When it rains, it rains
Coastal islands weather storms from all points of the compass. The Norfolk Beach photo above shows a sea squall crossing the Bay from the south east. While Macleay and Peel Island got plenty of rain, in just a few minutes, none fell on Coochiemudlo.
An important influence on the health of our Bushcare work sites, especially on the survival of new plantings, is the rain that falls (or doesn't) during their first weeks in the ground.
Even though the weather can be very changeable across a single day, long term records of rainfall can show seasonal patterns that allow us to better plan when and where to plant native seedlings. We can also anticipate the need to get the hoses out over very dry periods when recent plantings may need watering.
We're very lucky to have a resident weather-watcher, Tim Herse, who has been collecting rain data for 15 years. His records capture our seasonal variability, which is especially significant as climate change makes its inevitable impact.
An immediate standout is the prolonged drenching we got in February of 2022 - almost as much as fell in the whole of 2014. And the second wettest month in 2022, unusually it was May, was again the highest in the 14 years Tim's recorded.
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Grouping the last five years, by month (below) shows a more 'normal' distribution, but spring and summer, when we often plant, seem more variable than the cooler months. March appears to be more consistent. As for June, maybe a Rain Dance festival would be our best hope?
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As 2025 unfolds, we'll add records to this chart, to compare with how well natural regeneration, and our our new plantings survive. That may show up some useful correlations. Or, given the predicted increase in fickle weather, none at all!
