First Quarter 2007 http://www.bulimbacreek.org.au Email: [email protected]With Thanks To Our Major Sponsors: This Quarter: Page 2 2006 in review Industry supports nursery Page 3 Citizen of the year nomination B4C and Bayside Catchment Vale - John Persse Page 4 The Waters Ahead Featured Profile Thanks to: We would also like to thank Judy Spence State Member for Mt Gravatt for her continued support with the printing of our newsletter ABN: 46 101 092 637 On a sunny day, end of last year, B4C brought together 3 schools from the Brisbane area together for a day of Twinning and Environmental Education. Year 4 - 7 students from Mount Petrie, Mansfield and Tingalpa State Schools were there. The site was at the Tingalpa Wetlands. The day was funded by the Brisbane City Council Grant for Hemmant / Tingalpa Conservation Group. The students were split into 3 groups. Each group participated in 3 activities. The activities were designed to encourage friendship and shared experiences amongst the students, as well as teaching them the importance of our local flora and fauna and how they fit into our local environment and the world around us. The students also had an opportunity to mix over morning tea and a BBQ lunch, many joining in an impromptu football game. The Activities. 1. A Gecko’s Wildlife Presentation. 2. Planting of Native Plants 3. Aboriginal Workshop Overall the day was a great success and a lot of educational fun was had by all. For a more in depth guide to this event or to find out more please visit our website where you can find great photo’s and an abundance of information. Fully grown adult Sugar Glider on display Learning to throw a Boomerang correctly — At Indigenous Workshop (B4C) Phone: (07) 3420-4800
On a sunny day, end of last year, B4C brought together 3 schools from the Brisbane area together for a day of Twinning and Environmental Education.
Year 4 - 7 students from Mount Petrie, Mansfield and Tingalpa State Schools were there. The site was at the Tingalpa Wetlands. The day was funded by the Brisbane City Council Grant for Hemmant / Tingalpa Conservation Group.
The students were split into 3 groups. Each group participated in 3 activities. The activities were designed to encourage friendship and shared experiences amongst the students, as well as teaching them the importance of our local flora and fauna and how they fit into our local environment and the world around us.
The students also had an opportunity to mix over morning tea and a BBQ lunch, many joining in an impromptu football game.
The Activities.
1. A Gecko’s Wildlife Presentation.
2. Planting of Native Plants
3. Aboriginal Workshop
Overall the day was a great success and a lot of educational fun was had by all.
For a more in depth guide to this event or to find out more please visit our website where you can find great photo’s and an abundance of information.
Fully grown adult Sugar Glider on display
Learning to throw a Boomerang correctly
— At Indigenous Workshop
(B4C)
Phone: (07) 3420-4800
Page 2
2006 held a wide range of diverse achievements in many aspects of conservation and development of the region. Some of these achievements included:
Negotiations :
Port of Brisbane Motorway Stage 2
Energex alignment at Lytton
Altandi to Kuraby Rail duplication
Eastern Busway
Scrub Rd extension
Gateway Arterial upgrade
Representation :
Biodiversity Advisory Committee
Rochedale Urban Village reference
group
International Twinning Group
Ministerial Regional Community Forum
Twinning :
linking our catchment and schools to other catchments and their schools. We are the only Australian catchment committee involved in national and international twinning (Loire Valley in France, Trang in Southern Thailand, Gregory River in Far North Qld).
Awareness :
Bulimba Creek educational program for NGOs and schools (80% complete), European Rivers Network- Australian website posting planned for 2007, reciprocal website entries to share information and stories.
Miscellaneous :
Grants - Community Water Grant & Coles sponsorship for Tingalpa wetlands corridor project ($80 000 over 4 years)
Operate a community nursery, organised and run by 9 volunteers (mostly Seniors), yearly output approximately 40 000 native species from locally collected seed.
Run weekend Community Service teams on a weekly basis.
Southside Sustainability Centre Powerlink lease of land has enabled us to develop an environmentally sustainable office and educational display
centre with permaculture gardens. We hope to commence building early 2007.
Caltex Refineries (Qld) in conjunction with Transfield Services are supporting a volunteer nursery run by Bulimba Creek Catchment Coordinating Committee (B4C). The three year partnership will help B4C establish a nursery using best prac-tice water saving technologies that is capable of producing up to 100,000 native seedlings a year.
The nursery will be a centrepiece of the ―Southside Sustainability Centre‖ – a community education facility designed to teach people how to live more sustainably with the environment. The centre will be opening in the new year and the finished project will see the volunteer run nursery accompanied by community permaculture gardens, an educational centre, and a sustainable SALA display home. The centre through government and industry support will become power, water and waste self sufficient
The nursery will only produce native endemic seedlings with the majority grown from locally collected seed stock. The seedlings will be used to rehabilitate the Bulimba Creek Catchment and will also be gifted to schools and other needy community projects.
B4C’s volunteer president Wayne Cameron is delighted with the new partnership.
―In a time of increasing environmental pressure it is up to industry and the com-munity to work together to make a differ-ence.‖ Wayne said ―Caltex and Transfield have committed to this project and the environment and the people of the catch-ment will reap the benefits.‖
Seedling Nursery Growing Sustainable Futures
Sustainable Regeneration and planting to protect the future of the region and its diverse
ecosystem
B4C sells plants to local residents.
