June 13, 2017

2017 Southside Queensland Day Awards

Posted by Mt Gravatt Environment Group under Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve, Photography | Tags: , , , |
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Southside Environment Award

(l-r) Michael and Alan

By: Michael Fox

 

Alan Moore and I have been honoured with the Southside Environment Award at the Southside Queensland Day Awards last Saturday. The Awards were hosted by Ian Walker MP and Cr Steven Huang with bursary and catering support from the Southside Sport & Community Club.

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Alan - 7 Aug 11

Alan sharing his passion

 

The award is in recognition of our work with Mt Gravatt Environment Group and in particular Alan’s leadership of our annual Photography Workshop. The award came with a cheque for $100 to support our work in restoration of the special habitat of Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve.

The Photography Workshops started with the 2011 Environment and Photography Workshop. The event was sponsored by a BCC Environmental Grant. In the morning Field Botanist – Ann Moran introduced participants to the diversity of our local flora. Then after lunch Alan took over to teach participants to capture the elusive feeling of “being in the bush” as a photograph to put on their wall at home.

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.The Photography Workshops have an important educational role in helping participants value the environment more as they see the bush through new eyes and share their experience with others.

A selection of participants’ photographs are used for the popular annual Photo Calendar. The calendar is sold out every year and provides valuable funds for the purchase of equipment like the infrared wildlife camera used to monitor the Squirrel Glider Petaurus norfolcensis families living in the Fox Gully Bushcare nest-boxes.

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See Alan’s work at:

www.freelargephotos.com

Click on The Photographers then scroll down

find Alan Moore and Click

Contact Alan: editoramcj@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

April 21, 2017

Shadow Minister for Environment visits Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve

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

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(clockwise) Mik Petter, Wayne Cameron, Ian Walker, Dr. Christian Rowan, Michael Fox, Sienna Harris

Our local MP Ian Walker gave us to opportunity yesterday to brief Dr. Christian Rowan, state Shadow Minister for Environment, about our restoration work around the mountain and the broader Brisbane catchment. We met at the Love Well Project … excellent coffee and an outstanding place to meet with a view over Brisbane City.
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Mik Petter – B4C President and Wayne Cameron – Catchment Manager, represented Bulimba Creek Catchment Coordinating Committee (B4C). Sienna Harris represented Griffith Mates and Alan Moore, Photography Workshop leader, and I represented Mt Gravatt Environment Group.
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Mik and Wayne shared information on the history of Bulimba Creek Catchment Coordinating Committee Inc. (B4C): established in 1997 as a community based social enterprise that provides coordination, support and specialised ecological services to protect, restore and maintain Bulimba Creek catchment in partnership with our members and wider community to build a web of green across the region.

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Particularly significant points were the business like management of B4C which complements grant funding and volunteer contribution with commercial projects across Brisbane and as far as Esk. This combination of financial strength and depth of on ground experience across both technical environmental areas and community engagement allows B4C to provide valuable support for groups like ours: technical advice, legal framework, insurance and bookkeeping.

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Explaining the value of interpretative signs.

The excellent support our five Bushcare groups receive from BCC Habitat Brisbane is complemented by B4C’s support that allows us to source grant funding for printing our popular Walking Mt Gravatt track maps and the interpretative signs which help create a real “National Park” experience for visitors to Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve.
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Sienna talked about Griffith Mates, a Griffith University initiative that organises events for students, including Volunteering at Bushcare. A powerful partnership we find ourselves working with students studying engineering, international business as well as the expected environmental science. Listening to students talking about home in Hong Kong or Zimbabwe, seeing the smiles and hearing the laughter.
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(l-r) Ian Walker and Christian Rowan

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Alan told us about the 2017 Photography Workshop, our fifth year helping visitors “See the forest in a new way” through the lens of their camera. Each year Alan focuses of a new theme and many participants return each year … so it is important to book early as we have limited numbers.
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Time to get the politicians out to experience this special Conservation Reserve in the middle of the city.
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I explained that the butterfly sign was positioned at the entry to the Summit Track where the natural amphitheatre creates a speed dating site for dozens of butterflies of different species.
 

