Maroochy Waterwatch Inc

Basket weaving workshop using Cat’s Claw creeper. Saturday 30th August from 10am to 12 noon. Members $40, non-members $50. All materials supplied. At the Waterwatch office, Donaldson Rd, Nambour. RSVP by 22nd August.  Phone 54874777 or email info [at] maroochycatchmentcentre [dot] org [dot] au.

ECOllaboration has an exciting new program with the Friends of Parks initiative with the call for volunteers just beginning.

In collaboration with Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, people will have the opportunity to volunteer in National Parks throughout the Sunshine Coast and Fraser Island.

Cerran Fawns, CEO of ECOllaboration said, “Our National Parks and forests provide huge economic, environmental and social benefits to the region and providing voluntourism services adds another dimension in helping manage the Parks.

The Friends of Parks initiative offered by ECOllaboration will cater to a variety of ages, skill sets and organisations. 

Ms Fawns added, “There are volunteering opportunities throughout the Sunshine and Fraser Coasts in being campground hosts, adopt a track maintenance and weed control, visitor centre management and nursery management”.

The call for volunteers is going out far and wide.  We are interested in hearing from individuals, families, students, community organisations and corporates who want to give their time in improving the environment and helping the rangers manage the National Parks.

The variety of activities on offer enables people to spend a couple hours volunteering to several weeks.

‘We envisage the campground hosting to be a popular activity with the grey nomads as they can holiday for free whilst enjoying the beauty of the National Parks”, she added.

Helping with visitor centre management will suit environment and tourism students and give relevant industry experience whilst the nursery and adopt a track activities will suit the more active volunteers. 

The program provides training and supervision and where applicable there is free camping, barge transfers and driving permits.

To register your interest, email Jacqui Smythe at jacqui [at] ECOllaboration [dot] org [dot] au, phone 07 5313 4059 or visit http://ecollaboration.org.au/community-engagement/friends-of-parks/.

(photo courtesy of the Qld Government)

Environment and wildlife warriors will soon be pulling on the work-boots to help care for parks and forests across the state, thanks to new Friends of Parks contracts worth almost $880,000.

Four organisations have signed on to assist with volunteer campground hosting and visitor services, wildlife monitoring, weed control, revegetating, and park maintenance.

National Parks Minister Steve Dickson said the $1.5 million Friends of Parks initiative had helped the Newman Government deliver on its election commitment to enhance volunteering and “voluntourism” in Queensland’s national parks.

“The Labor Government never funded volunteering programs. This Government is prepared to back the volunteer group with resources to improve our national parks,” Mr Dickson said.

“The successful recipients Wild Mob, Conservation Volunteers Australia, ECOllaboration and Australia Nature Tours are all highly regarded and experienced in the delivery of volunteering services.

“The funding will deliver almost 68,000 volunteer hours to assist in managing some of our most beautiful and iconic national parks from the Gold Coast to the Daintree, on reef islands and inland as far as Carnarvon Gorge.

“These contracts will see more than 20 part-time co-ordinators across the state recruiting, training and supervising community volunteers to help support front-line management of our parks.”
This is the second stage of the community small grants program, which is currently being rolled out across the state.

The contracts were announced at Parklands Conservation Park north of Nambour, where first round Friends of Parks grant recipients the Bushrangers Mountain Bike Club are surfacing and repairing track sections.

Club President Terry Morgan said their $25,000 grant would go a long way.

“We plan to buy a mechanical wheel barrow, Wacker Packer to compact the trail surface, trailer and a variety of hand tools including picks, rakes and shovels,” Mr Morgan said.

“We will also be installing directional posts, trail signs with maps, and trail markers to clearly identify where riders are allowed to go.”

[ENDS] 4 April 2014
Contact: Michelle Buckworth 0418 433 6470418 433 647

Click here to view newsletter 2014 April

Riparian Weed Management Workshop

28^th April 2014

Landholders within the Maroochy Catchment will have an opportunity to join industry professionals on an ecosystem survey to gain skills in riparian management during a field day being run by Maroochy Waterwatch on the 28^th of April.

There are a variety of control methods available for managing riparian zones and this workshop aims to help you identify what’s best for your patch:

– Frill, cut, paint for large trees,

– Foliar spray application

– Release of bio-control agent,

– Hand weeding,

– Monitoring & Revegetation

These techniques provide an effective way to control many of the common weeds that occur along the creeks and rivers, such as Cat’s Claw Creeper, Small and, Large Leaf Privet, Lantana, Paspalum grass and herbaceous weeds and tubers. We aim for participants to leave with a better understanding of when weed control is appropriate, the best time to undertake control, and what can be done to maximise native regeneration at your site.

The workshop will be held at Whalley Creek (off Silverwood Dr, Burnside) on April the 28^th between 8:30am and 11:30am with a bus leaving from the Maroochy Waterwatch office at 8am (seats limited). Please wear a hat, covered footwear and long sleeve shirt and pants.

Light refreshments will be provided. RSVP to Hetti Malone on (07) 54 764 777(07) 54 764 777 by 21^st of April 2014, bookings are essential as limited spots available!

This workshop is funding by SEQ Catchments through the Queensland Government.

Click here for flyer:

Maroochy Catchment Riparian Weed Management Workshop

Coolum Community Native Nursery (CCNN) today welcomed the news that Sekisui House would help fund the nursery’s lease for the next 20 years, enabling the nursery to remain in its current location within Palmer Coolum Resort.

