Fifteen local experts will reveal little-known information about Black Mountain, an icon of Canberra. They will present their findings at the Black Mountain Symposium this Friday, August 24, with guided walks of the mountain taking place on Saturday, August 25.
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Black Mountain has been home to Indigenous people for more than 20,000 years and to Europeans for just under two centuries. It was a key part of the design of the national capital, and was declared a nature reserve in 1970, almost 50 years ago.
Ecologist Michael Doherty, entomologist Kim Pullen and bird expert Paul Fennell will address the symposium.
Wally Bell will give a Ngunnawal perspective of the area, and Mark Butz will talk about the history of the mountain and its people from deep to recent times, including its place in the development of the national capital.
Julie Hotchin will focus on community attachment to Black Mountain since the 1970s and associated activities to learn about the area and help protect it.
The talks will be at the Black Mountain Symposium from 9.30am to 4:30pm on Friday, August 24 at the at CSIRO Discovery Centre Theatre, Small-North Road, Acton.
Guided walks on different parts of Black Mountain will be held 9:30am to noon, Saturday, August 25. Online registration www.friendsofblackmountain.org.au/symposium or email friendsofblackmountain@gmail.com for a paper registration form, or phone 0437 298 711 or 0404 148 721.
Dr Rosemary Purdie, local botanist and ecologist, said “the information that our local experts have unearthed is impressive and covers the natural, historical and cultural values of the Black Mountain area from ancient to recent times. They found it in government archives, libraries, institutional records, as well as scientific and other publications”.
The information shows that hundreds of professional and citizen scientists and local communities have been involved in the area.
“These people have documented the characteristics of Black Mountain — its rocks and soils, and the diversity and ecology of its plants and animals — since the 1920s. It has been fascinating to find so much about the landscape, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and insects. Many people are aware of the area's plants, especially its orchids, but we also know a lot about the non-vascular plants like fungi, lichens and mosses,'' Dr Purdie said.
Mr Doherty, a well-known local ecologist, will talk about how the trees, shrubs and other plants on Black Mountain respond to fire and drought. Mr Fennell will talk about Black Mountain's birds, how their presence has changed over the years and the mystery of why. One of Black Mountain's more famous animal inhabitants is a recently discovered Peacock Spider, but it's only one of thousands of invertebrate species on Black Mountain that Mr Pullen will talk about.
“More is probably known about Black Mountain than any other area of comparable size in our Bush Capital. People love walking there in spring to enjoy the wild flowers and birds. I find that Black Mountain is never boring, and I imagine that other Canberrans also find it interesting and are keen to learn more about it,'' Dr Purdie said.
