Green Space Our Place OUR VOLUNTEERS VOICE
Green Space Our Place
ISSUE 30 MARCH 2021
Front Page: Jabirus volunteers Geoff and Elaine planting at the Smithfield Bypass project tree planting. Back Page: Jabiru Lake, Cattana Wetlands - by Jabiru Trevor Parsons
In this issue: •
From the Editor - Page 2
•
Volunteers support Smithfield Bypass Project tree planting Page 3
•
Kewarra Beach tree planting pictorial - Page 4
•
Russell St Egrets and Stratford Nursery pictorial - Page 5
•
Park news pictorial - Page 6
•
Little Taccas, Sugarworld and Salties pictorial - Page 7
•
Pocket Garden Snippets - Page 8
•
The Green Space update - Page 9
•
Tracks ‘n’ Trails resumes - Page 9
•
Fledgling years of the Tanks Art Centre - Pages 10-11
•
Entomological oddity - Page 12
•
Invasive plant prevention - Page 13
•
Friends’ Wednesday Night Talks - Page 13
•
Toxic plants in the Wet Tropics Pages 14-15
•
Nordmann’s Greenshank - Pages 16-17
•
Feathered Friends - Page 17
•
Volunteer Comment - Peter Hunt - Page 18
•
Gardens fungi inventory - Page 18
•
Finding a Midgey Bridgey - Page 19
•
The world beneath our feet: Part 3 - Pages 20-21
•
Did you know - Page 21
•
What’s On in 2021 - Pages 22-23
From the Editor Welcome, Once again we have begun the year with plenty of tree plantings (over 3000) with full support from our volunteers and the general community. Tree plantings occurred within Cattana Wetlands to extend the wildlife corridor we began last year, and we partnered with the Smithfield Bypass project team to deliver two tree plantings (see next page for further details). To continue with our Kewarra Beach foreshore reserve tree planting project, started in Feb 2020, we planted a further 1200 trees over two planting mornings (see Page 4).
The new program, started last year at the Russell St Environmental Park has been a great success with a regular group, called ‘Egrets’, meeting each Monday to weed and revegetate the swamplands. Keep an eye on ‘The Green Space’ at Jess Mitchell Park, Greenslopes St, as the produce garden begins to take shape and plans are made to deliver workshops on various gardening methods.
Louisa
Editor - Volunteers Supervisor, Louisa Grandy Proof readers - Michelle Walkden Volunteers Jennifer H. Muir, Sandy Long; Contributors - volunteers: Janice Pichon, Barry Muir, Jennifer H. Muir, Dr David Rentz AM, Tom Collis, John Peter and Bridgette Gower. 2
Volunteers Officers Louisa and Sarah with Cr Rhonda Coghlan (centre) following the Smithfield Bypass Project.
Photo: Vince Sofia
Glen and Julia
Dawn and Sandy
HAJV Environmental Engineer Ikem Onyene (left) with Jabiru Photo: Vince Sofia Prue.
Volunteers support Smithfield Bypass Project tree planting Green Space Our Place volunteers joined with the Smithfield Bypass Project contractor Highway Construction Albem Operations Joint Venture (HAJV) to plant over 900 trees between Cattana Wetlands and the new highway. Council Division 8 Councillor Rhonda Coghlan said: “The tree planting was an extension of the partnership which was established last year to develop a new wetland habitat in the Wetlands reserve, adjacent to the bypass alignment. This demonstrated again just what can be achieved when industry, government and community groups work together. “The Cattana Wetlands Jabiru volunteers do a fabulous job with their maintenance, upkeep and promotion of the Wetlands and this project shows once again their commitment to this environmentally significant area.”
Jenny
Stephanie
Sharyn
Rob 3
Kewarra Beach
Marlin Coast Lions Club members joined in.
Mother and daughter enjoying the planting experience.
The Kewarra Beach community showed its support again this year for the foreshore tree planting project, with over 100 members of all ages attending the two tree planting mornings held in February and March, planting a further 1200 trees to protect the foreshore.
Furry friends also joined in.
All ages were involved.
Councillor Brett Olds was hands-on at each event. 4
Sandy
Tree planting is a great family activity.
Russell St Egrets
Janice
Hiromi
Patrick
Elyah, Tanya and Robyn.
Stratford Nursery
Nursery Horticulturalist Ryan with Elaine
The Russell St ‘Egrets’ are making great progress with their revegetation program, replacing Guinea Grass with native plants from left, Hiromi, Jill and Patrick.
Kandy
Donna 5
Jalarra Park
Meet the Jalarra Park volunteers who have been meeting the last Sunday of the month since 2017 to revegetate the creek.
Tim digging holes.
Kylie
Stroopers Park
Lyn planting natives at Stroopers Park. 6
Hazel
Planting along the creek at Jalarra Park. Our park volunteers catch up on a monthly basis at various locations around Cairns. The Jalarra Park (Stratford) group continues to revegetate the creek, replacing Singapore Daisy with a variety of native plants; 200 plants were planted during the January and February working bees. This is one of the biggest parks in Cairns, based in Stratford and is worth a visit. This group meets on the last Sunday morning of the month. Stroopers Park (Freshwater) volunteers have also been enhancing their small park and creek with native plantings. They meet the first Saturday morning of the month. We also have volunteers enhancing their parks with trees at Byron Terrace, Redlynch; Keith Edwick Park, Machans Beach; Leonard Park, Kewarra Beach; McHugh Crescent, Whitfield; Rainy Mountain Park, Smithfield; and Barron Waters, Kamerunga.
