Report

Click on images for pop-up larger quality image. Also more images of mentioned species and other species are in the Gallery Tab.

Judith and Mike mentioned that this was one of first regeneration sites started with Don Lynch at the bottom the slope possibly in 1998. Tamborine Mountain Landcare later made it one of their first key projects. Several of us had worked on this site for many years. It had extensive lantana coverage as well as many other weeds like Solanum and Wild Tobacco. A thousand dollar Grant from Council helped to do some tracks and bridges and it has seen a number Green Corp, Green Army, Conservation Volunteers Australia and other groups come in as well. About 6 years ago it was finished with clearing and plantings and has been in maintenance with about 3 contractor visits per year. Recently a Green Army team joined up previous regeneration area tracks with a section in the main old growth area.

Mike said the site contains at least one rare plant Helicia ferruginea or Rusty Helicia found here first but found in several other places since on Tamborine Mountain.

The first thing you notice (even late in the morning) is the overwhelming sound of the Cicadas. We were unsure of the sub-species we heard but note there are 15 varieties in our TM Species List.  see the web page "List of Australian Cicada Genera" by L.W.Popple.

from Pogotron @ Freesound

We entered hearing  a pademelon escape our presence and turned left to follow the early made top track running parallel to Contour Rd going South-East. This passed by some old growth rainforest trees with Flagellaria indica vine stretching to the tree canopies. This is in species family next to grasses. A bit like bamboo but bamboo is a real grass.

Judith drew our attention to more recent invasive weed types like Green Cestrum and Lang Lang coming from local garden plantings.

Some highlights included;

We found a number of Endiandra pubens or Hairy Walnut on the ground and in a tree along with wildlife damaged versions on the ground.

A Diploglottis australis or Native Tamarind.

There was growing concern expressed about a new highly invasive species of Lang Lang tree spreading around the mountain and into various regenration areas. It has become a popular garden plant due to it fragrant aroma. However, it is a growing cost of removal in protected native growth areas. Similarly this is the case against Green Cestrum.

The native Argyrodendron trifoliolatum - White Booyong

Tabernaemontana pandacaqui or Banana Bush in flower and fruit. There were lots of Oohs and Aahs by the group! Some bugs (possibly stink bugs) were crawling over one fruit-flower set. We were advised it is poisoness.

An Ampitheatre where fallen logs provided tier seating to look at a Epythite laden tree, mosses & ferns and through a canopy gap down the slope.

The tree also had a Cicada chrysalis.

Helicia ferruginea seedling with distinctive charachteristic on its trunk/stem.

Gahnia aspera or Saw Sedge which Mike indicated has been difficult to propagate.

For more photos and species names see our Gallery photos and species lists in the above Tab button displays.

Create and maintain the environment and surrounding surviving nature will help you along the journey. It will also gradually put its own stamp on what it wants the ecology to be in this location but it will take many years for that occur. At least we know its getting going here. We also know that the work is not about control but assisting and suggesting to nature and then nature will have its say heard. That’s the way it should be. We just help keep it true to its own local ecology and is not taken over dramatically by the invaders we bring to this locality.