The Redcliffe Environmental Forum participated in the Lowlands Festival at the excellent venue Osprey House located on the Pine River. Visiting families enjoyed live music and food along with some excellent displays from community groups and wildlife educational organisations. Patrons also had the opportunity to enjoy the boardwalk and pathways of Osprey House and take in the stunning views of the river. 

Activities included canoeing, building a nesting box and making crazy candles. At the REF display we ran our usual activities including the water bugs activity. In this activity we provide containers of pond water with their creatures including aquatic insects, insect larvae, freshwater prawns, snails and the occasional fish. The goal for the participant is to catch the creature with a spoon and place it into an ice cube tray so they can identify their catch. It’s amazing how engaged they become enjoying the challenge of catching as many different critters as possible.  There is something about a pond – you never know what you might catch!

At REF we know this activity is always a popular way of engaging the public and we were aware that there have always been a number of local ponds at Osprey House. However, our plans went awry when we got there and found that a large pond at the end of Henry Street had been filled in! After a slight panic we ended up at Mango Hill before we could find a freshwater pond. 

Perhaps some of the high levels of engagement in the water bugs activity is due to the loss of creeks and ponds in our urban areas. They have been replaced by drains and culverts or just plain filled in. Consequently there are fewer opportunities for kids to explore their neighbourhood, catch tadpoles, fish and just connect with and value nature. Perhaps accessibility is the key to environmental education. If this is the case then Green Army projects like Hays Inlet where our wetlands and wildlife are more accessible to people is a key strategy for engaging all of our community.

Recent work in the Hays Inlet wetlands around Redcliffe has shown that although the native vegetation has been severely damaged by previous land use and management practices there is still a significant level of regenerative capacities present. When our team members and volunteers are working in the area they find significant weed problems but they have also noticed the presence of the original native vegetation. This is good news. This means that any significant work to remove weeds and then maintain area has the potential to enhance the natural biodiversity of the area.

Another feature noticed has been the significant number of bird species still living in the area. There are still patches of different plant communities in the area and this means there are opportunities for different species of birds to find food and shelter. One survey has identified 65 species of birds in the area.

Most people associate Hays Inlet with aquatic birds such as the Pelican, the Pied Oyster Catcher and the Stilt. But nestled amongst the adjacent vegetation and forests are a large number of smaller less noticeable birds. In the mangroves you will find honeyeaters, kingfishers and the Striated Pardalote.  This bird has a stunning yellow plumage and they feed on insects and insect larvae.

You will often spot the Golden Whistler and a number of finches in patches of Casuarina. In the Melaleuca wetland areas you will see flashes of colour amongst the ferns and understorey. If you remain quiet you will see the brilliant blue of variegated Fairy Wrens, the Red-backed Fairy Wren as well as the Scarlet Robin and a number of different fantails. When the Melaleuca is flowering the area is also alive with lorikeets, honeyeaters led by the spectacular scarlet honeyeater.

With the right work and support there is no reason we can’t continue to enjoy the presence of these birds in our wetlands. We at REF are working with our local council and other stakeholders in the hope we can develop some facilities so people can enjoy the spectacular wildlife in the area. Even so, some people may not all be able to get out to the wetlands, but at least they will know that the birdlife will be there for generations to come.

Thank you to members of our Hays Inlet Green Army team for some of the images above.

The next stage in our environmental rehabilitation project started yesterday with a survey to assess the bio-condition of the area and two of the key habitat types; Eucalypt and Melaleuca forests. The area behind Silcock street is predominantly Melaleuca forest, but scattered amongst these wetlands are a number of Eucalypt trees including swamp mahogany and blue gums. They are important trees for sustaining koalas.

In the middle of the park area is a large raised area of sandy soil. Some local residents believe it was an old sand dune area.  This area contains a significant number of Eucalypt species and although there is a heavy weed infestation in the area it has the potential to support more of our local koalas. The aim of this project is to clear the area of weeds, reduce fire hazard and increase the number of Eucalypt trees within the area.

The plan is for REF Inc and the Moreton Bay Regional Council to start a bushcare program in the area and one of the first tasks will be to improve the quality of any Eucalypt habitat within the park area. In order to measure the impact of any rehabilitation programs it is important to obtain baseline data so we can see over time what impacts our work has on the area.

With the support of the Moreton Bay Regional Council we have commenced the survey using expertise from Conservation Volunteers Australia and WetlandCare Australia. The survey methods we used were provided by the Queensland Herbarium and we managed to complete two surveys yesterday (melaleuca and Eucalypt). The process included setting up of transects, 1 hectare plots and the collection of data including plant coverage, ground debris, species richness and the level of weed infestation. This information will allow us to determine the overall health of the area and highlight areas we can get to work on.

This work is all about giving local koalas a better chance of surviving at this end of the peninsula. A healthy koala habitat also means a healthy habitat for other animals including the 60 species of woodland birds we have identified living in the area.

“What’s Cooking in the Gardens” is held every year by the Moreton Bay Regional Council and is one of REF’s favourite events. The Festival is an exciting event with cooking displays, gardening, music, great food and even wine tasting. There are also many displays and activities by local environmental groups including REF. It’s a great chance to meet some of the public and chat about REF and the environment.

In conjunction with Dave Logan (Healthy Waterways) we also run an interactive section for the kids. They can catch and identify aquatic creatures, conduct some quality water testing as well as check out the posters and information activities around the fauna and flora of Hays Inlet. It is a very popular spot and we are usually kept busy all day helping the kids with the activities as well as having a chat to their parents and grandparents about REF Inc.

We also get some great questions from passer-by’s ranging from identifying various birds and plants, what has happened to our soldier crabs, the health of the Bay as well as wanting to know more about REF’s activities and volunteer opportunities. Our people are always learning about the urban environment from our community and their comments and questions help us to stay focused on our core activities.

This year we also promoted the Moreton Bay Regional Bushcare Program. We will be working with the council to start a group at our Clontarf site. We certainly received plenty of interest from people with many registering interest with REF Inc.  Watch this space for more information.

At the end of the day though, it is great social event not only enjoyed by the public but by our own volunteers and committee members.  We not only get to enjoy the Festival but we have a chance to catch up with colleagues from other community groups, share some stories and ideas and generally chill out!

Today the 30th July 2015 is the last day members of the Hays Inlet Green Army team will work with their team leader and mentor Chris Joyce on the project site at Clontarf. The program has been an outstanding success and everybody associated with this project is extremely grateful for their contribution to the peninsula’s remaining wetlands and wildlife habitats. There would be little doubt Chris is going to miss working with such an outstanding group of young people.

On behalf of REF Inc and its project partners (The Federal Government, the Moreton Bay Regional Council, Conservation Volunteers Australia along with Federal Member Luke Howarth MP and Councillor Koliana Winchester) we hope the team members can move on to further employment opportunities and continue to help out with our precious environment.  We at REF Inc hope they continue stay in contact with us and give us a helping hand from time to time.

Yesterday we held a Graduation celebration at the Redcliffe Rugby Union Clubhouse and Chris presented certificates from the Green Army and REF Inc along with a copy of Norm Duke’s book on Mangroves to each team member. Chris was also presented with a certificate of appreciation from REF Inc and we can’t say how much his passion, knowledge and sense of humour means to our community of people.

Finally we want to assure the team, their great work will be built on with REF Inc and the Moreton Bay Regional Council determined to make the area a valuable and treasured asset for all of the community. There are a number of exciting initiatives being rolled out – so watch this space for further news!