Green Space Our Place - Our Volunteers Voice - Issue 16 September 2017

Green Space Our Place

Our Volunteers Voice

Tracks ‘n’ Trails re-established with Christian Cluver Open Community Garden trial

Issue 16 September 2017

New groups: Pioneer Cemetery Jalarra Park and Silky Oak Court

Front Page: Christian Cluver

hugging the Lepidozamia cycad trunk on Mt Whitfield’s Blue Arrow Track.

Back Page: Sharren Wong

admires a Phaleria clerodendron, Native Daphne at Cattana Wetlands. Photo Rick Wong.

In this issue: • From the Editor • Christian Cluver reinstated with Green Space Our Place - Page 3 • Stratford community rehabilitates Jalarra Park creek - Pages 4-5 • Introducing Friends of McLeod St Pioneer Cemetery - Page 6 • Open Community Garden trial Page 7 • Friends’ garden tours popular drawcard - Page 8 • Friends provide funds for Jade Vine arbour - Page 9 • Around the Gardens - a good mosquito - Page 9 • Getting Down ‘n’ Dirty in Cairns Botanic Gardens - Pages 10-11 • Tea Party celebrations - Pages 12-13 • Jabiru News - Pages 14-15 • Balaclava After School Care lends a hand - Page 16 • Silky Oak Court Park receives a make-over - Page 17 • Volunteers assist with Cairns Libraries new initiative - Page 18 • Nature through a lens - Page 19 • Critters in the Garden - Page 20 • Feathered Friends - Page 21 • Volunteer Comments - Sofia Tornquist - Page 21 • Volunteer Comments - Georgia Watts - Page 22 • Birds’ legs and feet - Page 23 • How many types of fungi are there? - Pages 24-26 • Little Taccas news- Page 27 Editor - Volunteers Supervisor, Louisa Grandy Volunteer proof readers Sandy Long, Jenn Muir Contributors - Botanic Gardens Curator David Warmington and Volunteers Del Van Mierlo, Lorraine Smith, Hazel Lees, Barry Muir, Jenn Muir, Dr David Rentz AM

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From the Editor Welcome, I am very pleased to report that Christian Cluver (see next page) has now joined us in a full time position to support the program and will once again direct the Tracks ‘n’ Trails group. Thank you to our volunteers; without you we wouldn’t be able to create these exiting new roles and programs.

Our magazine is once again full, showcasing volunteers passionate about their green areas. We welcome new groups at Jalarra Park, Silky Oak Court and Friends of McLeod St Pioneer Cemetery.

We celebrated our volunteers and Friends in style this year with a high tea on the Botanic Garden’s front lawn, showcasing one of the most successful project partnerships between Council and volunteers, the Watkins Munro Martin Conservatory. The Friends of Cairns Botanic Gardens have donated close to $150,000 towards construction, interpretive material and plants - an incredible achievement!

These programs are attracting people from all walks of life and we welcomed support from the Balaclava After School Care children during their holiday break - see Page 16.

We have taken on the Council’s Community Gardens processes and Sarah has an ‘Open’ style of community garden on trial which has been highly successful in bringing the community together - see Page 7.

Friends member Del Van Mierlo shares news on the visitor guides and their activities - see Page 8 and member Lorraine Smith reports on another Friends’ funded project, a wonderful contribution to Flecker Gardens - see Page 9.

Another exciting initiative that our volunteers have been a part of is Cairns Libraries ‘Seed Library’ - see Page 18.

We have farewelled two of our volunteers in the past couple of months - Sofia Tornquist and Georgia Watts. Both of them have shared their experiences on Pages 21-22.

And once again our volunteers have contributed some interesting reading on birds, crickets and fungi.

Enjoy!

Louisa

“I have also used techniques such as straw bale, hemp and lime, and light straw clay and worked on various projects in Welcome Christian Cluver Australia, the United Kingdom, Ireland and New Zealand. to the Green Space Our I began teaching in Ireland and attracted great interest Place team! which has carried on in Australia. I conducted courses Due to the increase in our while I was building my own home when we returned in volunteer numbers and also 2014. These courses attract such a diverse range of people the popularity of the Tracks including Willing Workers on Organic Farms participants ‘n’ Trails project last year, (WWOOFers) and seems to be people who are looking for a Council has recruited a third change of lifestyle. full time staff member to “A cobb home is creating a structure from the landscape assist with the program. in which you can live and is such a holistic way of building “Last year I loved working - a living building, natural, earthy and hygroscopic. It is a with all the different people that were attracted to the genearational home; not for yourself but for your children’s volunteer program and also to the Mt Whitfield range to children. improve their fitness levels. There are some interesting and “Feedback ranges from ‘it is so self-empowering’, ‘lots of fun’ inspiring people in Cairns,” replied Christian when I asked and an eight-year old said ‘this house feels like it’s hugging him why he wanted to work for the program. me,” Christian smiles.

