pioneer catchment & landcare news july 2019 climate week ...€¦ · pcl recently began work on...
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Pioneer Catchment & Landcare News July 2019
Climate Week QLD 2019
As part of Climate Week QLD, PCL hosted a private screening of the documentary film ‘2040’. Our local Reef Guardian high schools were invited and a total of 62 students from St Patricks College & Mackay State High School attended the event. Students were taken on a journey to explore what the future could look like by the year 2040 if society/governments embrace the best solutions already available to us now to help improve the health of our planet. The event was funded by the QLD Government Department of Environment & Science.
Images sourced from Carla Lambropoulos.
Image (top right) students from Mackay Sate High School lining up for their movie tickets; image (bottom right) St Patricks students felt inspired after the movie; image (bottom left) movie poster for ‘2040’.
Event Season!
Each year at this time, PCL attends many events around the region. This helps us connect with people, and look for new land carers to join our community. It was a very busy season with PCL running displays at the Farleigh Palm Fete, Botanic Gardens Open Day, Volunteer Expo and the Pioneer Valley Show. PCL welcomes all our new members who may be reading this newsletter!
Image (right) PCL display at the Farleigh Palm Fete; image (left) an impressive queue at the first rate payer native plant giveaway by the Mackay Regional Council.
2. Pioneer Catchment & Landcare News, July, 2019
Plant of the Month Pleiogynium timorense
Weed Spotting Murraya paniculata ‘Exotica’
Burdekin Plum Family: Anacardiaceae
Form: Tree to 20m, may be buttressed, separate male and female plants.
Leaves: Compound, alternate; rachis + petiole 90-280 mm long, pulvinus at base; leaflets 5-11,
opposite, 40-100 x 20-60 mm; upperside glabrous; underside glabrous except for domatia which may
be present as foveoles usually with hairs; petiolules 2-6 mm long.
Flowers: Petals 4 or 5, green, white, yellow or brown, about
3 mm long; calyx green, white, yellow or brown. Apr., June & Sep.-
Dec.
Fruit: A drupe, reddish, purple or black, 20-28 mm long x 20-
38 mm wide; seeds 5-12 within a woody brown endocarp. Apr.-Oct.
Distribution: Rainforest and monsoon forest from the
McIlwraith Range to the Brisbane area, altitude tropical Qld 0-1000
m.
Uses: The Burdekin P lum produces large crops of very sour
fruits that only become palatable (to western tastes) some days
after falling off the tree. The pulp, with addition of pectin or lemon
juice, makes an excellent tangy jam. The fruits are widely eaten
by Indigenous Australians.
Some wild food plants are dangerous, and Pioneer Catchment & Landcare
Group inc. accepts no responsibility for any mishaps arising from the
tasting of the plants mentioned in newsletter articles.
Images sourced from Steve & Alison Pearson.
Information sourced from ‘Fruits of the Australian Tropical Rainforest’ by Wendy Cooper, & from ‘Wild Food Plants of Australia’ by Tim Low.
Mock Orange Family: Rutaceae
Form: A shrub or small tree, often multi-
stemmed, grey bark becoming fissured with age.
Leaves: Alternate pinnate, 60-120mm long,
leaflets 5-10 dark green elliptic to obovate, 10-90 x
5-60 mm, smelling of citrus when crushed.
Flowers: White 5 petalled, 20-40 mm wide,
borne in terminal and axillary sprays; similar in
appearance and perfume to citrus flowers.
Fruit/seeds: Berries, orange or red when ripe,
8-20 x 10 mm, each containing 1-2 cream or brown
seeds.
Invades: Creek bank, open forest and
rainforest communities.
Notes: Garden escapee. Used extensively in
landscaping and now widely naturalised. Found in
most reserves in the region. Are your garden plants
going bush?
Information sourced from ‘Weeds of the Mackay Whitsunday Region’ First Addition by the Mackay Regional Pest Management Group.
Images sourced online from the Brisbane City Council Weed Identification Tool. https://weeds.brisbane.qld.gov.au/weeds/mock-orange
Pioneer Catchment & Landcare News, July, 2019 3.
Reef Trust 4 - St Helens Creek Project
PCL recently began work on a new revegetation project on St Helens Creek (Calen),
with the goal of stabilising the creek bank, to reduce sediment run-off onto the reef.
