lucky legs - sunshine coast region/media/... · autumn 2015 edition 78 lucky legs if the sight of...

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Sunshine Coast Bush hands Autumn 2015 Edition 78 Lucky Legs If the sight of eight long hairy legs sends you into a spin you are not alone – around 30 per cent of the population admit to fearing spiders on some level. Yet among the arachnids, you’ll find some of nature’s most exquisite masterpieces. The beautiful Humped golden orb-weaving spider, Nephila plumipes, is a common garden spider in southeast Queensland. The distinctive golden strands of Nephila webs can vary in depth of colour and it has been found that these spiders can vary the intensity of the silk pigment relative to background colour and light levels. While they primarily eat invertebrates, some of the large Nephila species have been known to catch and eat larger prey such as snakes and small birds. If you have a pond in your backyard or maybe a nearby lake or creek you could take a torch out at night and be lucky enough to find one of the water spiders. Continued on page 2 Article and images by Julie O’Connor, Senior Conservation Partnerships Officer Humped golden orb-weaving spider Nephila plumipes Elegant water spider Dolomedes facetus

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Page 1: Lucky Legs - Sunshine Coast Region/media/... · Autumn 2015 Edition 78 Lucky Legs If the sight of eight long hairy legs sends you into a spin you are not alone – around 30 per cent

Sunshine CoastBush hands

Autumn 2015 Edition 78

Lucky Legs

If the sight of eight long hairy legs sends you into a spin you are not alone – around 30 per cent of the population admit to fearing spiders on some level. Yet among the arachnids, you’ll find some of nature’s most exquisite masterpieces. The beautiful Humped golden orb-weaving spider, Nephila plumipes, is a common garden spider in southeast Queensland. The distinctive golden strands of Nephila webs can vary in depth of colour and it has been found that these

spiders can vary the intensity of the silk pigment relative to background colour and light levels. While they primarily eat invertebrates, some of the large Nephila species have been known to catch and eat larger prey such as snakes and small birds.

If you have a pond in your backyard or maybe a nearby lake or creek you could take a torch out at night and be lucky enough to find one of the water spiders. Continued on page 2

Article and images by Julie O’Connor,Senior Conservation Partnerships Officer

Humped goldenorb-weaving spider

Nephila plumipes

Elegant water spiderDolomedes facetus

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Giant water spider Megadolomedes australianus

The Elegant water spider, Dolomedes facetus can be found on the banks of still or slow moving water bodies where it will hunt invertebrates on the water surface or in the water column. The Elegant water spider is able to stay submerged for long periods by trapping air between the hairs on its legs and body.

The magnificent Giant water spider, Megadolomedes australianus, is also semi-aquatic and can be found around the calmer edges of creeks and rivers. It can frequently be seen sitting motionless with a couple of legs either resting on the surface of the water or dipping slightly beneath the surface.

From the very large now to the very small – you might remember learning as a child that a money spider crawling on you would bring good luck. Fortunately for these members of the Linyphiidae family, even the most arachnophobic among us can find little to fear from the tiny money spiders, so they have continued to occupy an affectionate place inour folklore.

Money spider webs

New face in the Community Nature Conservation Team

Wendy Cliff, Senior CommunityNature Conservation Officer

I would like to introduce myself as the new Senior Community Nature Conservation Officer.

I am not only new to the position and Council, I have also made the move up from South Australia.

During the last eight years, I have worked as a park ranger, community ranger and volunteer support officer for the Department of Environment in South Australia, developing my skills and building knowledge in park management, environment and conservation planning, delivering conservation programs, community and stakeholder engagement, volunteer management and project management.

My experience not only extends from managing volunteers, I have also volunteered myself with Friends of Parks, Landcare groups, fundraising for the Thin Green Line Foundation and Cancer Council, president of the South Australian Ranger Association, sat on sporting club committees and found time to be asports trainer.

As I am sure like many of you, I am passionate about making a difference and a little contribution from everyone can make everything easier and more achievable.

I look forward to working on the Community Nature Conservation Program and meeting you all, who contribute your valuable time to conservation.

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Caring for the Sunshine Coast’s vulnerable Water mouse and wetland habitat

A few years ago, members of Bunya Bunya Country Aboriginal Corporation were working propagating mangrove seedlings at the South Sea Islander land, located between the Maroochy Wetlands and David Low Way at Bli Bli, when local QPWS Ranger Les Donald happened upon them while walking the river banks to map the nesting mounds of the vulnerable Water mouse (Xeromys myoides).