“It is a lovely workplace with great staff, inspiring volunteers “Working with Council in this job extends my love of ‘nature and an incredible variety of track users, locals and visitors connection’. I am in nature, surrounded by people who love alike. I enjoy feeling a part of community and the volunteer nature. I’ve even caught people hugging trees and the added program is bringing community together.” bonus is I keep fit. What other workplace can you experience Christian comes to us with a broad range of knowledge and that! skills suited to the position as well as the ability to supervise “It is so fulfilling being back here with the volunteers. Gee volunteer groups. they teach me a lot - they are all really good people, generous, “I’ve been working in the horticultural industry since 1990. inspiring and motivating and the stories they share gives me Year 10 work experience was spent with local business hope in mankind.” owner Bruce Jackman. I enjoyed it so much I thought I could make a Where volunteers live career of this and worked with Bruce Green Space Our Place continues to attract until I went to Ireland with my wife, residents throughout Cairns and district areas whom I met while she was travelling with numbers continually increasing even in Australia. though some volunteers have left due to “In Ireland I was a private gardener employment or returning to their home towns. for a solicitor for three years and also completed a horticulture course.”

Some interesting facts and figures for 2016/17 at a glance: During this time Christian was taught • 190 active volunteers stone pitching skills and also took a • 25,316 volunteer hours course in cobb house building.

• 23 active volunteer groups with 9 weekly “The first cobb house in 300 years supervised groups was being built up the road in Cork. I • 124 new volunteers registered was so amazed at the expertise that I • 36 people volunteer in more than one took part in a 10 day course and was group each week. told ‘all you need to build a house is a • male 112, female 117 shovel and a little sand’. So I did just • total plants planted 3267 that! I built my own house with the • total seedlings propogated 16,725 additional tools of a plastic bucket, a hand saw and a tarp,” he smiles.

Age After his cobb home was built he was approached by an architect husband and wife team.

“I agreed to assist them with their home as long as he made me his apprentice carpenter. I spent two and half years on this and it came runner up in the Irish Home 2015 competition.

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Well supported program

Stratford community

Jalarra Park volunteers rehabilitating the park’s creek on the southwest corner by removing Singapore Daisy and mulching. In time, they will also re-plant with native species to stabilise the banks and encourage endemic fauna and flora.

A little plant ID with Rob and Les

Here & left: Bridget, Les and Tim weeding

Maureen spreading mulch

Les feeling satisfied after the group spread the mulch

Hazel pulling up Singapore Daisy

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Tina weeding

First day on the job - Les, Tim, Tom, Margaret and Maureen in their PPE

rehabilitates Jalarra Park creek Hazel Lees

H

ow did we get so lucky to have this wonderful park, one of the largest open spaces in the Cairns region, in the middle of Stratford?

It was originally State government land reserved for education and police purposes. When it became obvious that the land was too small for a secondary school, the government planned to sell it for residential development. From 1986 however, members of the local residents' association (now called Stratford & Freshwater Community Association), had worked closely with Mulgrave Shire councillors and staff to have the land retained for a park.

When Cr Lesley Clark became the State MP for Barron River, she continued the lobbying effort with the Treasurer and the Minister for Lands. The combined effort was successful and the majority of the land was handed in trust to Mulgrave Shire Council in 1993.

Residents held a community day on the land in May 1994.

Only the police reserve section was sold for housing, now Stratford Chase. After amalgamation of Cairns City and Mulgrave Shire councils, trusteeship devolved to Cairns Regional Council.

Landscape Architect Anton van der Schans drew up a Jalarra Park Master Plan with native plant expert Rob Jago. The concept was for an arboretum showcasing native species in the top area of the park, grading to active recreation use lower down. Volunteers participated in community planting

days but their enthusiasm was dampened by the theft of newly planted trees. An example of the early plantings is the ring of Jalarra trees near the Wilunga Street entrance.

Jalarra, after which the park is named, is an Aboriginal name for the satinwood tree, Buchanania arborescens. The fruit of these trees was an important food source in Gurrabana (the wet season).

A recent Council survey determined how people use the park now, and what improvements they would like to see. The survey indicated that most people like the park pretty much as it is, with the existing children's play equipment and BBQ shelters being the only structures.

Council's survey asked if residents would be interested in volunteering in the park and subsequently a group has been formed as part of Green Space Our Place program.

The first project is to rehabilitate the little creek in the south west corner of the park by removing Singapore Daisy, laying mulch, and then re-planting with native species to stabilise the banks and encourage endemic fauna and flora.

We welcome anyone in the community to join us. You will be registered with the Green Space Our Place program and provided with protective clothing and other equipment.

It's definitely a labour of love, especially hauling out the dreaded Singapore Daisy, however mulching is very satisfying, as will be the planting planned later in the year.

Meeting with Green Space Our Place officers for the first time to discuss volunteer opportunities in Jalarra Park - Margaret, Maureen, Tim, Hazel, Les and Rob 5

The

Introducing our latest group

Friends of McLeod St Pioneer Cemetery

Leila Trentfield and Kathy Petersen clean up entrance.

John Bawden and Cynthia Edwards

The Friends of McLeod Street Pioneer Cemetery, a project of Cairns Family History Society (CFHS), has joined the Green Space Our Place program.

