Mount Gravatt Environment Group

By: Michael Fox

Photos: Andreas Listle

A beautiful Saturday morning and I met up with an inspiring group students for our regular Griffith Mates OWeek guided walk in Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve. I vary the walk each time to highlight plants in flower and other special sights and sounds. A highlight this time was meeting Ma Poss (Brushtail Possum Trichosurus vulpecula) and her joey. (Baby possums are called ‘joey’.)

Checking nest box with GoPro and excited students watching on the iPad

Photographing Slender Hyacinth Orchid

Meeting at Mt Gravatt Campus the Griffith Mates team introduced students from Germany, South America, China and Japan all keen to learn more about the Australian bush.

The students were very interested in learning about our native ground orchids: Slender Hyacinth Orchid Dipodium variegatum.

I explained that, lacking any leaves, these orchids are critically dependent on their relationship with fungi in the ground.  The fungi mycorrhiza, fine root like fibres, feed the underground orchid with organic carbon and minerals collected from roots of adjacent trees.

Bottle Brush Grass Tree Xanthorrhoea macronema

These native orchids cannot survive if removed from the bush as they are totally dependent on their relationship with the fungi.

Along Acacia Way we looked at the unusual Bottle Brush Grass Trees Xanthorrhoea macronema in flower. Looking closely we found Stingless Native Bees (Tetragonula sp.) collecting pollen and nectar.

Pardalote interpretative sign

Bird song is an important part of any walk in the Reserve.

Blueberry Lily berries
The QR code on the Pardalote interpretative sign linked to a video of a Striated Pardalote Pardalotus striatus singing. I introduced the group to the iconic and cheerful song of the Laughing Kookaburras Dacelo novaeguineae. 

Blueberry Lily fruit

Along Acacia Way we found Settlers Flax Gymnostachys anceps: used by early settlers to sew bags and indigenous people combined it with bark to make fishing line, Blueberry Lily Dianella longifolia and Native Raspberry Rubus moluccanus.

Leading guided walks with Griffith Mates is always a pleasure … lots of smiles and laughter along the Eastern Outlook Track.

2016 National Tree Day planting

A quick stop to inspect results from the 2016 National Tree Day planting: thickening nicely and some trees over 3 metres.

Curculigo ensifolia flower

Last stop was the 2017 National Tree Day site.

I showed the natural regeneration in the area where the invasive weed Creeping Lantana Lantana montevidenses was cleared as part of National Tree Day. Nature is very resilient if we give it a chance and the returning natives are strong evidence of the effectiveness of our Bushcare work.

Vincent and his tree

Vincent took the opportunity to check in on the tree he planted on National Tree Day.

A great walk … everyone seemed to be inspired to return and help with our Bushcare work.

Thanks to Andreas Listle for staying behind the camera and capturing memories.