Teacher guide to Namoi ‘special place’
Visiting the site
Site 1: Black Jack State Forest, Gunnedah
This document provides information for an excursion to Black Jack State Forest. It covers safety
aspects, getting to the location, accessing the trail through the reserve, and the stopping points for
various activities. Choose some activities from the education package. Make sure you leave time for
free exploring; all the tasks are suitable for inclusion in a field trip to Black Jack State Forest.
1.1
Safety in the bush
Teachers will be required to undertake their own safety assessment for a class visit. Some safety
concerns for Black Jack State Forest, and potential remedies, are listed in Table 1.1.
Table 1.1 Potential hazards and remedies
Potential hazard
Traffic (where activities are undertaken close to the road)
Snake bite
Biting and stinging insects
Prickly pear and tiger pear
Falling branches
Trips and falls
Sun exposure
Dehydration
Remedy
Exercise caution near roads
Bandages
Anti-bite cream
Antiseptic cream, pliers
Exercise caution during windy periods
First aid kit
Sun protection (e.g. hats, sunscreen)
Carry plenty of water – none is available on site
Wear appropriate clothing: wearing sturdy, preferably ankle-high shoes or boots and long pants in
the bush lessens the chance of injury from bites and falls, and can even help limit the amount of
venom entering the body in the event of snake bite.
1.2
Tracking, travel and amenities
Download the Black Jack SF.kmz file to your smart device (see Task 1.1 in Activity 1 for instructions
for using Google Earth). Use the smart device to track your location as you approach the site and
undertake the activities (the Black Jack SF.kmz file includes relevant map locations).
When you set out, set the device to locate your position. On the journey, pass the device to a student
and ask the student to navigate to your first stop.
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Internet access may not be available in all the locations at the site, so take a printed copy
of this document on the field trip, and refer to Table 1.2 for information about stops (S),
points of interest (POIs) and suggested activities or tasks.
Directions and parking

From Gunnedah, drive southwest on the Wandobah Road.

Travel 3.8 km and turn left into Booloocooroo Road.

After 2.2 km, turn left and travel east for about 1 km of unsealed road to the Black Jack State
Forest gate (Fig. 1.1).

