Pollinator Link® is a non-profit initiative of Mt Gravatt Environment Group.
The Pollinator Link® project aims to bring wildlife back to our urban by providing Water, Food and Shelter for birds, butterflies and bees. Your free garden registration will support our work with local councils as well as helping us influence plant nurseries to stock local native species.
Imagine your backyard alive with colour and birdsong. The quiet hum of bees in your veggie patch. You leave the city behind as you come home and relax with the peaceful sounds of nature.
This sale of the William”s family farm is a unique opportunity to increase the wildlife habitat of Mt Gravatt Outlook Reserve by 11% providing greater security for our growing population of Koalas and other wildlife. Professor Carla Catterall’s letter outlines the unique value of this property:
The subject land is low lying and riparian, and currently contains regenerating vegetation. It has a high potential for strategic restoration into a more natural ecological community, of especially high value due to its location adjacent to conserved bushland of slopes and ridges. Professor Carla Catterall
While more than half this property is listed in the BCC City Plan as state environmental significance there will be a strong push by property developers to override the Council zoning.
The farm land is roughly triangular. The whole darker green area is zoned state environmental significant with the lighter green the farm land that is “protected.”
The remaining land can potentially developed but there are significant issues with increased traffic accessing Klumpp Road which is another reason the Council will resist any development.
Our support can reinforce Council’s commitment to preserving this valuable parcel of habitat.
Swamp Paperbarks Melaleuca quinquenervia have been planted near an area that gets boggy to help soak up the excess water. Two months on and the Melaleucas are now higher than the plant shelters. My experience is that tube stock will out perform larger more expensive plants.
Weeding done and plants in, it’s time for mulch. Damian saved a lot of wheelbarrow work with his end loader then the team dug in spread the mulch around the new plants.
The Ausco team are very proud of their work and … the evidence suggests they had fun.
We have started placing our new plant information signs that show people not only what the plants look like but also what butterflies, bee, etc are attracted. Also included is information on use as bush food, where the plant occur naturally and when they flower. The objective is to have plants flowering all year to attract insects as food for insect eating birds.
I am now working with Jenny Winckworth, Sustainability & ESG Lead | Ausco Modular Pty Limited, to plan next year’s events. The Ausco team have a vision of the Wildflower Walk extending right along the fence line, so that is the plan for 2024.
The Ausco Modular Team loved the event in June when we planted the first stage of the new Wildflower Walk and Pollinator Link habitat to build a wildlife corridor connecting Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve. This week we welcomed the team back to continue their excellent work.
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Site ready for planting
First step was preparing the area for planting which was not easy work as the ground is hard as rock when dry, so it was great to have an energetic team ready to go.
The objective is to create more wildlife habitat and increase the number of birds, butterflies and bees visiting the Showground. However, we already found Rhinoceros Beetle larvae Xylotrupes gideon while we were working.
It’s a stunning winter morning, everyone has huge smiles. An amazing community team have come together to create a Wildflower Walk.
This is the first step in restoring local native species to create a Pollinator Link habitat to attract and feed birds, bees and butterflies back to Mt Gravatt Showgrounds. The long term strategy includes progressively removing alien species like the invasive Chinese Elm while creating frog habitat and shady picnic areas.
It was a real pleasure meeting this energetic positive Ausco team and learn more about their organisational values which are reflected in this quote from Jenny Winckworth, Sustainability & ESG Lead:
Ausco Modular builds and hires out modular buildings and also provides accommodation in more rural areas, mainly for mining clients. Ausco Modular buildings have less embodied carbon in them than traditional builds, can be used multiple times (the average is 20) and are 96% recyclable. As part of our ongoing commitment to the environment in which we live and communities where we operate, we’ve committed to reducing our carbon emissions by 2.5% per annum based on our 2020 baseline and are actively investigating ways of reducing our waste to landfill and water consumption. We also encourage our staff to volunteer in the community during work hours.
