The 2026 Annual Photo Competition is just around the corner and all the details, entry forms and inspiration are on the Photo Competition page.
News
Quarterly Talk Tuesday September 22nd
EAVESDROPPING ON CRYPTIC SPECIES: USING ACOUSTIC MONITORING TO FIND DIFFICULT BIRDS
Tuesday 22nd September 2026
Kenmore Library
(access via after-hours lift)
DOORS OPEN 6.30 pm TALK 7-8.30 pm
Refreshments provided
Guest Speaker:
Callan Alexander
Callan is a PhD student at QUT specialising in bioacoustics and is also a Threatened Species Technical Co-ordinator at BirdLife Australia.
21st Annual Platypus Survey Sunday August 30th
5.00 am Meeting team leader at pre-arranged meeting point
5.30 am – 7.00 am carry out survey
7.30 am – 8.30 am BBQ breakfast at Brookfield Showgrounds
If you would like to volunteer as a ‘platy spotter’ for the platypus survey register here:
Kids’ Day at The Cottage June 14th 2026
Highlights from our annual Kids’ Day at The Cottage 2026
(always the second Sunday in June so mark your calendar for next year!)
Bugs
Kathy Ebert is our Bugs expert bringing giant burrowing cockroaches, and giant stick insects to delight and excite guests. This year Kathy had Jack and Eviie from UQ also sharing their Bugs knowledge and joy.
Snails
John Stanisic and Lorelle Holcroft are the Snail Whisperers bringing their massive collection of live snails and shells.
Butterflies
Jutta Goodwin is the fabulous butterfly queen with her awesome assistant Keith Brown bringing hundreds of butterfly facts and specimens
Feather Fun
Wesley DeMuth is our awesome BCC Creek Catchment Officer and Feather Match Up game host as well as general nature expert
Wildlife Show
Martin Fingland of Geckoes Wildlife and his menagerie of animals is always a delight
more to come ….
Quarterly Talk June 23rd: Meet the Rakali – Australia’s most underrated animal
Tuesday 23rd June 2026
Kenmore Library
(access via after-hours lift)
DOORS OPEN 6.30 pm TALK 7-8.30 pm
Refreshments provided
Quarterly Talk:
Meet the Rakali: Australia’s most underrated animal
Guest Speaker:
Dr Tamielle Brunt
The Winter newsletter is out now
Sit down with a cuppa somewhere cosy to enjoy all the treats in this season’s newsletter, and have your calendars handy to mark all the upcoming event dates.
A little snippet below of the weird and wonderful featured in this edition…
Kids’ Day at The Cottage Sunday June 14th (10-1pm)
Autumn newsletter is out now!
The Autumn Newsletter is ready to read online.
As always the newsletter is jam packed with articles and fabulous photos, so what are you waiting for. Grab a cuppa and enjoy this edition.
Quarterly Talk Tuesday Evening March 24th Kenmore Library
Tuesday 24th March 2026
Kenmore Library
(access via after-hours lift)
DOORS OPEN 6.30 pm TALK 7-8.30 pm
Refreshments provided
Quarterly Talk:
Climate change in Brisbane’s west – a local take on a global phenomenon
Guest Speaker:
Charles Worringham
President, The Hut Environmental and Community Association
Sitting between the D’Aguilar Range and a growing city, residents of Brisbane’s west are unusually well placed to observe and appreciate the natural world, as well as to benefit from the services and opportunities offered by a major urban centre.
Yet the same global changes that have made cities like Brisbane possible have also exerted pressures on local ecosystems – through population growth and movement, land use change and habitat destruction, pollution, invasive species and other forces.
Climate change is one of these fundamental pressures, yet as a global phenomenon, it often seems remote and its effects difficult to grasp. How does it manifest itself locally? Are there measurable indicators of change in our area, and what implications might they have for local ecosystems and their inhabitants – fauna, flora and people?
This talk will provide an update on recent climate science findings, review some significant effects known to be occurring elsewhere, and then focus on observations from our region and immediate area. Current and in-progress monitoring projects for Brisbane’s west will also be outlined.
After a career in movement neuroscience at the University of Michigan and QUT, Charles is pursuing local projects through THECA, and has written extensively on India’s energy transition.
Wildlife Matters: From Your Backyard to the Brisbane River: Caring for Creeks in Rain and Flood
Brisbane’s creeks are so much more than pockets of urban bushland, they are vital lifelines that shape the city’s resilience in both everyday life and in times of crisis. With every heavy downpour or flooding event, creeks and their surrounding catchments play a crucial role in storing, slowing, and channelling vast amounts of stormwater, helping to protect homes, businesses, and the wider river system from even greater damage.
Everyday choices at home have a direct impact on the health and performance of these waterways. Litter, garden clippings, and chemicals washed from Brisbane’s suburbs can block drains and end up in creeks, reducing their ability to carry floodwaters and increasing the risks of local flooding and erosion. This pollution also harms native wildlife and degrades the natural “sponges” that healthy creeks provide, which help absorb and filter rain before it reaches the river.
It’s easy to be a part of the solution. Dispose of rubbish thoughtfully, keep chemicals away from drains, and compost garden waste instead of blowing or raking it onto the street. Native gardens stabilise creek banks, support biodiversity, and reduce maintenance, while rain absorbing gardens and permeable paths allow more water to soak slowly into the soil.
Between severe storms, restoring creek corridors with native vegetation and removing blockages can make all the difference. These actions help our waterways buffer the impact of floods, reducing peak flood levels and the speed of water surges. Brisbane’s community catchment groups regularly organise tree planting and weed management days, creating greener, safer neighbourhoods for everyone and healthy habitat for native wildlife.
By looking after your local creek, whether through small changes at home or by joining a bushcare activity with your catchment group, you play a vital part in building a flood-resilient, thriving Brisbane for the future. For more details see:
https://www.moggillcreek.org.au/events-activities/monthly-working-bees-on-public-waterways/
Moggill Creek
Words and photo: Tracey Read
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Published in the October 2025 edition of the Local Bulletin