This fortuitous meeting led to a collaboration with QPWS and Nina Kaluza (UQ PhD researcher and project coordinator) which sought to extend monitoring and mapping activities along the Maroochy River Estuary and make good use of the local area knowledge held by Traditional Owners. Over 2012-13, this project (funded by Caring for Our Country and SEQ Catchments) was implemented to aid the National Recovery Plan for the Water mouse and coincided with weed control in known habitat areas. A short film about the Maroochy River Water mouse project, produced with Maggie Maddin is available.

Project workers include Kerry Jones, Arnold Jones, Sean Fleischfresser, Loretta Algar, Bridgette Davis, other family members and volunteers. Monitoring and mapping work for the nesting mounds and habitat areas of the Water mouse are currently being undertaken in and around their Traditional Estates, including the Mooloolah River National Park. The Norman Wettenhall Foundation, through a biodiversity grant, has resourced the ‘Mapping Water mouse mounds along our ‘Old Peoples’ Stomping Grounds’. This not only provides an opportunity for local Aboriginal People to continue to care for biodiversity, as they have done traditionally for millennia, but to strengthen community partnerships and to share in two-way learning, that is, exchanges of technical information between science practitioners and Aboriginal Knowledge Holders. Plans are

underway to share knowledge and stories at the 2015 Landcare Conference and SCC Conservation Forum. Cultural heritage and biodiversity workshops have been held recently at the Maroochy Wetlands and with the Maleny Green Army team at Landsborough.

For information about this group, please go online to the SCC Community Hub. If you have an interest in working with Traditional Owners, time to spare to help or would like to organise a cultural heritage workshop, please refer to the contact details given in the next article.

Water mouse on nesting moundPhoto by Nina Kaluza

Kerry Jones TO at Water mouse nest

Cultural connections incaring for country

Article by Kerry Jones, Arnold Jones, Bridgette Davis, Sean Fleischfresser, Anne Miller and Genevieve Jones

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Revegetating an ‘Old Aboriginal Settlement’ – Muller Park and surrounds on the Maroochy River at Bli Bli

Members of Bunya Bunya Country Aboriginal Corporation are looking forward to working with Council and Maroochy Waterwatch to help revegetate the southern section of Muller Park starting in April. Just as the Maroochy Estuary and its mangrove wetlands are biodiversity hotspots, so is Muller Park and the surrounding areas at Bli Bli, being ‘heritage hotspots’ for sites, story places and artefact areas representative of the Aboriginal Cultural Landscape on the Sunshine Coast.

Here, before the land was cleared to grow sugar cane and before the David Low Way Bridge was built in the 1960’s, the area around Muller Park was known as a prolific source of oysters and shellfish. Aboriginal People (within their distinctive clan areas) have been permanently settled here along their trading and economic networks, for thousands of years. Past centuries have also seen South Sea Islander People settled here who, like many Aboriginal People across Australia, were exploited as cheap or non-paid labour. This occurred while the Queensland economy was becoming established, replacing the traditional Aboriginal economy and farming practices that had been operating for the longest of times.

Back in 1927 the Nambour Chronicle and North Coast Advertiser reported that Bli Bli (meaning She-oak or the casuarina species) was the name used by local Aboriginal People for the peninsula sitting between the Maroochy River and Petrie’s (sic) Creek. Bli Bli, Didillibah and Nambour are also depicted on the 1842 Bunya Scrub map by J.G. Steele’s Aboriginal Pathways (1984) referring to the 1842 Bunya Proclamation or the then bunya tree protected areas that ended in 1859.

Muller Park – David Low Way Bridge construction 1958(viewpoint from Muller Park side of Bli Bli)

Cultural connections incaring for country

Article by Kerry Jones, Arnold Jones, Bridgette Davis, Sean Fleischfresser, Anne Miller and Genevieve Jones

Muller Park – Bli Bli(Bunya Scrub 1842 / Map by Steele 1984)

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Just as the Maroochy had been regarded in the past as a ‘fisherman’s paradise’, Bli Bli has always been noted for its Aboriginal shell middens or kitchen middens on both sides of the river at the David Low Way Bridge. The above article describes Bli Bli on the Maroochy as having, ‘country above the oyster banks (showing) evidence of an … Aboriginal settlement, acres of which are still covered with the shells of oyster and other fish which must have comprised a good part of their diet’. This article, and numerous heritage surveys and reports which followed in subsequent decades, note that, ‘…farmers, when tilling their fields turn up many curiosities in the shape of stone tomahawks, (food) choppers (or mullers) and hollowed stones in which the (women) ground their meal’. The area is known for several camping and ceremonial grounds, as well as burial sites. After rain and when driving along the David Low Way from Bli Bli to the motorway, you can see the species of shellfish found in middens, bleached white, sitting in recently disturbed earthworks at Surf ‘n’ Ski Park or at the new Bli Bli Golf Course.