February 6, 2016

Australia Day Green Heart Award

Posted by Mt Gravatt Environment Group under Mt Gravatt Environment Group | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |
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Lord Mayor's 2016 Australia Day Awards

Laurie receiving Green Heart Award

By: Michael Fox

Mt Gravatt Environment Group was honoured on Australia Day with presentation of the Lord Mayor’s Green Heart Award – Organisation 2016.

 

 

 

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The award citation:

“Mount Gravatt Environment Group is dedicated to their local environment. Their mantra ‘bringing birds and butterflies back to suburbia’, is achieved by the careful planning and implementation of many projects within the local community including mountain and gully restoration and various flora and fauna projects. The group has been responsible for the rehabilitation of Fox Gully into a vibrant wildlife corridor.

The group works closely with other community organisations to ensure maximum outcome and benefits for Mount Gravatt.”

Laurie Deacon Family and Cr Adams

Cr Krista Adams, myself, Laurie and Sigrid with Green Heart Award

Our President, Laurie Deacon, Sigrid – representing the next generation, and I all attended the award ceremony. An impressive event held in City Hall and hosting an amazing group of individuals members who are giving their time generously to our community.

As with many community groups, the achievements acknowledged with this award are the combined efforts of many individual Mt Gravatt Environment Group members, as well as, some extraordinary community partners who provide support with training, equipment, plants, grant funding, research and boots on the ground. Thank you to:

 

 

 

 

June 9, 2014

Southside Community Grant equips new restoration teams

Posted by Mt Gravatt Environment Group under Fox Gully Bushcare, Gertrude Petty Place, Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve, Roly Chapman Reserve Bushcare, Rover Street Bushcare | Tags: , , , |
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(l-r) Len Kann, Michael Fox, Laurie Deacon

(l-r) Len Kann, Michael Fox, Laurie Deacon

By: Michael Fox

I joined our President – Laurie Deacon and Len Kann at Mt Gravatt Bowls Club on Saturday to celebrate Queensland Day and join Ian Walker MP, Cr Krista Adams and other community members acknowledging some of the special volunteers who keep our sports teams operating or provide  support for the most vulnerable people in our community.

Southside Sport & Community Club every year provide generous support for community groups with the Community Grants Scheme. Mt Gravatt Environment Group has received a grant that will allow us to purchase specialised equipment for our bush restoration teams. We now have seven teams restoring bushland sites around the mountain and building a Pollinator Link garden at Mt Gravatt SHS.

Southside’s generous support has already allowed us to purchase a chipper for recycling weed trees and GoPro camera used to monitor nesting boxes installed at Fox Gully Bushcare site.

 

 

December 16, 2012

$10,491 approved for self-guided walks in the bush

Posted by Mt Gravatt Environment Group under Bushwalks, Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve, Mt Gravatt Tracks | Tags: , , , , , , |
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Media Statement - funding approved for self-guided walks in the bush

Media Statement – funding approved for self-guided walks in the bush – Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve

By: Michael Fox

Support of an Everyone’s Environment Grant will allow us to open Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve to the community in a completely new way.

As the Minister’s media release says, 2013 will be busy as the concept is to duplicate the popular self-guided Summit Track walk for the whole walking track network in the Reserve.

A partnership with Brisbane City Council will see the installation of station markers at points

Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve walking tracks

Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve walking tracks

of interest. Mt Gravatt Environment Group will research the flora, fauna and geology while drawing on the knowledge of groups such as Mt Gravatt Historical Society to present the human story of the mountain.

The first stage of research has already been completed as Jon and Karla Henry have used GPS technology to map the walking tracks including some of the relatively unknown tracks like the link from the Scout Hall on Logan Road.

I acknowledge the strong support of Ian Walker, Member for Mansfield, who has worked with us at Bushcare sites, joined our planning meetings and talked about our work with colleagues and in parliament:

“The degree to which community involvement at a voluntary level enhances the life of the residents of Mansfield is immense. In addition to the P&Cs, Meals on Wheels, Neighbourhood Watch and sporting groups—go the Vultures—are groups like the Mount Gravatt Environment Group, which does a magnificent job looking after Mount Gravatt and its environs …” Ian Walker MP, Maiden Speech to Queensland Parliament

I also acknowledge the valuable advice and support provided by, the often forgotten, department members in both, the state Department of Environment and Heritage Protection, and BCC Local Asset Services.