The group held their first working bee on 1 July.

Members Kathy Petersen, Coral Smith, John Bawden, Lelia Trenfield, Cynthia Edwards and Dell Deed began work on the entrance pathway gardens clearing the ferns, weeds and vines.

“Everyone worked well together and we created 15 wheelbarrow loads of green waste and a bag of bottles and other rubbish that they collected from the hedge,” said Dell.

“There were also many visitors to the cemetery while we were there which was very pleasing to see.

“We were all pleased with the work completed and how good the path and hedge looked and keen to do more.

Since then the group, also including members Aileen Park, Bill Brennan Sandra Bawden, has met a number of times and are pleased with the results.

Council supported the cemetery clean up with tree and major ground work prior to ‘Shadows of the Past’, a successful annual event run by CFHS.

From left, back row: Bill Brennan, Leila Trentfield, Dell Deed; front row: Sandra and John Bawden, Aileen Park, Cynthia Edwards and Coral Smith 6

Open community garden trial in Draper Place A fter years of discussing garden possibilities at their biannual street party, residents began work on the Draper Place open community garden in May this year with 12 volunteers registered.

The idea of this project was to trial a community food garden model that is not fenced and open to the whole community to use.

Garden beds were constructed out of recycled materials and painted. There are also two wicking beds within the garden which have proved to be very effective in saving water.

Above: volunteer Gavin Fee constructing the first wicking bed; Below: vegetables and herbs planted in May; Left: Incredible growth of zucchinis within a month!

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Residents have said the garden has become a real talking point for the community, drawing people together.

Every night there are people coming together to discuss the growth of the plants, watering, weeding and selecting vegies for their dinner while the children play soccer in the open space.

Most of the households in Draper Place and some in Mona Street are registered, making it is easy for people to talk to someone about the garden if they pass by.

Community members are encouraged to register with the Green Space Our Place volunteer program to ensure they are provided with the correct governance procedures, however anyone is welcome to plant and pick herbs and vegies in a respectful way.

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Friends’ garden tours popular drawcard

Del Van Mierlo

asked to provide a few guides to mingle with the crowd.

This we did, and the day was declared a resounding success by all concerned.

It’s cold in Western Australia at this time of year, and one group which takes advantage of the weather we have to offer is the Villa Carlotta travel group. This group comes over about four times a year, bringing approximately 20 guests each time. They all enjoy our walks, and also their time in the tropics. Norma Wright and Lee Ross, who were our original guides, are happy to participate in these walks.

Other tour groups also visit us. Some come once a year, In May, Cairns Regional Council organised a tour for the others just appear out of the blue, often promising to Overseas Trade Delegates who came to visit our region return next year. with the Minister for Trade, Julie Bishop. Council’s Dave Between May and September this year we will have Parsons and Dave Paschetto conducted the tour, but hosted a total of nine paid walks, and showcased the given that there were almost 80 guests, the Friends were gardens to a lot of very happy people on our daily tours.

Cairns winter months are the most popular time for the Friends of the Cairns Botanic Gardens guided tours.

Our free walks, which commence at 10 a.m. Monday to Friday, are organised by Colin Batch. Colin keeps an eagle eye on his guides, who comprise Colin himself, Bill King, Del Van Mierlo, Barry and Jenn Muir, Trev Morris and Hugh Highman.

The number of people who take advantage of these walks varies daily. Visitors come from all over the world, which really keeps our guides on their toes. We also provide paid walks for groups who wish to tailor their tours to their own needs.

Pictured top: The first experience with Morinda citrifolia, commonly known as Noni Fruit or Cheese Fruit Left: A group of West Aussies escaping winter - Villa Carlotta travel group with guides Colin Batch and Lee Ross (second and third from left).

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Friends fund new Jade Vine arbour

Around the Gardens Curator David Warmington

Lorraine Smith

Good news for everyone who has lamented the loss of the jade vines in the Gardens. The Friends have contributed the $45,000 needed to create a new ‘Jade Vine Abour’ in Flecker Gardens close to where the old one was.

The new arbour is part of a broader redesign of the Gardens but was isolated from the master plan so the Friends could fund it.

This meant it could be built now without affecting the other work the larger project involves and finished well before the bulk of the work is done. The entire connectivity works design was done by Brisbane-based AECOM; the company has a Cairns office.

The new arbour is 9m long and 3m wide and consists of four modules with a Jade Vine planted on each one.

The Gardeneers have some well-advanced vines for the new arbour and, given the rate these grow, in 12 months they should have covered much of the frame. Rustproof steel uprights and wires to support the vines were used.

An added attraction will be lights on the columns which can be switched on during evening events such as Starry Nights Cinema films.

Sugarworld Friends new bench installed

A good mosquito Recently Stephen Doggett, the Senior Hospital Scientist in the Department of Medical Entomology from Westmead Hospital in Sydney was at the Cairns Botanic Gardens looking for larvae of the mosquito genus Malaya.