Little Taccas
Rosemarie (left) has also joined the Little Taccas program. Here she is demonstrating imaginary play - proof that we have just as much fun as the kids!
Jenn and Bridget have joined in to support the Little Taccas children’s nature activity program and enjoyed it as much as the participants.
Sugarworld
In March, 10 fruit trees were added to the orchard. From left, Fred, Myra, Jenny and Janice.
In February, the Sugarworld group met for their first working bee for the year and discovered a lush green park awaiting them due to the fertiliser spread in November and, of course, the rain. From left, Friends president Fran, Wendy, Jenny, Janice, Fred, Rhonda and Graeme.
Salties
Sue weeding in the Yellow Arrow trail head reveg site.
Phil and Glen got into the weeds with mattocks.
Fran and ‘Salties’ making progress with the weeds. 7
POCKET GARDEN SNIPPETS
Pocket Gardens are located in Whitfield at Draper Place and Trundle Terrace, in Edge Hill at Torrence Avenue and Crathern Close, and Manunda at the corner of Wallace and Clarke Streets. Draper Place Pocket Garden recently hosted a ‘Crop Swap’ event (pictured left) that attracted a large gathering from the Atherton Tablelands and across Cairns. If you would like to know more about crop swap events, keep an eye on the Crop Swap Cairns & Surrounds Facebook. The Wallace & Clarke Pocket Garden is well worth a visit especially after their recent working bee. The volunteers tended the beds with new top soil and nutrients, and mulched the fruit trees in the park. Plenty of new seedlings have been added and the place looks well cared for; a great example of what can be achieved in a small neighbourhood park with plenty of enthusiasm.
8
The Green Space uPdate
The Green Space, at Jess Mitchell Park, Greenslopes St, is coming along and will be ready for planting for the winter vegie growing season. Down ‘n’ Dirty volunteers have been assisting us to develop this area with plenty of digging and removal of weeds, adding new soil and mulch and creating trial plots using various methods. With the slogan ‘Connecting people with people, and people with nature’, we will be offering a variety of ways to connect with our volunteers and eventually the public. Last year we held ‘How to build a Wicking Bed’ workshops (see left). We aim to continue these in the near future.
Tracks ‘n’ Trails
Tracks ‘n’ Trails resumed this year and we were pleased to see our regular faces return together with a couple of new ones. They have spent their time clearing vegetation from the Red and Blue Arrows, and cleaning diversions and drains and track surfaces. Pictured: Right: Hiromi, Volunteers Officer Sarah and Phil making the Blue Arrow accessible by clearing fallen vegetation. Above: Kelsey, Russell and Hiromi spent a morning pruning back the Red Arrow bamboo after it had been damaged by wild weather associated with Tropical Cyclone Niran. 9
FroM SnaKe haVen to artS hotSPot Fledgling years of the Tanks Arts Centre JaniCe PiCHon
When the Cairns City Council purchased the decommissioned World War II fuel depot in Edge Hill from the Commonwealth for $150,000 in 1991, the original plan was to extend the footprint of the botanic gardens. Little did councillors know that it would give rise to a unique and widely popular multi-arts hub. Herpetologist’s delight Before beginning its new life as a site for community arts, the area housing the wartime fuel tanks was known as a haven for reptiles. Snake collectors and hobbyists fossicked in the vicinity of the Tanks and around the base of Mount Whitfield. Two collectors from Mackay were regular visitors, seeking poisonous specimens like Taipans, Death Adders and Eastern Browns. Back in 1950, young collector Kevin Budden scoured the scrub behind the oil tanks, searching for the highly venomous taipan, for which no antivenom existed. He succeeded in catching a 1.8m specimen but unfortunately the snake bit him and Kevin died the following day. However, the live snake was sent to Melbourne where scientists milked its venom to create the first taipan antivenom.
there was a deliberate focus right from the beginning to maximise the engagement of locals in development of the facility. Community think “tanks”, shopping centre displays and a design competition fostered strong local support and input to the development plans. The Council masterplan foreshadowed a staged development of the site over several years. The conversion of the tanks was in many respects experimental, from the decontamination of the residual oil sludge to the all-important improvement of the acoustics within the tanks.
Shopping centre display.
First glimpse
Community planning meeting.
Local community spearheads tanks redevelopment In search of a much-needed new site for community arts programs, local artists were at the forefront of the eventual decision to convert the fuel tanks into an arts complex. Certainly, 10
With Commonwealth funding secured, capital works began in late 1992 to cut tank wall openings and install basic services in Tank 4. As the works progressed, friends and family of the arts community, as well as inquisitive strangers volunteered priceless hands-on assistance in whatever jobs were underway at the time of their visit, even when heavy rain turned the site into rivulets of mud. Besides facilitating the progress of the redevelopment works, such enthusiastic support undeniably forged strong and enduring ties with the local arts community. In May 1993, the Cairns community had its first opportunity to inspect the progress of the
Worker preparing main entance.
