CLOYNA NATURE REPORT for Innovations Challenge
I have edited out details such as
receipts from the report and included only relevant sections – this report is
currently sitting in archives in Canberra – I am keen to get it back though as
I sent them some time-consuming and painstaking research I’d done on endemic
plants that may have horticultural value and could be tested – I’d compiled a
list of 300 from my Native Plants books – unfortunately my original list has
been lost, hence I’d like this one back, or at least a copy.
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CLOYNA
NATURE RESERVE ENVIROFUND REPORT
INTRODUCTION
My part in the story of the Cloyna
Nature Reserve began in 1993 when I had become so ill, I realised the only way
to heal myself was to move onto land and immerse myself in Nature. I began searching for my own slice of heaven
in the Great Australian Bush, and found it immediately, being guided 2000
kilometers, seemingly by divine providence, to a spring-fed naturalised
waterhole on a 40 acre bush block, part of a new subdivision in rural SE Queensland.
The Brisbane Real Estate Agent would
confirm my absolute delight as he drove me along the meandering old bush track
that leads to the subdivision, past majestic old-growth trees along a quaint,
forgotten road of remnant bush. We
walked along an old fence line to the heart of the subdivision – a huge,
sparkling clear waterhole, surrounded by open bushland. There were two black swans and a big flock of
native ducks gracing the scene. I could
not believe my luck, to have this magnificent site dropped in my lap! I thanked
my lucky stars, and convinced the bank to loan me the money to purchase it (at $36,000
it was the most expensive 40 acre block in the subdivision, due to the
waterhole) – this was no mean feat, being a sole parent pensioner.
In 1995, I moved my family onto the
land – my sons were then aged 6 and 8 – and straight away I determined to
enrich and enhance the existing bushland, after perusing the topographic map of
the district, which showed staggeringly little native vegetation left in the
shire. I began acquiring native trees from various sources – nurseries, local
markets, and Bert Bamberg’s roadside tree stall in Windera. The ecology of the
land had been quite seriously degraded after decades of drought and grazing. I began a rainforest patch around the one
veteran giant rainforest tree remaining, a magnificent 200 year old Crows Ash
which we were camped under, but, imperceptibly, Nature was already reclaiming
the land, as She does, given the opportunity (*Photo before and after) – I
determined to help the process along as far as I was able, and introduce a
wider variety of endemic natives to increase biodiversity.
Unfortunately, all the adjoining
blocks were bought by graziers and people with opposing values to mine. First came the barbed-wire fences, which I
was forced to build on my half of three boundaries, totally against my own
wishes, and then I had to watch as each parcel of land on all four sides was
ruthlessly cleared and stocked with cattle. Now, bare land, buildings and dam
walls are clearly visible from nearly every part of the Reserve, where once was
fairly dense forest, which has broken my heart and utterly destroyed the
aesthetic and biological integrity of the remnant, having its buffers removed.
I have altered my strategy for planting out my last 150 advanced trees
accordingly.
I’ve always said that if I ever came
into any money, I would buy Lots 9 and 7, take down the deadly barbed-wire
fences (that have snagged two sugar gliders who died of thirst) and restore the
land back to its original, biodiverse glory. I am in the process of having my
land listed under the Land for Wildlife Covenant, to protect it in perpetuity.
Maureen Brannan, The Cloyna Nature
Reserve 21.7.05
CLOYNA NATURE RESERVE REPORT
Project No. 38095 - Covering the year from 9th
January 2003 to
9th January 2004
My initial
objectives and aims were to enhance the existing biodiversity on my land, by
purchasing 100 advanced rainforest trees, 4,000 tube stock, fertilizer &
potting mix and 100 bales of hay for mulch.
I also wanted to experiment with various methods of ecological
restoration that I had either devised myself or heard about. What eventuated was a slightly revised
version, whereby I purchased 230 advanced trees, grew another 100, but didn’t use tube stock or bales of hay,
for reasons I will explain in detail later. Circumstances have meant I have had
to make a complete revision of how to go about achieving an integral remnant of
native bush.
PLANT SPECIES LIST (Appendix 1)
Species
count performed (May 2003) &
compiled by Caroline Haskard, Hon Secretary, Kingaroy & District SGAP
(Society for Growing Australian Plants), and member of Greening Australia..
Caroline
generously devoted a day to identifying the native species on the Reserve – she
is an extremely busy woman, had recently had health problems, and I fully
appreciated the time she gave me. She
was however only able to perform a preliminary count over two small areas on
the land, and I’m sure there are many more native species represented in this
tiny island of biodiversity, now surrounded by cleared land on all four
sides. I have been trying to find
someone living a bit closer who could identify plants, but I still don’t know
anyone in the vicinity – I will keep trying.