The larvae of this mosquito had been recorded in the Flecker Garden but no one had yet photographed the adult. These mosquitoes do not feed on blood and have an interesting habit of getting a sugar meal from the mouth of ants.

Stephen collected samples from the water holding bromeliads in the Gardens however was unable to collect any larvae of the Malaya genus.

He did however collect another species Toxorhynchites inornatus which had not been photographed before.

This is an example of a good mosquito as it preys on the larvae of other mosquitos while the adult does not imbibe blood.

Because this mosquito lives in the same environment as the dengue carrying mosquito, Aedes aegypti, it has been as been used in trials to combat outbreaks in some parts of the world.

Friends of Sugarworld Botanic Gardens Inc. donated funds for this striking addition to the gardens, installed on the main lawn.

This garden bench was created by Cairns company Elephantus.

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Rick Streatfield hauls a bunch of pandanus leaves

Down ‘n’ Dirty mulching the back lawn gardens

Getting Down ‘n’ Dirty Bernie Mason and Georgia Watts under the ‘Bread Nut’

Pat MacConnacher 10

Olivia Pearse weeding in the rainforest gully

Jenn and Barry Muir cleaning leaf litter from the Bromeliad beds.

Ingrid takes

Down ‘n’ Dirty volunteers gather for a group photo

in Cairns Botanic Gardens

s a well earned rest!

Alex Edwards and Sandy Long strike a pose

Georgia Watts and Jit Maya Rai try the Spondias fruit

Ingrid Clark and Erica Thomas weeding the creek

Rhonnie Lavater amongst the foliage.

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Tea Party

Georgia Watts, Dianne Stephens and Carolyn Scott

Sofia Tornquist and Jenny Parsons

Isak Gawe, Jit Maya Rai and Bo Aung Than with Sarah Gosling (centre)

Barry Muir and Sandy Long 12

Rick Wong and Frances Hogan

Botanic Gardens staff Paul Marnock and Dean Austlin

Cr Cathy Zeiger and Gardens’ Curator David Warmington

Council’s David Parsons and Linda Kirchner

Peter and Diana Tuke

Gardeneers Mary Gandini, Rae Garrett, Val Auld and Wally Whitnall

Celebrations

Recognising our volunteers is one of the key strategic directions of the Green Space Our Place program.

This year we celebrated with a tea party at the Cairns Botanic Gardens. The Conservatory was the backdrop, one of the major projects that has been achieved through the collaboration of Council and the Friends of the Botanic Gardens.

Lois Hayes and Alex Edwards

Dee Brown

Colin Batch and Del Van Mierlo

Bernie Mason with Council’s CEO John Andrejic

Council’s Lesley Buckley with Friends of McLeod St Pioneer Cemetery Aileen Park, Dell Deed and Cynthia Edwards

Lydia Roehrig, Aude Meiffredi and Christina Shepherd

Jude Friesen, Jenn Muir and Leonie Sequeira

Dona Morrison, Pat Lawardorn and Gail Winter

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JABIRU NEWS

Geoff McClure transplanting sedges in the Jabiru Lake. Geoff has planted hundreds of sedges in the past year, ridding the lake edges of weeds and creating a better environment for bird life

Cattana Wetlands Improvement and Vegetation Management Plan Council’s Sport and Community Services Committee has supported a four stage, $1.95 million improvement plan for Cattana Wetlands following extensive community consultation.

Key features of the plan include upgrades to pathways, new viewing and birdwatching platforms, upgrades to information and entry shelters, signage and construction of new ponds a car park and entry at Dunne Road.

The Improvement Plan will be implemented along with a Vegetation Management Plan in partnership with volunteers, TAFE and key stakeholders.

Cattana’s Jabirus – a dedicated group of about.12 volunteers who attend the wetlands each Tuesday morning from 9am until noon – were key to the development of the plans and will continue to contribute to the delivery of services.

The committee acknowledged the generosity of the Cattana family in donating the 30 hectares of former cane farm as an impressive natural showcase of the region’s bird and plant life.

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Jenny Parsons bagging the dreaded ‘Sensitive Weed’

Jabirus ready for action - Vito Husak, Sharren and Rick Wong and Jeff Pretty

A great place for morning tea Prue Fitzpatrick weeding the viewing platform area

Paula Morrison weeding along the lake edge

Brian Robinson enjoys brush-cutting at Cattana Wetland and makes a huge impact in a short amount of time. 15

Balaclava After School Care lend a hand

Balaclava After School Care spent one of their holiday sessions with the Jabiru volunteers, weeding and learning about the flora and fauna of Cattana Wetlands.

“They learnt so much and can’t wait to return,” said Coordinator Julie Jose. “Here is an example of one of the student’s learning stories.”

Brooke: Today we went to the Cattana Wetlands and a lady named louisa told us about the weeds we have to pull out so that the native plants can grow and we can bring more native animals back to the forest. There was one weed and it’s called the sensitive weed and it grows all up the trees and they have these tiny beans and you got to put it out from the roots. We saw lots of spiders and there was one spider and it looked like a daddy long legs but it couldn’t because of it’s eyes and we saw a baby primantis it was so cute we also saw two baby scrubhens it was an awesome day can’t wait to go back.