Curious locals inspect redevelopment progress.
embryonic arts centre. During an afternoon of family entertainment, locals could enjoy a taste of the performance and visual arts to expect in the future. Official opening After more than a year of preparation, Tank 4 had been transformed into a venue. The Tanks Art Centre was born and was opened on the 2 June 1994 under the banner of a community centre linking the arts, environment, culture and heritage.
Working on the pumphouse.
Local arts find the limelight With the launch of Tank 4, followed by the remaining two concrete tanks over the next few years, the scene was set for the arts to flourish in the new facility. Coupled with a ‘can do’ attitude and unleashed creativity, a multitude of activities burst onto the scene at the Tanks.
Early logo 11
Critters in the Gardens
Chora sp
Entomological oddity
The Cattana Wetlands nocturnal adventure, organised as a part of the Friends of the Botanic Gardens events, was a successful night with about 35 participants looking everywhere for animals and plants large and small. In the large category a 2m crocodile was spotted in one of the ponds. A Tube-nosed Bat was observed and photographed along with a number of frogs, lizards, spiders and insects. A light-sheet was set up at one of the picnic areas and people milled about taking photos and observing arrivals at the sheets. Not far from the light sheet, Chora (pictured above) was found on a leaf. At first glance it appears to be a snail, shell and neck outstretched. But look carefully. You can easily see legs! Of course, a snail would not have ‘legs’. And, the snail motif further confuses because where you think the head is, it is actually the tail! The pair of protuberances near the end of the caterpillar actually look like the eyestalks of a snail. The head is under the bubble (which actually emerges from the thorax) to the left. So what is going on here? Is it just an allusion that we think we can see a snail on the leaf? Or would this be an adaptation to deceive a predator that might otherwise prey on a caterpillar? And what Lymantriid caterpillar
12
Epacra
DR DAVID RENTZ AM
about creatures that might want to dine on a snail? Or is the balloon serving some other purpose? Who knows? All conjecture but some careful observation may unravel the mystery. Chora is a member of the moth family Nolidae. Moths in this family were previously placed in the large family Noctuidae (cutworms and fruit moths) but as is the tendency these days, they were split off and given a family all their own. Now the Nolidae includes three subfamilies with about 170 species in Australia. Once you learn what the moths look like, you can distinguish nolids from most noctuids. Have a look at Buck Richardson’s site: http://www.leapfrogoz. com.au/moths-of-tropical-queensland-australia/ moth-identification/nolidae.html to see the range of forms in the Nolidae. We are a bit uncertain as to the species that Chora represents. One would have to rear the caterpillar to maturity and then attempt to identify the resultant moth. If folks who attended the night and have photos of interest they would like to share, they can send them to me for potential inclusion in the Cattana Wetlands Album featuring hightlights of the night https://www.flickr.com/photos/naturenoises/ Tube-nosed Bat
Invasive plant prevention Kim Badcock, Engagement Officer with the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, was our guest speaker for the first Volunteers Information Session for 2021, speaking on four particular invasive weeds.
FRIENDS’ WEDNESDAY NIGHT TALK
Awesome Weeds KIM BADCOCK
Engagement Officer Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
As a follow up to Kim’s presentation, here is some information on how to support the prevention of weed invasion in Queensland. Weed Spotters Network Queensland The Weed Spotters Network Queensland is a joint initiative of the Queensland Department of Environment and Science and the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries. It is a community-based weed alert program. Participants help to find, identify and document new occurrances of potential and existing weeds at an early stage so that appropriate action can be taken. There are approximately 1400 naturalised plant species in Queensland with an average of 12 new weeds becoming established each year. Almost 10 per cent of these naturalised species are declared invasive plants under the Biosecurity Act 2014. The cost of weed management to Australian agriculture exceeds $4billion per year, with further costs to the environment. Prevention and early intervention are the most cost effective means of dealing with potential, new and emerging weeds in Queensland. What do weed spotters do? Weed spotters locate, collect and identify weeds in their local region with assistance from their regional coordinators. Specimens of potential, new and emerging weeds are then sent to the Queensland Herbarium for identification and databasing. Network members also provide location data on where weeds occur, leading to a better understanding of how far and how quickly they are spreading. This information is crucial for developing early response strategies and for the ongoing control and containment of established weeds. Weed spotters are provided with training in weed recognition and plant collecting techniques to assist with this work. To register your interest with the Weed Spotters Network Queensland, contact the regional coordinator, Stephen McKenna Stephen.McKenna@agriculture.gov.au or phone 0472 823 932.
14 APRIL 2021 BOTANIC GARDENS VISITOR CENTRE
6PM
Members $5 Non-members $10 RSVP secretary@botanicfriendscairns.org.au (limited numbers of 40)
Friends of the Botanic Gardens Wednesday Night Talks
GUEST SPEAKERS Talks begin at 6pm. Friends members $5, non-members $10. APRIL Kim Badcock ‘Awesome weeds’
MAY Dr Katharina Nargar ‘Evolution of Australia’s Orchid Diversity, Threats and Conservation’ JUNE Tom Collis “Plants of the Kimberley”
13
Poisonous seeds of the Crab’s Eye Vine Abrus precatorius
Black Bean flowers Castanospermum australe
‘Blind-your-eye’ Mangrove male flowers Excoecaria agallocha
Black Bean seed pods, Castanospermum australe, are poisonous
Poisonous seeds of a Cycad Cycas sp.
