These days we often describe things as  “EVENTS.”  

Rain events, storm events, flood events – it’s the language of our times.

Well, here’s yet another calamitous event to be aware of: The ANZAC TREE DAISY EVENT ….

Each year around Anzac Day, this exotic and invasive weed explodes into a mass of flowers.  

It’s about to flower RIGHT NOW.

Anzac Tree Daisy (Montanoa hibiscifolia) is a native of Central America. Introduced as a garden plant, today it presents a clear risk to a substantial proportion of our remnant forests. 

It has been identified in at least 20 properties locally and seems to be spreading rapidly.

YOU can help to stop its spread!

The MCCG is holding an information stand at the Kenmore Village on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 April.

Come and say hello!

If you have questions about environmental issues, plants or wildlife or if you’d like to help protect and nurture our many local areas of natural habitat, here is your opportunity!

The Moggill Creek Catchment is a unique natural asset which is much valued by the local community. It is home to a myriad of native plants, offering essential habitat for an astonishing variety of wildlife and it a restorative and beautifully scenic backdrop to our daily lives.

Our volunteers contribute not only with bushcare restorations, but they operate our nursery, co-ordinate information sessions and social events, manage the Cottage, maintain our social media and website presence and continue to maintain a financially viable, well administered group which is supported by over 500 members.

We have an enormous suite of activities to suit a range of interests.

We’d love you to stop by our stall and have a chat! 

We’ll have sign-up sheets available ($20 for annual membership)

Note: Any members available to help out on the stall for a couple of hours are encouraged to contact Dale Borgelt on [email protected]    

YES! That wonderful weekend of the year has rolled around again!

IT’S BROOKFIELD SHOW TIME!!!! 

The show runs from Friday 17th till Sunday 19th May at the Brookfield Showground.

PLEASE COME AND VISIT OUR STAND AND ENJOY THE CARNIVAL ATMOSPHERE! 

We’ll have displays about our volunteer bushcare groups and our upcoming Kids Day which will be held this year on Sunday 9 June.

If you can volunteer at the show, please contact Dale    [email protected] 

Click here to see more details about this year’s Brookfield Show. 

We are seeking a special volunteer!  

We need a Quartermaster/Equipment Supervisor.

The person we’re looking for will have some mechanical skills and knowledge of light machinery such as ride-on mower, brushcutters, posthole diggers/augers, petrol water pumps, trailers etc.

We’re also hoping our Quartermaster will provide much needed advice and assist us with ongoing mechanical maintenance and repairs.

COULD THIS BE YOU?  …. OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW?

If so, please contact our Chairman, Jim Pope by phoning 3374 4181, or you can email Jim at: [email protected]

Hours are negotiable.

The recent rains have created an unusual situation around the catchment which may be escaping our attention.

It seems many of our local natives have “sprung” into growth, typical of Spring, with new red growth on Eucalypts. Quite a few are flowering, bringing in bees and bee-eaters.

The most unusual flowering is occurring with mangoes, which are currently in heavy flower 5 months earlier than usual!  Mangoes normally flower in August so it is unlikely the fruit will develop as winter approaches.

When winter arrives and if it is a cold one, all of this early new growth may be damaged by the cooler temperatures.

Mangoes in flower in April – ©  Ed Frazer 

These seasonal abnormalities are not isolated to flora. There have been a few birds showing early nesting behaviour as well, although it seems unlikely they will carry it through before the onset of winter.

The Bureau of Meteorology has predicted that warmer than average days and nights are likely for May to July nationally. It predicts that the chances of being warmer than median are very high (greater than 80%) for large parts of northern and eastern Australia for both days and nights. 

There are reports of environmental changes occurring earlier than usual elsewhere in the world due to changing climate patterns. Here are some other recent examples:

• Early 2019 whale migration on the Australian eastern seaboard
• Early arrival of the 2019 Japanese cherry season
• Early arrival of Spring 2019 in the UK

Keep an eye out for abnormalities around you. It may well be that our catchment is not immune to similar changes. 

Image sourced from the BOM website

Members, keep Sunday the 26th of May free! It’s the date of Habitat Brisbane’s Orientation Day. This year it is being held at the Brighton Wetlands Bushcare site. 

Registrations open at 8am and the event will run until 2.30pm.  There will be tea and coffee on arrival and morning tea and lunch are also provided.

This event is for new and existing volunteers.  A formal invitation will be sent out in the coming weeks with more details about the day and the RSVP details.  You must RSVP if you wish to come along as this event is catered.
There are some new presenters coming along this year including:

• Tali and Jono from Bush Tekniq who will be doing a workshop on chemical free bushcare.
• Spencer Shaw presenting on holistic weed management of bushcare sites.
• Stacey and Alan from Hollow Log Homes who will run a workshop on nest boxes for wildlife.

There will also be lots of other interesting presentations that will get you up date with all that is happening in Habitat Brisbane so please put this date in your calendar and come along!

The Easter Bilby campaign was created in 1991 to draw the nation’s attention to conservation efforts to save the Greater Bilby.

You may wish also to help this endangered little marsupial by fostering a Greater Bilby or simply by purchasing selected Easter chocolate bilbies which contribute towards their conservation.

Head to the Currumbin Santuary website to read the story.

On a slightly less celebratory note, now is a good time to identify Easter cassia (senna pendula var glabrata). This widespread invasive shrub has bright yellow flowers with five large petals which bloom prolifically around Easter. The cooler weather may provide an ideal time to poison them or pull younger plants out all together.  Check our online Weed List or the BCC Weed Identification website for more info.

 ©  Bryan Hacker

We wish you all a safe and happy Easter break!!!

Please note that the following working bees planned for Easter Sunday 21 April have been postponed to Sunday 28 April:

• Section 2 – Lower Moggill.  For more info, contact Judy Petroeschevsky on 3378 3348 
  
• Section 9 – Upper Gold Creek. For more info, contact Gordon Grigg on 3374 1737
• Section 11 – McKay Brook. For more info, contact Bryan Hacker on 3374 1468

Please contact John Crowley on 3374 0723 for info regarding Section 8 – Wonga Creek.

WE WISH YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY AND SAFE EASTER !

For most of us the Purple Swamphen is a familiar sight. They are abundant in parklands and by our waterways, foraging in reeds for soft shoots, frogs and snails. Not all that remarkable.

WRONG!!!

Did you know the Purple Swamphen has been around since the 3rd Century? In fact, Aristotle included it in a survey of animals back in 350 B.C.E!

To learn more, head to Jim Butler’s Feather Fascination April 2019.

Footnote: Perhaps the longevity of the Purple Swamphen is due in part to its initiative!

We came across an Australian Geographic article which describes the bird’s ingenious and deliberate way of dissecting cane toads to avoid the toxin when enjoying a cane toad meal.

Click here to read more: Don’t under estimate a Swamphen

Photo © Ed Frazer