Volunteers Voice - Issue 1 - Dec 2013

Cairns Regional Council — Parks & Leisure

This is the first edition of the Volunteers Voice newsletter.

This newsletter will be published quarterly and will showcase articles and photographs on volunteer activities within Council’s Parks & Leisure branch.

In this issue: x Mayor’s Message x Where it all began — Friends of the Botanic Gardens. x Get Down ‘n’ Dirty on Wednesdays x Gardeneers raise funds x Bringing the Collection Alive x Cattana Wetlands gains support x Kewarra Beach Vols x What’s Happening Next Year x Weird & Wonderful x Love of Orchids

Issue 1 — December 2013

The Friends - where it all began Volunteers are a valued and integral part of the Cairns Regional Council Cairns Botanic Gardens and have been for many years, offering support in a variety of ways.

The Friends of the Botanic Gardens, Cairns (FOBG), was formed in 1989 and has a membership of approximately 200. Their aim is to stimulate interest and community awareness of activities at the Gardens, raise funds, and promote and support horticultural and botanical science in Cairns.

This year they opened the Friends’ House in the Flecker section of the Gardens with members operating the shop from 9.30am until 3.30pm, answering queries on activities and plants.

Gardeneer Val Auld selling plants

Friends also give Botanic Gardens guided tours Monday to Friday at 10am (see inside).

If you would like to become a Friend of the Botanic Garden please phone 4032 3900 or email: info@botanicfriendscairns.com.au.

Message from the Mayor Welcome to this quarterly newsletter showcasing the amazing work being done by our volunteers.

As you will see over the following pages our volunteers give so much to the Cairns community. Without all of you the Botanic Gardens and Cattana Wetlands would not be the vibrant places they are.

I want to take this opportunity to thank all our volunteers for their time and energy and assure you that your efforts don’t go unnoticed or unappreciated.

Bob Manning Mayor of Cairns

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Volunteers Voice

Get Down ‘n Dirty on Wednesdays

People volunteer for a variety of reasons — to learn tropical horticulture, give back to the community, socialise and make new friends, and exchange plant knowledge.

Down ‘n’ Dirty members understand the importance of mulching

The latest group to be formed at Cairns Botanic Gardens is affectionately known as the Down ‘n’ Dirty Group. Public Relations & Volunteers Officer

Louisa Grandy visited the Gold Coast Botanic Gardens in 2007 and was inspired by their huge volunteer numbers and decided this is what the Cairns Gar-

dens needed.

Two years later Louisa was approached by two very eager Friends members, Lee Ross and Norma Wright,

Volunteers make a huge impact on what can be achieved each week. Those jobs that take one gardener a week or more to tackle can be completed in a few hours due to the number of hands involved.

Working in the vegetable and herb garden at Saltwater Lake Gardens

Volunteers Voice

who wanted to assist in the impact on what can be achieved each week. Those gardens each week.

As they spent time weeding jobs that take one gardener a week or more to tackle and gardening each Wednesday they were con- can be completed in a few tinually approached by visi- hours with this many tors who were also keen to hands involved.

One of the most important Since then the Group has items for any garden is expanded its membership mulch and can be a labourious job for one garto 38 with an average of 10-15 meetings each week. dener, yet takes little time with 10 volunteers assiting.

This group attracts a broad This many hands on is also range of age groups and appreciated when controltheir reasons for joining ling weed infestation such vary too. as in the Boardwalk RePeople volunteer to learn serve . In recent weeks the tropical horticulture, give volunteers assisted with back to the community, digging out escaped plants socialise and make new and cutting back weedy friends, and exchange plant vines from palms. knowledge.

One of their achievements This enthusiastic team during the cooler months meets from 9am until noon was revamping the Saltwato take part in gardening ter Lake vegetable and duties such as weeding, herb garden - 10 members detailing garden beds, spent the morning weedplanting, mulching and ing, planting a variety of turfing – there is someherbs and vegetables, turthing to suit everyone. key proofing the “no-dig’ section and mulching with Volunteers make a huge

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hay.

If this is something that appeals to you and you

would like to be a part of the Down ‘n’ Dirty Group please contact Louisa Grandy on 4032 6648 for details.

offer their support.

Clearing weeds from Freshwater Lake gardens

Friends’ Gardeneers raising funds through plant sales Each Wednesday the FOBG Gardeneers meet at Flecker Botanic Gardens to propagate plants. These are then sold at major sales throughout the year (eg: Carnival on Collins), and each Wednesday near the Friends’ House from 9.30am to 11.30am.

The Gardeneers group was established in 1990 and two of the founding members are still with the group today, Mary Gandini (Left: potting up) and Ray Church. Over the years this small group has raised a huge amount of money for the Gardens through plant sales.

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Volunteers Voice

Bringing the collection alive Volunteer Visitor Guides you would be required to: play a vital role in the Gar- x Have an understanding den’s vision and mission by of tropical plants and bringing the collection families and the Garden’s alive through engaging history. educational interactions x Have a knowledge and with garden visitors. love of plants and garGuides provide one-hour dening. guided walks of Flecker Botanic Gardens, Monday x Have a friendly, enthusiastic and flexible nature to Friday starting at 10am, with strong communicasharing information about tion skills. the collection and history of the Garden. x Be highly reliable and If you would like to become a volunteer guide

professional.