Native Frangipani Cerbera manghas Black sap and fruit of Tar Tree, Semecarpus australiensis on a footpath near the Cairns Botanic Gardens. The tree has since been removed.
Tar Tree Semecarpus australiensis fruit with swollen orange stem 14
Toxic plants in the Wet Tropics TOM COLLIS
Some very toxic plants are found in the Wet Tropics. The attractive seeds are occasionally used as beads in The toxins can be in new foliage, sap, fruits, seeds, necklaces and bracelets, but wearing these objects may not be safe as toxin from the seeds could be absorbed or in some cases, throughout the whole plant. One of these toxic plants is the Tar Tree, Semecarpus through the skin. australiensis. This large rainforest tree produces In the mangroves, the Milky Mangrove, Excoecaria fruit with an orange-coloured swollen stalk attached agallocha, has an alternative common name – ‘Blindto the fruit, similar to cashew nut, a close relative. your-eye’ Mangrove. The caustic milky sap is known to Extremely toxic sap from the fruit and other parts of cause temporary blindness and can blister the skin. This is another tree best avoided. the tree blacken when exposed to air. Many people have severe allergic reactions to the sap There are several toxic plants in the rainforest that including dermatitis, blistering of the skin and even Aboriginal people eat, but only after treatment to remove temporary blindness. The poison in the Tar Tree has been the poisons. identified as urushiol, the same toxin found in Poison Ivy, One of these is the Black Bean, Castanospermum australe, Toxicodendron radicans. Tar Trees can be seen in the easily recognised by the attractive orange flowers and Cairns Botanic Gardens and several other parks around large seed pods that hang from the branches. Cairns. Some trees have been removed for public safety Aboriginal people roasted the large seeds and then reasons. leached the toxins in running water for several days Another poisonous plant is the Native Frangipani, Cerbera before pounding them into flour to cook in a similar way to manghas. All parts of the plant are poisonous, particularly damper. Similar methods were used to treat the poisonous the unripe fruit. Eating the seeds of this fruit can result in seeds of several Cycas species before eating. vomiting, diarrhoea, drowsiness, slow heartbeat and even Great care should be taken before tasting any fruit or plant death. in the Wet Tropics. Several years ago a botanist on the A very potent drug, cerberin, has been extracted from Atherton Tableland tasted a very small piece of a seed from the seeds. Cerberin has a similar effect on humans to a rainforest plant called Spice Bush, Triunia erythrocarpa digitalis – a drug used in medicine to slow the heartbeat. – a plant related to Macadamia with a common name that Other parts of the plant are less toxic although the white suggests edibility. Despite the pleasant taste of the seed latex can irritate the skin and eyes. Native Frangipani is a the botanist was soon in a serious condition in the Atherton different plant to the well-known Frangipani, Plumeria, a Hospital. The toxin in the fruit slowed his heart rate to a popular introduced tree with perfumed flowers. dangerously low level that could easily have been fatal. The Crab’s Eye Vine or Gidee Gidee, Abrus precatorius, is Several other Wet Tropics plants are toxic so do not risk commonly found in the coastal vegetation around Cairns. tasting any unfamiliar fruits. A dangerous myth about The vine produces pods with attractive, bright red and native plants is that if a bird is seen eating a native fruit it is black seeds. safe for humans to eat. However, many native birds have The seeds are extremely poisonous with enough toxin different digestive systems and physiology and can in a single seed to kill an adult if chewed and ingested. eat plants that are highly toxic to humans.
15
Nordmann’s Greenshank (aka ‘Nordy’) hunting / chasing prey. Photo: Norton B Gill
Rare visitor to Cairns foreshore - Nordmann’s Greenshank Jennifer H. Muir
Something special happened on the Cairns course, or arrived in Cairns with other migrant species, during its migration south to avoid the foreshore over 2020/21 new year. It was the arrival of one of the world’s rarest and most severe Northern Hemisphere winter. threatened migratory shorebirds: a Nordmann’s Greenshank (Tringa guttifer – referred to as ‘Nordy’ in this article). This species is classified in the IUCN Red List as Globally Endangered, due to its overall low population and restricted range. With a world population of less than 1,000 and decreasing, this species is under threat of global extinction.
Many birders came to Cairns from other parts of Queensland and interstate to see Nordy, gathering along the foreshore in sometimes large groups with spotting scopes and cameras.
Nordmann’s Greenshank often occurs in mixed flocks with Common Greenshank (T. nebularia), as our Nordy did in Cairns, and many people find the two species difficult to differentiate.
it left.