As I walk
over my land, I’m always looking out for seeding plants to take seeds back to
the camp and plant in pots (photo )
(Fig 7) – I also like to pick good specimens of flowering ground plants to
press – I had quite a catalogue at one stage, but weather and inability to
properly deal with them led to them going mouldy. I shall continue pressing again now I’m back
living on the land, and more organised.
One day I hope to be able to buy a digital camera (not in the
foreseeable future though) and make my own native plant identification
booklet. As soon as I am able, I will buy
a copy of Caroline Haskard’s Kingaroy & district’s native plants, the
booklet she published with Envirofunding.
When I first
applied for Envirofunding, under the name of the Cloyna Biota Reserve, Caroline
wrote a letter of support:-
To whom it may concern.
To clarify matters, SGAP is the Society for Growing
Australian Plants, a community- based organisation with a membership Australia
wide of over 10,000. It is the largest
horticultural society in the country and is very active in the struggle to preserve
and enlarge existing remnants of our native flora. Some of our branches have already received
funding from various sources to continue this important work. Whenever possible, we support the aims of
other groups or individuals whose goals correlate to our own.
Therefore, may it be noted that the Kingaroy &
District’s branch of SGAP fully supports Maureen Brannan’s proposed Biota
Reserve at Lot 8 Althause Road, Cloyna near Murgon, Queensland. We feel that a project such as this would be
an invaluable tool in raising awareness – and to educate both school students
and members of the wider community.
Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, it will create a sanctuary
for both flora and fauna in what is otherwise a highly depleted landscape.
Your sincerely,
Caroline Haskard,Hon Secretary, SGAP Qld Region Inc.
P O Box 511 KINGAROY Q 4610
March 31st 2000
WORKERS EMPLOYED ON THE RESERVE
To dig
trenches for experimentation, I had intended to hire a dingo digger – I decided instead to hire manual labour to dig these
trenches. This is because I decided
right from the start to try and do all the work necessary with hand tools, and
not rely or be dependent on machinery – this I believe would help others wanting
to restore their land inexpensively with a “Grass-roots” program.
Manual
labour could also dig holes for trees, specific to my requirements, and perform
other labour intensive jobs on the Reserve, mainly weeding.
CONCENTRIC RING TRENCHING EXPERIMENT
After
digging a trench from the waterhole to the camp to bury my water pipe in 1998,
I noticed months later, that root suckers from the giant Crows Ash had sprung
up along it, up to 50 metres from the tree! (Figs 5 & 10). I concluded that the huge rainforest tree
must have sub-surface roots, spreading in all directions around it (or maybe
just towards the water – that would be revealed with this experiment.) It seemed that wherever these shallow roots
were cut or damaged by digging, a sucker would spring up. I was astounded at the distance the main tree
spread its root system, and proposed that a thick pocket of rainforest could be
easily and speedily produced by digging shallow trenches in concentric rings
around old-growth rainforest trees (or maybe any old-growth tree, although I
hadn’t noticed this happening with wattles or eucalypts – this would be part of
the experiment)
I
experimented with another two trenches on either side of the Crows Ash and
behind it, and sure enough, suckers sprang up wherever I cut into the roots
(which may be quite small as I didn’t notice them when digging)
There is
another old-growth rainforest tree, a Kurrajong, at the other end of my
property, and I dug an experimental trench around it in places – so far,
nothing has come up though.
When Bruce
Perkins (of Mudlo Nursery, Kilkivan) delivered the first 100 trees in pots 4
years earlier, he was quite excited about this system of trench regeneration
and said that he’d never thought of revegetating this way and had never seen it
used anywhere. Bruce had previously
successfully applied for Envirofunding for Cherbourg’s Botanical Gardens and
had overseen the planting & landscaping – today it is a much lauded tourist
attraction. He helped me with my first
application, advising using a very complex system of irrigation to revegetate
the entire 40 acres - this failed because it was too ambitious and
expensive. Bruce had an excellent native
plant nursery at Kilkivan, sourcing his seeds locally, mainly from Mudlo
Mountain – unfortunately, he closed down a couple of years ago and the void it
created has not been filled. This
district desperately needs a native plant nursery of that calibre. I would love
to establish one, but would need quite significant funding to do so.
