Bush food | Mount Gravatt Environment Group

August 2, 2021

One Hours Notice: Community Steps Up

Posted by Mt Gravatt Environment Group under Bushcare | Tags: Bush food, Bush monsters, COVID Lockdown, Global Sustainable Development Vision Innovative Association (GSDVIA), Michelle Lee, National Tree Day, Plant Local to Feed Locals |
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By: Michael Fox

Saturday 10:30am: Site prepared – weeded and mulched, holes dug, water tank filled, soil and stakes on site. COVID Safe app set up, digital National Tree Day sign-on ready, plant info signs in-place, tables, fertiliser tabs, etc in car. Heather Woods and the Bush Monsters have helped me sort the plants and put in Seasol.

“Ok, I just need to put the plants in the car in the morning and go.” That’s when I received a message from my son in Canberra telling me: “Brisbane is in lockdown from 4pm!”

We have five and half hours to lockdown. What can we do in that time?

I got on the phone to our National Tree Day team and started sending emails to notify registered participants that the Sunday event was cancelled but if they could join us we would be onsite at 12noon we aimed to save National Tree Day. Meanwhile, Heater Woods posted on the Wishart, Mansfield & Mount Gravatt Community 4122 Facebook Group.

The community response was amazing.

Within minutes Michelle Lee, President (Volunteer), of the Global Sustainable Development Vision Innovative Association (GSDVIA) was on the phone telling me she would put a call out.

The number of community members who responded to the Facebook Group post was amazing.

Recruiting a mother, son and pup walking in the forest was particularly special. This family team planted a special bush food plant Sago Flower Ozothamnus diosmifolius which is a good substitute cooking herb Rosemary.

What a community. One hours notice and we have a team that saved National Tree Day with 450 native plants local to Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve.

Plant Local to Feed Locals. Download the GroNative app from Apple or Google Play to identify local natives for your garden.

February 5, 2019

Community Planting thriving at National Tree Day site

Posted by Mt Gravatt Environment Group under Bushcare, Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve | Tags: acacia frimbrata Brisbane Fringed Wattle, Blady Grass Imperata cylindrica, Bush food, Dusky Coral Pea Kennedia rubicunda, Kangaroo Grass Themeda triandra, National Tree Day, Native Hibiscus/Rosella Hibiscus heterophyllus, Pollinator Link, Variegated Fairy Wrens Malurus lamberti |
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2019 National Tree Day

By: Michael Fox

I inspected the National Tree Day planting site today and as always I am impressed how local natives can thrive even in the dry weather we have been having. Rain this week will be a real boost however even before the rain most of the plants our community team put in have been thriving.

Seven months on the Brisbane Fringed Wattles Acacia fimbriata are outgrowing the green plant shelters, Blady Grass Imperata cylindrica and Kangaroo Grass Themeda triandra are standing tall, and Dusky Coral Pea Kennedia rubicunda is draped over the Habitat Tripod.

Native Hibiscus/Rosella Hibiscus heterophyllus are thriving and already feeding local insects which is the first step in attracting insect eating birds like Variegated Fairy Wrens Malurus lamberti. Native Hibiscus not only feeds insects it is also a versatile bush food for your Pollinator Link garden.

April 8, 2013

Griffith University Bushcare Team visits Fox Gully

Posted by Mt Gravatt Environment Group under Bush Tucker, Bushcare, Wildlife of Mt Gravatt Reserve | Tags: Blady Grass Imperata cylindrica, Bush food, Early Black Wattle Acacia leiocalyx, Griffith Uni Bushcare Team, Imperial Hairstreak butterfly, Jalmenus evagoras, Mirandha Escott-Burton, mulch silt filter, Sheamus O'Conner, Small Meat Ants Iridomyrmex sp. |
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Imperial Hairstreak butterfly on Early Black Wattle

By: Michael Fox

We welcomed the Griffith Uni Bushcare Team back to Fox Gully on the Saturday before Easter.

Mind you, it took a while to get them onsite as we found some Imperial Hairstreak butterflies, Jalmenus evagoras, beside the track. It is always a pleasure to find someone else who can be totally fascinated by a few of butterflies, caterpillars and ants.

Imperial Hairstreak chrysalis protected by Small Meat Ants

Silt 100mm deep behind mulch filter

Imperial Hairstreak butterfly caterpillars and chrysalis are protected by native Small Meat Ants Iridomyrmex sp. referred to as Kropotkin ants. Read my article in Southside Community News.

The Early Black Wattle Acacia leiocalyx are interesting with their distinctive triangular stems.

The main project for the day was restoration and improvement of the “mulch filters” that keep silt from the dirt maintenance road flowing into the gully. The filters have proved very effective in reducing erosion and keeping the water in the gully clean.

Mirandha and Sheamus installing mulch filter

The mulch filter is designed to slow the water flow at key runoff points on the track, allowing the silt to settle out. Silt is already 100mm deep behind one filters and starting to support natural regeneration of native grass.

The original filters were made by simply mounding mulch at the runoff points as an experiment. Now that the effectiveness has been established logs are being installed to make the filters more permanent and allow mulch to be piled higher.