scorpions ticks
    • Vertebrates
    • Fungi and lichens
  • Other Places to Visit
    • FAMILY bush attractions
    • WILDLIFE bush attractions
    • WILDFLOWER bush attractions
    • all reserves
  • 1Foxypress
    • Foxypress
    • Vanishing Farms
  • Foxes Lair seasonal guide
  • Contact

Foxes Lair Progress Report: Marri Picnic Area

2/9/2021

 
​Greetings fellow Foxies,
Being a volunteer has its challenges, but sometimes there is great pleasure and achievement.
I had one of these moments today in the marri picnic area in the form of a primrose spider orchid, which has volunteered in one of the most degraded areas when the Friends of Foxes Lair was formed (1999). Two donkey orchids and a brown-banded greenhood orchid have also popped up.In recent years I have planted mallees and shrubs and look forward to them prospering. Stink bugs killing seedling growing points is an ongoing problem, which I am managing by using flyscreen covers.
Picture
Marri picnic area 2021
Picture
covers are to keep stink bugs out
Picture
Primrose spider orchid volunteer.

In 2003 the marri picnic area was a bogan's paradise. A crowd gathered in the centre with booze and bonfire while cars took turns doing burnouts around them. Vandalism and rubbish were rife and the concrete picnic table shown in image 1 was destroyed by sledge hammer.  Trees were chopped down for firewood. The yellow arrow marks the same tree to use as a reference point when comparing images.
Picture
Image 1 speedway alley
In 2004 a laterite boulder and telephone pole barrier was created to stop vandalism and keep vehicles out of newly established walk trails that lead from this point. Alas, the telephone poles were dragged out to make a fine bonfire. The insecticide drenched logs may have shortened a few lifespans.
Picture
Image 2 2004 bonfire time
In 2005 more laterite boulders were brought in to replace telephone poles. This was a turning point for the picnic area. apart from a few minor vehicle incursions there was no more vandalism. Bogans don't like walking much.
Picture
Figure 3 Boulders keep cars out. Granite boulder 'table' added
By 2011 a Lotterywest grant funded a new picnic table and an information bay
Picture
Figure 4 New picnic table and information bay
By 2019 Narrogin shire a covered and uncovered picnic table
Picture
Figure 5 Two more picnic tables
During this time the walking trails were being continuously upgraded and marked. Hopefully there will be more grants to instal interpretive panels along walk trails and to mark out the dual-use cycle trails.
By 2024 I hope to be still around to post an image showing healthy flowering mallees and shrubs here.
Greg
2/9/2021 05:06:01 pm

A much better facility, well done to you Doug. Improved and looked after areas have a positive result on what occurs there. People of all ages value them more.

Paul Dyer
2/9/2021 05:16:02 pm

Great work Doug

Jackie
2/9/2021 08:27:43 pm

Excellent work Doug.

David Balfour
3/9/2021 10:24:42 pm

Great to see the Flying Fox in action, defying gravity with a brolly whilst making good things happen around him. Congratulations Doug.

Mary Martin
5/9/2021 07:36:49 am

It's great the progress you have made against difficult odds.
Many people appreciate it.


Comments are closed.

    Author

    Doug Sawkins is a friend of Foxes Lair 

    Categories

    All
    Animals Other
    Birds
    Disorders Plant Animal
    Fungi Lichens
    History
    Insects Bugs Other Arthropods
    Landscapes Soils
    Other Reserves And Places
    Reptiles
    Spiders Other Arachnids
    Tree
    Walks Other Facilities
    Wasp
    Wildflowers Orchids
    Wildflowers Other Summer Autumn
    Wildflowers Other Winter Spring
    Wildflowers Parasitic

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    October 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    July 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    September 2014
    August 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    May 2012
    March 2012
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    April 2011

© 2015 All Rights Reserved. Doug Sawkins, Australia.