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A very pleased community member Carolyn with the project’s final installation

Silky Oak Court park receives a make-over

Silky Oak Court volunteers (left) Carolyn and Posy celebrate new plans with Cr Terry James (centre) and Green Space Our Place officers Sarah and Louisa

E

arlier this year Silky Oak Court residents in Mooroolbool became involved with their local park to build on community connections and improve the space for local children.

A little energy is contagious and Council and Cr Terry James were soon supporting them.

Plants have been planted, old infrastructure replaced and there are new benches and an upgraded playground.

First children to use the newly installed playground

Resident Caroyln Scott has been keeping us up to date with emails such as this one, “Your workmen (Council) did a cracking job on the playground. All done by 3.30pm today, giving my grandson and his best friend a ‘first go’ on it, shortly followed by other children who just seemed to emerge from the houses.

Looks like a beady eye or three have been keenly awaiting the event!”

Posy with the new compost bin

Hedge placement

Carolyn mulching freshly planted fenceline

Removing Sensitive Weed makes it more user friendly

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Volunteers assist with Cairns Libraries new initiative

O

ur volunteers contribted to the August launch of the Cairns Libraries’ Seed Library by offering their time to sort seeds.

During the afternoon of Thursday 27 July at the Stratford Library, volunteers sorted 10 different varieties of seeds, purchased in bulk by Cairns Libraries, into small individual satchels containing 10-20 seeds each. These satchels then had a pre-printed label attached to them.

eed ibrary Join us at 3pm on the

4th Wednesday of the month @ Stratford Library

First Seed Swap: 23 August Access your free packets of seeds and learn about our Seed Library!

Green Space Our Place

participants were Cynthia Edwards, Dee Brown, Dianne Stephens and Charles Wang.

What is the Seed Library?

The Seed Library is a collection of seeds available for the public to plant and grow in their home gardens. Ideally a couple of plants grown from the seeds will be allowed to ‘go to seed’ and seeds from these plants will be donated back to Cairns Libraries.

How do I access the Seed Library?

To access the Seed Library come to Stratford Library on the 4th Wednesday of the month from 3pm – 4pm for our monthly Seed Swap.

What is a Seed Swap?

The Seed Swap is a monthly event where packets of seeds are made available to the public free of charge. Attendees are encouraged to donate seeds and are invited to sort, pack and label them. There will be a monthly ‘Seed in Focus’ from the collection with which growing information and tips. Keep a look out on the libraries website for guest speakers.

What types of seeds are there in the Seed Library?

The Cairns Libraries collection of seeds includes: basil, beans, capsicum, coriander, cucumber, lettuce, mustard, rockmelon, tomato and watermelon.

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Connecting with Nature -Part 2 Do you see the variations in the landscape each day? Capturing the sky each afternoon at approximately the same time will demonstrate just how much nature varies its light show.

Nature through a lens Louisa Grandy

Photography is one of the simplest and easiest ways to connect with nature and once you start noticing details, you will see how much beauty is all around you. Every day is filled with it - in the most ordinary or unexpected places.

from day to day.

Photography of nature certainly opened my view. I began to notice everything in much more detail; the light, shapes, colours and textures. Everything looks different when you start to see the world though a lens.

When I travelled in Europe in my early 20s I became fascinated with nature, capturing the tiniest flower discovered in the wild grasses of Germany, ice capped Dolomite mountains in Italy, and the various coloured heathlands of England.

During my last school year I was given an idea for an art project which involved taking a photograph of the same scene at the same time both morning and night. I chose to photograph a lake and discovered something truly incredible. After the film was developed (yes, before digital photography) I could see the changes in nature, sometimes subtle while at other times quite dramatic, that occurred each day.

Placing them together in a collage showed their beauty and the changes in light, colour, texture and the subtle variances in the subject. The contrast of a rippling lake with a slight breeze to a glassed-out still morning lake; the wildlife that visited, and various cloud formations and colours of the sky, lake and surrounding bushland.

Nature had captured my attention and I saw a whole new world!

I also enjoy capturing a ‘day in nature’ with various items I may see on the forest floor - fungi, new ferns, brightly coloured flowers, forest seeds and various coloured leaves and seed capsules.

Over the years when I've returned to my childhood home and walked the 90 Mile Beach, just 15 minutes stroll down the road, I have been able to capture some beautiful early morning photos of the sun rising. Walking along this open landscape with the ocean waves sometimes crashing to the shores, sometimes gently ebbing and flowing, with the sand between my toes, and the crisp air on my face, I have seen such variations in the light levels and an array of colours; from pinks, oranges and the soft blues of overcast conditions.

Photography, through it’s ability to help you see details and notice the beauty around you, also helps you to truly live in the present. When taking a photo you become aware of everything, nothing else exists in that moment of time.

