February 20, 2024

Tuesday Bushcare Team growing.

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By: Michael Fox

We welcomed five new volunteers today: Asitha, Andrew, Michelle, Kate and Tatiana, It was a perfect day to introduce volunteers to Bushcare … cool in the shade and so peaceful with the birds calling.

We added a new plant to our species list Sigesbeckia orientalis St Paul’s St Paul’s Wort/Indian Weed. I had this down as a weed but Kate was sure it is a native, so I checked with our Botanist Ann Moran who confirmed. I noticed that many of the leaves were chewed which is usually a good sign of a local native.

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We also found a Joseph’s Coat Moth Agarista agricolamoth feeding on Slender Grape Cayratia clematidea.

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A beautiful Silver Orb Spider Leucauge granulata was found in it’s web.

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I introduced the team to a Brown Eucalypt Sawfly Pergagrapta sp. explaining that this is not actually a fly. Sawfly is a common name for some species of wasp.

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A Eucalypt Leaf Beetle Paropsis maculata impressed with its interesting pallet of colours.

 

February 20, 2024

Save Koala habitat on Mt Gravatt

Posted by Mt Gravatt Environment Group under Bushcare, Wildlife Corridor | Tags: , , , |
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Read Owen Sinclair’s article in Brisbane’s Urban Voice

Sign our petition to Council

Acquisition as part BCC Bushland Acquisition Program will protect this special piece of habitat for our growing Koala population and provide an opportunity to create a wildlife link to Mimosa Creek and Roly Chapman Bushland Reserve.

 

February 11, 2024

Mt Gravatt Outlook Reserve biodiversity hotspot

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By: Michael Fox

Tuesday Bushcare gave us more evidence of the value of Mt Gravatt Outlook Reserve as a key resource of species available to strengthen our urban habitat as our Pollinator Link project brings wildlife back to backyards.

Yellow Hairy Flower Wasp

We found three new insect species to add to our research: Flora and Fauna of Mt Gravatt Reserve.

The large Yellow Hairy Flower Wasp Radumeris tasmaniensis was a special find. Note that most Australian wasps do not sting humans rather the females use their ovipositor to lay eggs in beetles and caterpillars. Most of our wasps work 24/7 as natural pest controllers in our gardens.

Privit Hawkmoth Psilogramma casuarinae

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We found the Privit Hawkmoth Psilogramma casuarinae caterpillar feeding on the Bower Vine Pandorea jasminoides.

Hawkmoth caterpillars can be identified by their characteristic spike tail.

Leaf-footed Bug Pternistria bispina

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Leaf-footed Bug Pternistria bispina

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Iridescent Semi-slug (Peloparion iridis)

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Iridescent Semi-slug Peloparion iridis native snail.

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Blue Oides Leaf Beetle (Oides laetabilis)

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A Blue Oides Leaf Beetle Oides laetabilis was photographed feeding on Creeping Beard Grass Oplismenus aemulus. An native grass that is very effective as Living Mulch suppressing weeds, keeping the soil cool and reducing erosion.

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Small Dusky Blue (Candalides erinus)

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A Small Dusky Blue Candalides erinus butterfly visited the site.

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The potential to bring wildlife to our backyards is powerfully demonstrated in the ABC article: How three housemates in COVID lockdown discovered their Brisbane home was a biodiversity hotspot

“The number grew to more than 1,150 unique species of plants, animals and fungi counted over 12 months.”

Sign the petition to expand this highly diverse habitat SIGN PETITION TO COUNCIL

 

February 5, 2024

Posted by Mt Gravatt Environment Group under Uncategorized
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Help expand Mount Gravatt Outlook Reserve
 

December 4, 2023

130 years of recovery from logging

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Brush Box regrowth

By: Michael Fox

Prior to 1893 Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve was logged as railway timber reserve which means few large trees remain. Signs of what we have lost can still be found in burnt stumps like this Brush Box Lophostemon confertus beside the Eastern Outlook Track.

Forest regeneration after logging takes decades and can take surprising directions. Only a stump of the Brush Box was left but the lignotuber has allowed the the tree to regrow eight new trunks.

Walking in the forest? Click on the QR codes of the new plant information signs to learn more.

Koala in Brush Box

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While it will be hundreds of years to grow to the size of the original tree Koalas Phascolarctos cinereus are already using the regrowth.

Koalas with chlamydia feed on leaves of Brush Box to benefit from the lower phenol/tannin levels.