Walk the 700 m to the survey area (Task 1.5 in Activity 1 can start here), or drive to the
transect site if necessary.
Figure 1.1. Google map of directions to drive from Gunnedah to Black Jack State Forest.
Parking is available either at the gate, S1 or 700 m into the forest along the southern boundary
(depending on conditions).
Getting to the study site
Two observation stops are included along the southern boundary of Black Jack State Forest. The first
is located just inside the forest gate, and the main study site is about 700 m along the southern
boundary. Check these locations on your smart device.
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Amenities
There are no amenities at this site. The closest public toilets are located within the Gunnedah
Showground at the corner of Wandobah Road and South Street, on the southern outskirts of
Gunnedah. Also, no water is available at Black Jack State Forest, so be sure to bring plenty with you.
1.3
Undertaking activities
At each stop or POI, check your position on your smart device or printed copy.
Table 1.2
Stop (S) or
point of
interest (POI)
Black Jack State Forest stops and points of interest
Location
Activities and tasks
S1
Black Jack State Forest Gate
parking area; park here if
walking in to survey site
General discussion about weed invasion into the forest and
answer Questions 1.1–1.3, below
Start activities:
• 1 (Task 1.5) random meander. Start completing the Random
meander observation datasheet from Activity 1 – Record
sheet; identify weeds and native plants using the pictorial
guides and look for plants with labels (blue = exotic, yellow
= native).
• 6 (Task 6.6) from gate to transect site.
POI1
Coolatai grass invading at gate
into forest
Stop and look at weeds.
POI2
Mother of millions invading
forest
Stop and look at weeds; mother of millions was once a garden
plant but is now a weed.
POI3
Area of white cypress pine
regrowth
S2
If driving, pull off the track – this
is the parking area for the main
survey area; check your position
on your smart device or printed
map
POI4
Scar tree
Stop and look at the cypress regrowth, which is periodically
managed by a thinning program. Over time, without thinning or
fire the stand continues to thicken and the understorey
vegetation layers will disappear. As a conifer, this pine is
sensitive to fire, unlike the eucalypts and many shrubs that have
evolved with fire; however, there is no evidence of fire at this
‘special place’.
Answer Question 1.4, below.
Potential site for Activity 7 (Tasks 7.3, 7.4).
Continue activities:
• 1 (Task 1.5)
• 6 (Task 6.6)
Potential site for Activity 7 (Tasks 7.3, 7.4); however, complete
this activity before setting up any transects, to minimise
disturbance.
General observation and of scar tree. Contrast land
management differences between Kamilaroi culture and
European methods.
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Stop (S) or
point of
interest (POI)
Location
S3a
S3b
The GPS waypoints provided
locate the white pegs for the
beginning and end of each of
the transects:
Transect 1 west end
Transect 1 east end
(The first transect position is
about 50 m away, and the
second about 100 m away from
S2)
S4a
S4b
Transect 2 east end
Transect 2 west end
POI15
Kangaroo grass area
Activities and tasks
Grassy white box woodland
Set up the transect between the posts. Choose a survey
method to determine whether this transect is grassy white box
woodland or shrubby white box woodland, and think about how
the structure could change between the two transects.
Combined with the survey at S4, this activity allows you to see
how the vegetation structure changes from shrubby to grassy
woodland in the absence of fire (i.e. fire prevents the
establishment of a shrubby layer by killing shrub seedlings and
promoting the growth of native grasses).
Discuss the importance of this area for the environmental
services it provides to local landholders and the broader
community.
Start activities:
• 4 (Tasks 4.2, 4.3)
• 2 (Task 2.2)
• 5 (Tasks 5.2, 5.3)
• 3 (Tasks 3.3, 3.4)
• 6 (Task 6.5).
Shrubby white box woodland – see notes for S3
Continue activities:
• 4 (Tasks 4.2, 4.3)
• 2 (Task 2.2)
• 5 (Tasks 5.2, 5.3)
• 3 (Tasks 3.3, 3.4)
• 6 (Task 6.5).
Optional observation point
Potential site for Activity 7 (Tasks 7.3, 7.4)
Notes: The stops (S) and points of interest (POI) are marked on the Google Earth file Black Jack SF.kmz. Continue to use your
smart device to track to the activity sites.
Question 1.1: How might weeds disperse into the native vegetation?
Answer: Wind, animals, vehicles and illegal dumping.
Question 1.2: Where are most of the weeds concentrated and why?
Answer: Weeds mostly occur along the edges of state forest boundaries. They are easily
dispersed from disturbed areas that surround the forest, being deposited along tracks from
vehicles, or illegally dumped along tracks or near the boundaries.
Question 1.3: What can you do to help stop the spread of weeds?
Answer: Identify and report any sightings to your local council. Keep your vehicles clean to
avoid seed dispersal.
Teacher note: The control and management of weeds could be part of a discussion after the visit.
Question 1.4: What would happen if a fire went through and killed the cypress pines on the
slopes?
Answer: Fire is a complex topic; however, put simply, fire-sensitive plants, including most
weeds would be killed and fire-adapted native plants (e.g. wattles, eucalypts, native peas,
grasses) that have evolved with fire would regenerate more quickly.
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Question 1.5: What evidence is there that traditional Aboriginal life had a lower impact on
the land than modern day land use methods? What was the key tool of the Aboriginal
people?
Answer: Scar trees are a result of where a traditional tool was harvested from a tree. The
tree is left in place to continue to live to provide other environmental services, from shade
to fire wood and even oxygen to breathe. Modern European land use contrasts greatly in
that vegetation is removed or greatly altered to provide a landscape suitable for purposes
such as agriculture. Aboriginal knowledge of the landscape, seasons and bush food
provided tremendous advantage for survival.
Teacher note: Native plants with fire-adapted strategies benefit from fire. For example, mature wattle plants
could be killed by fire; however, the wattle seeds will survive in the soil and germinate after fire. The absence of
fire favours regeneration of cypress pine and hop bush, both species that are becoming dominant in areas
across the north-west slopes that were once cleared for grazing. White cypress pine regrowth becomes ‘locked
up’, resulting in thick stands of stunted trees that inhibit understorey growth.
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