Photography will not only connect you with nature it Last year I chose to experiment again with this concept will enable you to live in the present moment and take and took a photo of the sunset over Endeavour Park soccer fields where I used to walked every afternoon. You you away from your busy schedule. All your worries will simply melt away as you become immersed in capturing can see a few of the shots I grouped together and the that perfect shot. beautiful variations in the landscape one may overlook

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Critters in the Gardens - Crickets

Dr David Rentz AM

The Tinkling Leaf-Runner

O

Homoeoxipha lycoides (Walker)

ne of the loveliest crickets in the Cairns Botanic Gardens is one that is small and more often heard than seen. As its common name, the Tinkling Leaf-Runner suggests, this cricket lives on leaf surfaces.

Males have a persistent twittering call that can be heard day and night. The crickets favour large leafed plants such as gingers and heliconias and often sit on leaf surfaces in the sun. However they are more often found by carefully lifting the leaf to discover the singer on the underside.

Like most other crickets, the Tinkling Leaf-Runner is a “detriovore� or a scavenger. They feed on the particulate matter than rains down from the canopy.

This can consist of dead flowers, pollen and even undigested bird droppings. The crickets seldom cause any damage to plants.

H. lycoides has an extraordinary distribution for such a small cricket. In Queensland it lives along the coast in the tropical north. Elsewhere it occurs in south Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia and even in central western Africa.

Long and short-winged forms occur and this is not uncommon in crickets. That is, a percentage of any population is flightless, the rest have longer wings that provide the opportunity for flight.

Listen for persistent twittering calls coming from shrubbery or broad-leafed plants. This cricket is fairly common in the Gardens.

Main picture: Short-winged male, Homoeoxipha lycoides (Walker) Below left: Long-winged female Homoeoxipha lycoides (Walker) Below right: Long-winged female Homoeoxipha lycoides (Walker) showing the ovipositor. She inserts the blade-like ovipositor into the soft tissue of a stem or leaf petiole and lays one or more eggs.

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Feathered Friends

Volunteer Comments

Patrick De Geest

Helmeted Friarbird

F

Golo Maurer - BirdLife Australia

riarbirds are so called because they have bald heads.

However, two of Australia’s three species of friarbirds actually have feathers on top of their heads! One of them, the Helmeted Friarbird, is a common resident in the Wet Tropics. They’re often seen in tall trees in city parks and gardens, as well as further afield in open forests and woodlands, and even in mangroves. Being a bird of the lowlands, they never occur too far from the coast.

Their loud and repetitive call, sometimes rendered as ‘poor devil, poor devil’ or ‘white animal, white animal’, is often heard coming from the treetops. It’s been called ‘the characteristic bird call of the tropical lowlands’, and is sometimes so loud that it’s been heard by people on ships out to sea!

Of course, the more birds there are calling, the louder it becomes, and when these friarbirds form flocks of 100 or more, the effect is deafening for anyone nearby.

Such flocks gather where there is abundant food, usually where trees have many flowers in the canopy, which the friarbirds probe to extract the nectar with their special brush-shaped tongues.

These rowdy congregations may also include other species of honeyeaters, and Helmeted Friarbirds often divide their time between feeding and chasing the other birds away. They are particularly feisty, especially when chasing smaller honeyeaters.

They’re also pugnacious when breeding, and vigorously defend the area around their nests from predators and nest parasites, such as kookaburras and koels, and have even attacked people who ventured too close.

Green Space Our Place farewelled Sofia Tornquist in July this year with her last volunteer activity being at Cattana Wetlands with the Jabirus.

“Volunteering at Cattana Wetlands and Botanic Gardens will be one of my dearest memories from my stay in Australia.

“I’m happy I got to meet all the friendly volunteers and Sarah and Louisa who brought so much energy and motivation to the group.

“New to the country it was a great way to get an understanding of the plant life and nature of Australia, all while doing good for the community.”

Sofia has returned to Sweden and her family.

We wish you all the best Sofia.

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Volunteer Comments

Georgia Watts joined the Down ‘n’ Dirty program in 2015 and Esplanade ‘Sandpipers’ in 2017 and has left to live in England.

Monthly information sessions

Each month we give something back to the volunteers for their valuable time. Friends’ visitor guides Del Van Mierlo (pictured right) and Lee Ross are a wealth of knowledge and gave engaging tours of the Botanic Gardens’ for the August Volunteers Information Session. This year the information sessions have included plant family tours, Aboriginal plant use, wildlife management and Queensland Biosecurity’s targeted weeds.

“What a privilege it has been to spend time in various locations of botanic beauty and interest in this vibrant city.

Thanks for the opportunity to be part of an inspired group of individuals happy to trade their time for a sensory overload of sights, sounds, smells, textures...and mulch! Surely the best possible way to get ‘down ‘n’ dirty’!”

Thank you Georgia, all the best on your new journey.

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Jit wins award

A familiar face amongst our volunteers, Jit Maya Rai, won the Training North Queensland Community Training Initiative of the Year award at the Queensland Training Awards in July for her training in horticulture at TAFE. Jit has gained horticultural experience volunteering with our programs at the Botanic Gardens and Saltwater Creek ‘Salties’ groups.

