Youth and Family Focus Inc.

Last year I took the three older boys to an organic gardening event in Devonport. Among other things, there was a stall offering free garden beds for food plants as part of the Veggie Patch Project. We qualified, and yesterday they turned up, set up and installed. 

Youth and Family Focus Inc. are the folks responsible. And here's their Facebook. Their mission as stated on their front page is:

"We are a non-profit organisation based on the North West Coast of Tasmania. We provide young people and families in the region with access to the support, encouragement and resources they need to make a positive contribution to their community. This is achieved through the identification of issues and the development then implementation of appropriate tools and strategies.

Our services include:

Focus on Integrated Family Support Service

Youth Focus Accommodation Service and Focus on Transitional Outreach

Community Focus Youth Alcohol and Other Drug Service

Illicit Drug Diversion Initiative

Focus on Family Drug Support Service

Needle Syringe Program

Improved Services Program

Focus on Primary Schools Partnership Program & Respectful Relationships"

(Cut and paste from their front page. Will be removed if they object).

They came prepared.

Included a compost bin...

...and two vegetable beds.

The finished product. I think they have over 100 recipients on their to-do list. This is good work. Our sincerest thanks to the workers who did the installing, Y&FF Inc., and whomever gave the o.k. for the funding for this programme.

Mount Gnomon Farm

We all went to Mount Gnomon Farm yesterday for their Rare Day Out event. Basically, Mount Gnomon Farm is a family run business that specialises in old-fashioned breeds of livestock, primarily pigs. Known for their 'Wessex Saddlebacks', they also have some interesting old cow breeds, and I noticed some ducks and chooks roaming round. As well as the animals, they're looking to expand into cider, and doing as much of the processing on site as possible. Eventually it will be a major food tourist destination. A wonderful place to visit with its animals, orchards, and people (the owners, their family and friends, visiting WWOOFers, musicians, venues, and all of us visitors).

If you ever get the opportunity to visit for any of their events, I'd recommend you jump at the chance. Personally, I think it's great to live so close to such inspiring folk (they're only two towns away).

We arrived and the boys are excited.

A little piggy patting zoo, with real little piggies and real big patting. 

The food was top shelf. Fresh, Tasmanian, some gluten free. I grabbed some bottles of cider to send to my dad, and a bottle of dry for me. Think I have a new favorite tipple. Boys had the sausages, Mrs Me had the gluten free taco, and I had the hamburger, foolwed by dessert from Red Cow and Lonely Hedgehog. Doesn't get any better. Hats off to the food providers who did an excellent job (Pickled Sisters, Red Cow Dairies, The Lonely Hedgehog, Seven Sheds Brewery, Theresa's Coffee and Holm Oak Vineyard).

And live music! One of those band members works in our towns only shop. That's what it's all about... local. His band was quite good too. Always good to see the young ones doing it themselves rather than taking the 100% CD default route.

Construction. Orchards, buildings, lifestock... getting better and better, working towards their goal of earning their spot in Tasmania's food tourism industry. They are going to be major. If it goes the way it seems to be heading, they'll be an internationally recognised foodie destination. It'll be a quality thing, not a quantity thing.

Big pig patting.

What can I say, tracks. At last count I have fifteen tracking books, but nothing beats dirt time.

The setting for this farm is against the Dial Range. Nature, it's what Tasmania is known for. Has its ups and downs though. Wallabies are a competing force. Look at those clouds. Portent of things to come.

While the first thing I think of with regards Mount Gnomen Farm is 'pigs', they do have other animals. Evidence, exibit 'A': 'Cows'. Look... a Saddleback Cow!!! :)  Nah, it's a Belted Galloway. Keeping with the old breed theme, they also have Scottish Highlands and Short Horns. That black one up front has the cutest furry teddy bear ears.

Bugger, end of the tour. That's hail, and we were all up the back paddock. Had to cut through the pigs yards to shorten the run back to shelter. There were quite a few of us, maybe fifty or more. A shame really, but wet + cold + kids = head home.

We caught up with some good friends in the car park who had just arrived. All-in-all, an excellent time. Thankyou to everyone at Mount Gnomon Farm who made for a wonderful family experience.

If you live in Tasmania, or are a tourist working on your itinerary, keep an eye on their Facebook and blog to see if they've got anything happening.

Flying Mammals and Memorial Paint

Is there anything more annoying than being woken in the early morning by kids who we wish were as devoted to sleep as adults are? Off the top of my head, maybe politicians who want to reduce payments to the unemployed, disabled and schools, while ensuring the rich are subsidised. But that's about the only thing I can think of.

Anyhoo, four am this morning and a frightened six year old called me into his bedroom. He heard squeaking and I figured it was a toy, so went back to bed. Ten minutes later and I get an encore. This time he has heard flapping. This time I heard it, and looking around this dark early morning room I could see movement, I figured a large moth and knew I'd have to catch it. I flick on the light... and it's a bat!

Never had a bat before, that I know of. Armed with a light sheet from a cot, I captured it as gently as possible, evicted it out the kitchen window, and went back to bed.

