News

Rowena Street Park Restoration Project – Residents Meeting 14th June

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A meeting for interested residents is planned for Sunday June 14th at 2pm, by the park bench opposite the bamboo.  For more details of this important 4 year restoration project, read the project description on our web site.

Supporters of bushland restoration projects such as the Rowena Street Park Restoration can take a number of steps to support these projects, both by becoming volunteers to work on restoration activities, and by expressing support to the Brisbane City Council – see the project web page for some ideas to follow up.

 

Join the Search for Fire Ants

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Although small, fire ants are one of the worst invasive species to hit Australia’s shores. 

Biosecurity Queensland has been working hard to contain the area of infestation and to eliminate this pest, but they need our help.  Join the fire ant hunt and check your yard or property before May31st.  Let Biosecurity Queensland know that you have done this, whether or not you find anything suspicious. 

For more information, see the website www.anthunt.daf.qld.gov.au  where you can find information about priority areas to check, how to identify fire ants, and can also upload photos for analysis and follow-up by the experts.

You can also call the Department on 13 25 23, and find forms and further information for reporting fireants at www.daf.qld.gov.au/fireants

Talk on Fire Ants at the Cottage 19th March 2015 10am

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Riki Fulton will talk about “Beyond The Edge” –  a major campaign being run by the National Red Imported Fire Ant Eradication Program.  Attendees will also be briefed on fire ants, their behaviour, what their nests look like, and their impacts, and will get to view live fire ants.  This is an event will worth the attention of MCCG members.

Tuckett Park Flood Story

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There were surprisingly few losses from flood damage in the Tuckett Park area, despite the fact that some of our plantings on the lower banks in the area were 2-3m under water!

We have stopped spraying weedkiller on the grass, so the roots of the grass prevent erosion and the long grass slows the water in a flood. Before, during and after flood photos tell the story.

 

BEFORE

 

 

 DURING

 

 

 

 

AFTER

 

 

 

 

Lord Mayors Australia Day Awards 2015

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Congratulations are in order!  MCCG was awarded a 2015 Lord Mayor’s
Australia Day Green Heart Award – Organisation.

 

 

 

The Award recognises the work done by the Group engaging
with local property owners to assist with land rehabilitation, working with
schools in the Catchment, conducting wildlife surveys and monitoring the health
of its waterways. 

Aquatic Weeds Identification Workshop

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Dangerous aquatic weeds occur in our catchment. MCCG supported by Brisbane City Council have run a successful identification workshop with landholders.

On 19 June 2013 a workshop funded by the Brisbane City Council`s Lord Mayor’s Community, Sustainability and Environmental Grants Program (Environmental Grants) was run with the specific aims of training 15 volunteers from Moggill Creek Catchment Group and Pullen Pullen Catchment Group in identification of aquatic weeds that are considered serious threats to creek health and stream riparian conditions. The workshop was run by Phil Moran from Noosa Landcare Ltd at the Cottage used by MCCG as its education and special function centre.
Of the 20 participants originally accepted 14 took part. Phil Moran provided an excellent range of aquatic plants concentrating on those that are known to occur in Moggill and Pullen Pullen catchments and others that are present in SEQ catchments and pose considerable threat to aquatic ecosystems if they become established. Phil gave detailed information on the different weeds including case studies in SEQ as well as nationally. He provided a range of ID sheets and emphasised the differences in the plants and the implications when it comes to management methods. The resource material provided is extremely useful, for field identification of weeds. 
The hands-on identification training was provided through a range of aquatic weeds and native aquatics that are not considered threats. These were displayed in tubs and we were encouraged to handle and look at them closely. Several of the specimens were collected from local sites in the catchment.
A major benefit from the workshop is the increased knowledge of the Moggill and the Pullen Pullen participants in identification of aquatic weeds and the wider knowledge of the threats posed by them. An important point made at the workshop was that a wide range of aquatic weeds considered serious threats to creek health, do occur in our catchments. Another is that most of them are very difficult to destroy or manage. Subsequent to the workshop it has become quite clear that more needs to be done to encourage and support landholders in the management of their dams / turkey’s nests so that infestations are treated on farm and do not enter the creek systems. Currently Brian Hacker an MCCG member does provide information on aquatic weed management to landholders when the opportunity arises through his property visits. Aquatic weeds that have been reported as occurring in our creeks or drainage lines over the last 5 years include: Salvinia, Sagittarius, Senegal tea, Kidneyleaf mud- plantain, Glushweed, Parrot’s feather. Of these, the Declared Class 1 weeds which must be reported to Biosecurity Queensland are Senegal tea, Glushweed. 

Adrian Webb ([email protected])

MCCG Annual General Meeting 2014

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The Moggill Creek Catchment Group’s Annual General Meeting was held at Brookfield Hall at the Brookfield Showgrounds at 7.30pm on Monday 24th November

The Chairman’s full report is available here.

 Frank Box, from Ozbox, The Australian Nestbox Company was guest speaker at the meeting and gave an interesting talk on nesting boxes and their “users”.

Another Successful Photography Competition 2014

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The 2014 Photography Competition was again hugely successful with over 200 entries across the 6 categories.

The Supreme Exhibit prize was won by Tony Watts with his photo of a Green tree Snake, which also won the “Native Animals” category.


The People’s Choice 


Over 450 people voted for the people’s choice prize which was won by Brian Krieger’s picture of a wallaby entitled “Hobbies”

A rare night out with night creatures

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Martin Fingland (the Geckoes Man) and Dr John Stanisic (‘the snail whisperer’) presented a night out with a variety of native nocturnal fauna at the Brookfield Hall in an event hosted by the Moggill Creek Catchment Group.

An audience of close to 100 were entertained by Martin’s entourage of night animals consisting of a croaking frog, a silent native gecko, a brown tree snake doing a herpetological version of the Indian rope trick, a host of furries and a range of local night birds (owls and a tawny frogmouth). As usual Martin’s collection of furry, feathered and scaly creatures were the hit of the night, especially with the younger brigade. However, just to redress the biodiversity balance in favour of the other 99% (invertebrates), ‘the snail whisperer’ brought along a range of native banded snails collected in the Childers-Biggenden-Maryborough region. These silent invertebrates slimed their way through the evening whilst munching on a combination of commercial mushrooms and cucumber peelings. A rare night indeed and an event thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended including the presenters. Thanks Dale