TREE PLANTING
I have
devised a method of planting out native trees, specific to the conditions on
the Reserve. The land gently slopes down
to the waterhole, which enables rain water to be trapped in mini “dams” behind
the hole. (see diagram) I find areas of
natural composting humus, where forest litter has been washed by water run-off
and collects by big logs etc., and collect piles of this for mulching the newly
planted tree. I also use the dug-up native
grasses after knocking the dirt from the clods.
SEED GERMINATING PIT
I
experimented with a method of native seed germination, by digging a big, 2ft
deep pit into the clay. Into the pit, I
first dumped a load of sand and gravel, then layers of broken down compost,
sourced from natural piles on the Reserve, weed-free horse manure and more sand
and crumbled topsoil until a thick layer of humus was achieved. I planted it out with a few thousand mixed
natives, and, while my pump was working, watered it regularly. Unfortunately, I couldn’t keep the water up
to it after the pump broke down, and it dried out completely. It remained bare for many months - I’ve just
noticed that a few natives have in fact emerged, and will now just leave it up
to Mother Nature to bring up whatever is successful.
MANDALA GARDEN EXPERIMENT
Whilst
working on the Reserve, I devised another method of native plant regeneration
that I call “mandala gardens” which I’ve trialled successfully, and which can
be used to restore diversity back to depleted land overgrown with grass – it requires
only a mattock! My inspiration came from
the Kayapo people’s rainforest regeneration technique.* (Attached).
I initially
select an area of grass that needs vegetating, stand in one place and dig up
the clods of grass, which I drop on the spot.
Then I work around this central spot, knocking the soil from the clods
and throwing them onto the pile, working in an ever-increasing circle. When the pile of grass is quite high, I then
dig a trench around the circumference, piling up the dirt towards the centre,
forming a raised garden – this prevents the “wild garden” from getting
waterlogged and the moat around them can channel the water into low-lying dams
for watering in dry periods, if the subsoil is suitable. I then work the soil & add sand or
compost, or weed-free horse manure (but never cow manure as it usually contains
introduced grasses & weeds) till its ready to plant. I then plant native seeds according to their
specific requirements. Large seeds are
planted deeply, many just under the heap, and tiny seeds on the surface etc. I try to place vines around the inner heap,
which composts down very quickly and provides an area for vines to scramble
over. Fallen branches can be thrown over
the pile to help the scramblers. Native vines and scramblers found on my land
include the scrambling caper, climbing saltbush, monkey rope & stiff
jasmine. (diagram)
SEED BALLS – an idea from New Zealand (insert)
I’d like to
look into this method further and see how it can be adapted to the Reserve –
unfortunately, there’s no such clay, but other clays may do the
same job.
ADVANCED TREES & CONTRIBUTION-IN-KIND
In May 1999,
I had purchased 200 varied native tree tube-stock from Bruce Perkins Mudlo View
Nursery (receipts attached). I had
potted them all on twice, some three or even four times, and now they were all
vigorously growing in big pots and ready to plant-out. (I only plant-out advanced trees, as from
experience smaller trees very rarely prosper, and are susceptible to frosts and
being overtaken by grass etc. Some smaller
trees I’ve planted have virtually stayed the same for years! I’ve realised that what is needed for
successful planting is a big root mass that is vigorously growing ) By the time I received the Envirofunding,
these trees were over four years old and in big pots which they were all busting
out of. My Envirofunding was to buy
advanced trees for revegetation, and obviously my trees, having been potted-on
using the local soils and fully acclimatised, were perfect for the job. Caroline Haskard viewed these trees when she
came out to do the species count, and advised me that because I’d spent 4 years
growing them, they were worth $30 each on the open market. I ended up charging the least amount I could
- $20 ea. She said that my “in-kind”
contribution was more than accounted for by the amount of hours that I (and my
sons) had worked on the Reserve over the year.
In fact, I had worked on the Reserve nearly every day and my sons on
week-ends – the only days I didn’t
work was when it was raining, and it didn’t rain much in 2003! Many days I’d spend 3 or 4 or more hours
there, watering, potting, planting when possible, and continually and endlessly
weeding - Caroline had identified two species of rampant exotic grass that had
to be removed rather than just cut and the seeds spread. This work I averaged
out to an hour and a half a day - 495 hours @ $15 = $7,525. The remaining $500 of my contribution-in-kind
has been spent on photographic costs and the time spent working on the report. Caroline has
said she would be very happy to confirm this, and she can be reached on (07) 63
5090.
