Home » Volunteers
Category Archives: Volunteers
The Great Easter Cassia Blitz of 2018!
The idea of a Blitz near Happy Valley while the Easter Cassia (Senna pendula var. glabrata) was flowering might have been my idea. However, the credit for the success of the Cassia Blitz goes to FIDO’s John Sinclair and Peter Shooter who organised the week-long event and to BMRG (Burnett Mary Regional Group) who funded it. (more…)
News from the Eurong Nursery
Are you a Fraser Island landholder looking to replace your exotic plants with local native plant species? Did you know you can source them for free*? (more…)
Twelve years of collaboration
Looking back after over 12 years of FINIA’s operations, we can sometimes forget the achievements of the group and its partners. These were brought home at a recent FINIA partner meeting held on Fraser Island (K’gari) to check field sites in addition to identifying new challenges for the World Heritage property.
FINIA volunteers check out a successful site at Happy Valley, where Abrus has almost been eradicated and native Dianella once more dominates the understory (Photo: Sue Sargent)
In 2005, the group came together around the common issue of weed management and despite some massive wins across all land tenures (freehold, unallocated state land and National Parks), weeds and pests are still one of the biggest problems for the island and its native species.
In 2005, we looked at sisal hemp, a plant that was introduced to the Missions that were located on Fraser Island (K’gari). Today, we have an ever-growing list of plants like Abrus, Easter cassia and Brazilian cherry, that are invading the island. Twelve years ago, there were no cane toads in any of the waterways or Indian myna birds, cats and foxes hadn’t been caught on camera traps.
Thankfully, there are some success stories, bitou bush has almost been eradicated from K’gari, the Jamella leafhopper – which was destroying the island’s pandanus – is now being brought into check by the Aphanomerus wasp, which exclusively lays its eggs on the Jamella egg rafts.
FINIA is a great example of how much can be achieved by collaborating groups. But the take-home message is that we can’t hang up the tool belts yet.
What to do if you get stung by an Irukandji?
Recently it was confirmed that an Irukandji jellyfish has been found off the west coast of K’gari. There have also been other suspected stings further down the coast. People visiting this area and across the broader marine environment should be extra vigilant about their personal safety. This extra care is particularly important for those operating vessels, diving or snorkelling. (more…)
Lessons from Other World Heritage sites: Japan
I have to insist to my disbelieving family and others that my trip to Japan is not a holiday but really is a study tour and part of my quest to see what can be learnt in how other World Heritage sites are being managed. I am particularly interested in island World Heritage sites and I have already visited two of Japan’s natural World Heritage sites that are islands, Yakushima and Ogasawara. However, the latest World Heritage nomination of four island’s in the chain of small islands stretched out in an arc between the southern island and Taiwan that includes the Okinawa archipelago is of special interest.
Field Work Report: August 2017 Happy Valley Weeding Trip
This was the 15th trip since Peter started as team leader and while his team have worked on a number of weed species during that time, the main focus has been on Abrus precatorius subspecies africanus. (more…)
Persistence Paying Off
FIDO’s Bush Regeneration program has been operating volunteer week-long weeding operations since 2005. However, the number of weeding operations has increased progressively from one in 2005 to 10 in 2016–17. This is to keep pace with the increasing threat, and number, of weed invaders.
FINIA Meeting held on Fraser Island (K’gari)
The March 2017 FINIA meeting, which was on held on Fraser Island, provided an excellent opportunity for the members of FINIA to see first-hand the work being undertaken on the island by teams of FIDO volunteers (supported by BMRG through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Programme), the Fraser Island Association [FIA], and the Fraser Coast Regional Council with the support of Queensland Parks & Wildlife Service. (more…)
Round Island Weeding Update
Round Island is managed by Fraser Coast Regional Council. Because of the island’s close proximity to the mainland, it is frequently visited by both locals and tourists.
Two trips (26 July & 23 September 2016) have been made to Round Island this year, the first by two council officers, twelve Lower Mary River Landcare (LMRL) members and community volunteers and a group of twelve from Conservation Volunteers Australia. The second trip included council officers and volunteers with chemical spray certificates (AC/DC) as the trip targeted weeds that required chemical treatment.
These one-day weeding efforts, conducted over the last 4 years, have resulted in a highly significant benefit to this very small, coral sand island of dunal system environment. With the assistance of Juliet Musgrave, her skills and knowledge, the identification of some of the native plants (e.g. Octopus Bush) on Round Island demonstrates that this area is the overlap of vegetation zones on the coast between sub-tropical and tropical. To date, more than 30 native plants have been identified and registered, and the list grows each visit the group makes. (more…)
Find a Frog in February!
Community assistance is needed to find out where our frogs are living from Burrum Heads south to Peregian and west to Conondale Range, Kilkivan and Mt Walsh. Frogs are a vital component of ecosystems and can be good indicators of environmental health. But they are in trouble world-wide due to habitat loss, pollution and disease and we need to know more about where they are. (more…)