Locally living Kabi Kabi (Gubbi Gubbi) People have had a continuous presence and connection to this area and the wider Sunshine Coast, millennia before the colonisation of Australia. Many Traditional Owner families are significantly connected to Bli Bli and the Maroochy River. The Chilly family and their descendants are one of these families and they continue to live in the area. Around the late 1800’s Charlie Chilly and his wife would raft logs down the Maroochy River and were known to have their camp in the middle of the log raft. Around this time ‘Susie (Chilly) of Maroochy’ has been reported to trade fish and crab to help support her family.

All artefact areas and Aboriginal sites, be they on private or public lands, have protection under the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003. Penalties may apply for the disturbance of such sites. If you have an interest in cultural heritage or have encountered local Aboriginal sites, artefacts or story places you would like to share, contact Traditional Owners, Kerry Jones 0401 205 367 [email protected] or Bridgette Davis 0435 918 764 [email protected].

The Sunshine Coast Council is in the midst of planning its biennial Conservation Forum, Saturday 15 August 2015 at the Lake Kawana Community Centre. Watch out for your invitation coming soon for details on how to register.

This year’s theme is ‘storytelling – to engage and inspire’, with Tim Cope as the Forum’s keynote speaker, an internationally award-winning Australian author, adventurer and filmmaker.

The Forum will host a further seven inspirational speakers throughout the day addressing a range of topics, with an opportunity for community groups and landholders to highlight their achievements in a poster display.

Calling all artists and photographers

The Forum will also play host to an environment inspired art display, providing an opportunity for local artists and photographers to exhibit their work.

If you are interested in participating, please email a photo of your artwork along with a short blurb about the inspiration behind the piece to [email protected] will be provided with further details on display arrangements.

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by Janet Whish Wilson

When creeks and water holes dry up during prolonged dry spells many creatures, dependent on accessible water, perish. Fish and tadpoles and sometimes small turtles are among them. Others, like several frog species either burrow down into cooler soil or find moist and shaded niches to wait until the rains come.

One of our most iconic wildlife species, the Platypus, cannot wait it out – it needs water to hunt for its food. As a result platypus goes out in search of suitable pools, often ending up in dams and large ponds cut off from protective habitat (and each other). This brings the shy and elusive animals into contact with and under observation by people, although often their presence is betrayed by no more than a swirl in the water.

Fortunately the recent heavy rain set the streams flowing again with platypus taking full advantage to find and utilise ‘revitalised’ habitat. The platypus pictured, despite having a ‘bad hair day’, actually came out of the water to have a good scratch and a look at the camera.

In the 1700 – 1800s there was great interest in Natural Science, particularly in France and England. Naturalists like Joseph Banks joined

or mounted expeditions to bring back plant and animal specimens from foreign lands. In 1799, 11 years after the First Fleet arrival, the body of a platypus, preserved in alcohol, arrived in England. At the time there was a lot of “nature-faking” going on so this weird specimen was initially treated as a hoax. What else could it be? It had the body of an otter, the tail of a beaver and the bill of a duck.

Scientists of the time scrambled to examine the creature and competed with one another for access to more pickled specimens arrivingfrom Australia.

This animal had two of the identifying characteristics of mammals – hair and a four-chambered heart (all mammals, including whales and dolphins, have some hair). But it had no visible external mammary glands. The bill only superficially resembled that of a duck and functioned quite differently. Further, some internal organs resembled those of lizards but there were also signs of internal mammaries. Clearly this was not a standard mammal. So what was it? The arguments involved scientists from all over Europe and already the strong creationist lobby thwarted science with religion. The creature was given the name Platypus

The iconic PlatypusArticle by Kon Hepers,

Land for Wildlife Verrierdale

Photos by Anne-Marie Dineen

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anatinus (flat-footed duck-like) but the genus name was found to have been given to a beetle even earlier so the name Ornithorhynchus anatinus (birds beak duck-like) was given. But in popular language the name platypus stuck.

A very significant anatomical feature was the presence of only one hole to service the bodily functions of reproduction and excretion. This was already known for the echidna so a new order of animals was erected: the Monotremes (literally “one hole”) the only members of which were the echidna and the platypus.

