Did you know

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...?

JENNIFER H. MUIR

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. 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.

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 Friends’ Plant Sales

Friends’ shop

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.

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.

Friends’ Garden Guided Tours

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.

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

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.

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 fi rst 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 fi rst 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 (graffi ti 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