July 22, 2019

Exploring the forest with Griffith Mates

Posted by Mt Gravatt Environment Group under Bushcare, Wildlife of Mt Gravatt Reserve | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |
1 Comment 
Kookaburra welcoming commitee - 20 July 2019

Kookaburra welcoming committee

By: Michael Fox

Everyone loves to welcome the Griffith Mates Bushcare team to Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve. Even the Kookaburras were ready to welcome our visitors.

 

 

Common Spotted Ladybird - life stages - 20 July 2019

Common Spotted Ladybird life stages – larva, adult, pupa

While we waited for the Team I explored the Fairy Fan Flower Scaevola aemula and found three life stages of the Common Spotted Ladybird Harmonia conformis. The larva stage looks nothing like the adult however they still perform valuable pest control services for your garden, feeding on sap-sucking aphids. The pupa stage (right) looks more like the adult Ladybird beetle. The best known adult stage (middle) also feeds on aphids.

Love learning about wildlife - 20 July 2019

Meeting the locals

 

Most of our Griffith Mates visitors had not seen Lady beetles before and they were eager to meet these miniature Australians.

 

 

Cotton Harlequin Bugs - Tectocoris diophthalmus - nymphs - 20 July 2019

Cotton Harlequin Bugs nymphs

Walking - 20 July 2019

 

 

 

 

On the back of Macaranga leaves we found pretty Cotton Harlequin Bug Tectocoris diophthalmus nymphs

 

 

 

 

 

 

Walking from Mt Gravatt Campus to the Bushcare work site along Acacia Way we could hear the Pardalotes chip-chipping in the trees and Australian King-Parrots Alisterus scapularis  whistling in the distance.

 

Going bush - 20 July 2019

Going bush

 

Equipment collected, we headed off track to the day’s work site.

 

 

 

Griffith Mates - 20 July 2019

Weeds bagged for removal - 20 July 2019

Great work Team – weeds bagged for removal

The target for the day is the invasive weed Fishbone Fern Nephrolepis cordifolia. Once the Team is briefed on the difference between Fishbone Fern and the local Basket Fern Drynaria rigidula they dived removing and bagging huge clumps of roots for removal off site.

 

 

Weeding Team - 20 July 2019

Thanks to Griffith Mates Bushcare Team

17 Team members and 51 hours of restoration work. A great morning’s work.

Fairy Home found in forest

 

Leading the Team to Mt Gravatt Lookout to meet their taxi we discovered the Fairy Home made by one of our Gully neighbours.

 

 

Fairys for Climate Change Action

 

 

Open the door to discover a special climate change message from the Fairies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

April 6, 2019

Australia China Youth Assoc Team Returns

Posted by Mt Gravatt Environment Group under Bushcare, Fox Gully Bushcare, Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve | Tags: , , , , |
[2] Comments 
Restoration Team - 6 April 2019

ACYA Team at work

By: Michael Fox

I welcomed the hardworking ACYA team back today to continue restoration in our Fox Gully Bushcare site. I love working with these students because they are so happy and full of life.

 

 

Green Jumping Spider - Mopsus mormon - 6 April 2019

Green Jumping Spider Mopsus mormon

 

 

The team continued to find lots of wildlife including a moth caterpillar I still need an id and spiders including this Green Jumping Spider Mopsus mormon.

 

Basket Fern - Drynaria rigidula - regrowth - 6 April 2019

Basket Fern new growth

 

 

 

 

Pulling out bags of weeds is not the most exciting of our Bushcare work but today I was able to show the team the effectiveness of their work. Native ferns like this Basket Fern Drynaria rigidula are already returning in the areas cleared of weeds.

 

Rasp Fern - Doodia media - 6 April 2019

Rasp Fern returning

 

 

Rasp Fern Doodia media with its attractive pink new growth is an excellent replacement for weed Fishbone Fern Nephrolepis cordifolia in your garden. Also grows well in pots and hanging baskets.

Want to buy Rasp Fern or other local native visit a Community Nursery.

 

 

 

 

 

March 24, 2019

Griffith students love our bushland

Posted by Mt Gravatt Environment Group under Bushcare, Bushwalks, Mt Gravatt Environment Group, Wildlife of Mt Gravatt Reserve | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |
1 Comment 

 

By: Michael Fox

 

Members of the Australian Chinese Youth Association (ACYA) joined me yesterday to restore Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve. A diverse group with students from China, Japan and Australia, all passionate about working with China.

The team were also all interested in everything I showed them, like the Basket Fern Drynaria rigidula growing, not in cool shady gullies but on dry rocky Mt Gravatt.

Proud Bushcare team - 23 March 2019

Weed Busters at work removing Fishbone Fern

 

Casey asked what we do in the forest so I showed the National Tree Day plantings and explained our work educating and engaging community members with grant funding for interpretive signs and maps of walking tracks.

I put the team to work removing invasive Fishbone Fern Nephrolepis cordifolia. A native species indigenous to north Queensland it is an environmental weed in Brisbane spreading from garden waste dumped in bushland and smothering local natives.

Bark Cockroach - Laxta sp. - 23 March 2019

Bark Cockroach

 

 

Remember I said the team were interested in everything?