Sandfly Zieria flowers

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Our Bushcare work is also actively working to restore the forest by planting degraded areas with local trees, shrubs, grasses and vines.

Sandfly Zieria Zieria smithii is thriving, demonstrating the value of planting local natives that evolved with the local habitat and feed the butterflies and other insects that evolved in the same area. The Zieria is food plant for the Orchard Swallowtail Papilio aegeus.

 

November 10, 2023

Multinational Bushcare Team

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By: Michael Fox

Our Griffith Mates Bushcare Team joined us again on Saturday to continue restoration of Zone 14 in our Fox Gully Bushcare site. The Mates Team was truly multinational with participants from Indonesia, Vietnam, Pakistan, Japan, Venezuela, Mexico and Malaysia.

Community Planting October 2009
Team hard at work

The team worked hard clearing invasive weeds like Singapore Daisy Sphagneticola trilobata and Guinea Grass Megathyrsus maximus var. maximus. Sometimes weeding seems frustrating but look at the trees in the background that were planted in October 2009 which have gone from bare ground to trees large enough for Koalas. The part of the Zone with the trees is relatively weed free so we need to do some infill planting to take advantage of the Mates Team’s work.

Cutting back an Indian Rubber Tree
Breaking down dead Acacia branches

Cutting back an Indian Rubber Tree Ficus elastica to improve access. Longer term, the plan to remove the tree. Rubber Trees are not a big problem with spreading but the roots are very aggressive and steal a lot of water from local natives. While these extraordinary trees are a problem here they provide an unique community service in their natural habitat. In places like northern India and Bhutan these trees are used to create Living Bridges.

Breaking down dead Acacia branches allowed them to be added to the onsite compost pile rather than taking to the dump.

I always love working with the diverse teams of Griffith University students. Fascinating stories and full of energy.

The Team are very proud of their efforts so it is time to head for the Summit and pizza, and of course see if we can find more Koalas Phascolarctos cinereus.

By the time we reached ten Koalas had be sighed. That included two mum’s and joeys.

Koala mum and joey
 

August 25, 2023

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Ausco Modular Team returns to Showgrounds
 

August 24, 2023

Clairvaux MacKillop Bushcare Team

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By: Michael Fox

A team of energetic young students and a huge pile of mulch … a great combination!

We split the team with one group put to work spreading mulch and another working on weed busting clearing Corky Passion Vine Passiflora suberosa and Creeping Lantana Lantana montevidenses.

Mulching the ground is an important part of our restoration of the forest habitat. I explained that mulch have three functions:

  1. Retaining soil moisture.
  2. Reducing erosion.
  3. Most important is keeping soil cool. Soil is teeming with living organisms: microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, algae and macro-organisms like springtails, mites, nematodes, earthworms, ants that recycle organic material refreshing and boosting soil health. Average soil temperatures for bioactivity range from 10-24°C. Mulch keeps soil warm in cold weather and more important for Brisbane it keeps the soil cool in summer.

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Long term our objective is to grow Living Mulch which performs all the same functions: vines like Wonga Vine Pandorea pandorana providing safe habitat for lizards and food for Common Crow butterfly caterpillars while grasses like Graceful Grass Ottochloa gracillima provide seed for Pale Headed Rosella Platycercus adscitus.

 

August 23, 2023

Koala welcomes National Tree Day Team

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By: Michael Fox

2023 National Tree Day moved to the entry of the Scribbly Gum Track beside the Scout Hall and the planting team were greeted by a Koala Phascolarctos cinereus sleeping in tree at the entry.

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Eight hundred and thirty local native trees, shrubs, vines and grasses were planted including more Koala food trees.

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Fifty two volunteers contributed one hundred and eighty nine hours of labour restoring another parcel of special Koala habitat. A special thanks to Brisbane First Chinese Scouts who have helped with National Tree Day since 2018.

A special surprise was finding a Grey Butcherbird Cracticus torquatus nesting in the planting site.

 

June 14, 2023

Join the Ausco Modular team creating a Wildflower Walk at Mt Gravatt Showgrounds

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To celebrate World Environment Day, the Ausco team will partner with Mt Gravatt Environment Group and the Showgrounds Trust to plant a Wildflower Walk. 

The Wildflower Walk will be the first step in restoring local native species to create a Pollinator Link habitat to attract and feed birds, butterflies and bees. 

Date: Tuesday 27th June 

Time: 9am – 12pm 

RSVP: pollinatorlink@gmail.com 

Volunteers must wear enclosed shoes. Tools and gloves will be provided.

 

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