The Friends of Mound Springs (FOMS) undertook a second field trip in August 2023 to complete works that were outstanding following the rain-shortened trip in June 2023.

FOMS participants were Colin Harris, Bruce and Sherrie Gotch, Rick Moore, Bernice Cohen, Stuart Pillman, Trent Porter, Erik Dahl, Masto Myles and Simon Lewis. The group was accompanied by Ben McCallum and Alice Smith of the SA Arid Lands Landscape Board. It was planned that the Arabana Ranger team would also accompany the FOMS group for most of the working bee but a vehicle break-down prevented the Arabana Rangers from joining the group until the latter stages of the trip.

The timing for this exercise was influenced by a field day on 10^th August at Wabma Kadarbu Mound Springs Conservation Park for students of the Oodnadatta and Marree Area Schools – coordinated by BHP and the SA Arid Lands Landscape Board and also involving the Arabana Ranger team. See separate item in this newsletter.

The main objectives for the FOMS group were to check fenced springs on the Peake and Nilpinna pastoral leases (fence maintenance and vegetation photo-point monitoring); to do maintenance work on the walking trails established by FOMS at the Peake Overland Telegraph site and install another trail marker at that site; to service cameras installed at several springs; and to participate as appropriate in the school session referred to above.

The group checked five springs fenced by the State Environment agency in the 1980s (Big Perry, the Fountain, Twelve Mile, Outside and Tarlton on the Peake and Old Nilpinna Spring on Nilpinna pastoral lease). Also inspected were Levi Springs, fenced by FOMS volunteers in 2019. This work involved checking the fencing and undertaking any minor maintenance required, servicing the bayonet / spear gates at each site, and repeating vegetation photo-points. The State Environment agency did this work until 2005 but ceased its commitment at that time and FOMS volunteers have filled the breach since that time.

The fences at Big Perry, the Fountain, Twelve Mile, Outside and Old Nilpinna Springs continue to be functional and only minor maintenance was required. A section of the Twelve Mile Spring fence will require more attention within a year or two. The wetland vegetation at each spring remains dominated by reeds, Phragmites. The abundance of Phragmites is diminished in the centre of the vent at the Fountain. It is hypothesised that the proliferation of Phragmites in fenced springs is linked with the century or more of nutrient enrichment through cattle grazing and that, over time, Phragmites abundance will diminish as nutrient levels decrease. The situation at the Fountain appears to be trending in that direction although it is too early to be definitive. At Old Nilpinna Spring, the area within the fenced exclosure is relatively dry, in some contrast to the good flow from the vent just outside the fence.

Tarlton Springs have been the subject of discussion for some time. The springs – thought to be from local aquifers rather than the Great Artesian Basin – have all but dried up and the fence has collapsed at one point and is overgrown by vegetation at several other locations. The two options under consideration have been (a) dismantling the fence and (b) repairing it. The inspecting group noted that one spring is damp and retains a cover of sedges and also concluded that repair of the fence was readily achievable with much less effort than would be needed for disassembly. Repair and retention of the fence was the group’s favoured option.

At Levi Springs the relatively new fence was in good condition, although some minor re-straining of a section near the coolabah spring should be undertaken on the next visit. The spring vegetation continues to recover strongly, as illustrated in the accompanying photographs.

The walking trails at the Peake Overland Telegraph site were in reasonable condition, requiring minor maintenance only. A new trail marker was installed to guide access to the cemetery site but one more marker is thought to be needed.

At Wabma Kadarbu Mound Springs Conservation Park, Bruce and helpers serviced two motion- activated cameras at Horse and Buttercup springs in the southern section of the Park. There has been an ongoing problem of cattle from the adjoining Stuart Creek pastoral lease getting through the boundary fence and impacting on these springs. Bruce and others noted about ten cattle in the Park and it seems clear that the boundary fence across the Margaret River has weaknesses that allow access. Cattle impacts within the Park have increased since 2022. Horse Springs were showing good regeneration of vegetation in 2022 but were now heavily impacted by recent cattle activity.

As a final task on this field trip, the FOMS group inspected Bopeechee Spring and Beatrice Spring, on Finniss Springs, in company with the Arabana Ranger team. Bruce serviced the camera installed at Bopeechee. The vegetation at this spring is showing some evidence of recovery following horse impacts which, in turn, followed a trial burning exercise conducted in 2016.

This brought to a conclusion a highly successful working bee with good weather conditions throughout, atoning for the disappointments of the wet June attempt.

Item prepared by Brian Donaghy

The main Friends of Mound Springs (FOMS) working bee for 2023 was shaping up to be one of the biggest and busiest that FOMS has ever organised. Eighteen FOMS volunteers, nine vehicles, and tasks ranging from track maintenance and marker installation to multiple fence inspections and repairs and vegetation surveys. Participants were Colin Harris, Rick Moore, Hadyn Hanna, John Tagell, Chris Lemm, Brian Wheeler, Brian Donaghy, Merilyn Browne, Bernice Cohen, Bren and Bis Lay, Erik Dahl, Masto Myles, Heatheranne and Peter Bullen, Caryl and Duncan Ross-Watt and Simon Lewis.

Most of the FOMS group travelled to Leigh Creek on Monday 19^th June, overnighting at the Outback Resort, along with SA Arid Lands Board Community Landscape Officer, Hamish Longbottom. There the group had an opportunity to inspect Merilyn Browne’s new camper trailer, a compact, light- weight marine ply camper which Merilyn had built and decorated herself from an imported kit. On the second day the group travelled to Strangways Springs to link up with Sam Stuart and the Arabana Rangers, accompanied by a newly formed Aboriginal Rangers group based at Berri, who had come up to see how the Arabana team operated.