Having community members join the planting team added to the positive atmosphere. Laurie, Heather and Benno (Fox Gully Bushcare team) organised a real production line with a group digging holes: crowbars were required in places, others followed on with water, water crystals and fertilizer tabs. Plants in the team barrowed, bucketed and raked a thick layer of mulch to manage weeds, retain water and keep the soil cool: cool temperature is vital for the macrofauna like earthworms, microfauna and microflora, such as protazoa, nematodes, and fungi, which maintain soil health.
Thank you to all our energetic volunteers and particularly group leaders Laurie, Heather and Benno who did most of the work organising the event and Alan for the photography.
To celebrate World Environment Day, the Ausco team will partner with Mt Gravatt Environment Group and the Showgrounds Trust to plant a Wildflower Walk.
The Wildflower Walk will be the first step in restoring local native species to create a Pollinator Link habitat to attract and feed birds, butterflies and bees.
Date: Tuesday 27th June
Time: 9am – 12pm
RSVP: pollinatorlink@gmail.com
Volunteers must wear enclosed shoes. Tools and gloves will be provided.
A beautiful sunny day on Tambourine Mountain and friends Laurie and Kate, join me to experience Forest Therapy in the tranquil setting of Tamborine Botanic Gardens.
Our generous and well organised guide, Danielle Drew, briefed us under the trees by the lily ponds before leading us off on paths weaving through trees.
Danielle explained the origins of Forest Therapy in the Japanese practice of forest bathing. Forest Therapy has since been expanded and strengthened with evidence-based research.
I came to the experience a little skeptical. So I was particularly interested to learn about phytoncides “volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or “essential oils” given off by trees. These chemicals have natural antimicrobial and insecticidal qualities that protect the tree from germs and parasites.” Research shows that these compounds also have health benefits for us, providing amongst other things, anti-inflammatory and antidepressants benefits.
Immersing us in this forest chemical factory, our guide led us through a series of exercises to help us slow down and open our senses: hearing the cicadas, feeling the breeze on our skin, the fresh scent of the forest. Introducing ourselves to a tree seemed a little airy-fairy but it definitely made me slow down my thinking cutting out distracting thoughts and making a mandala from leaves required me to work with Laurie, to get over my illogical resistance, to produce something special.
Our generous guide even knew the perfect way to round off the experience: a picnic and Lemon Myrtle tea ceremony under the trees.
Our event was part of the final test for Danielle to achieve Forest Therapy Guide certification and launch her business.
In the mean time if you are keen to do a bit of forest bathing you can contact Danielle via email: ddrew972@gmail.com
Day 7 25 Aug 2022 Muttaburra to Winton 1,948km covered.
Rhythm of Life
Leaving Muttaburra you pass a number of interesting sculptures some created as part of the 2014 Sculpture Festival.
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Rhythm of Life by Milynda Rogers and winner of the 2014 Sculpture Festival features two Brolgas in what looks like a courting dance.
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Spring is in the Air
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Spring is in the Air by Brodie Knickel and Beau Gray really captures the red bottlebrush flower.
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The Cessna
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The Cessna by Rupert Ballinger is appropriately at the entry to the Muttaburra airport.
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Grus rubicunda Brolga
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We passed a pair of Brolgas Grus rubicunda beside the road. Beautiful birds that mate for life.
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The Jump Up
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The land we were driving through we mainly very flat except for mesas that periodically stood out on the horizon. The Jump Up is 75 metres above the surrounding land and the location of the excellent Australian Age of Dinosaurs attraction.
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Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum
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The striking architecture blends well with the landscape. The site includes three separate facilities Fossil Preparation Laboratory, Collection Room, Dinosaur Canyon and the Cretaceous Café.
Fossil Preparation Laboratory
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I took a tour that started with the Fossil Preparation Laboratory where we learned about the process of careful onsite “wrapping” the of bones in plaster of Paris and aluminium foil.
