Mount Gravatt Environment Group

By: Michael Fox

Fox Gully neighbours Miranda, Scott and children, Freya and Clementine, had a special wildlife experience today.

Walking the Geebung Track just near the National Tree Day planting site the family spotted a Koala Phascolarctos cinereus on the ground beside a tree. They managed to get a special photo of the Koala reaching up to climb a tree.

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                                                                Koala beside Geebung Track

The family’s sighting has been added to Koala Tracker and our Google Earth map of wildlife sightings.

                      Koala sightings 2016

Koala in Tallowwood

8 June 2016

Healthy-looking Koala at Gertrude Petty Place 

He (or she) was in a large Tallowwood between public housing at 59 Gosford Street and footpath from Gertrude Petty Place to Federation Outlook this afternoon. Was quite high up so this is the best I could do with my Iphone.

Also two quite large microbats patrolling GPP at 5.15pm tonight.

Sue Jones

Koala – Federation Track

23 April 2016

Griffith Mates – Lantana Busters

Our Griffith Mates bushcare partners were very happy to find a Koala beside the Federation Track heading down to Granby Street.

Koala – Federation Track

17 April 2016

Koala along Federation Track 

We are sighting a koala bear for last two weeks, during a trek to Mount Gravatt lookout.
Today, we sighted them on top of a eucalyptus tree 100m from carpark near Logan Road entry. Last week, sighted them near Federation lookout.

Attaching pictures of the same to inform respective authority.

Vittal

Koala – Ekibin Creek – P. Demmers

9 April 2016

Koala – Ekibin Creek Pollinator Link

Koala – Fox Gully

Koala – Fox Gully Pollinator Link

Maria, Matt and their children often find Koalas in the trees right behind their house.

In January 2013 the family had a Koala mum and joey visiting.

Photo: Maria Hill

Southern Boobook Owl Ninox novaeseelandiae

By: Michael Fox

The Mt Gravatt Walking Group spotted this handsome Southern Boobook Owl Ninox novaeseelandiae along the Summit Track on Friday morning. Photo: Tony Ashworth

While I hear the Bookbook’s “boo-book” call regularly this is the first sighting reported so I was very excited when Tony and the group joined us at the small bird habitat planting.

I have updated the Birds files in our Flora & Fauna of Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve lists with Tony’s photos.

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Tree Water Spider Dendrolycosa icadia

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The Tree Water Spider Dendrolycosa icadia with its curious funnel shaped web is a new addition to Spiders in Flora & Fauna of Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve.

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Tree Water Spider web

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Long-leaved Mock-olive Notelaea longifolia

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Long-leaved Mock-olive Notelaea longifolia is an addition to our Tree-Shrub species found in Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve.

By: Michael Fox

Alan Moore introduced contre jour

At our 2016 Photography Workshop Alan Moore introduced us to a new way of seeing the bush around us … contre jour: French for “against daylight”, a technique in which the view is directly toward a source of light. A form of photography artistry Alan related to French impressionists like Claude Monet.

Alan challenged participants to experiment with their camera’s manual settings like aperture and exposure before sending them out on assignment to see nature in a new light.

See ferns in a new light:

Fiona

Katrina

Playing with camera flair:

Kate

Dana

Lyn

Jude

Gregg

Greg

Margaret

Nat

Marie

Misting spider webs to catch the light:

Tricia

Fiona

X-ray view of leaves:

Tony

Maree

Forget contra jour and just meet the locals:

Toni

The 2017 Photography Calendar will be available in November ready for posting to family or friends overseas.

By: Michael Fox

Creeping Lantana Lantana montevidenses

Griffith Mates joined me at Fox Gully Bushcare on a beautiful fine Saturday morning to work as Lantana Busters. Creeping Lantana Lantana montevidenses is one of our major weed threats in Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve. Lantana competes for native plants for scarce water reserves and the chemicals in Lantana have a significant negative effects on native plant species.

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(l-r) Sophie, Lifen, Noe – proud of their work

Removing Creeping Lantana is detailed work requiring team members to get down and pull the roots of individual plants. Fortunately the Griffith Mates team were patient and through leaving the area spotless.

As always, it was fascinating to talk to the students about home towns in Japan and China, catching up with one of my old Management Concepts students or hearing about intern experience with KPMG in Korea.