Trees break-down:
White
Beach -
Macaranga - White Bean
- Beach Cherry -
Narrow leaf Bottletree - Broad
leaf Bottletree - Tulip Wood
- Deep Yellow Wood - Hoop
Pine -
Leopard Ash - Sandpaper figs -
Burdekin plum (local) - River Oak
- Lillypilly -
Narrow leaf Gardinia - Crows Ash
- Red Cedar -
Native Almond - Small leaf lillypilly Pittosporum Rhom -
Acmena Smithii - Little Euvodia - Lime
Berry
ON-GOING
COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION
I would like
to open up my land to the public, especially schools, for education purposes,
but I am not in a position to do so at the moment. Next year, I hope to be caretaking my
neighbour’s land on Lot 3, and will have the use of a phone and a large
generator, so I can run my computer again.
I and a building associate are currently researching earth building
techniqes hopefully in conjunction with Nurunderi TAFE at Cherbourg, and hope
to co-ordinate workshops, for cob, superadobe and ceramic building methods.
(appendix)
I made up
the following ad at the end of 2003 to place on billboards or have printed in
the local paper but I am not now in a position to be able to offer this as we
do not have a telephone:
INVITATION to visit the Cloyna Nature Reserve
On
completion of a revegetation program on the Reserve, funded by the Natural
Heritage Envirofund, the Cloyna Nature Reserve, also known as Cloyna Springs,
will henceforth be open to any interested parties – all are welcome to come and
have a look at the project, view before & after photos, get information on
the endemic native plants, permaculture related activities and funding
opportunities for other environmental restoration schemes – and pick a bunch of
gotu cola from around the waterhole! By
appointment only – ring 41 686 090 for details
CLOYNA NATURE RESERVE IN WORKPLKACE
LEARNING PROGRAM
In 2004, a
student at Murgon High School chose to perform his workplace experience week on
the Reserve – he spent a large part of that time weeding the roadside reserve,
which was badly infested with a variety of weeds, and patches on the Reserve
itself – he also dug an experimental trench and planted a few trees. I received a certificate from the school in
appreciation.
2000 ENVIROFUNDING PROPOSAL
This is a
summary of my initial Envirofund proposal, which I submitted with the
assistance of Bruce Perkins.
Project
summary: To establish a biota reserve on
my land, to enhance and enrich existing remnant native vegetation with diverse
endemic species, including rare and endangered ones, which will create a
wildlife corridor from the Althause roadside reserve, through my land, to the
permanent spring lagoon, and to protect from fire.
Objectives: The objective is to revegetate cleared areas
among the existing vegetation, over 10 acres of my 40 acre block, with 4000
native trees and shrubs, and to provide irrigation
to establish them successfully, which would also provide a fire fighting
capability to all points of the planting area, in order to provide a gene bank
for future reforesting in the district, which will be protected from fire as
far as humanly possible. I hope to show
by example all the many benefits of restoring the original ecology, and
hopefully realise some of the incredible potential of our native plants for
food & medicine and other traditional & contemporary uses.
As intact
remnants of this “dry rainforest” or “vine forest” ecosystem are few and far
between, especially in this area, I’m hoping you will appreciate the importance
of establishing and protecting this reserve, which boasts a few old-growth
giants – it is eminently deserving of an injection of biodiversity to boost its
integrity.
Short term
objectives: To develop non-labour
intensive strategies and techniques to efficiently establish plants with a high
success rate and develop a low-maintenance program to keep plants growing vigorously. Encourage natural regrowth, identify which
plants are most suited to what area, experiment with seeding in appropriate
places, imitating nature as far as possible.
Long-term
objectives: I have only just recently
obtained these forms and have not yet had time to investigate further, but I
have spoken with Chris Suffield, South Burnett Landcare Project Officer, and he
has given his full support to my project and offered to liaise closely with
me. I would imagine this reserve would
integrate very well with other efforts to save and restore endangered
ecosystems. The only other
reaforestation project I’m aware of in this area is Bruce Perkins’ Botanical
Gardens at Cherbourg – I shall investigate this at the first opportunity and
seek advice.
I feel
capable enough to undertake and co-ordinate this planting as I’ve had a lot of
experience and have natural skills in reforesting, after having established
five native plant gardens in North Queensland and successfully reforested
around 5 acres on an 80 acre property at Ellinjaa falls on the Atherton
Tablelands with over 2000 diverse rainforest trees, virtually on my own,
planting, watering and maintaining through the severe droughts of the early
90’s.
