October 4, 2018

Koalas live here, dogs visit

Posted by Mt Gravatt Environment Group under Bushcare, Koala, Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve, Photography | Tags: , , , |
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By: Michael Fox

Koala - walking - 4 Dec 11 - J McCrystal

Koala Mt Gravatt Outlook Drive

Koala breeding season is here again: August to February. So it is very important that dogs visiting Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve are kept on a leash at all times. Dog owners regularly tell us that “their dogs wouldn’t attack koalas because they’re well trained and don’t cause problems.” However, the RSPCA rescue volunteer releasing a young male Koala at Gertrude Petty Place yesterday told Sue Jones different story “dogs are more often than not implicated in Koala rescues.”

Koala Family - Alan Moore - 29 Sept 2018 lr

Koala Family (l-r) father, joey (male), mother

Alan Moore photographed this family group last Saturday in Fox Gully Bushcare behind houses in O’Grady Street.

 

Toni McDonald photographed another Koala last Wednesday in Firefly Gully off Mt Gravatt Road.

We now have a healthy Koala population in the Reserve and people often ask how many Koalas there are. Until now, other than telling them that we have two or three joeys each year I don’t have any detailed numbers to share. The joint Queensland University of Technology-Brisbane City Council research using heat-seeking drones should provide valuable population information.

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 29, 2012

Griffith students roll up the weeds!

Posted by Mt Gravatt Environment Group under Bushcare, Gertrude Petty Place | Tags: , , , , |
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By Susan Jones

Tekee and Jonny

We are pleased to welcome back Griffith Uni students to our Wednesday afternoon working bees where they are providing such great support in our bushland restoration work.

We continue clearing Queensland Class 3 weed, Creeping Lantana Lantana montevidensis.  It has grown into thick ‘carpets’ through much of our local bushland, suffocating native vegetation as it takes over.  It reproduces by seed that are dispersed by birds and other animals as they eat the fleshy red/purple fruit or it can become established in bushland from dumped garden waste.  It spreads across the ground laterally, sometimes rooting at stem joints, forming a carpet smothering native plants.

Jonny, Shasha, Tekee, Sheamus, Susan and Maria-Dolores celebrate their efforts

Rather than poison these weed ‘carpets’ we are digging them out preserving the surviving native plants while allowing the native seed bank space to germinate and grow.  Later, this option will save a lot of effort replanting and watering.

Tekee took on a particularly thick infestation and, with Jonny’s help, was able to roll up the ‘carpet’ and move it into a heap, where it will break down into mulch.   Shasha and Maria-Dolores didn’t let the guys take all the credit though:  they created their own huge weed piles.

Great teamwork everyone … thanks!

 

 

March 22, 2012

Gertrude Petty Place Bushcare

Posted by Mt Gravatt Environment Group under Gertrude Petty Place | Tags: , , , |
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Turembold coming to grips with Lantana

By Susan Jones

As usual, Sheamus arrived first with his sleeves rolled up to work.  Next on the job were a team of Griffith University national and international students: Mardol, Mirandha, Tumenbold, Jonny, Emilia and Jaime.  An added bonus was the arrival of Peter a newcomer to Brisbane.

Today’s  volunteers took on the tedious task of removing Creeping Lantana Lantana montevidensis and everyone pulled their weight (and weeds) magnificently.

Huge compost pile of weeds - excellent work!

Emilia busied herself collecting and piling up the weeds as they were pulled. The end result was a  huge compost heap that will break down and eventually be spread as mulch.

Preparation of this area is now well underway for the second July ‘National Tree Day’ planting with volunteers from Mt Gravatt State High School.

Thanks to everyone who worked today – it was a great team effort!

 

December 1, 2011

Christmas with Mt Gravatt Environment Group

Posted by Mt Gravatt Environment Group under Bushcare, Gertrude Petty Place, Photography, Wildlife of Mt Gravatt Reserve | Tags: , , , , , , , |
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Saturday 26 December – Morning tea after a morning pulling weeds and planting at Gertrude Petty Place Bushcare. A simple happy and appropriate way to celebrate another successful year.

Our Gertrude Petty Place team have been steadily cleaning up the gullies and doing restoration planting. To October the team has put in 211 volunteer hours and planted 249 native plants most of which were propagated by the team members themselves.

Female - Spotted Pardalote - Photo A Kittila

Missing from the photo are Sheamus O’Connor who organised the Mt Gravatt SHS planting at the start of the Summit Track and Brett Dugdale – Rover Street Bushcare … and Kate Flink our wonderful BCC Habitat Brisbane Officer who was taking the photo.

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Black-faced Monarch - Photo A Kittila

It is important to note that 211 volunteer hours is only the time spent on-site. As well as that time our volunteers spend time on propagation, talking to school and community groups, applying for grant funding, preparing track guides and coordinating corporate groups like Conservation Volunteers Australia and McGregor Lions.

Others generously contribute information and photos of wildlife like the Spotted Pardalote Pardalotus punctatus and Black-faced Monarch Monarcha melanopsis. Andrea has added three bird species to our Flora & Fauna of Mt Gravatt Reserve bringing our count to fifty one bird species in the Reserve.

 

January 29, 2011

Gertrude Petty Place Team

Posted by Mt Gravatt Environment Group under Bushcare, Gertrude Petty Place, MEG Activities | Tags: , , , , , , , |
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Two large pile of weeds have been removed so it is time for a cuppa with the Geutrude Petty Bushcare team. Around the table today are Judy, Ian, Sarah, Nancy, Brett, Morag, Susan and Mannix.

It is always interesting to sit down with the team at Geutrude Petty. The range of experience around the table is extraordianary. Today the group included a retired business owner, an expert in breeding frogs, an envrionmental restoration professional, Meals on Wheels volunteers and a person who hiked into the Stinson wreck to clean up and carry out rubbish: a 35 kilometre treck climbng 1040 metres.

Gertrude Petty restoration is creating an amazing picnic opportunity you normally only find in a national park outside the city. Our Australian wildflowers are often small and easily overlooked. Visit Gertrude Petty virtually any time of the year and you will find amazing flowers. The Native or Ivy-leaf Violet Viola banksii are flowering at the moment.

The Gertrude Petty team meets 8am to 10am last Saturday of each month and 3pm to 5pm every Wednesday. For details/contacts see 2011 MEG Calendar.