The bones are stored until preparation. I talked with one of the volunteers doing exacting work cleaning specimens with a tool like a dentist drill. He and his wife come out for a couple o weeks once or twice a year to work on these bones.
Conifer Limb
Diamatinasaurus matildae right femur
One thing that really stunned me was the fossilised Conifer limb that just about stretched the width of the huge shed. 95 million years ago the inland sea has retreated and Winton district was the fringe of a costal wetland. Huge conifers dominate with lush vegetation of cycads, ginkgos and ferns.
The Dinosaur Canyon includes a bronze sculpture of the right femur of a Diamatinasaurus matildae. About the length of an elephant femur but much thicker.
Relocated trackway
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Dinosaur sculptures
Ptilotus polystachyusLongtails, Prince of Wales Feathers
Outside there is a walkway among the tree tops of Dinosaur Canyon with surprises in the form of small bronze sculptures of dinosaurs walking across adjacent rocks.
Sheep sculptures in the main street are complemented by an excellent series of sculptures telling the Waltzing Matilda story.
The swagman is reaching for the jumbuck (sheep) then the squatter rides down followed by troopers, finally the swaggie jumps in the billabong saying “You’ll never catch me alive”
Wednesday morning we leave Bimblebox headed for Jerico planning to follow the Lake Dunn Sculpture Trail.
Cattle muster
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Not long on the road we strike a rural traffic jam with a herd of cattle taking up the whole road and headed in our direction. With careful slow driving and lots of enquiring looks from cows, we eventually get past.
From Jerico we headed north to find the Sculpture Trail which forms a triangle between Aramac, Lake Dunn and where we joined to follow the base of the triangle to Aramac.
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Like finding the Sculptures in the Scrub in Pilliga Forest it is incongruous to come upon a sculpture of deer beside a dirt road miles from any town,
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Eagle and Nest of Chicks
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Possum in Gum
An Eagle and Nest of Chicks on cliff above the road was so in tune with our native fauna.
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We stopped to look at the Possum in Gum, beer in hand, sculpture and found more wildflowers.
Bimblebox is a special place which for years has been under threat from Mr Black and Yellow’s (Clive Palmer) Waratah Coal who would like to bulldoze this habitat and dig another big hole in the ground.
Ian and Paola have not simply locked up this habitat for wildlife. Paola considers Bimblebox a community resource which is reflected in the regular Art Camp generously hosted in a genuine bush setting with hot water showers and superb Italian cooking by Paola.
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Partners in Regenerative Agriculture
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Ian practices regenerative agriculture with cattle being rotated though different paddocks to control weeds, provide food for Australians and maintain a profitable business: along the lines of Alan Savory’s research.
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Corymbia dallachiana Ghost Gum
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Ann and I had fun identifying plants and seeing what was in flower this visit.
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Hakea lorea Bulloak
This majestic Ghost Gum Corymbia lanceolata was near the donga where we stayed.
Of course with the kilometres of pipe required to provide water for the stock in different paddocks, there is always maintenance. Ian had noticed a damp patch of ground which meant a leak to be patched.
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Timmie daredevil
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Heading home Timmy was alternating between riding shotgun with Ann and being a daredevil out Ian’s window.
At the Cod Hole, where Eudlo Creek joins the Maroochy River, I watched the soldier crabs. Scuttling across the mudflats in their hundreds, dressed in smart blue-grey uniforms, the little round crabs would feel the vibrations of my footsteps and quickly screw themselves down into the mud and disappear. If I stood still for a few minutes they would start to twist themselves back into the daylight.
“Soldier crabs marching through mangrove aerial roots” commons.wikipedia.org
My dad had bought an old weatherboard beach house on the dead-end dirt road that has since become busy Bradman Avenue. We named the house Toad Hall.
“Toad Hall”, on the Maroochy River. I’m in the boat, on the left
It was just upstream from where the Sunshine Motorway now crosses Maroochy River. Bradman Avenue runs upstream from Picnic Point, along the south bank of the river and over the creek, past a…
Pollinator Link 
