Our latest Bush Bites article is a very thought-provoking piece about the probable consequences of climate change on plant life within the catchment.
What should we do to avoid losing species?
Please click here to read and enjoy the article. This one is guaranteed to get you thinking!
Could it be that we’re inadvertently contributing to the growth of “water weeds” in our creek systems?
Ed Frazer has penned a thought-provoking Bush Bites article which raises some ideas about why water weeds are so prolific in many areas of our waterways.
Ed has also put forward some suggestions about how these weeds might be managed.
Hopefully it will get us all thinking and sharing ideas!
Blue Water Lily (Nymphaea caerulea) © Brisbane City Council
Do you have similar observations?
Please share them with us and we’ll publish them as a “Bush Bite!”
Simply send an email to: [email protected]
The sight of a Pacific Black Duck inverted in the water with its legs in the air while it feeds is absolutely guaranteed to bring a smile!
This little duck will be familiar to us all, as they are widespread throughout the Catchment. In fact, they are most common duck species in Australia, and are also found in New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and parts of Indonesia.
Jim Butler brings us all the facts about these endearing water birds In our latest Feather Fascination.
Click here to learn more!
Photo courtesy of Ed Frazer
Our latest Bush Bites article features a beautifully coloured snail which you may come across in your garden.
This is one snail that we should NOT be treating with snail pellets!
Click here to read more!
Brisbane is the most biodiverse capital city in Australia.
Brisbane City Council invites MCCG members to the latest seminar in its acclaimed Brisbane Biodiversity series.
Join them and guest speakers, Professor Darryl Jones, ecologist Stefan Hattingh and local bushcarer Heather Barnes to hear about “Backyard Biodiversity.”
Speakers will discuss Brisbane urban bird behaviours, gliders in suburban settings and White Hill Reserve biodiversity preservation.
Event details
For more information, phone Andrew Wills, Creek Catchment Officer on 07 3407 0215 or email the Community Conservation Partnership Program team.
In our latest Feather Fascination, Jim Butler introduces us to the Hoatzin, a bird (or is it a flying cow?) from the Amazon Basin.
Jim points out that the Hoatzin is a true herbivore, but this comes at a cost due to the energy which the bird must expend in order to digest its purely plant diet.
On the other hand, a bird much closer to our own homeland manages the demands of its strictly herbivorous diet very well.
Learn how the physiology of the Australian Wood Duck has evolved to balance the energy required for intensive digestion with the effort it must expend for flight by reading Jim’s article: Feather Fascination April 2018
And learn more about the very unusual Hoatzin!
Male Australian Wood Duck – Photo courtesy of Ed Frazer
Wondering how to fill in the daylight hours during the Easter long weekend?
The soil is beautifully moist and the weather is perfect – so how about planting some natives on your property?
Members can contact Bryan Hacker at [email protected] or phone 3374 1468 to arrange a time to pick up free plants from our Nursery!
Our MCCG bushcare groups are simply inspirational !!
Members and volunteers alike just keep pitching in and – to their credit – delivering significant results!
These pictures provide evidence of the success which can be achieved with quiet tenacity and patience. They tell the story of how one team has nurtured the landscape around McKay Brook in the Mirbelia Street vicinity since 1999. Look at the habitat they have created:
Photo taken in 1999: 
Photo taken in 2000: 
Photo taken in 2003: 
This is testament that the future of our catchment is in good hands!
You can check our Facebook page to read about the latest achievements of the McKay Brook team in another area around Bozzato Place.
Is there any chance can you help? The McKay Brook team is a friendly crew led by Bryan Hacker, which gets together on the first Saturday and third Sunday of each month. Refreshments are provided. Their next working bee is Saturday afternoon 7 April.
We have bushcare groups who meet on weekends in other areas that may also suit you. Our Working Bee Calendar has all the details.
Photos courtesy of Bryan Hacker
Up to 30 people responded to our challenge to join our Cane Toad Collection night on 9 March.
The purpose of the event was to supply the University of Queensland Cane Toad Challenge Team with adult toads. The toxins from the toads are used to synthesise baits which are then used to trap tadpoles.
Our Facebook page has a report of the night’s activities.
And to learn more about this groundbreaking project, visit the UQ Research Project website.