Birds’ legs and feet Adaptations to exploit food sources In Green Space Our Place issues March / June 2017, Jennifer Muir wrote about adaptations of birds’ bills to enable birds to obtain and reduce competition for food.

In this issue, she writes about birds also having other adaptations - such as their legs and feet.

B

irds have specialised legs and feet to enable them to move around within their particular habitat and to find (and reduce competition for) their food, be it on land, on or in vegetation, or on/in water. This is very complex and we will introduce it here, then look at it further in the next issue.

Bird leg parts are similar to those of any mammal hind limb, but proportions differ significantly (bird wings are the avian equivalent of mammal forelimbs or arms).

The bird’s thigh is usually short and extends forward from the hip almost horizontally (as does our human thigh when we are seated) ending with the knee which is usually hidden by the bird’s body feathers. The part of leg that emerges from the feathers, looking like the thigh, is actually the shin, and the joint we see that looks like a knee bending the wrong way, is actually the bird’s ankle. The section between ankle and toes is fused into a single bone in birds, with the toes at the end.

Article and photo

by Jennifer H. Muir

Brolga (Grus rubicundus) is seen on the Cairns Highlands in summer, along with Sarus Crane (G. antigone), first recorded there in the 1960s. Sarus Crane has more red on its head and neck and pink legs. Brolga’s legs are dark grey.

Like all cranes, Brolga and Sarus Crane have long shins and feet – an advantage for their dancing displays.

Brolga and Sarus Crane are true cranes. Many cranes around the world are well-known for their dancing abilities particularly in courtship.

The avian leg structure, with the help of elastic ligaments, provides an efficient shock absorber on landing and an effective ‘catapult’ for take-off. And the avian foot ‘design’ causes birds to walk on their toes, not on their whole foot like we humans do.

Most birds have four toes, three that point forward and one pointing to the rear (like the Brolga). However, some birds, such as parrots, have two forward-pointing toes and two In my photo (above), see what appears to be the Brolga’s toes pointing back for grasping. Emus and Cassowaries left knee bending backwards? It’s not the knee but the have three forward toes (the middle toe being enlarged and an effective weapon) and no rear toe, and Ostriches have ankle, which is why it bends forward at that point. only two toes per foot with the inner toe being enlarged.

What you see emerging from the feathers is the Brolga’s shin, below which are fused foot bones, at the end of For more on this fascinating subject, see the December issue. which are a hind toe and three forward toes.

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Plant Information:

How many types of Fungi are there?

Barry Muir

When asked how many types of large fungi there are, most people think only of mushrooms and toadstools. While mushrooms and toadstools are among the most common of fungi, there are many other types of large fungi and many ways of grouping them. People who study fungi (known as mycologists) group fungi on features such as spore colour, shape of the cells that make up their tissues, the way they react to certain chemicals, and many other characteristics. This can become very complex and is almost impossible without a good microscope, access to chemicals and a lot of study.

Another, simpler way is to group them according to some basic and obvious features. The groups constructed this way may not always be closely related to the scientific classification of the fungi, but they are convenient and helpful for the amateur fungi forager. Here are some of the common groups.

Bird-nest fungi (left) are quite small, less than 1 cm across, and look like tiny bird nests with grey or white eggs inside. These “eggs” contain the spores and are flicked out of the “nest” by the impact of rain drops.

When they first develop they have little caps which cover the top of the nest and protect it until the spores are mature. They are common in many places that have moist mulch or litter, and are often found in garden beds where they break down wood or leaves into nutrients plants can use.

Bracket-gilled fungi (right) are, as their name implies, bracket-shaped and usually grow from the sides of dead or living trees, or on fallen branches or twigs. On the underside they have “gills” – plate-like structures which produce the spores. Many are white or brown but some may be brightly coloured. This picture shows the underside of the fungus, exposing the beautiful delicate gills. It is growing on a fallen dead palm frond which it will help to decompose, releasing nutrients.

Bracket-pored fungi (left) are also bracket or shelfshaped but underneath they have tiny pores or tubes, not gills. The spores form within these tubes and then drop out the bottom to be picked up by wind currents.

Some of the bracket-pored fungi are parasites on living trees and may kill their host. Those in the picture are growing on fallen decaying wood which they help to decompose. One bracket has been broken off and turned over so that the underside of the bracket is exposed. It is paler than the upper surface. The pores are sometimes minute and difficult to see, but may be quite large in other species.

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Coral fungi (right), as their name implies, look like coral, although there are many that just form a single, stick-like fruiting body, often brightly coloured. The spores form within the tissue of the coral and are distributed by wind and animals. They may grow on decaying wood or on soil and are often seen after heavy rains in the rainforest. They assist in decomposing wood and fallen leaves and converting them into nutrients for nearby plants.

Corticoid (left) (outer layer) or “paint” fungi form a paint-like skin or fleshy coating on living or dead wood. They cause decay in the wood and help to break logs and stumps down into nutrients that plants can use. They also aid in removing, over time, large logs that would otherwise make the rainforest impassable. Several are brightly coloured in yellows, reds or purples.