Koala high in tree on Federation Track

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Outstanding effort deserves a reward, so we headed off down the Federation Track to find a Koala Phascolarctos cinereus in the wild. The track down towards Granby Street is a reliable place to spot Koalas. Sophie was first to spot a Koala high in a Tallowwood Eucalyptus microcorys.

Joseph’s Coat Moth Agarista agricola – Photo: K. Sinigaglia

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We also spotted a brightly coloured Joseph’ Coat Moth Agarista agricola flying around a large clump of Forest Grape Cissus opaca an important caterpillar food plant for this amazing moth.

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Ringlet butterfly

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We also found a Ringlet butterfly Hypocysta sp. which depend on Poaceae (grass) species for caterpillar food.

The work of the Lantana Busters clearing the weeds will allow regeneration of important butterfly caterpillar food like Forest Grape and native grasses.

Every visit of our Griffith Mates partners strengthens the habitat for all our native species.

Edited by: Michael Fox

Mulch filter

Sunday 10th April, a lovely sunny morning and new volunteers join the team for the second community working bee of the year.

First step, before it gets too hot, is working along the fence between the reserve and Upper Mt Gravatt SS oval. One group continued clearing weeds along the fence line while the other group starting moving the mulch delivered by BCC Habitat Brisbane last month, staking plants and installing a timber edge to contain mulch to create a break between the oval and the bush. The 20cm thick layer of mulch will act to slow the large volume of  water runoff from the large area of the school oval. This allows the water to soak in rather than just run off and also acts as a weed seed filter protecting the bush.

Kate demonstrates cut and dab

Only partially complete this mulch filter is already working to stop weed regrowth and promote growth of the planted melaleucas (doubled in size) and the clumps of Common Rush Juncus usitatus. 

Kate Flink, our Habitat Brisbane Officer, also joined us for the morning. Besides helping to move heavy barrow loads of mulch she gave a demonstration on herbicide application using the cut and dab method.  This is an ideal way to deal with thickets of Easter Cassia Senna pendula var. glabrata and Small Leaved Privet Ligustrum sinense that have infested this area.

Hard work is rewarded with morning tea

At the end of a busy morning we were very grateful for our morning tea (especially the raspberry slice) prepared and brought to us by Trevor and Carol.  Thank you to all the volunteers and especially Kate for her help, encouragement and invaluable information.

Sunday 15 May – Book Early

A photographic journey led by Alan Moore

High intensity side lighting to emphasise line and texture.

The Golden Rule is:

“Do not shoot into the light, have the sun over your shoulder.”

Time to break the Golden Rule at 2016 Photography Workshop

At the 2016 Photography Workshop Alan will challenge you to break that rule. Explore the wonders of contre jour style to intensify line and form, shapes and silhouettes.

After a review of basic and advanced photographic techniques we will take to the bush to explore the wonders of photographic Light Work.

Book Here

Mulch filter along school fence

By: Michael Fox

Sunday 13th March was the first community working bee of the year. Despite the rain we decided to go for it and got our wet weather gear on. The light showers that came about every half hour were very light and kept us cool. So it proved a bonus.

Out tasks for the morning were to remove seed heads, chip away the weeds next to the school fence and cover them with a layer of mulch to suppress weed regrowth, filter out weed seeds and slow the large volume of water coming off the school oval.

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Delivering mulch

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BCC Habitat Brisbane delivered a large pile of forest mulch. So we took it in turns to fill barrow loads and dump them in a two metre strip along the fence. While we were working we spotted a few butterflies including the Common Crow and a Blue Tiger.

Morning tea and banana cake!

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While we were working we spotted a few butterflies including the Common Crow and a Blue Tiger. Our reward for an enjoyable morning’s work was some delicious banana cake courtesy of neighbours Carol and Trevor, who unfortunately couldn’t be there but sent the cake in their place!

By: Michael Fox

………….(l-r) Ann, Sarah, Liz & myself

I was honoured to lead an enthusiastic group of YHA Bushwalkers Queensland – variety YHA Bushies. The Bushies were interested in everything from plants and animals to the geology of the mountain.

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Starting from Gertrude Petty Place we visited two Stingless Native Bee Trigona carbonaria hives then followed the Federation Track to Federation Lookout.

…………View from Federation Lookout

The Federation Lookout faces east with views to Mt Petrie, Mt Cotton and Stradbroke Island in the distance.

The track downhill from the Lookout shows the amount of quartz found on the mountain. There were some attempts to find gold but nothing came of it.