Contact us to find out more.
Page 3
As a member, since its inception, of Whites Hill Pine Mountain Community Group and its president for the last 5 years, as well as the inaugural and still standing secretary of Bulimba Creek Catchment Coordinating Committee (B4C), Heather has been devoted to serving the community through involving them in protecting and enhancing the environment.
In fact, in her role as B4C’s education officer, volunteer manager and resident chef the majority of locals have either planted a tree next to her, had their children taught by her or sampled some of her exquisite cooking.
Heather’s compassion for the environment extends to the disadvantaged in society with Heather making B4C inclusive and user friendly for people with autism, brain injuries and also the elderly.
Heather is an ideal candidate for citizen of the year for she has a holistic approach to assisting the community. Her energy, care and passion is not confined to one facet of the community, it is entwined with all ages and all needs making her not only a person essential to each organisation, but truly a person the community could not do without.
Two other nominations for the Mt Gravatt electorate are also members of B4C. SEQ Wildlife Carers, led by Hazel Shields (Community Group) and Julia Buch (wildlife carer and secretary of Whites Hill—Pine Mountain Community Group) were also nominated for their untiring service to the environment.
Hazel runs this wonderful program caring for injured flying foxes, wallabies, pos-sums, birds and reptiles and also gives presentations to schools. There is usually a possum under her shirt.
Drafting has begun on a joint co-operative plan between B4C and Bayside catchment groups for a plan to monitor wildlife and resources in the bayside area. The plan would see monitoring of various sites in the bayside area including bushcare sites, nature refuge areas and bayside creeks. Work on this draft plan by B4C’s Luke Diett and Bayside Kristy Buchanan is well under way and should see a workable plan established in the near future.
This plan would allow for local community based monitoring teams to monitor wildlife in these areas allowing for the collaboration of information to be used for future plans and projects.
The culmination of this program would result in the catchment co-ordinators assembling an annual site report with the assistance of survey groups. For more information on this project refer to our website for contact details.
On Mon 30 April, B4C & Bayside are showing the DVD ―Inconvenient Truth‖ at 6.30 pm. Call us if you wish to see this excellent documentary on climate change.
In December 2006 we lost an elder statesman for the environment and community.
John was a favourite of ours and worked physically for nature right up till the end. He once said to me, ―I’d rather wear out than rust out.‖ I put John in the same category as the late Arthur Scurr and Eric Vickermann – all men of a thousand stories, modest, unassuming and great gentlemen. One always feel that, as with Eric and Arthur, that you would have loved to have had just one more conversation with John He was just a terrific bloke.
There will be a lasting memorial to John. In March, a hardy eucalypt will be planted and a seat and plaque will be installed at one of his favourite bush sites at Mansfield. John was a volunteer for nature and had a love of native animals—for love not money.
Vale John.
Written by Wayne Cameron
Judy Spence (MP Mt Gravatt), Heather, Margaret Webb, and Phil Reeves (MP Mansfield)
Protecting our future is everyone’s responsibility. Find out how you can become involved visit:
http://www.bulimbacreek.org.au
Whilst being a caring mother of two daughters, over the last 15 years Heather Barns has become a mother to environmental groups in South East Brisbane, a girl guide support group leader and active P & C member.
30/4/2007—Earth Day Workshop—showing of ―Inconvenient Truth‖ and sausage sizzle at 6.30 pm
4/6/2007—World Environment Day Workshop
6/8/2007— Indigenous Cultural & Natural Heritage Workshop
1/10/2007—World Habitat Day Workshop
Infrastructure is necessary to provide services to the urban community. However, the environmental corridors are often used as the alignment for roads, rail, pipelines, power. This effects the connectivity of the natural areas and corridors linking the waterways to the bushland areas that are refuges for wildlife, including threatened plant and animal species. This must be compensated.
Our catchment committee and other environmental groups and individuals have the opportunity to input into the planning to protect the corridor . We are promoting best practice and green infrastructure offsets as much as possible.
Port of Brisbane Motorway Stage 2
Western Corridor Recycled Pipeline
Gateway Motorway Upgrade
Salisbury to Kuraby Rail Extension
Eastern Busway
Scrub Road Extension
Squirrel Glider
Petaurus norfolcensis
A nocturnal native glider to our region and one of Brisbane's most common , although endangered through the rest of its eastern Australian range. Commonly residing in areas of dry forests, woodlands, parks and gardens.
Habitat within Bulimba Creek Catchment.
Belmont Hills Cannon Hill Bushland.
Hemmant Quarry Karawatha Forest
Minnippi Seven Hills Reserve
Tingalpa Wetlands /Whites Hill Reserve
Identification.
Body Length 210mm Tail Length 270mm
Weight 230g
Description Large rat-sized body of soft grey with black stripe on head and body with a very thick tail especially where it joins the body of the animal. Note the tail is never white tipped.
Threats.
Most common threats to the Squirrel Glider are the clearing of native flora that provide both food and shelter; and cats and dogs, both feral and domestic. Residents should keep pets locked up from dusk to dawn when these nocturnal animals are moving. Planting natives in our gardens will help to provide food and shelter.