I’ve made up
a short list of over 300 useful native trees and bushes indigenous to the South
Burnett region, and another 200 sub-tropical plants that could be trialled, and
I have already began a rainforest plot around the one remaining rainforest
giant by my camp, which is flourishing.
WILDLIFE SEEN ON THE CLOYNA NATURE RESERVE
GREY
KANGAROO / PRETTY-FACED WALLABY / BLACK WALLABY (rare) KOALA (apparently there is a large colony on
lots 4,5 & 6 although unconfirmed because it is private property with
absentee owners – sightings on the Reserve are reasonably frequent though) GOANNA / MONITOR LIZARD (rare) / SMALL
LIZARDS & SKINKS / SPECKLED FROG / GREEN FROG / TURTLES / ECHIDNAS / PIGMY
GLIDER or Sugar Glider (Unfortunately, Lot 7’s barbed wire boundary fence cut
through a much used glider corridor and consequently two gliders have been
caught on the barbs, dying slowly and horribly, since it was erected – there
have also been two episodes of fox predation on the Reserve, where numerous
gliders, mostly babies, were eaten whole, leaving only the furry tail – I will
ask Murgon Shire Council for help to trap foxes and feral cats, but I don’t
think they have such a program) INSECT BAT / BROWN, BLACK & TREE SNAKES - POSSUMS
BIRDLIFE
AUSTRALIAN
PELICAN (just passing through – not seen since 1997) BLACK SWAN
(There were 7 swans living and breeding on the waterhole prior to 1995) - PIED CORMORANT / BLACK DUCK
/ AUSTRALIAN WOOD DUCK / WHISTLING
DUCK (used to be around 100 pairs resident on the waterhole, but have declined
drastically since 1995) / LITTLE EGRET
/ LARGE EGRET / PHEASANT COUCAL /
WEDGE-TAILED EAGLE / FORK-TAILED EAGLE / AUSTRALIAN BLACK-SHOULDERED KITE /
BROWN FALCON / BROWN QUAIL
/ BANDED RAIL / SWAMP HEN
/ MASKED PLOVER / YELLOW-BILLED SPOONBILL /
WHITE IBIS / COMMON BRONZEWING PIGEON /
CRESTED PIGEON / RAINBOW LORIKEET / GALAH
/ SULPHER-CRESTED COCKATOO
/ RED-WINGED PARROT / KING
PARROT / PAGE-HEADED
ROSELLA / COCKATIEL
/ BARKING OWL /
OWLET(?) / TAWNY FROGMOUTH /
WELCOME SWALLOW / DOLLAR BIRD
/ KOOKABURRA /
KINGFISHER / SCARLET ROBIN
/ WILLY WAGTAIL / GREY FANTAIL /
FAIRY WREN / RED & BLUE /
BLUE-FACED HONEYEATER / BANANA BIRD
/ NOISY FRIARBIRD / NOISY
MINER / GOLDEN BACKED HONEYEATER /
SPOTTED PARDALOTE / BLACK FACED CUCKOO SHRIKE /
MAGPIE / CROW /
MUDLARK / BUTCHER BIRD
/ PIED CURRAWONG
/ STORMBIRD / CHANNEL-BILLED CUCKOO /
ZEBRA FINCH / COMMON SPARROW / FIELD SPARROW
A CASE FOR ‘MESSY’ FORESTS - Prof David Lindenmayer (Appendix
2)
It is common
practice in these parts to regularly burn roadside reserves in winter in order
to keep the “fuel load” down. I have
consistently challenged this mindset.
What all my neighbours and Murgon Shire Council have done when burning
and clearing undergrowth and dead trees on their land and on the roadside
reserves is an ecological disaster for many species. Many species need a complex forest system
because critical habitat for them includes rotting logs on the forest floor,
large old living and dead trees with hollows, and dense thickets of old
under-story trees. In addition, by
destroying saplings and smaller shrubs, what will happen when the big trees
left die? There is nothing to replace
them. Many old-growth trees in roadside
reserves do not have viable seeds, probably because the forest is not complex
enough to fertilise them.
ASPIRATIONS
& RECOMMENDATIONS
The benefits
accruing from this funding have been immeasurable – I now have a far more
in-depth understanding of the ecology of the land, and my connection to and
love of native flora & fauna grows continually. Now when I walk over the Reserve, I can
identify most of the plants, thanks almost entirely to Caroline Haskard – one
visit from her produced an on-going passion to learn more and more about our
unique and beautiful native flora. I
have acquired a great many more skills in reforesting along the way, and been
inspired with ideas for ecological restoration.