The Cairns region is a recognised world hot-spot for birds: over half of Australia’s bird species are found in tropical North Queensland. Many international Such low numbers of individuals in a species is a birders have come here over the years: many potential disaster for that species as variation in the extending their birding to Cairns Highlands/Atherton ‘gene pool’ is much reduced by the low numbers. Tablelands and Cape York Peninsula. Offspring in small populations receive less gene So, what is migration? A migratory species does variation, and are thus more vulnerable to disease regular, usually seasonal, geographical movements and other negative impacts they might otherwise be to another location, usually in response to food able to overcome. availability, later returning to the place from which Most migratory shorebirds breed in the Northern Hemisphere in summer, but as the winters there are so severe and food extremely scarce, many fly long distances southwards (some even 25,000kms) to feed during the Southern Hemisphere summer in Asia and Australasia, returning northwards at the change of season.
Nordman’s Greenshank looks more ‘bull-headed and burly’ with shorter, more yellowish legs, and thicker bi-coloured bill, olive-green at the base darkening towards the tip, than Common Greenshank which is tall and elegant and its legs more greenish. Nordy migrates from east Russia’s Pacific Coast via It’s believed our Nordy was probably blown off China, Korea and Japan to winter in South-east Asia: 16
mainly on the Malaysian Peninsula including Thailand. Single individuals have been recorded several times along WA’s Eighty-mile Beach at Broome between 2004 and 2020; and now we have the record on the Cairns foreshore for the first time (as far as is known). During its winter sojourn in warmer climates, Nordy usually settles on estuarine intertidal mudflats or on softer mudflats sheltered by or near mangrove stands. It feeds on crabs, other aquatic invertebrates and small fish, often vigorously chasing prey visible on the surface rather than only probing for buried invertebrates like many other shorebirds do. In Myanmar, Malaysia and Bangladesh, Nordy/s have also been observed hunting in flight, dropping suddenly to the surface to stab prey, usually on the receding tide when the prey are apparently more abundant on the surface. In Thailand and China they have also been recorded standing motionless, apparently waiting to ambush crabs emerging from their burrows. In time for the Northern Hemisphere summer and its richly abundant food resources, Nordy/s return to where they breed in coastal habitats and sparse wet forests of east Russia’s Pacific Coast region. Most migratory birds follow quite well-defined ‘flyways’ between their Northern breeding and Southern nonbreeding regions. Migration routes to Australia cross South-east Asia (the ‘East-Asian-Australasian Flyway’), thereby avoiding long difficult sea crossings. Alarmingly, flyways are subject to unregulated onshore development pressures (eg. fish-farms, housing, etc.) and some areas that supported many thousands of shorebirds 25 to 30 years ago no longer do so due to fragmentation of onshore roosting habitats. Hunting remains a major threat to the Nordmann’s Greenshank. Hardly any overseas Nordmann’s Greenshank wintering sites that support 10 or more birds are currently under any form of site protection. Only 18 per cent of key sites were formally protected in 2018. As a result many migratory ‘stopping points’ no longer exist or are severely compromised, and the birds cannot ‘refuel’ enough so they can continue on to their destinations; many weaken and starve to death. Refueling is crucial for the strength needed for the birds to continue their long, arduous flights. The resulting overall decline in shorebird (wader) populations over the past 20 to 30 years is a tragedy, and a disaster for planet earth’s diversity, environmental health and the future.
Feathered Friends
The Red-backed Fairy-wren is a bird that, once seen, is seldom forgotten. With an inky black head and body contrasting with a vivid scarlet or flame-coloured patch that extends from the back of the bird’s neck almost to its rump, male Red-backed Fairywrens are a spectacular sight. However, like most fairy-wrens, the female is much more drab, being plain brown. Despite their dowdy appearance, females are highly sought after by breeding males, which perform elaborate courtship rituals. The most endearing of these is to present his belle with a petal from a red flower, to emphasise his own red plumage. Another charming courtship display is the ‘Seahorse Flight’, where the male flies about with his head held upwards and his body held vertically, with his tail pointing downwards, so that he vaguely resembles a seahorse. Despite their vivid colouration, these diminutive birds are often difficult to see, as they usually inhabit dense vegetation, especially long grass, shrubs and dense riparian vegetation, often growing beneath trees in a tropical woodland. They are more often heard than seen. They usually choose tussocks of grass to build their dome-shaped nests in, where they lay up to four spotted and blotched eggs. The female incubates them for nearly a fortnight, and if the nest is approached, she may perform a scuttling ‘rodent-run distraction display’. The chicks remain in a family group after the young have fledged. However, fairy-wrens are renowned for their promiscuousness, so a male in colourful breeding plumage attending ‘his’ offspring may not really be their father. JOHN PETER BirdLife Australia
17
VOLUNTEER COMMENT
Gardens fungi inventory
Barry Muir
Over the last three years an inventory has been made of fungi in the Cairns Botanic Gardens precinct. The Precinct is a very significant conservation reserve and the fungi are a vital part of its preservation through their role in recycling nutrients and supporting the plant and animal life. So far, a total of 188 types of fungi have been recorded. Only 12 types (just over 7%) are known disease-causing species: a testament of how well the Precinct is managed, as healthy plants are much less prone to disease.