You would benefit by: x Gaining valuable experi-

ence and expanding your knowledge of pants and general horticulture. x Meeting new and like-

minded people. x Sharing your knowledge

and love of plants x Being able to attend

plant lectures for free.

Contact Lorraine Smith 4041 3067 for further information.

Bird Tours with John on Tuesdays John Seal has been a dedicated volunteer at the Cairns Botanic Gardens for a number of years, offering guided bird tours each Tuesday. Join him and learn about the incredible bird life of the Gardens

Volunteer guide Norma Wright sharing plant knowledge with visitors

Volunteers Voice

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DID YOU KNOW?

Members at Stratford Nursery with their first batch of potted up seedlings

Council’s Natural Areas Management team only began transforming the Cattana Wetlands five years ago. What a magnificent area they have created!

Cattana Wetlands gains support with this new venture and the prospect of learning Their first day was spent collecting seeds to propagate about new plants and their requirements. and grow into seedlings.

These will be planted in the If you would like to become a member of the Cattana allocated site once ready.

Although members have just Wetlands Friends, please In November the group was begun they are very excited contact Louisa Grandy 4032 6648. allocated an area at Cattana A new group of volunteers came together at the end of July this year to support the Natural Areas Management nursery at Stratford with a view of supporting the Cattana Wetlands.

to revegetate.

The 80 hectare site, once used for sugar cane farming and sand and gravel mining, has been transformed into a natural wonderland which includes 30 hectares of regionally significant forest and several large freshwater and saltwater lakes.

For more information: http:// www.cairns.qld.gov.au /facilities-andrecreation/parks/ cattana-wetlands

Prue Fitzpatrick gathering seeds at Cattana Wetlands

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Volunteers’ Voice

Weird & Wonderful Once again the Amorphophallus titanum, affectionately known as ‘Spud’, put on a show during November / December. Here are some photos to show part of its transformation.

Volunteers’ Voice

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Kewarra Beach Volunteers revamp Street Mike Denney and Jason Lunson, volunteers of Kewarra Beach, love gardening so much they decided to plant out the round-abouts and traffic islands in their street.

For the past two years they have been working tirelessly planting flowers, small shrubs and trees to beautify the area.

Council has been supporting them periodically with plants, mulch and soil as well as a watering system however they are very resourceful and propagate their own plants with the support from their neighbours.

In July this year they won the Cairns Sun ‘My Neighbour Award’ after being nominated by Alex Barker-Re. They received $150 shopping voucher at the Smithfield Shopping Centre and purchased items specifically to support their efforts.

From an overgrown grassy roundabout to a lush flower garden

Mike, who is retired and 70 years of age, spends approximately 25 hours a week gardening and due to the differ-

ence he has made with Jason, other neighbours have decided this is a great idea and wish to continue beautifying the entire street. Great to see the community taking pride in their areas.

What’s happening next year?

An exciting new Children’s Activities program, for 0-5 year olds, will begin next year once all requirements have been determined.

resume on Tuesday, January 28, and the Down ‘n’ Dirty volunteer team will meet up again from Wednesday, January 29.

An email went out to the volunteers in November and there was such a great response. Thank you everyone who supported this new venture.

The Friends Shop will be closed from Tuesday 25 December and reopen on Wednesday 2 January.

Cattana Wetlands Volunteers will

The Gardeneers will resume plant sales on Wednesday 5 February.

Don’t miss their larger sales to be held the week before Easter, Sunday 13 April; Carnival on Collins on Sunday 7 September (Fathers Day); and the Christmas Plant Sale on Sunday 7 December.

For all other activities and events keep an eye on Cairns Botanic Gardens website and CBG’s Facebook page.

Cairns Regional Council – Parks & Leisure

Cairns Regional Council PO Box 359, Cairns Qld 4870 Australia P: 07 4032 6650 Cairns Botanic Gardens 64 Collins Ave, Edge Hill, Cairns Q ld4870, Australia P: 4032 6650 Friends of the Botanic Gardens, Cairns P: 40 32 3900

Cairns Botanic Gardens: Vision: ‘To be a world-class tropical botanic gardens.’

Mission: ‘To be recognised nationally and internationally as the living cultural centre in FNQ and to provide high-quality botanical, recreational and educational experience while preserving and protecting the environment for future generations.’

Contributions:

We’re on the Web & Facebook www.cairns.qld.gov.au www.cairnsbotanicgardens.com.au

If you would like to submit an article (must be volunteer or plant based) for the next quarterly publication in March, please send your suggestion to Louisa Grandy: l.grandy@cairns.qld.gov.au Please note articles are subject to editing.

Love of Orchids ————————————— Chris Benton has a passion for orchids and volunteered her time to support the Botanic Gardens orchid collection and display.

Orchids hare one of the main attractions at the Gardens and Chris’s work has been well received by staff.

Beginning in December 2012 , Chris began with revitalising the orchid display. Since then she has spent each Wednesday morning fertilising and repotting orchids and attending to the orchid display.

Thank you Chris.

Chris Benton has a passion for orchids and volunteered her time to support the Botanic Gardens orchid collection and display.

Orchids hare one of the main attractions at the Gardens and Chris’s work has been well received by staff.

Beginning in December 2012 , Chris began with revitalising the orchid display. Since then she has spent each Wednesday morning fertilising and repotting orchids and attending to the orchid display.

Thank you Chris.