When I
submitted my application to Envirofund, I made up a concise list of the endemic
plants of the South Burnett, and another of a wider region (Appendix 3) and now
I’m in the process of sourcing as many of these as possible, to introduce (or
re-introduce) to the Reserve and increase biodiversity. Unfortunately, native nurseries are few and
far between in this district, and they usually charge a great deal for advanced
plants especially. Groups such as Landcare may provide tube-stock at reduced
costs.
Next year,
when both my sons go to university, I will be living and working on the Reserve
on my own, on an Austudy allowance of $395 a fortnight. (I will be studying
Environmental Science externally from Central Queensland University). Out of this I have to pay my bank loan for
the land (10 years and $22,000 to go) and the remainder will be barely enough
to buy weekly provisions, let alone pay for car registration & maintenance
and rates etc. I risk having my land
auctioned by Murgon Shire Council to retrieve rates due, which is why having a
Covenant placed on the remnant is a high priority of mine. I have been building up a native plant nursery
on the Reserve, and will continue with that to keep increasing biodiversity.
Native
vegetation in the Cloyna district has been cleared and degraded to a very large
extent, and it is imperative that what little patches of intact ecosystem that
are left are protected and enhanced.
SAVING WARNUNG
I and
Caroline Haskard would like to see a tiny, but still intact remnant at the
Murgon locality of Warnung preserved for posterity. I hold great fears for this remnant, as it
appears the land was bought by Mr Losgow, who has cleared his own 400 acres in
Cloyna, and recently tordonned a large area of old-growth gum tree koala
habitat on that land. (photo) I have
written to Murgon Shire Council on many occasions regarding this remnant, but
have not had one reply. (append one letter to MSC)
RAILWAY TRACKS OPEN TO TOURISM
The old
railway track runs past this remnant - according to the member for Nanago,
Dorothy Pratt, such tracks could be opened up to the public and tourists for
walking and bicycle riding. (Appendix -
with my letter to editor) The track
goes on to Cloyna Village and could be the basis of a future tourism
attraction, with villagers and farmhouses along the track, offering B&B
accommodation. Warnung could then be an
Environmental Park, where eco-tourists and locals could enjoy a short walk.
CLOYNA NATURE RESERVE WEBSITE
There are so
many issues involved with remnant native vegetation, I intend to set up a
website for the Reserve, raising awareness about issues such as:-
…. Land clearing, especially of so-called
“re-growth” which may be 50 year old forest, and along watercourses
…. The placement of septic tanks and viable,
eco-friendly alternatives
…. Roadside Reserves as wildlife corridors and
their management
…. Land for Wildlife Covenant
…. Shooting protected native wildlife
…. Ready access to satellite images
…. Intensively farmed pigs and chickens
…. Grazing animals and cropping in unsuitable
country
NATURE
RESERVE SUBMISSION
On the
strength of my revegetation program, a friend has asked me to collaborate with
him with a submission to develop a Nature Reserve on Boomerang Lagoon, a
bow-shaped lake in the ‘up-market’ Kooralbyn
Valley Brisbane
SPECIES LIST
*
introduced species sp. =
unidentifiable species ssp. =
subspecies spp. =
species (multiple) var. =
variety
*Chloris
gayana - Callides Rhodes Grass
*Digitaria
didactyla - Queensland Blue Couch
*Opuntia
stricta - Prickly Pear
Acacia
glaucocarpa - Fern-leaf Wattle
Acacia
implexa - Lightwood
Acacia
leiocalyx - Black Wattle
Acacia
maidenii - Maiden’s Wattle
Alectryon
diversifolius - Scrub Boonaree
Alloteropsis
semialata - Cockatoo Grass
Alphitonia
excelsa - Soap Tree or Red Ash
(used by indigenous people to poison fish in waterholes)
Alstonia
constricta - Bitter Bark
Aristida
gracilipes - Graceful Wire Grass
Aristida
leptopoda - A Wire Grass
Aristida spp.