Peter Hunt I have been a volunteer for the Green Space Our Place program for approximately eight years, participating in Down ‘n’ Dirty, Little Taccas and Tracks ‘n’ Trails. Relocating from Ipswich as a recent retiree, I joined the Down ‘n ‘Dirty volunteers for many reasons, including meeting people with common interests, enhancing my knowledge in gardening and the environment, and fulfilling a need to contribute to the community. I was a founding participant in the young children’s nature group, Little Taccas. I enjoyed interacting with the children, sharing my general knowledge of nature and assisting these young people to observe, listen and respect our natural environment. When the Tracks 'n' Trails program started I was keen to utilise my repair, restoration and handyman skills to maintain and improve the Red, Blue and Green Arrow walking tracks. I have established many friendships over the years, with people from all walks of life. I have observed the volunteering group grow from strength to strength and realise what a difference volunteering can make collectively as a group and the personal benefits reaped. “Good luck Peter with your next adventure - from all of us at Green Space Our Place.”
18
It is now known that 96% or more of all green plants on our planet depend on associated fungi (called mycorrhizae) for their existence. Which species of fungi are involved is still under investigation and so some recyclers, and perhaps even some disease-causing species, may eventually be found to have a mycorrhizal role for all or part of their life-cycle. Based on current knowledge, at least 44 (over 25%) of all large fungi recorded in the Precinct are primarily mycorrhizal, and therefore play a vital role in maintenance of plant health. The remaining fungi are predominantly recyclers. Fungi, together with bacteria, are the primary recyclers of all dead animal, plant and other organic material on the planet. Those species that break down fallen palm fronds, twigs, branches, logs and old tree stumps are commonest in the rainforest and other “natural” areas. By far the greatest number in the Gardens live on the mulch and compost in garden beds. About 30 fungus species have been found only in Flecker Garden. Introduction of soil and mulch from outside areas, and tourist access with spores on shoes and clothes, probably accounts for this number. It is known that Eugene Fitzalan, who started the Gardens in the 1890s, brought in seeds, and possibly even potted plants from other countries as there was no quarantine in the late 1800s. It is suspected that about 18 of the fungi recorded in the Flecker Garden may have come from other global sources, but DNA reference data are not available. All the disease-causing species found so far also occur widely in Australia, and it is safe to say that there is no evidence that Flecker Garden is the source of any kind of spread of exotic fungi. Rainforest remnants in the Precinct are vital for conservation, firstly because some have been protected from human disturbance for a long time, and because it is the only remaining plot of intact coastal rainforest left anywhere in the vicinity of Cairns. What remains elsewhere is either narrow linear along drainage lines or road verges; on private land under threat of clearing; or has been heavily invaded by exotic plants and feral pigs. In Flecker Garden there are seven fungi which appear to be new to science, although they could be species from overseas, or Far North Queensland variants of southern species. This suggests that the Flecker Garden has a significant role in conservation of some fungal species whether they be natural or introduced.
Finding the Midgey Bridgey Ever since I was a child I would stare in wonder of many beautiful creatures of nature. I was fascinated by the natural world and imagined one day finding a new species of animal no one had seen before. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to find such a creature that could fulfil a childhood dream. In fact, I can only take some of the credit. One of my very first tour participants, Miziho from Japan, saw something very small on top of a rainforest plant leaf and said ‘What’s that?’ We could see that it was a very small insect but details were too small for the naked eye. The lens Miziho was using wasn’t going to capture the tiny being, so I got a quick photo and noticed that it was an interesting little bug with intricate patterns. Being so small I realised that it was going to be a struggle to capture a decent image and I would have to come back with one of my extension tubes on my lens to get close enough to this tiny 3mm beauty. We continued on with the tour. That weekend, when I loaded up my images for the week, I saw for the first time something that blew my mind! My initial photos weren’t great, but it sparked enough curiosity for me to go back to the same spot to try and find it again. I thought it was a long shot. The next day, after pimping up my camera with the extension tubes, I proceeded to ‘Bug Alley’, one of my ‘go to’ spots in the Cairns Botanic Gardens. To my delight I found one again! No…wait. There’s more. And more. And more. OMG BugTopia. For the next hour, I braved mosquito bite after bite until the accumulated histamines in my body reached critical mass and I had to leave. However, in that hour I was able to get a range of images showing both sexes, various nymph (growing phases of some insects) stages and mating images.
Bridgette Gower
these miniature beauties. I can now tell you that there have been suitable numbers of this gorgeous life form collected for a range of scientific analysis such as DNA matching and anatomy study. As an animal activist, I really struggled with the collection of samples. I only felt I could go through with this after learning, through observation, that they are in abundant numbers. They are easy to find once you know how. I knew they were not an at risk species. Also, their host plant is a prolific, sturdy and fast-growing native rainforest species in FNQ. What we know so far. The new species falls within the Oecharis genus in the Family Tingidae (Lacebugs). We can also tell you that it is a plant sucker, living underneath leaves and sipping gently, not causing any relative damage. In fact, the plant leaves remain completely healthy and no apparent damage is shown on the leaf surface. Although they can fly, they prefer to scurry. They don’t like bright light and they will perform a typical ‘drop and roll’ escape route like a lot of bugs and beetles. Some individuals have a red eye, and some black, but we don’t know if that means sex, age or something else. During the session I had at least two walk onto my hand and it was barely noticeable to the touch; they did not bite or cause any skin irritation.