While the Arabana Rangers checked and repaired the ~4km perimeter fence at Strangways, the Bill Giles memorial seat was oiled, brochures topped up and the Springs Walk and Woolwash Walk raked where necessary. The interpretive signs at the entrance have weathered and will need replacing − Sam offered to get them installed if FOMS can get new signs up to him.

That night it rained – steady drizzle commencing in the early hours of the Wednesday morning. With some foreboding, the group continued to William Creek to refuel and review the situation in view of the weather. With further rain forecast, and being particularly mindful of the potential of the large convoy of vehicles to damage station tracks, it was reluctantly decided to cancel the remainder of the trip and commence the journey south. The FOMS group farewelled the Arabana and Berri Ranger teams at William Creek.

The FOMS group reached the Curdimurka siding for lunch, where Bren Lay braved the wintry drizzle to launch the second edition of a Field Guide to the Plants of Outback South Australia.

Written by Bren and Frank Kutsche, the second edition has been updated by Tim Croft and Jürgen Kellermann, updating botanical names and adding some 10 new species. Bren presented copies of the revised book to Colin Harris and Simon Lewis.

Most of the group then continued on to Leigh Creek for Wednesday night, although we did farewell Heatheranne and Pete Bullen at Marree. Thursday saw most FOMS participants journeying home, with a highlight being many of the creeks emanating from the Flinders Ranges flowing over the Leigh Creek – Hawker road.

As mentioned earlier in this newsletter, funding is available through the SA Arid Lands Landscape Board and BHP for spring protection and other landscape protection works. Protective works have been designed for Reedy Springs and nearby St Mary’s Pool, both on Murnpeowie pastoral lease. In October 2023 FOMS members Colin Harris, Bruce Gotch and Erik Dahl visited these sites with representatives of the SAAL Board and the Dieri First Nations group, the primary aim being to obtain site clearance from the Dieri for the proposed works. Erik Dahl has prepared the following report on that trip.

Colin Harris and Erik Dahl met at Bruce and Sherrie Gotch’s Humbug Scrub property early on Thursday the 19^th of October 2023. They helped load the Gotch’s Landcruiser with just a little more than they would need, or use. Leaving Sherrie to mind the fort, the three blokes hit the road travelling North on Horrocks and Barrier Highways before turning on Gum Creek Road to find a much-needed morning coffee at the Jamestown Bakery. Then on, up the

R.M. Williams Way to Hawker, with a brief stop for more coffee and lunch. With a little taste of the Flinders through the Yappala Hills the trio pushed on up the Outback Way recounting daring stories and past exploits of Wilpena Pound, Edeowie Gorge, and much more while the grand mountains passed them to the east. Finding they had a little time up their sleeves, Bruce suggested a quick trip to Beltana, to consider the beautifully built Afghan camel tank and troughs, railway dam and some of the historic town. Then, north again through Puttapa Gap and on to Leigh Creek. Late afternoon saw the weary bunch at the Leigh Creek Hotel catching up with the crew from the Landscapes Board and some of the Dieri representatives.

The morning saw us congregated bright eyed and bushy tailed in the car park. Quite a mob they were. The Dieri Aboriginal Corporation representatives were Frank Warren, Gregory Warren, Raelene Hannes Warren, Jeffery Kennedy, and Phillip Naylon. SA Arid Lands people were Aaron Smith, Julia Short, Alice Smith and Glenn del Fierro, and from FOMS, Colin Harris, Bruce Gotch and Erik Dahl. After a quick briefing by Aaron Smith the search was on again for coffee as clearly some of the party were not going to function well without one. First the Copley Bakery where a bleary David informed us that we were too early. Then to the Lyndhurst Hotel where luck prevailed, and coffee was procured for the few that demanded it.

The southern end of the Strzelecki is now sealed, and following the feigned starts, the group made good time, mostly avoiding the newly laid potholes. Beyond the bitumen the road was good, but with better camouflaged potholes. At Murnpeowie Station (Mumpie to its friends), the Managers Frank (Bully, to his mates) and Joyleen Booth met the team to discuss the strategy for the day. Mumpie is leased by the Brooks family who have been very supportive of Mound Spring protection and other landscape conservation works.

A short drive north on wheel tracks took the group to Reedy Springs, which was circumnavigated, traversed and studied. Options were discussed and the original survey marks moved to encompass more cultural material and attempts made to avoid washaways and sodic soils. Members of the team that had been to the springs before were surprised at the lack of flow.

They then drove to the beautiful St. Mary’s Pool to discuss options for reducing tourist damage to the site. Bully suggested that some limited fencing and a gate would be adequate, this was generally agreed to. Lunch was had under the coolabahs and red gums. From there the procession moved to the proposed lookout. Although a beautiful spot of coloured breakaway the lack of flow from the springs at the time made the springs much less obvious and there was no spring tail running into the creek. Again, there was much discussion of the options and signage required. Then they climbed back into the vehicles for the long drive back to Leigh Creek.

The homeward trip differed only slightly from the expedition North and was only slightly marred by the dearth of open coffee shops after Hawker. Hawker did provide an ample morning tea, however, and an opportunity to buy more books from Teagues Service Station, and marvel at their displays. Once back at Humbug Scrub Sherrie put on a much-needed afternoon tea as a delightful end to a lightning and enlightening trip.