Yet the major question remained – exactly how did they reproduce? They were not designed to give birth to live young as placental mammals do. Were they oviparous, laying eggs like birds and many reptiles, or perhaps ovoviviparous, producing and hatching eggs inside the mother before the young are expelled (like our Blue-tongue lizards). Whoever solved this question was certain to be acclaimed so more and more specimens were needed. Over the next eighty or so years naturalists were sent out to the colony to get answers and specimens. Hundreds of platypus were shot and speared and the carcasses pickled in alcohol and sent to England for dissection. Attempts at live exports failed. The knowledge of local Aboriginal People were either misunderstood or ignored.

Then in 1884 a young scientist observed a platypus in the process of laying an egg, with another egg already laid. That settled the argument: the platypus is an egg-laying mammal.

We are all familiar with our iconic platypus – it is even engraved on our 20 cent coins.

Its beady little eyes are set high and the nostrils are near the tip of the “bill”, its ears are small slits, not readily visible. The body is covered in dense water-resistant fur; the front feet, used for paddling (the hind legs are not) have webbing extending out past the claws, which are folded in when walking.

Platypus are fairly small, only reaching up to 400 mm head-and-body length, with the flat tail adding another 150mm or so. Their mouth is located under the “bill” which houses electroreceptors picking up impulses from prey items like worms, insect larvae, yabbies etc.

Male platypus have “spurs” on their hind legs containing a venom capable of inflictingsevere pain.

Females lay two eggs in deep burrows in stream banks. The eggs hatch in about two weeks and the young are fed by the mother inside the burrow for four to five months. There are no teats; the milk exudes from pores in the skin and is lapped by the young.

Platypus are very secretive and difficult to spot in their aquatic habitat, especially since they are largely nocturnal or crepuscular. Their range is right along the east coast including Tasmania. In general they are not an endangered species but populations can be severely stressed in periods of drought. If one turns up in a dam or creek on your property, quietly observe but please do not disturb it.

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Focus on floraSuperb Syzygium

Syzygium crebrinerve – Purple cherry

Article and Images by Spencer Shawof Brush Turkey Enterprises

Syzygium hodgkinsoniaeRed lilly pilly

This particular genus of plant, lumped into the group of plants known as Lilly pilly’s, are widespread in our native rainforests and popular with horticulturalists and gardeners alike.

A few years ago some botanists elsewhere in Australia and Internationally merged all of our local Lilly pilly genera. Acmena’s and Waterhousea also became Syzygium, which unfortunately many jumped to adopt. However our local authority the Queensland Herbarium still places all three genera separately. Which is fine by me as they are very different in fruit and flower and I’m an old fashioned kind of guy who doesn’t like change (at least not from the ways I’m already stuck in!).

So that leaves us with a much smaller and easier to tackle list of six Syzygium species on the Sunshine Coast: Syzygium australe – Scrub cherry; Syzygium corynanthum – Sour cherry; Syzygium crebrinerve – Purple cherry; Syzygium francisii – Francis’s water gum; Syzygium hodgkinsoniae – Red lilly pilly and Syzygium luehmannii – Riberry.

All are trees, and in forest conditions generally large trees 20-30 metres in height apart from Syzygium hodgkinsoniae, which is a small to medium tree up to approximately 10 metres. That may seem a surprise to you that your Syzygium australe hedge could be a huge forest tree, but many cultivars have been selected from dwarf plants that are naturally shorter. This genus also responds well to pruning so can make a great dense hedge.

Flowers are all white and a mass of stamens, like a small paint brush, except for Syzygium hodgkinsoniae, which what it lacks in height makes up for with flowers and fruit that are up to 400% bigger than the other Syzygium inour area.

Fruit dispersal is interesting in this genus – birds disperse the seed through eating and passing of the glossy pink, purple or red fruits, but there is a backup plan. The fruit are very buoyant and can float along creeks and rivers, spreading downstream – in life it’s always good to have a backup plan!

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From late October each year, Sunshine Coast TurtleCare volunteers prepare for the return of the endangered Loggerhead turtles. The signs are all there – the whales are returning south as the water temperature rises, the sand is warm with earlier sunrises and when the board riders start to surf without their wetsuits, then it’s turtle time!On the beaches between Point Cartwright to Shelly Beach, the nesting activities start in mid-November and continue until the end of February. The hatchlings start to emerge from mid-January until the last nest in April emerges.