The project was funded by Reef Catchments through the Australian Government’s
Reef Trust. PCL planted a combination of 1800 trees and ground covers into the site,
which was heavily infested with weeds and sparsely vegetated by natives. It has now
been two weeks since the planting was completed, and the site is looking incredible,
with very high survival rates so far. A big thanks to those who volunteered to come
and help, your efforts were greatly appreciated!
Image (top left) Lomandra was planted at high density along the creek front at the site, Lomandra is an excellent bank stabiliser with its vigorous roots, the planting density was hoped to emulate the density of natural areas further upstream;
image (top right) many trees were planted to try and re-establish a canopy and root system at the site, the removal of the weeds did uncover a pleasantly surprising amount of natural recruitment of native tree species at the site;
image (middle) a glimpse of what the site looked like prior to brush-cut, the recently sprayed Elephant Grass standing three meters tall in some places;
image (bottom) standing in the exact same position as the image above, the site was unrecognisable after a long day on the brush cutters.
Images sourced by Kade Slater.
Newsletter printed on 100% recycled & carbon-neutral paper. To receive in full colour via e-mail please contact PCL
If unable to be delivered please return to
Pioneer Catchment & Landcare Group Inc.
P0 Box 3181
NORTH MACKAY LPO Qld 4740
July 2019
POSTAGE PAID
AUSTRALIA
Upcoming Events
Pioneer Catchment & Landcare Group Inc. Proudly supported by:
July
Sat 6 - Friends of Morag McNichol Reserve, working bee & general meeting. Meet at Wattle St entrance to the reserve at 8am.
Sun 7 - Birdlife Mackay outing to the Sandringham Bay Conservation Park. Meet at the Tourist Information Centre, City Gates. for 6.30am departure.
Tue 9 - PCL Volunteering. 8am to 12pm.
Wed 10 - Native Plants Queensland, Regional Forests working bee, project tba.
Sat 13 - Wonderful World of Insects, k ids school holiday workshop at the Botanic Gardens. Limited spaces, please RSVP to Kade Slater.
Tue 16 - PCL Volunteering. 8am to 12pm.
Sat 20 - Native Plants Queensland, Branch 41st Birthday.
Tue 23 - PCL Volunteering. 8am to 12pm.
Fri 26 - School National Tree Day 2019, I llawong Park, South Mackay.
Sat 27 - Insect Hotel Workshop, learn to build and take home your very own insect hotel. Limited space workshop, RSVP is essential, contact Kade Slater for more information.
Sun 28 - National Tree Day 2019, Mackay community event, Illawong Park, South Mackay. Details TBA.
Tue 30 - PCL Volunteering. 8am to 12pm.
August
Sat 3 - Friends of the Morag McNichol Reserve, working bee and general meeting. Meet at Wattle St entrance to the reserve by 8am.
Sun 4 - Birdlife Mackay outing to McLean ’s Mt Ossa. Meet at the Coningsby Service Station for a 6:30am departure. Call 0438 134 738 for more information.
Tue 6 - PCL Volunteering. 8am to 12pm.
Wed 7 - Native Plants Queensland, MRBG Regional Forest Working Bee. Project TBA.
Pioneer Catchment & Landcare Group Inc. Office contacts:
Phone ǀ 07 4944 1979 Email | [email protected] Website ǀ www.pioneercatchment.org.au
Wendy Eiteneuer ǀ Administration Officer [email protected]
Carla Lambropoulos ǀ Project Coordinator ǀ 0438 425 990 [email protected]
Kade Slater ǀ Project Officer ǀ 0497 441 979 [email protected]
Pioneer Catchment & Landcare Group Inc. Management Committee
Executive Committee Members
ChairǀDave Hunter Irene Champion
Deputy ChairǀDianne Williams Kate Finch
TreasurerǀMark Radke Di Salau
Tue 13 - PCL Volunteering. 8am to 12pm.
Tue 20 - PCL Volunteering. 8am to 12pm.
Mon 26 - Native Plants Queensland, branch operated
Herbarium at the Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens.
Tue 27 - PCL Volunteering. 8am to 12pm.
Thu 29 - Native Plants Queensland propagation group
nursery session.