- Wire Grass
Aristida
vegans -
Wire Grass
Austrostipa
verticillata - Bamboo Grass
Boerhovia
diffusa - Tar Plant
Bothrichloa
decipiens - Pitted Blue Grass
Bothriochloa
bladhii - Forest Blue Grass
Brachychiton
populnes ssp. Populneus - Kurrajong
Brachychiton
rupestre - Bottle Tree
Brachychiton
australe - broad-leaved Bottletree
Brunonia
australis - Blue Trumpet Flower
Calotis
dentax - White Burr Daisy
Calotis
lappulacea - Yellow Burr Daisy
Calotis
buxifolium - Stiff Canthium
Canthium
odoratum - Sweet Canthium
Capillipedium
parviflorum - Scented Top
Capparis
arborea - Tree Caper or Native Pomegranite (food tree
for Caper White Butterfly)
Capparis mitchellii -
Bumble Tree (loved by white cockatoos & black ants)
Capparis
sarmentosa - Scrambling Caper
Carissa
ovata - Currant Bush (edible berries, sweet perfumed
flowers)
Cassinia
laevis - Native Rosemary or Cough Bush
Cheilanthes
seiberi - Mulga Fern
Chielanthes
distans - Resurrection Fern
Chloris
ventricosa - Tall Chloris
Chrysocephalum
apeculatum - Yellow Buttons
Convolvulus
erubescens - Convulvus
Corymbia
intermedia - Pink Bloodwood
Corymbia
tessellaris - Moreton Bay Ash
Crinum
flaccidum - River Lily
Crotolaria
linifolia - Rattlepod
Cymbidium
canaliculatum - Channel-leaved Orchid, Black Orchid, Wild
Arrowroot
Cymbopogon
refractus - Barbed-wire Grass
Cyperus
gracilis - Fairy Sedge
Cyperus sp.
- A Sedge
Dianella
caerulea - Blue Flax Lily
Dicanthium
sericeum - Queensland Blue Grass
Einadia
nutans - Climbing Saltbush
Enneapogon sp.
- Bottlewash Grass
Eragrostis
lacunaria - Purple Love Grass
Eremophila
debilis - Winter Apple
Eremophilia
miychelii - False Sandlewood
Eucalyptus
crebra - Narrow-leaved Red Ironbark
Eucalyptus moluccana
- Grey Box
Eucalyptus
tereticornis - Qld. Blue Gum or Forest
Red Gum
Eugenia
australis - Scrub Cherry
Eustrephus
latifolius - Wombat Berry or Orange Vine
Evolvulus
alsinoides - Evolvulus
Exocarpus
cupressiformis - Narrow-leaved Native Cherry
Fimbristylis
sp. - A Sedge
Flindersia
australis - Crow’s Ash (200 plus year old specimen on
land)
Flindersia
collina - Leopard Ash
Geijera
parviflora - Scrub Wilga
Glossocardia
bidens - Native Cobbler’s Pegs (non-native weed?)
Glycine
clandestinum - Twining Glycine
Heteropogon
contortus - Black Spear Grass
Hybanthes
enneasperma - Spade Flower
Imperata
cylindrica - Blady Grass
Indigofera
australis - Native Indigo
Jacksonia
scoparia - Dogwood
Jasminum
didymum ssp.racemosum - Stiff Jasmine
Juncus
usitatus - Common Rush
Laxmannia
gracilis - Slender Wire Lily
Leptochloa
digitata - Umbrella Canegrass
Lomandra
longifolia - Matt Rush
Lomandra
multiflora - Many-flowered Matt Rush
Ludwigia
pepiodes spp. Montividensis -
Water Buttercup
Maireana microphylla
- Small-leaved Cotton Bush
Melaleuca
bracteata - Black Tea Tree
Murdannia
graminea - Lawn Lily
Neptunia
gracilis - Sensitive Plant
Notelaea
microcarpa var. macrocarpa - Narrow-leaved Mock Olive
Ymphoides
indica - Water Snowflake
Ottelia
ovalifolia - Water Hawthorn
Pandorea
pandorana - Wonga Vine
Panicum
lachnophyllum - Pygmy Panic
Panicum
queenslandicum - Yabilla Grass
Parsonsia
straminea - Monkey Rope
Petalostigma
pubescens - Quinine Tree
Phyllanthus
sp. -
Phyllanthus
Pittosporum
viscidum - Large-fruited Thornbush
Pseuderanthemum
variable - Pastel Flower
Rostelluaria
procumbens - Rostelluaria
Sida
cordifolia - Flannel Weed
Sida
rhombifolia - Common Sida
Sida
subspicata - Spiked Sida
Solanum
stelligerum - Devil’s Needles
Velleia
paradoxa - Spurred Velleia
Vittadinia
dissecta - A Daisy
Wahlenbergia
gracilis - Australian Bluebell
Zornia
dyctiocarpa var. dyctiocarpa - Zornia
One plant
Caroline missed was gotu cola (botanical name) which grows in thick beds all
around the waterhole – this ‘miracle’ plant deserves a page to itself
(attached)
C L O Y N A N A T U R E R E S E R V E
GALLERY of IMAGES
1.Our
first camp on the land, under the giant Crows Ash – 1993 Note how dry and sparse vegetation is after many years
of drought through the 80’s and early 90’s. My sons were aged 5 and 7 – we moved onto the land permanently in 1995
2.View of
waterhole and the dense bush on Lot 9 – 1995
3.We
drank from the waterhole from 1995 until 1999 with only beneficial health
effects and we regularly swam – we stopped drinking the water after the first
pollution event in 1999 post flooding, and no longer swam in it.