Cup fungi (right), technically known as ascomycetes, are a highly varied group ranging from tiny flake-like specks on soil or decomposing leaf litter to fruiting bodies (like this one which is over 100mm tall) and helping to break down wood-chip mulch. The term cup fungi refers to the reproductive structures, not the overall shape of the fungus. Many cup fungi look like thick black hairs or like tiny coloured wine-glasses.

Jelly fungi (left) look and feel like jelly and come in white, red-brown or yellow and in the shape of blobs, layers and seaweed-like or brain-like masses. They are amongst the first fungi to appear on decaying wood after rain and are important food for slugs, snails and insects.

Slime moulds (right) are not technically fungi but are very common around Cairns on mulch and lawns, and often attract attention with their bright colour. They are included here because they are frequent in gardens and on roadsides. With age they turn brown then a purplish-grey colour and are then sometimes referred to as “dog-vomit” fungi – an apt description. They decompose wood and return nutrients to the soil.

There are many types of slime moulds, some of them are very beautiful.

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How many types of Fungi are there? - from Page 25 Stinkhorn fungi (left) are so named because of the bad smell produced by the spore-bearing slime formed between the ridges on the cap. This odour attracts blow-flies, which then walk on the spore mass, pick up spores on their feet and carry them to new places. The stinkhorns are decomposers of organic matter including wood and manure. There are many types of stinkhorn from simple tubular structures to complicated ones with delicate skirts of netting.

Puffballs and earthstars (right) are highly variable, from simple golf-ball-like structures to star-shaped forms and some that grow on stalks. One type, Pisolithus, can force its way up through bitumen roads. All burst or disintegrate to release their spores which are stored inside the structure. Many are important associates of plant roots, passing nutrients to the plant and receiving sugars in return.

Stalked-gilled fungi (left) are the mushrooms (some edible species) and toadstools (not edible) with which most of us are familiar. Most have gills (flat plates under the cap) on which the spores are produced and then drop down between the gills to be picked up in breezes and moved around to new growing sites. There are dozens of types of stalked-gilled fungi, in every colour, and many different forms. Some are decomposers, some live in cooperation with plant roots and some are parasites.

Stalked-pored fungi (right) also have stalks to raise the cap above the ground to asist in spore dispersal but they have pores beneath the cap instead of gills.

Many are large and fleshy and some are brightly coloured. Many are associated with plant roots in a mutually agreeable relationship where the fungus passes minerals to the plant and the plant passes carbohydrates (made by photosynthesis) to the fungus.

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Full house for Little Taccas

The popularity of the Little Taccas children’s nature activities program continues this year with new volunteers coming along to lend a hand.

Joining the Little Taccas volunteer group this year is Charles Wang, pictured below right, playing catch with Riley. We have had a number of very wet days however the programs continue in dry locations such as the Botanic Gardens Visitor Centre.

Pictured left, Christina Shepherd assisting Jade with her nature bracelet.

Below left, Lydia Roehrig creating a stencil painting with Shiloh. Although Lydia now works full time she supports many of the programs every chance she gets.

What’s On • Little Taccas children’s nature activities Program 4 opens on Monday 25 September • Bird Walks: John Seale’s free tours are held every Tuesday, leaving the Friends House at 8.30am.

• Friends’ ‘Gardeneers’ Trolley Plant Sales: Wednesday mornings from 9.30am-11.30am outside the Friends’ House.

• Friends’ Garden Guided Tours: Monday to Friday leaving from the Friends House at 10am. Contact the Friends House 4032 3900 for further details.

• Friends’ Wednesday Night Gardens Talks: the 2nd Wednesday of the month from 6pm.

• See latest workshops and events on Cairns Botanic Gardens’ and Friends’ websites and Facebook pages.

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“I always look forward to reading about your volunteers and am looking forward to my own retirement just so I can join up! Still another 20 years or so away but I hope the programme is still going!”

Mandy Prociv Library Network South Team Leader

Interested in Volunteering?

Friends of the Botanic Gardens, Cairns Membership details email fobg@bigpond.com or telephone 4032 3900.

Newsletter Contributions:

Please submit articles (must be volunteer or nature based) by November for the next quarterly publication in September.

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: - Green Space Our Place - Cairns Botanic Gardens - Friends of the Botanic Gardens

Green Space Our Place

There is something to suit everyone.

• Friends Visitor Guides.

• Public Relations & Shop assistance in the Friends House.

• Tuesdays - Cattana Wetlands Jabirus 9am-noon.

• Wednesdays - Botanic Gardens Down ’n’ Dirty Volunteers 9am-noon.

• Thursdays - Esplanade ‘Sandpipers’ 9am-noon.

• Thursdays - Stratford Nursery 9am-noon.

• Fridays - Saltwater Creek ‘Salties’ 9am-noon.

• Weekends - Botanic Gardens Visitor Enhancement volunteers • Children’s Nature Activities Program - Little Taccas Interested in becoming involved with your local park, reserve or trail 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 0429 983 252.