Members newsletter July–August 2025
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Members newsletter July–August 2025 |
In this edition |
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Message from the President
Activity group updates Bird Observers’ Group Botany Group
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Community engagement Friday Environment Forum Noosa National Park Information Centre Environment Centre
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Gosh knows there’s enough bad news in the world at the moment, so here is some good news. Noosa Shire looks set to become one of the most significant and enduring repositories of koalas in Queensland.
NPA recently received a lovely congratulatory letter from the Director-General of the Queensland Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation acknowledging that: the final parcels of Yurol and Ringtail Forests are now dedicated as national park; the carbon abatement interests have occurred and are on the land title; and our financial investment has accrued interest that will be put towards koala conservation projects (more on that in a moment). The DG’s letter rightly singled out Michael Gloster for special mention.
I’m sure most of you know by now, but in brief, Michael conceived the audacious plan to buy out the plantation rights to Yurol and Ringtail Forests and have the land rehabilitated as natural habitat. Michael initially took the idea to HQ Plantations and succeeded in convincing them to relinquish their long-term use rights, for a very nominal fee. He then brought the concept to Noosa Council while I was mayor. Together, NPA and Noosa Council convinced the Queensland Government to join us, with each of the three parties contributing $1.2 million in costs. Once underway, the multi-pronged project was shepherded by Noosa Council CEO Brett de Chastel.
Seven years later, harvesting of pine and hardwood has been completed and reafforestation is well underway, with Greenfleet utilising the services of Noosa & District Landcare under carbon offset arrangements.
Aerial surveys of the land surrounding the plantation crops demonstrated there were some 300 koalas living in the remnant forests of Yurol and Ringtail. When the plantation areas are revegetated, the 2400 hectares will be habitat for around 500 koalas. Yurol and Ringtail Forests are now part of the enlarged Tewantin National Park.
As Michael noted in an earlier newsletter, this magnificent project provides connectivity through the Noosa hinterland, from the Cooloola section of the Great Sandy National Park to Noosa National Park. Eventually, with private landowner participation, the new sections of Tewantin National Park may also connect with West Cooroy Conservation Park and Mapleton National Park. Council’s environment staff have mapped potential koala corridors to inform landscape restoration and land use planning. Such linkages are essential for genetic diversity and thus the overall health of our koalas.
The money for the plantation rights provided by NPA, council and the state was held in an interest-bearing account and accrued $300,000 in interest. Under the agreement, that money will now go towards local koala conservation projects to be approved by the state in consultation with NPA and council. The Yurol-Ringtail story just keeps getting better! |
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Photo credit: Tony Wellington |
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I suggested at the beginning of this message that Noosa may be a significant repository of healthy koalas in Queensland. That’s not a flippant exaggeration. At a recent Koala Connect event, koala and greater glider rescuer Rachel Lyons, now a Conservation & Environment Coordinator with Noosa Council, suggested that Noosa has at least 2,000 koalas currently living in the shire and the true figure could be even higher. Her statement reminded me that in 2015, a state-funded SEQ Koala Population Modelling Study found there to be just seven koalas in the shire. Thanks to dog detection methods and drone thermal imaging, we now know how woefully inadequate that modelling was.
The difficulty in using citizen science sightings as a guide is that the results tell you more about where humans go than about where animals live. There are going to be more sightings of remnant koalas around densely populated urban areas, but those animals are unlikely to represent the most viable populations. The healthiest and most successful koala populations will be in places where they are least likely to be seen by casual observers. That’s why drone technology has revolutionised our appreciation of koala populations and their distribution.
Noosa is a good news story for threatened creatures because close to 45% of the shire is in some form of protected covenant, and that is very much a product of NPA’s efforts since its inception in 1962. NPA was integral to the expansion of Noosa Heads National Park, the rescue of Cooloola from mining, logging and development, and the conversion of our state forests into national parks and conservation land. But here’s the crunch. Not only have we helped to protect existing vegetation, but the Yurol Ringtail Conservation Project demonstrates our commitment to rehabilitating degraded land into native forest. We are also helping to revegetate degraded land within the Great Sandy National Park.
Noosa’s koalas stand a better chance of long-term survival than many others across the state, and it’s all thanks to the wild imaginings of Michael Gloster, decades of efforts by Noosa Parks Association, kindly benefactors, and the wonderful work of our information hut volunteers who help raise the money for such projects. I thank you all.
Best wishes Tony Wellington |
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Friday Environment Forum topics have continued to fill the room with those interested in all aspects of environmental protection. Talks on Birds and Diversity at Bowra with Genevieve Deaconos and The Intersection of Art and the Environment with Dr Marian Tubbs were popular. During the school holidays the Koala Detective Workshop, capably run by Kat and Malani Harris, attracted a large audience of adults and children. All were totally engaged in ten-year-old Malani’s talk and the hands-on activities to earn a Koala Detective badge. Of course, Summer the Detective Dog for Conservation, stole the show whilst ably demonstrating her ability to sniff out koala scats. She was expertly trained and managed by Cedar Staggard of University of Sunshine Coast. Recently a light-hearted look at Phil Moran’s journey to becoming a “tree hugger” attracted many keen to hear what he’ll be up to next. Friday Environment Forum is held on the 2nd and 4th Friday of the month from 10.30am to 12pm. A $5 ‘Tap and Go’ entry includes morning tea from 10am.
Upcoming Forums: August 8: Russell McGregor talks about his new book, Enchantment by Birds: A history of birdwatching in 22 species. August 22: Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre and Wildlife Rescue with Bev Trevithick & Katrina Koutsellis Sept 5: Change of forum date due to Noosa Show Holiday Carnivorous Plants with Joan Heavey of NPA Botany Group |
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Summer – Detective Dog for Conservation – with Trainer Cedar Staggard and Milani Harris & her Koala Detective Team Photo credit: Liz Diggles |
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Our dedicated volunteers continue to provide an invaluable service to the many visitors exploring Noosa National Park. Recent and upcoming improvements include:
We’re always looking for new volunteers—especially over August, when visitor numbers rise. If you have some time to spare and would like to join our team, please email:
Dave Vickery Project Officer |
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All proceeds from the Noosa National Park Visitor Information Centre support the Land Fund, aiding future land acquisitions for koala supported habitat, national parks and conservation parks. |
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Bird Observers’ Group |
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The July outing venue was changed from the Borumba Dam area to Charlie Moreland Park in the Imbil Forest. The Borumba site was unsuitable due to changes related to the proposed hydro system. If that does go ahead, so much of the Yabba Creek will be destroyed. At Charlie Moreland, the group of 19 observers recorded 42 bird species after a very cool start. Highlights included Crested Shrike-tit, and Spotted Pardalote. We did see platelets where Black-breasted Button-quail had been feeding but the birds were not seen. Yet another change to the 2025 program will be the September outing. We will be revisiting a ‘Land for Wildlife’ property at Yandina. I will send out detailed directions closer to the date. Russell McGregor will be our Friday Forum speaker on 8th August. ‘Enchantment by Birds’ is the interesting title of his presentation. Interpretive Birding at Wallace Park continues to attract new members and visitors. Currently the birds are enjoying the Melaleuca and Eucalypt blossom, and some are starting to nest. The cryptic pose of the pair of Tawny Frogmouth is always a highlight. The Fan-tailed Cuckoo has been calling in several places including Wallace Park. Recently, a pair of Beach Stone-curlew made a brief visit to the Noosa River bank unperturbed by people and dogs enjoying the esplanade.
Valda McLean Convenor, Noosa Parks Association Bird Observers’ Group |
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Fan-tailed Cuckoo Photo credit: Valda McLean. |
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Our very active Botany Group meets on the second Wednesday of each month at 2pm at the Environment Centre for exchange of botanical news, ”show and tell” with botanical specimens, afternoon tea, and a guest speaker from around 3pm. Walks are at 9am on the last Sunday of the month. Visitors are welcome. Nineteen members were at the June meeting for Robert Price’s presentation on “The Wet Tropics”, an area of Natural Heritage stretching from Townsville to Cooktown. Thirteen different types of rainforests have been identified within the world heritage site, and Robert described a number of these as well as wetland, mangrove and heath areas. His talk was illustrated with photographs taken on a visit to the northern part of the heritage area for a Native Plants Queensland Conference where outings and talks gave an opportunity to explore and share the botanical experience of local experts. Robert also added his historical and taxonomical research to prepare a very informative and well received presentation. Our new laptop, Harold, made a successful debut at this meeting and hopefully will enable our presentations to be glitch free in future. In July Esther Beaton spoke about her experiences as a professional photographer in her talk on “Plant Photography”. Esther explained her approach to creative nature photography and showed examples of her work, much of which was produced for magazines such as Australian Geographic. The recent colour work we saw was particularly striking and emphasised Esther’s skills and accomplishments in her creative field. Wonderful work Esther, thank you. The Scribbly Gum Circuit, accessed from Brindabella Avenue in Peregian Springs, was the venue for the June walk. Seventeen members including 3 newbies followed the track through wallum woodland. Large old Eucalyptus racemosa (Scribbly Gum) were a delight to see and observe closely. Acacia hubbardiana (Wallum Prickly Moses) and Acacia suaveolens (Sweet Wattle) were in flower, prompting a discussion of identification of acacias at the next meeting. A Cryptostylis erecta (Bonnet Orchid) was spotted, along with healthy thick colonies of what was recorded as Glycheina dicarpa. Debate goes on, however, as to whether it may be Sticherus lobatus.
After overnight rain, nine of us set off in clearing weather for the July walk along the old Emu Mountain Road track in the Emu Swamp Section of Noosa National Park. Flowering Hakea actites (Wallum Hakea) lined the track for much of the walk, along with many sedges, restiads and ferns, notably Baloskion pallens (Pale Cord Rush). Highlights were a stand of Eucalyptus bancroftii (Tumbledown Gum), brilliantly hued Hibbertia scandens (Twining Guinea Bush), Banksia robur (Swamp Banksia), left, and a lone Viminaria juncea (Native Broom). We enjoyed the variety in this wet heathland area in somewhat muddy and squelchy conditions and made several additions to the site’s species list. It is pleasing to see new faces at our talks and walks, most hearing of the Botany Group through word of mouth. Keep putting the word out, we all have something to share and learn.
Linda Price NPA Botany Group |
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Banksia robur (Swamp Banksia) |
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Sticherus lobatus
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Thanks to the efforts of our amazing volunteers, the Environment Centre is looking fantastic after the recent annual clean-up day. We are currently developing new display boards to complement our existing ones, showcasing the rich history and ongoing achievements of the Noosa Parks Association (NPA). In addition, we’re now offering the centre for hire to community groups when not in use. This is a wonderful opportunity to expand the centre’s reach and connect more people with our mission. If your group is interested in hiring the space, please get in touch:
The venue includes:
Dave Vickery Environment Centre |
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Curated and edited by: Darlene Gower NPA Honorary Secretary Copyright © 2025 Noosa Parks Association, All rights reserved. |