We have never found so many different species at one time. Casey found one of our bush cockroaches: Bark Cockroaches Laxta sp. live in the leaf litter preforming valuable recycling work.

 

Black Woodland Cockroach - Platyzosteria melanaria - 23 March 2019

Black Woodland Cockroach

 

 

A Black Woodland Cockroach Platyzosteria melanaria is a new addition to our Flora and Fauna species list.

 

 

 

Brisbane brush-footed trapdoor - Seqocrypta jakara - 23 March 2019

Brisbane Brush-footed Trapdoor Spider

 

Brisbane Brush-footed Trapdoor Spider  Seqocrypta jakara is another new species identified.

 

 

 

Net-casting Spider - Deinopis sp. - young - 23 March 2019

Net-casting Spider

 

 

 

 

 

A newly hatched Net-casting Spider Deinopis sp.

Brown Huntsman - Heteropoda sp. - 23 March 2019

Brown Huntsman

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think Wentao (right) set a new record for finding wildlife including a Brown Huntsman Heteropoda sp.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weeding disturbed a  Sugar Ant Camponotus sp. The ants immediately got busy relocating their larvae and when I checked today the site was completely clear.

 

 

 

Fungi - 23 March 2019

 

 

 

 

Cute fungi were also found.

 

 

Tiny mushroom fungi - 23 March 2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tiny mushroom fungi.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eight plus bags of weeds - 23 March 2019

Proud Weed Busters

 

 

Eight and quarter bags of weeds removed and ready to go to Green Waste at the dump. We compost most weeds onsite however the roots and nodules of Fishbone need to be removed from site or they regrow.

Thank you to the ACYA team. Looking forward to welcoming you back in two weeks.

 

August 31, 2016

Kangaroo on a bus?

Posted by Mt Gravatt Environment Group under Bushcare, Bushwalks, Fox Gully Bushcare, Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve, Wildlife | Tags: , , , , |
Leave a Comment 
Jisu - Elkhorn and Basket ferns 31 -Aug 2016 lowres

Jisu fascinated by Elkhorn and Basket Ferns growing on a rock

By: Michael Fox

I introduced Korean student Jisu to our wildlife and native plants in Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve while walking to Mt Gravatt Campus.

.

.

.

.

Kangaroo on a bus - 31 Aug 2016 lowres

I like my new mum

.

Jisu is keen to meet a Koala but neither of us expected to meet a Kangaroo on the Griffith Inter-campus. This youngster was happily nestled into his substitute pouch on the wildlife carer’s lap.

 

March 15, 2016

YHA Bushies visit Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve

Posted by Mt Gravatt Environment Group under Bushwalks | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |
1 Comment 

By: Michael Fox

Gertrude Petty picnic area 8 March, Ann, Sarah, Liz and Mike

………….(l-r) Ann, Sarah, Liz & myself

I was honoured to lead an enthusiastic group of YHA Bushwalkers Queensland – variety YHA Bushies. The Bushies were interested in everything from plants and animals to the geology of the mountain.

.

.

.

Starting from Gertrude Petty Place we visited two Stingless Native Bee Trigona carbonaria hives then followed the Federation Track to Federation Lookout.

View from Federation lookout, 8 March

…………View from Federation Lookout

The Federation Lookout faces east with views to Mt Petrie, Mt Cotton and Stradbroke Island in the distance.

The track downhill from the Lookout shows the amount of quartz found on the mountain. There were some attempts to find gold but nothing came of it.

.

.

Pink Planthoppers - 8 Mar 2016 low res

…………..Pink Planthopper Colgar sp

The next stage of the Federation Track, from the junction with the Scribbly Gum Track, took us past a number of Scribbly Gums Eucalyptus racemosa. The characteristic scribbles on the bark are created by caterpillars of the tiny Scribbly Gum moth.

We also found a new addition for our fauna species list. This cute Pink Planthopper Colgar sp. stayed still long enough for a photograph.

Galas cleaning nest hollow - 8 Mar 2016

…………..Galahs cleaning nest hollow

Just above use a pair of Galahs Eolophus roseicapillus were cleaning out a nest hollow where a branch has broken off the tree.

.

.

.

At the top of Federation Track we inspected the small forest bird planting and one of the new interpretative signs. Small Forest Bird sign

Sarah and Liz are members of the West End Greening Group – restoring the habitat at the end of Dauphin Terrace, Highgate Hill. So they were particularly interested in the signs and our methodology for creating the small bird habitat.

.

.

Bitter Bark Petalostigma pubescens 8 Mar 2016 low res

Quinine Bush/Bitter Bark Petalostigma pubescens

A break for tea and chocolate cake. I am told the Bushies consider cake an important resource for any walk in the bush.

We inspected the work eradicating Asparagus Fern Asparagus aethiopicus. 

I also showed them the Wonga Wonga Vine Pandorea pandorana and Quinine Bush/Bitter Bark Petalostigma pubescens.

.

.

Mt Gravatt Walk 8 March (2)

……….Basket Fern Drynaria rigidula

On to the main Fox Gully Bushcare site we talked about the nest boxes and the resident Squirrel Glider family.

The Bushies were very impressed with the way Basket Fern Drynaria rigidula is recovering with the removal of Fishbone Fern Nephrolepis cordifolia.

It was a real pleasure to show the Bushies Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve.