Members newsletter May–June 2024
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Members newsletter May–June 2024 |
In this edition |
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Noosa River management URGENT! Have your say on the future management of Cooloola Proposing Honorary Life Membership for Joan Heavey
Project updates No updates this edition
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| Noosa River management |
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The Queensland Government has announced a 6-stage river management plan to be implemented over 15 months under the guidance of Marine Safety Queensland. The stages are basically the recommendations of the Noosa River Stakeholders Advisory Committee, on which Michael Gloster represented the NPA:
Stage 1: The introduction of speed limits of 6 knots on the busiest parts of the river. Stage 2: The issuing of ‘notices of compliance’ to owners of vessels identified as non-compliant. Stage 3: Vessels that are non-compliant, unseaworthy or abandoned will be required to be removed between May and August 2024. Stage 4: From July 2024, ‘no anchoring’ areas will be established. This will include:
Stage 5: In October 2024, ‘no anchoring’ areas will be established for unoccupied vessels over 5 metres in length. Stage 6: A 28-day anchoring restriction will be introduced commencing March 2025. Compliance will be required by June 2025.
For the past 10 years, NPA has been active in trying to address the many issues needed to help the river and lakes recuperate and become more resilient. This is a very positive step in line with our focus.
Bryan Walsh and Michael Gloster, Project Officers, Noosa River & Lakes program |
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Urgent! Have your say on the future management of Cooloola |
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The state government is seeking responses to its Cooloola Recreation Area Draft Management Plan 2024 [PDF].
N.B. Submissions must be lodged by 5pm on 4 June (this Tuesday).
You may wish to comment on the Cooloola Great Walk (NPA opposes commercial accommodation along the Great Walk), the capping of vehicle permits and/or beach camping permits, or other matters of concern.
To lodge your submission, complete the survey (scroll down to the ‘TAKE SURVEY’ button). Darlene Gower, President, Noosa Parks Association |
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| Proposing Honorary Life Membership for Joan Heavey |
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At the NPA 2024 AGM, Liz Diggles proposed the following:
I would like to move that NPA honour Joan Heavey with an Honorary Life Membership. Joan has led the Botany Group for 14 years, at times in partnership with Sonia McDonald and for the last 5 years on her own. There is now a team of members to do all the tasks she performed.
Her leadership involved engaging knowledgeable speakers for monthly meetings, and planning and leading field studies in all parts of Noosa and beyond. Joan and Sonia co-authored the very useful book Weeds of the Sunshine Coast which has become an important reference tool for local Bushcare groups. Joan authored most of the orchid section in the latest edition of Noosa’s native plants. Joan was one of the early leaders of a Bushcare group under Noosa Council, starting that off in 2003.
In 2022, she led the Botany Group to renew their ‘Botany Corner’ at the Environment Centre, producing, at their cost, professional charts of plants and fungi found in the local area. The orchid charts feature Joan’s photographs and research. NPA now presents an attractive and professional looking Botany Corner, frequently viewed by visitors to the Environment Centre. Joan has always been willing to help find botany speakers for the Friday Environment Forum or to speak herself, when necessary. For all these reasons, I believe Joan would be a very worthy recipient of an NPA Life Membership and I ask for someone to second that motion. |
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Joan Heavey |
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Friday Environment Forum |
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Many of NPA’s newest members join because they are interested in a Friday Environment Forum talk.
In April, Gillian Mathews enthralled the audience with her inspirational stories and photographs of wildlife that inhabits the islands to Australia’s south, including Macquarie Island. Reece Pianta of the Invasive Species Council warned of the advance of fire ants in Australia and the need to act now to combat the risks. And Dr Sharon Campbell spoke about the link between climate change and human health and how communities and individuals can protect their health in a rapidly changing climate.
In May, popular speaker Gary Cobb of Nudibranch Central entranced the audience with images of nudibranchs, the ‘jewels of the sea’. He spoke about life on the reefs around Old Woman Island.
Upcoming forums 14 June: The wild at home: bird feeding in Australia – Russell McGregor 28 June: Observe and learn about nature in your local area – Spencer Hitchen and others. This is a school holiday forum to appeal to young and old. 12 July: Rewiring Noosa: how to save by electrifying everything – Mark Purcell of Zero Emissions Noosa 26 July: Adventures in Antarctica – Jodi Salmond of Reef Check Australia. Through the efforts of a hard-working team of volunteers, Friday Environment Forum achieves its goal of educating locals about what’s happening with nature in our backyards. Visit Friday Environment Forum for more information or to join the mailing list to receive the FEF Newsletter issued before each forum. Just tap the SUBSCRIBE button. Liz Diggles, Friday Environment Forum |
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Snares Crested Penguins on the Snares Islands (Credit: Gillian Mathews) |
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Noosa National Park – Visitor Information Centre |
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Join us at the Noosa National Park Visitor Information Centre as a volunteer!
For many years, the NPA has managed the centre, aiming to assist and educate visitors about the park’s attractions, while offering refreshments and souvenirs. All proceeds support the Land Fund, aiding future land acquisitions for koala supported habitat, national parks and conservation parks. We offer a choice of 3 shifts:
Roles include leaders and helpers. Parking is available for volunteers who drive, and the centre operates 364 days a year, 7 days a week. If you’re interested, please contact Dave Vickery at nnp@noosaparks.org.au. Your contribution will support a meaningful cause.
Dave Vickery Noosa National Park Visitor Information Centre |
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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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Birding the Mary Valley Rail Trail, from Imbil to Brooloo, may now be one of the ‘must do’ sites for local and visiting observers. Fourteen people were able to attend the outing on 19 May. The trail is 4.7 km one way, easy walking on a compacted gravel surface. Our group walk started at the Imbil end, turning back to the carpark at roughly the halfway mark.
Right from the start, birds were present in every direction. A total of 70 species were recorded, including a welcome sighting of a special winter visitor – the Rose Robin.
The July outing will be to a favourite local site – Woodland Drive, a section of Noosa National Park.
On Friday 14 June, Professor Russell McGregor will be our special Friday Forum guest. He loves birding our local area when he is not busy writing books. This time, he will offer an interesting insight into why bird feeding is different in Australia.
Interpretive birding at Wallace Park never fails to surprise and challenge our group. The family of Tawny Frogmouth has been present since nesting, but now only one bird can be found and he posed/disguised as a dead branch. A huge colony of Flying Fox has returned to the park but the birds have concentrated in one bush section beside the path. Our observers recorded 32 species there on 24 May. One highlight was seeing an immature female Fairy Gerygone. Female Rufous and Golden Whistlers were seen, but no males. Our sightings have been entered into the eBird database.
The next walk at Wallace Park will be on 14 June before Russell McGregor’s Friday Forum.
Happy birding!
Valda McLean Convenor, Noosa Parks Association Bird Observers’ Group |
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Grey Fantail, Imbil Rail Trail |
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Mistletoebird, Imbil Rail Trail |
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Botany Group |
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To most people, the term rainforest conjures up a picture of tall, subtropical, lush, green vegetation festooned with orchids and vines. However, there are other types of rainforests, and Phil Moran’s talk in April was about dry rainforests. Dry rainforests occur in areas where the rainfall is lower, and there are only two strata of trees. The upper layer consists of emergent trees that rise above the canopy – in our area, these are commonly hoop pines. The walk in April took place in the Great Sandy National Park off Lake Cooroibah Drive. This was a repeat of the walk we did in August 2023, when the weather was extremely dry. We should have worn gum boots for this walk (!) but the idea was to see how the vegetation changes at a different time of year. The rain kept off and we all enjoyed the walk. We always look forward to Patrick’s talks about fungi, and this time the subject was poisonous fungi. Patrick is an excellent speaker and had many tales about this interesting subject. We learnt about the species that most frequently cause poisoning in Australia – including the notorious Deathcap mushroom (Amanita phalloides) – and the effects of mushroom poisoning on the human body. There is no simple reliable test that shows which mushrooms are safe to eat, so unless you are an expert in this field it is best to buy your mushrooms from a greengrocer or supermarket. In May, we had a wonderful sunny day for our walk in the Maddock Wetlands which are adjacent to the Ewen Maddock Dam, near Landsborough. The dam provides some of Southeast Queensland’s drinking water and, thanks to all the recent rainfall, it is 99.8% full! The track led us through forest and wet areas which contained interesting sedges and ferns. Sonia MacDonald Botany Group |
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John Birbeck addressing the Botany Group Credit: Robert Price |
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Ewen Maddock Dam Credit: Eri Maeda |
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Curated and edited by: Mary O’Callaghan, Mdash Editorial |