Volunteers participate in various activities throughout the season – training, identifying turtle tracks and nesting sites, picking up plastics off the beach, monitoring and maintaining nesting conditions, minimising predation and mitigating local threats, data collection, encouraging community awareness and enlisting assistance from the network of volunteers, local community and other ‘friends of TurtleCare’.

For the early risers, morning beach walks are a great way to start the day, delivering the numerous benefits of outdoor exercise, the delights of the surrounding environment and the occasional ‘prize’ – turtle tracks leading to a nest site. Accredited volunteers then identify the exact location of the eggs, protect the nest with fox exclusion meshing and complete the data recording.

Loggerheadguardians Article by Lesley Dimmock

TurtleCare Volunteer

For the night owls, spending a balmy summer evening on the beach with family and friends is always pleasant; combined with the night watch of a turtle nest, the delights of a hatchling emergence and their run to the ocean is always an amazing experience.

For more information about TurtleCare visit the Sunshine Coast Council’s website.

Marcia’s impactA ‘perfect storm’ of conditions were predicted as Tropical Cyclone Marcia made her way down the east coast. Several endangered Loggerhead turtle nests were identified to be at risks of erosion and storm surge impacts. Trained volunteers were rostered on during the storm to respond to any reports of nest loss.

Fortunately, due to the consistent monitoring and careful preparation of the TurtleCare volunteers, no nest loss was recorded during TC Marcia.

The storm even uncovered a previously unrecorded nest at Shelly beach, which had successfully emerged overnight. Volunteers Megan and Geoff (pictured) were able to witness the last hatchling make its way to the water in the stormy conditions.

Turtle hatchlings emerging –Image taken by Melissa Rowe

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Levy helping to manageCoastal weedsThe Environment Levy funds $620,000 towards coastal foreshore restoration works every year. A big part of this funding goes towards tackling weeds, which have established in and across the region’s dunal systems. This work is improving the condition of dunal environments by reducing the extent of weeds and re-establishing native vegetation. Not only does this benefit our native flora and fauna, it creates healthy dunal systems which are more resilient to extreme weather events, and improves amenity and social values.Over 120 hectares, across 10 coastal reserves, are managed for on-going weed management. Intensive dunal restoration works, including dune building, has been undertaken in hotspot areas identified through Sunshine Coast Shoreline Erosion and Management Plan (SEMP).

Foreshore areas which have responded well from intensive weed management include;Point Cartwright to Buddina foreshores, Mooloolaba Beach and Dicky Beach. In these particular areas Sunshine Coast Council has been mainly targeting broad leaf pepper trees, asparagus fern and other exotic plant species

found along our coastline, and planted 9,500 native plants this financial year.

Priority weed species which the restoration works focus on include:

• Singapore daisy – Sphagneticola trilobata

• Asparagus fern – Asparagus aethiopicus

• Glory lily – Gloriosa superba

• Broad-leaved pepper tree – Schinus terebinthifolius

These weed species are not just limited to occurring on our coastal foreshores and are often found in coastal urban backyards. You can contribute by removing these weeds and disposing of them appropriately.

Where possible, the Sunshine Coast Council involves the broader community in coastal management activities. These activities provide opportunities to restore dune vegetation, learn skills to identify weed species and to understand the importance of coastal foreshores. In 2013-14, over 15,000 native plants were established along the Maroochydore / Alexandra Beach with the help of the community.

This ongoing commitment from the Environment Levy assists Council in the delivery of its environmental strategies, including the Biodiversity Strategy 2010-2020, Waterways and Coastal Management Strategy 2011-2021 and the Sunshine Coast Local Government Area Pest Management Plan 2012-2016.

For further information on how to identify and manage coastal weed species or the Environment Levy Program, please visit Sunshine Coast Council’s website.

Article by Trudy Davidson,Project Officer Biodiversity and Waterways

Broad-leaved Pepper Tree Schinus terebinthifolius

Asparagus fernAsparagus aethiopicus

Glory lilyGloriosa superba

Singapore daisySphagneticola trilobata

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Celebrating sustainable timber use –The Maleny Wood Expo Article by Mim Coulstock

discuss your ideas directly with a woodworker

join in a WoodShed Workshop be inspired by Woodwork For Women

take home a slab & create your own masterpiece

$15 adults U16 FREE CONCESSIONS FREE PARKING

2 + 3 MAY MALENY SHOWGROUNDS

maleny WOOD EXPO

Wootha Prizethe 2015

exhibition

www.malenywoodexpo.com

a celebrationof native timbers &

sustainable timber use

The 19th Maleny Wood Expo, hosted by Barung Landcare on 2 – 3 of May, is testament to the support for the ethic of sustainable use of timber resources.At this celebration of Australian timbers, all wood exhibitors are required to work only in sustainably harvested native timbers, weed or recycled timbers.