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…………..Pink Planthopper Colgar sp

The next stage of the Federation Track, from the junction with the Scribbly Gum Track, took us past a number of Scribbly Gums Eucalyptus racemosa. The characteristic scribbles on the bark are created by caterpillars of the tiny Scribbly Gum moth.

We also found a new addition for our fauna species list. This cute Pink Planthopper Colgar sp. stayed still long enough for a photograph.

…………..Galahs cleaning nest hollow

Just above use a pair of Galahs Eolophus roseicapillus were cleaning out a nest hollow where a branch has broken off the tree.

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At the top of Federation Track we inspected the small forest bird planting and one of the new interpretative signs. 

Sarah and Liz are members of the West End Greening Group – restoring the habitat at the end of Dauphin Terrace, Highgate Hill. So they were particularly interested in the signs and our methodology for creating the small bird habitat.

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Quinine Bush/Bitter Bark Petalostigma pubescens

A break for tea and chocolate cake. I am told the Bushies consider cake an important resource for any walk in the bush.

We inspected the work eradicating Asparagus Fern Asparagus aethiopicus. 

I also showed them the Wonga Wonga Vine Pandorea pandorana and Quinine Bush/Bitter Bark Petalostigma pubescens.

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……….Basket Fern Drynaria rigidula

On to the main Fox Gully Bushcare site we talked about the nest boxes and the resident Squirrel Glider family.

The Bushies were very impressed with the way Basket Fern Drynaria rigidula is recovering with the removal of Fishbone Fern Nephrolepis cordifolia.

It was a real pleasure to show the Bushies Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve.

By: Michael Fox

Summit Track entry

Council contractors have started redevelopment of the entry to the Summit Track. The objective is to change the signage and entry to make the track more inviting to visitors.

The recycled porphyry street guttering is being used for steps will create a very attractive entry to tempt picnickers into the forest.

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Butterfly interpenetrate sign

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Once work is finished a new interpretative sign will be installed at the site.

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Dainty Swallowtail on Barded Wire Grass

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The natural amphitheater created by the slope of the picnic grounds is a popular speed dating site for butterflies. I photographed a beautiful Dainty Swallowtail Papilio anactus flying around this morning. The butterfly has landed on native Barbed Wire Grass Cymbopogon refractus.

Find out about butterflies found in Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve.

By: Michael Fox

Clean Up team sign-in

7am Sunday morning!

Site coordinator Heather Woods explained that an early start would avoid the heat and leave volunteers free for the rest of the day. After the team briefing, Heather deployed different groups:

• Fast-food Container Team headed down the road. Happy Meal boxes seemed to make up a large bulk of their clean-up, which suggests it is parents not Gen Ys littering the roadside.
  

  Team work produces results

• Kokoda Lantana Weed Busters joined me at the 2015 National Tree Planting site 

The Kokoda Youth Foundation supports young Australians, inspiring them to do extraordinary things. We challenge their deeply held beliefs, allowing them to explore their limits and abilities, and provide them with opportunities for personal growth.It was an inspiration to meet and work with these young people.

Cr Adams with Kokoda Lantana Weed Busters

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Cr Krista Adams joined the Lantana Weed Busters learning more about our Bushcare work as well as taking the opportunity to meet some of Australia’s future leaders.

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Lord Mayor Quirk with Clean Up team members

I had to opportunity to talk with Lord Mayor Graham Quirk as we cleaned up around the 2 Millionth Tree Planting at the Summit. I complemented the Lord Mayor on the Council support for our Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve. Now that Council officers lock the gate at night and clear up around the picnic area we have much less rubbish. Even the broken glass we were picking up seemed to be from older thin glass stubbies or older style beer bottles.

We also discussed the Pollinator Link project. I was proud to explain to the Lord Mayor of Brisbane that we now have our first first Certified Pollinator Link Garden in Sandgate and regular articles appear in Living in the Shires published by Harcouts Graceville. Now we just need to get our Council Parks meeting the Pollinator Link criteria with water for wildlife and nest-boxes.

Clean Up success

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Clean Up success. Thirty volunteers scoured the Reserve and even with half working as Lantana Weed Busters there was still a huge pile of rubbish collected. Even a microwave dumped at Federation Lookout.

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Clean Up team sign-in

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However, I think the prize need to go to the Girl Power team who collected so much rubbish beside the road they had to return for extra bags and still struggled back to the Summit with two more full bags of rubbish.