I took over 200 photos and realised I had something I had never seen before, nor had I ever seen an image of one. I decided to put it on one of my regular Facebook pages to help with identification. It was quickly identified as a type of ‘Lace Bug’ or Tingidae family of insects. However, noone could identify the species. One comment suggested I should post it on iNaturalist and tag some entomologists. After a few days I was contacted by entomologist at the University of NSW, Dr Ryan Shofner. He told me the bug was confirmed to be undescribed and asked could I collect some samples for study. Dr Shofner connected me with a local Cairns entomologist, Dr Anthony Postle, and we organised collecting some specimens. Dr Postle, Cairns videographer Stuart Ireland and myself, with the support of the Cairns Botanic Gardens team, set off on a mission to learn more about
So, what’s next for Bridgey’s little midgey? I will keep writing about this exciting discovery and let you know the relevant milestones along the way. Keep in touch with updates at: https://aussiemacrophotos.com/the-midgeybridgey/ 19
the world beneath our feet: Part 3 - Protozoa
Barry Muir
Protozoa are single-celled organisms that feed the amount of carbon protozoa need. They release primarily on bacteria, but also eat other protozoa, the excess nitrogen in the form of ammonium. This usually occurs near the root system of a plant. soluble organic matter, and sometimes fungi. The term protozoa means “first-animal” but this is Bacteria, fungi and other organisms rapidly take up confusing as many are, superficially, “intermediate” most of the ammonium, but some is used by the between plants and animals. For example, the plant directly or via the fungal mycorrhizae. algae Euglena and Dinobryon have chloroplasts for photosynthesis, as do plants, but can also feed on organic matter and swim around in soil water like animals.
Another role that protozoa play is in regulating bacteria populations. When they graze on bacteria, protozoa stimulate growth of the bacterial population (and, in turn, decomposition rates and soil aggregation) or will modify the mix of species in the bacterial community. Exactly why this happens is under some debate, but grazing can be thought as like pruning a tree; a small amount enhances growth, too much reduces growth. Protozoa also help to suppress disease by competing with or feeding on disease-causing bacteria.
Protozoa need water in which to move, so moisture plays a big role in determining which types of protozoa will be present and active in the soil. A ciliate protozoan. Note the However, some can survive for long hairlike cilia on the end. periods of time in dry environments, by Protozoa are several times larger than bacteria - forming resting cysts which enable them to remain ranging from 1/1000th of a millimetre up to a massive dormant until conditions improve. deep-sea species that gets up to 20mm across! Like bacteria, protozoa are particularly active in soil
Soil protozoa are classified into three groups based close to plant roots. Typical numbers of protozoa in soil vary widely; from a thousand per teaspoon in low on their shape. Ciliates are the largest and move by means of hair- fertility soils to a million per teaspoon in rainforest like structures called cilia that move in waves along soils. In general, high-clay-content soils contain a the body. They eat the other two types of protozoa, as well as bacteria.
Amoebae can be quite large and move by gooping along using temporary feet called pseudopods (meaning “false feet”). Flagellates are the smallest of the protozoa and use one or more long whip-like structures to row themselves forward. Bacteria eaten by protozoa contain too much nitrogen for 20
An amoeba with extended pseudopods.
higher number of smaller protozoa (flagellates and amoebae), while coarser textured soils contain more large flagellates, amoebae of several varieties, and ciliates. Protozoa and bacterial-feeding nematodes (to be discussed in the future) compete for their common food resource: bacteria. Some soils have high numbers of either nematodes or protozoa, but not both. The significance of this difference to plants is not known. Both groups consume bacteria and release ammonium. Most protozoa eat bacteria, but one group of amoebae, the vampyrellids, eat algae and fungi. Perfectly round holes, are drilled through the fungal cell wall, much like the purported puncture marks on the neck of a vampire's victim, and are evidence of the presence of vampyrellid amoebae. The amoebae attach to the surface of fungal hyphae and generate enzymes that eat through the fungal cell wall. The amoeba then sucks out, or engulfs, the goop inside the fungal cell before moving on to its next victim. Vampyrellids
This vampyrellid amoeba has sucked the goodies out of an alga, not a fungus, but the principle is the same. BBC Earth picture attack many fungi including root pathogens, so they help to control some fungal diseases. Another bizarre feeding habit in some protozoa is stealing chloroplasts (the structures that contain chlorophyll) from prey organisms and maintaining them within their own cell bodies as they continue to produce nutrients through photosynthesis. Many protozoa also live inside other organisms: Trichonympha and Pyrsonympha, for example, inhabit the guts of termites, where they enable their insect host to digest wood by helping to break down complex sugars into smaller, more easily digested molecules. A wide range of protozoans live in the stomachs of ruminant animals, such as cattle and sheep. Another group is adapted for life in the guts of worms. Yet another in our gut!
