Ascension : Conservation Weekly
Submitted by The Islander (Conservation Office) 01.04.2010 (Article Archived on 15.04.2010)

My part in the Endemic Plants Project is in its last few weeks. While new plants are growing in the nurseries and space is limited, it became apparent that the two shade tunnels with new shading will need to be protected from rabbits so plants can be placed in their floors.

Getting the nursery running Contributed by Matti Niissalo, Horticultural Project Officer

My part in the Endemic Plants Project is in its last few weeks. While new plants are growing in the nurseries and space is limited, it became apparent that the two shade tunnels with new shading will need to be protected from rabbits so plants can be placed in their floors. This work was surprisingly painstaking but it is now finished apart from very small finishing touches. Netting and fencing wire were used for the job, and a lot of pegs were done to keep these in place.

The propagation trials are still running until the very end of the project. However, writing up propagation protocols has started and any further discoveries are hardly expected. In the next weeks I expect to spend a lot of time on my computer!

One of the nicest events recently has been watching the growth of the endemic Marattia purpurascens and Xiphopteris ascensionis ferns growing in agar gel. We still have time for a few more experiments this way, and hopefully we’ll be growing many more Marattia for future plantings before my departure. We have propagated Marattia vegetatively as well, using hard corms (technical term for which is auricle cutting) which are now starting to push growth only a few weeks after removal from mother plants – much faster than expected!

Up on the Mountain dry weather is causing minor issues, as a few grasses planted late in the colder season need watering. The restoration area has had little rainfall, even during few rainy nights we’ve had in Two Boats and Georgetown. Luckily the clay soil in the Mountain holds water surprisingly well.

With Natasha taking charge we are also sorting the last bits of the endemic plant mapping data, in preparation of displaying it during our later talk at Kew Gardens.

As well as fixing the shading of the tunnels, we’ve started to fit them with sprinklers running with timers. Along with the mist unit set up a few weeks ago these will help to reduce the amount of time the Conservation team will need to spend in the tunnels once I have gone.

We would like to welcome volunteers Dave Ayres and Catherine Househam who will be volunteering with us for the next couple of weeks working on the various conservation projects and with VT Group with some invasive species work.

Lost Radio

Motorola hand held radio has been missing since September 2009. If anyone has seen one please contact the Conservation department. Thank you.

Volunteers welcome. Please contact Olivia Renshaw or Natasha Williams. Ascension Island Conservation Department. Georgetown. Tel: 6359. Email:  olivia.renshaw@ascension.gov.ac

natasha.williams@ascension.gov.ac