At a more reasonable hour, I got to start my chores, and first on the list is to feed our cat. As I dish out her food, a squeak signals that it's time for a little deja vu. I workout that the sound is coming from a curtain that we have hanging to aid in temperature control. Yep, it's a little bat. The same one? Its mate? Don't know, but there it was. If you want to know about Tasmanian bats, click here.

I placed it in a box. Nice and dark and quiet.

I tried a half dozen phone numbers in order to find someone in the industry that might be interested in studying it, but finally worked out that the person in that department was 'out'. I'm busy and doubt the bat wants to stay in the box til tomorrow, so I'm going to wait til dark and set it free.

Then son #1 and I took part in a community working bee. Our local town hall, (according to our regional newspaper a year ago, one of only four town halls in the state actively operated by the locals), has a memorial gate and fence that needed its once a decade repainting. We had a good turn-out, maybe a dozen folk. Good to get the kids involved in community activities.

Soggy Melon

Unless something more interesting happens, e.g. Joey' first toddling steps, I'll make this my last 'Pademelon in the yard' report. so far I've covered Bridie and Joey, with just a mention of Dad-e-melon, so I'll give him some bytes now.

These photos were taken this morning. I thought I should make that clear, because if I say that it was a grey, wet morning... well, this is Tasmania... it could be almost any morning.

Kinda looks like a drowned rat, but I think he's two or three feet tall. Much cuter than most rats.

Wet Melon.

And this is how close I got. This is not a magnified image, I'm right there. Tried to think of a name for him, for my convenience, not his. Considered Dad-E-Melon and Manny the Moody Marsupial. Mrs Me chose 'Patrick' (aka Paddy). So... drum roll... we baptise thee Patrick, in the name of Lugh, Dagda and Danu.

The Nut

We're becoming quite the fans of Ranger Jess' events. This time (last night) was a tour of The 'Nut' at Stanley (or is Stanley at the Nut?), to learn about Mutton Birds/ Short-tailed Shearwaters (Puffinus tenuirostris). It was a great time, and I don't remember the last time the boys stayed up so late.

The Nut towers over Stanley.

Yep, we're going up there on foot, though there is a chair lift for those more interested in the view than the walk.

The first critter we saw was this butterfly.

Pigface (Carpobrotus rossii) is an edible plant that Jess pointed out. Tasted ok.

Pademelon scat. At one point when we were approaching the first lookout, one of the young lads looked back down to the cafe at the base of the Nut and saw a pademelon near the building. Good eyesight, it looked like an ant. We saw another one as it was turning dark. 

Well and truly dark now. The last opportunity to use the camera, because the flash would disturb the Mutton Birds. Ranger Jess gave a talk about the birds, their numbers, migration, etc. She passed around a couple of wings. They have quite a smell, attributed to the oil that they secrete. After this, at about 9.30pm, further up the Nut, we walked along a path through their nesting area. We saw many of them coming flying in above us to land and nest for the night.

The walk down was a lot more direct, thus quicker, but pitch black except for our torches. Then the drive home which took just over an hour and a half.

A great night.

Joey

For all the time I've been observing Bridie, I've only seen <her?> alone. But this morning I looked out the window and at first saw two adult pademelons. Was it too much to hope for... I looked closer... yep, a joey sticking its head out of the pouch. Brilliant!

Devil Tracking

Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Services had a number of Discovery Ranger programmes over this holiday season, and yesterday we took the boys the Devil Detectives event at Sisters Beach. An excellent event where the attendees were taught the basic principles of tracking Tasmanian Devils (Sarcophilus harrisii). Everyone of our mob loved it, and I'll go out on a limb and say all the other kids that were there (and their parents too), loved it. A great time.

Before they got to the Devils, they checked out some other animals. That spotted little fellow is a quoll.

Pictures of various Tasmanian animals introduced the first aspect of tracking...

 That tracking is not just about looking for footprints. 'Sign' (for both tracking animals and human animals) is any indicator that your quarry was present. First up, skulls. The kids got to guess which skulls went with which animals.

 

Then it was 'guess which footprint goes with which animals'.

And a look at, what I'm guessing was everybody's favorite sign... scat (aka POO!!!). 

The kids were given plaster casts of Devil footprints to imprint in the beach sand, which were filled with plaster, and dried to make their own souvenir of a Tassie Devil footprint. 

There was also exploration of the methods used to collect data of the Devils. Good from a general ecological perspective, and vital in the fight against the Devil's facial tumor disease that is fatal and almost ubiquitous in Tasmania. Healthy Devils have been moved to an island and various zoos in order to isolate them from this disease. In the worst case scenario, if all the Devils are wiped out on the Tasmanian mainland, the saved Devils could be reintroduced at a later time after the disease dies out.

A Devil trap. Safe for the critter, and another useful device for gathering info.

And a last look at exhibits. In this case, predator and prey. Penguin and Seal. A foot apart. Yep, you know the Penguin is stuffed.

Speaking of stuffed... Bubs didn't take an active part, but the excitement wore him out.

Our thanks to Ranger Jess for hosting this event. 

If you'd like more info about our wildlife, check out the Park and Wildlife Service - Tasmania site. For more info re. Devils, and how you can help them, check out Save the Tasmanian Devil Program.