DID YOU KNOW...? Although animals, plants and some fungi are given common names so we can discuss these life-forms in a way that other people, hopefully, know what we’re referring to, these names vary depending on where and by whom the names are being used. In many cases, life forms have been given many common names; birds are good examples as birding is so popular. For the Australian bird ‘Magpie-lark’ (Grallina cyanoleuca), other common names include ‘Australian Magpie-lark’; ‘Mudlark’; ‘Peewee’; ‘Peewit’; ‘Murray Magpie’. People often think up their own names which often then spread into wider, more common usage: which is probably why there are so many common names for Magpie-lark.
JENNIFER H. MUIR But many names for one life form can cause confusion about what’s being referred to, even leading to disputes. One recognised common name clarifies it all. When scientifically described, animals, plants and fungi are given a scientific name (usually Latin) which is universally accepted. Generally scientific name are written in italics, or if italics are unavailable, underlined. Using Grallina cyanoleuca (Magpie-lark) as an example, the first word (always starting with a capital letter) is the genus (ie Grallina) which places the life form in a closely related group. The second word, the species (all lower case) (ie cyanoleuca), is for that specific life form (the Magpie-lark) and those with which it could mate and produce fertile offspring. 21
WHAT’S ON IN 2021 Friends’ Plant Sales Trolley Plant Sales: Wednesday mornings from 9.30am to 11.30am outside the Friends House, Flecker Gardens. Pre-Easter Sale: Sunday 14 April 8am to noon in the staff amenities behind Friends House. Carnival on Collins: Sunday 5 September 8am to noon December Plant Sale: Sunday 5 December 8am to noon
Friends’ Talks
Wednesday Night Talks are held on the second Wednesday of the month from 6.30pm at the Botanic Gardens Visitor Centre. Members $5, non-members $10. Topics are varied. See Page 13 for further details.
Friends’ shop
Based in the Flecker Garden, the Friends’ Shop opens from 9.30am to 3.30pm on Monday to Friday with friendly volunteers available to assist with directions and answer questions about the Cairns Botanic Gardens.
Little Taccas Program PROGRAM 1: Booked out
PROGRAM 2: Bookings open: Tuesday 27 April Dates: May 6 and 20, June 3 and 17, July 1 PROGRAM 3: Bookings open: Monday 5 July Dates: July 15, 29, Aug 12, 26, Sept 9 PROGRAM 4: Bookings open: Monday 13 September Dates: Sep 23, Oct 7 and 21, Nov 4, 18, Dec 2 You can register on line at https://www.cairns.qld.gov. au/region/things-to-do/botanic/little-taccas. A form will be available at 8.30am on the date that bookings open. 22
Bird Tours Friends’ member John Seale provides guided birding tours in Cairns Botanic Gardens every Tuesday, leaving at 8.30am from the Friends House.
Botanic Gardens & Tanks Precinct Heritage Tours
Friends’ Garden Guided Tours
Did you know these tanks were used to store oil? Come along and learn all about the Cairns Botanic Gardens and Tanks Art Centre history with the Green Space Our Place volunteers. Tours leave at 10am on Thursdays from the Botanic Gardens Visitor Centre.
Discover the Cairns Botanic Garden and its vast array of tropical plants, Monday to Friday leaving from the Friends House at 10am. Contact the Friends House 4032 3900 for further details.
JOIN THE FRIENDS
Friends of the Botanic Gardens, Cairns Membership details email - phone 4032 3900 or email info@botanicfriendscairns.org.au After joining you can support the Friends in many ways; as a committee member, in the Friends Shop, as a tour guide or assisting with events.
Friends of Sugarworld Botanic Gardens Contact Fran Lindsay frantastic10@bigpond.com
Newsletter Contributions: Please submit articles (must be volunteer or nature based) by first week of May for the next quarterly publication in June. Email: l.grandy@cairns.qld.gov.au Please note articles are subject to editing.
Like us on Facebook to keep up to date with all events or visit our websites: - Green Space Our Place - Cairns Botanic Gardens - Friends of the Botanic Gardens
• • • • • • • • • • •
Green Space Our Place
Mondays - Russell St Enviromental Park Egrets - 9am-noon Tuesdays - Cattana Wetlands Jabirus 9am-noon Tuesdays - Pioneers Cemetery first Tuesday of the month 7-9am Wednesdays - Botanic Gardens Down ’n’ Dirty volunteers 9am-noon Wednesdays - Tracks ‘n’ Trails 9am-noon Thursdays - Stratford Nursery 9am-noon Thursday (once a month) - Sugarworld Gardeners & Friends Fridays - Saltwater Creek ‘Salties’ 9am-noon Fortnightly Thursdays - Children’s Nature Activities Program - Little Taccas Visitor Enhancement Volunteers - rostered hours to suit individual Heritage Tour Guides - Thursday 10am
Interested in becoming involved with your local park, reserve or tracks in your community? Contact us to register as a Council volunteer and be involved in beautifying your park (enhance planting, weed management, litter clean-up), reporting on issues (graffiti and vandalism, anti-social behaviour, maintenance issues) and building community participation (networking activities) with Council support. If you are interested in supporting any of our weekly groups or volunteering in your local area contact Volunteers Supervisor Louisa Grandy 4032 6648 or email greenspaceourplace@cairns.qld.gov.au 23
Green Space Our Place
