With the recent development around the Moreton Bay Rail Link a significant amount of koala habitat had to be cleared (over 17,200 mature Eucalypt trees).  This placed an enormous amount of pressure on the local koala population with increased predation by dogs due to the animals being on the ground. Developing and maintaining wildlife corridors can increase the connectivity of the habitat and improve the survival chances of koalas.
For many years it has been known that development and urbanisation can cause dramatic changes in the landscape resulting in the fragmentation of habitats and the potential isolation of various species. This can often lead to local extinctions of species. Conservation scientists and land managers are interested in how the landscape is interconnected in order to minimise the potential impacts on local flora and fauna and they look at three types of connectivity:
Habitat connectivity which considers the connectivity between patches of suitable habitat for a species
Landscape connectivity which is the degree to which the landscape facilitates animal movement and other ecological flows.
Ecological Connectivity which is the degree to which ecological processes are connected including food and nutrient webs, disturbance processes and hydroecological flows (how plants interact and impact on the water table).
Landscape Connectivity for Koalas
One of the projects set for the Clontarf site is to enhance the habitat for koalas. This includes providing or enhancing corridors for them to safely travel between feeding sites. So its important that we maintain trees in order to keep koalas off the ground where the chances of predation are dramatically increased.  If you look at the images at the top of the article you can see photographs of koalas utilising Melaleuca, Casuarina and even Mangrove trees. Of course Eucalypt forest is desirable as it not only provides koalas with safe passage but also provides fodder.

On a warm and humid Sunday morning the Hays Inlet Bushcare group met at the Silcock street entrance in order to start working on the site. The main task for the day was the removal of weeds at the entrance to the park as well as tagging replanted vegetation. This would enable the Council maintenance contractors to move in and slash the high growing reeds and weeds but leave the native vegetation to continue growing along the channel and the edge of the lagoon.  The location meant the volunteers were able to stay out in the breeze and also avoid the mosquitoes.

Our team leader, Chris Joyce put us straight to work with one group labeling important plants whilst the other tackled the weeds. Alex Volling from REF Inc provided some expertise in terms of identifying which plants were weeds (rather important to say the least)! The group was also joined by Councillor Koliana Winchester who also got stuck into the weeds and showed some skill with a mattock. The damp soil made their removal (mainly clumps of grass) much easier. A couple of highlights included a visit from a Royal Spoonbill, a few glimpses of a tribe of Red-Backed Fairy Wrens and some large fish appearing at the entrance of the channel (we think they were Tilapia – but not sure).

Afterwards a few members of the team gathered for a coffee and a chat before heading home to enjoy the rest of their Sunday. The next bushcare session is schedule for the first Sunday in March which also coincides with “Clean Up Australia Day”. The committee from REF Inc may well look at combining the two events – a chance to clean up as well as continue to tackle the important bushcare work at the site.