March 26, 2018
By: Michael Fox
Thanks to our Photography Workshop leader Alan Moore we have an extraordinary fungi tour of colour and shape.
Like what you see?
Register for the 2018 Photography Workshop.
Learn make your own photographic story.
Register for the 2018 Photography Workshop.
March 4, 2018
Cub Scout Lincon
By: Michael Fox
Heather Woods and her family, again hosted our annual Clean Up Australia event.
Twenty-nine community members, including Cr Krista Adams and Corrine McMillan MP collected seventeen bags of rubbish: drink bottles, McDonalds’ bags and car parts.
Heather organised us into three teams:
Guide Eliose on the job
Road Team collecting rubbish from Mt Gravatt Outlook Drive; and
A Griffith Mates team joined the Weeding Team clearing a large area of Creeping Lantana Lantana montevidensis as well as weed grasses along the road verge.
I was able to show the Weeding Team members the natural regeneration of native plants where the Creeping Lantana was removed as part of National Tree Day.
Bell Flower vine is a delicate scrambler spreading in the cleared area.
Winter Apple Eremophila debilis
Winter Apple Eremophila debilis is a herb with a small mauve flower and cute little apple like fruit.
A great morning working with inspiring people and a lot of rubbish taken to the dump.
March 2, 2018
By: Michael Fox
Cr. Steven Huang was interested in everything when he visited Roly Chapman Bushcare in February. He was particularly impressed with the Gross Pollution Trap installed to catch drink containers and plastic bags washed out of the storm water drain.
The trap was made with a recycled security screen and star pickets. We have been waiting on a storm event to test out the structure. Last week’s storms dumped about 170 mm of rain on Upper Mt Gravatt in 24 hours. A good test for the Pollution Trap.
We inspected the trap this morning to find the water flow must have been very strong to build litter up about 30 centimetres
Plastic bags and drink containers that didn’t pollute the bushland.
The success of the pollution trap is great contribution to protecting our bushland.
You can make a contribution by joining Clean Up Australia this Sunday.
December 15, 2017
By: Michael Fox
Thursday last week the Mt Gravatt PCYC Bush Restorers joined us at Roly Chapman Bushcare to clear weed regrowth and plant 160 vines, grasses and shrubs to create an edge seal along the primary school fence.
Restoration work in Roly Chapman is part of the Mimosa Creek Precinct
Landscape Plan to link Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve with Bulimba Creek.
An edge seal is a barrier to protect natural bushland from weed invasion. For example, reduce the feathery seeds from the yellow flowering Flatweed (Catsear) Hypochaeris radicata blowing over from the school oval.
Clearing weed regrowth was required to prepare for planting. I started by explaining the Bradley Method of regeneration:
Expert Weed Eradicators
The Bradley Method does require skilled workers. So it was a real pleasure to work with two expert Weed Eradicators to remove the deep-rooted Flatweed. The ground was soft from recent rain so with carefully pulling the the weed vertically allowed removal roots and all with minimal disturbance to soil.
Weeding finished … relax before planting
Vines
Bushes
Grass/Sedge/Rush
Sheamus and Sienna allocate plants
Water crystals first then plant
Plants were selected from species already found in Roly Chapman Bushland Reserve. Vines Hardenbergia violacea and Smilax australis are a good way to hid a chain-wire fence and provide food for butterfly caterpillar and fruit for fruit eating birds. Growing to 3 metres with a 2 metre spread and reddish green foliage the Coffee Bush Breynia oblongifolia is an attractive garden feeding butterfly caterpillars and decorative Green Jewel Bugs Lampromicra senator.
Green Jewel Bug
Grasses like Barbed Wire Grass Cymbopogon refractus and Kangaroo Grass Themeda australis will create an edge seal below the shrubs and feed seed eating birds. Sedges and rushes like Tall Sedge Carex appressa and Common Rush Juncus usitatus thrive along the fence line where run off from the school oval creates a damp habitat most of the year.
Mt Gravatt PCYC Bush Restorers
Thank you Mt Gravatt PCYC Bush Restorers … looking forward to welcoming you back in 2018.
November 15, 2017
My: Michael Fox
A sunny Spring morning … time to lie flat out like a lizard.
This Bearded Dragon Pogona barbata was warming itself on a dead branch in Fox Gully Bushcare.
Eyes just cracked open to keep an eye on the strange creatures taking photos.
November 10, 2017
Koala Phascolarctos cinereus
By: Michael Fox
Walking the Mountain this morning we saw a pair of Sulphur-crested Cockatoos Cacatua galerita high in the trees getting very upset about something. Initially we thought they were getting upset with a murder of Crows in the trees.
Stingless Native Bee
Then Jude spotted a Koala hanging on for dear life as the Cockatoos and Crows all harried it.
In the same area I found tiny Stingless Native Bees Tetragonula sp. collecting nectar and pollen on Bottle Brush Grass Tree Xanthorrhoea macronema flowers.
Look for the pollen on legs.
Ringtail Possum nesting in dead tree
Our last find was a Ringtail Possum Pseudocheirus peregrinus asleep in its nest in a dead tree.
Dead trees (called stags) are an important part of our bushland habitat providing homes for insects, lizards, birds and even Possums.
October 31, 2017
By: Michael Fox
I have been honoured to accept the 2017 Cleaner Suburbs – Catchment Champions Award in recognition of our work within Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve.
In receiving the award I reflect the efforts of dozens of enthusiastic happy volunteers including Marshal and Liz who work with me on Tuesday mornings.
Our Griffith Mates partners join us for regular Fox Gully Bushcare events bringing international students to experience the Australian bush and contribute to our restoration work.
The Mates willingly join in everything from weeding to moving logs.
Heather Woods organised Clean Up Australia welcoming a wide range families to join us cleaning up Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve.
One hundred and fifty community members worked hard and shared smiles at our National Tree Day event.
Member, Alan Moore runs our annual Photography Workshop and prepares our calendar, combining community education and fundraising for equipment.
The Brisbane City Council Habitat Brisbane team provide training, contract support, tools, plants and other resources.
Non-profit social enterprise Bulimba Creek Catchment Coordinating Committee (B4C) provide vital support auspiceing grant applications, accounting and seed funding to launch our Polliantor Link project.
Thank you to all our supporters and a special thanks to Heather Woods who nominated me for this award.
Report Koala sightings
Sheamus O'Connor - Young Citizen of the Year 2012
Environmental Protection Award - Brisbane's Spotless Suburbs