Sekisui House worked closely with CCNN to assist them to secure the lease with Palmer Coolum Resort, which will be in place for the next 10 years, with an option for CCNN to stay on there for an additional 10 years. The non-profit nursery specialises in growing and selling native plants suited to the Sunshine Coast.

Senior Development Manager at the Coolum Residences Evan Aldridge said the funding and lease assistance was a demonstration of Sekisui House’ commitment to local business and community.

“CCNN provides a valuable community service, not just to Coolum but to the broader Sunshine Coast,” Mr Aldridge said.

“We will continue to work with CCNN on sustainable solutions for the nursery to supplement their water supply including exploring the addition of bore water and increasing the capacity of their onsite water capture and storage.”

Leigh Warneminde from CCNN said she was pleased that the nursery would be able to remain in the same location it had occupied for the last 5 years.

“We and our team of volunteers welcome an end to the uncertainty regarding our location,” Ms Warneminde said.

“As you can imagine it would have been a major disruption for the nursery to have to move, so we are pleased that Sekisui House has been able to assist us to stay where we are.”

Cerran Fawns from CCNN also welcomed the news.

“Our customer base from across the Sunshine Coast knows where to find us, so instead of worrying about moving we can continue to do what we do best which is grow and sell beautiful native plants, which are conditioned to the coastal environment.”

CCNN is a partnership between Coolum District Coast Care and Maroochy Waterwatch.

Mr Aldridge said The Coolum Residences was a part of the Coolum community, and as such Sekisui House was committed to its development obligations to provide CCNN with suitable accommodation.

“The Coolum Residences has made several recent sales and received strong enquiry over the last couple of months, so the close proximity of the nursery is ideal for new residences needing native plants conditioned for the coastal conditions,” Mr Aldride said.

A new and exciting control method for the weedy cat’s claw creeper is about to be released into the Petrie Creek catchment. 

The leaf-mining jewel beetle (Hylaeogena jureceki) is native to South America and eats the leaves of cat’s claw creeper (Dolichandra unguis-cati). It has been successful in trials in South Africa and more recently in Australia for controlling the weed, whilst not posing risk to non-target plant species.

Maroochy Waterwatch, with support from SEQ Catchments through the Queensland Government, will be releasing the jewels on selected sites this to help manage this significant weed.  

Hetti Malone, Natural Area Manager of Maroochy Waterwatch said, “Whilst there is a long history of weed management done on cat’s claw creeper throughout the Petrie Creek catchment, there are still significant populations remaining that can support the release of the leaf-mining jewel beetle”.

Cat’s claw creeper is a Declared Class 3 weed species and a Weed of National Significance due to its invasiveness, potential to spread and have severe environmental, economic and social impacts.  It can be termed a ‘transformer species’ because of the severe smothering impact on native vegetation and the ability to alter ecosystems.

“The usual management of cats claw creeper is heavily labour intensive involving a combination of physical and chemical methods whereas biological control of this climbing pest is a potentially cost effective, low risk alternative long-term management solution,” she added.

Cat’s claw creeper can be identified from the three-clawed tendrils as the base of the leaves which are used to climb over vegetation.

Biosecurity Queensland has been growing the jewel bugs for release and Maroochy Waterwatch has just received their first beetle package with the beetles released in a cat’s claw creeper infestation in Nambour.

The beetle control has potential to be effective however it may not produce instant effects. The beetles need time and favourable conditions to build up populations that will reduce an infestation. The entire process could take years.

“Monitoring of the jewel beetle release site will focus on visible destruction to cat’s claw creeper leaves and distance the beetle makes from the release point,” Miss Malone said.

While the jewel beetle gets to work, so will the staff and volunteers at Maroochy Waterwatch.  

Miss Malone said, “This project will also gather information and mapping of any small or large infestations throughout the Maroochy River catchment, focussing primarily on the Petrie Creek catchment.  The program will provide technical assistance to landowners on physical and chemical control of the weed.  It is vital to prioritise work over the coming three years for the project.”

If anyone is interested in being part of the weed control program, phone Maroochy Waterwatch on 5476 4777 or email info [at] maroochycatchmentcentre [dot] org [dot] au.

(Jewel Beetle photo copyright Biosecurity Qld)

We have some special projects to undertake in 2014 and requiring the services of volunteers in:

Desktop publishing (using the adobe creative suite)

Film making and video editing

Grant and tender writing

If you are interested or if you know of someone who may be interested, please give the office a call on 07 54764777 or email info [at] maroochycatchmentcentre [dot] org [dot] au

Hi, It’s on again, the 2^nd Community Planting at the Maroochydore/Alex Beach. Not since the release of the Empire Strikes back has there been a sequel that has the potential to exceed the original. We are planning to get another 2,000 plants in the ground on the day to continue the dune building process. So come along and lend a hand. If you could assist by circulating the word through your networks that would be greatly appreciated.

Sunday 8^th December

8 – 10am

Beach Access 155

Alexandra Parade near Okinja Road

Don’t forget to:

• wear comfortable protective clothing

• wear enclosed footwear

• slop on some sunscreen

• slap on a hat

• bring a water bottle.

Michael Gilles

Community Nature Conservation

Environmental Operations

Sunshine Coast Council

Locked Bag 72

Sunshine Coast Mail Centre

Nambour Qld 4560

Phone: 5475 8842

Mobile: 0409 618 733

To All Volunteers and Supporters,

You are invited to our annual Christmas Party on Friday 13th December at the office at 12 noon.  Click here for more information XMAS PARTY.

Kind regards,

Cerran Fawns