The sustainability theme flows right through the event with Kris Martin, local sculptor and installation artist, holding several two hour ‘Weaving with Cat’s Claw – a Weed of National Significance’ workshops over the weekend. Participants will take home their own bespoke woven basket – one that tells the unique story of transforming South East Queensland’s environmental Cat’s claw problem into a beneficial solution.

Barung Nursery will offer native plants to take home to create backyard habitat for wildlife. Natural resource management displays will highlight regional environmental initiatives already underway across the region.

This Expo is supported by the Qld Government through Tourism and Events Qld and is one of those rare events with ‘something for everyone’, whether you’re a collector of fine woodwork, a woodworker yourself or just looking for two days of clean country fun for the whole family.

For more information on the “Weaving with Weeds Workshop” or other workshops visit www.malenywoodexpo.com.

Join Kris Martin to learn about the Cat’s Claw threatto our local environment

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12 Sunshine Coast Council Bush hands Autumn 2015

www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.auComConservPartnerships@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.auT 07 5475 7272 F 07 5475 7277Locked Bag 72 Sunshine Coast Mail Centre Qld 4560

www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.auCommunityNature@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.auT 07 5475 7272 F 07 5475 7277Locked Bag 72 Sunshine Coast Mail Centre Qld 4560

Events calendarEvent Details Contact

May 2015

May War on Weeds – Bring a bag of weeds and swap for three native plants. Venues across Sunshine Coast to be advised

Check SCC website for details

Saturday 2 May Glossy black-cockatoo birding dayDawn to dusk, all participants must register

SCC Natural [email protected]

2 – 3 May Maleny Wood Expo – Maleny Showgrounds Visit www.malenywoodexpo.com or ring Barung Landcare 07 5494 3151

Saturday 2 May Community weeding and planting – Conondale National Park – BBQ & transport from Nambour provided

ECOllaboration – 07 5476 4777 [email protected] or Facebook

Thursday 21 May5 – 7pmRural Futures Centre, 65 Pavilion St, Pomona

Reptile Awareness and SafetyDelivered by Allan Burnett, Reptile Awareness Displays of Australia. Hosted by Noosa & District Landcare Group. Free to members, $10 non-members.

Noosa and District Landcare Group 07 5485 2468 or [email protected]

June 2015

Sunday 7 June Sunshine Coast World Environment Day Festival – University of the Sunshine Coast

Sunday 21 June Community weeding and planting – Conondale National Park – BBQ & transport from Nambour provided

ECOllaboration – 07 5476 4777 [email protected] or Facebook

Sunday 28 June Noosa Festival of Water – Noosa Botanic gardens and Lake Macdonald Amphitheatre

Mary River Catchment Coordinating Committee www.mrccc.org.au

Tuesday 30 June –Thursday 9 July

Trees for life – Children’s holiday art and ecology workshops. Geckoes Wildlife will present informative wildlife sessions at Maroochy Bushland Botanic Garden and Mary Cairncross while young artists can learn how to create music magic in a tranquil bush setting at Maroochy Wetland Sanctuary.

Maroochy Regional Bushland Botanic Garden, Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve and Maroochy Wetland Sanctuary, Bli Bli.Hard copy programs available in May.Bookings open 4 June at http://www.community.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/events

July 2015

Sunday 26 July National Tree Day – Sunshine Coast Council are hosting events at Parklands, Mudjimba & Yaroomba

www.treeday.planetark.org/

Friday 10 July –Sunday 12 July

Queensland Garden Expo – Nambour Showgrounds www.qldgardenexpo.com.au/

August 2015

Saturday 15 August Sunshine Coast Council’s Conservation ForumLake Kawana Community Centre

Registrations open soon

Regular Events

Wednesday weekly National Parks Friends of Parks – 8.30am to 12.30pm Light weeding and other activities. Transport from Nambour provided to various locations such as Dularcha NP, Currimundi Lake and Conondale Ranges.

[email protected] 07 5476 4777 or Facebook

Daily to weekly Maroochy & Mooloolaba River patrols for litter clean up – Boating knowledge preferred but not essential

[email protected] 07 5476 4777 or Facebook