4.These
photos were taken from the same spot, the first in 1993 and the second in 2001,
showing very clearly the amount of natural forest regeneration that has taken
place on the Reserve, ex cattle country.
5.This
picture of a Bush Garden is my aim for the Reserve, to reduce to zero the areas
of high fire risk introduced grass and replace with native grasses, vines,
shrubs and trees – it is happening naturally, slowly on the hill - I try to
give Nature a helping hand to boost biodiversity. This area by the waterhole
was selected by Moollookatt as the ideal place to build his authentic
traditional gunyas – he is one of the few indigenous elders left with this bush
knowledge – note thick forest in background on Lot 9.These photos show how
clear and pure the water was, and how dense the forest on Lot 9.Another view of
the now cleared forest on Lot 9.
6.Flindersia
australis in full bloom – every few years, this species will have a mass
flowering and loose all its leaves – usually, it retains about half.
7.THE END
OF A DREAM – Lot 9’s cleared land is visible from nearly every point on the
Reserve, due to the narrowness of the Lots (200m) – it has compromised the
integrity of the Nature Reserve.
8.Three
shots of the clearing from Lot 8/9 boundary fence.
9.The ad
I put up to find some casual workers.
10.The
waterpipe trench where root suckers emerged over 50 m from the main tree, which
gave me the idea for concentric ring trenching as a forest restoration tool.
11.This
tree is apparently very rare, according to Caroline Haskard (sorry, can’t
remember botanical name) – showing proximity of Lot 9 clearing – no doubt there
these rare trees were also represented in the forest he cleared
12.This
sugar glider was caught on a fence adjacent to the Nature Reserve – I took it
to the wildlife carer in Murgon, but her injuries were so severe, she could not
be rehabilitated and will spend the rest of her life at the wildlife centre (if
she lives) – this other one was not so ‘lucky’ – it died a slow, horrible death
by starvation caught up on the barbs.
13.I
thought this “evil” plant with extremely sharp spikes was a weed, but after
making enquiries at Murgon DNR, it appears it is a native. When I have the
time, I intend to catalogue all the native plants on my land this way, i.e.
scanned, pressed and identified.
14.This
stretch of intact roadside forest on Holdings Road is linked to the Nature
Reserve – it has now been nearly entirely obliterated by Murgon Shire Council’s
totally unnecessary road widening.
15.These
photos show the thickness of the roadside reserve adjacent to Lot 9, prior to
the owner clearing the undergrowth and burning.
16.Myself
and my eldest son working on the Reserve.
17.Bags
of cobblers pegs, mainly seeds, taken from the roadside adjacent to Reserve,
and from the driveway – secured tightly and dumped in bins at Cloyna.
18.Our
current residence – the site map is of trees planted behind the van.
19.The
certificate Murgon High School gave me for participating in the workplace
learning program – I hope to do more of this in the future.
20.Moolookatt’s
camp site venture is no longer feasible with the clearing so close.
21.The
aerial photo on the back of the 2000 topographical map, shows the forest pre
clearing, and sites of dams etc.
22.2000
topographical map – note Lot 7’s clearing also prior to 2000 – also note flood
zone includes Lot 9 residence.
23.Before
and after Murgon Shire Council unnecessary and unwanted road widening, felling
104 old-growth & ‘habitat’ trees along the proposed Althause Heritage Road.
24.1970’s
topographical map shows the extent of over-clearing in the Cloyna & Byee
district – Nature Reserve is red triangle – big yellow cross shows thick,
intact remnant, last in district, which was cleared for goats in 1998 – very
sparsely treed now.
25.Plans
for a cob dwelling, lodged with Murgon Shire Council – earth building has many
applications, especially in eco-tourism
26.My cob
kennel. Built as a demonstration for MSC.
27.A
message from Wakka Wakka elder Moollookatt, aka Thomas Arthur Duncan, co-caretaker
of the waterhole and Knowledge Tree
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