Green Space Our Place
Our Volunteers Voice
History Tour Guides making an impact Open Community Garden model Clontarf Foundation enhances garden Issue 20 September 2018
Front Page: Jabiru volunteers Prue Fitzpatrick and Sandy Long testing the new canoe at Cattana Wetlands Back Page: Dendrocalamus asper, commonly known as Giant or Dragon Bamboo In this issue: • From the Editor - Page 2 • History Tours making an impact Page 3 • Open Neighbhourhood Gardens prove popular - Pages 4-5 • Clontarf Foundation restores ‘Duck Pond’ gardens - Pages 6-7 • New smiling faces from Gapforce Page 8 • Love It Clean - Cairns cleaning up our city - Page 9 • Friends News - Pages 10-11 • Around the Gardens, Nepenthes genetic study - Page 12 • Exploring our rainforest, Syzygium in the Wet Tropics - Page 13 • Pollination - not as simple as you think! - Page 14 • Praise from TAFE Cairns - Page 15 • Urban foraging - Page 16 • Sexual dimorphism in Birds: Part 2 - Page 17 • Critters in the Gardens - Aquatic Insects - Page 18 • Enhancing Gardens visitors’ experience - Page 19 • Feathered Friends - Orange-footed Scrubfowl - Page 19 • Flower structure and their function Pages 20-21 • Green Space Our Place news Pages 22-23
Editor - Volunteers Supervisor, Louisa Grandy Proof readers - Michelle Walkden and volunteers Sandy Long, Jenn Muir Contributors - Botanic Gardens Curator David Warmington; Volunteers Barry Muir, Jenn Muir, Val Schier, John Peter, Dr David Rentz, Tom Collis and Melusine Martin.
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From the Editor Welcome, Firstly I’d like to say thank you to the volunteers who have shown such dedication and support for the new History Tour Guides program (see next page). We have had fantastic success with this program which has been booked solid since it began in July. Our latest volunteer request is for the Visitor Enhancement program. We have already had response from a number of you who would like to assist visitors at the Botanic Gardens precinct with direction and answering questions. If anyone would like to be a part of this program, give me a call. Let’s make their visit to Cairns extra memorable.
Our Open Neighbourhood Gardens are proving popular with residents who wish to grow herbs and vegetables while connecting with their neighbours, see Pages 4-5.
We have had a very rewarding experience joining up with the Clontarf Foundation. The students and their leaders have shown great dedication in transforming the ‘Duck Pond’ gardens, see Pages 6-7. Keep an eye out for new programs in the near future. We are continually thinking of new ideas and with your support we create them. Your continued enthusiasm to join in with us to make our Cairns greener, connecting with one another and sharing knowledge is inspiring!
Louisa
History Tour Guides making an impact Our volunteers are now providing History Tours of the Botanic Gardens / Tanks Art Centre precinct and have been booked out since they began in July! We were very pleased when five interested volunteers replied to our call-out in June to volunteer as a tour guide. The program was also fully supported by Cairns Botanic Gardens Curator David Warmington and Tanks Art Centre Curator Chris Stannard, with them both providing plenty of information for our guides to deliver. Our guides, Lyn Mason (pictured in the white shirt), Chris Holst, Bernie Mason, Janice Pichon and Sandy Long, have been very keen, supporting each other during each tour and spending a lot of time researching dates and events. If you would like to attend one of our fascinating History Tours held each Thursday from 10am, bookings must be made with the Botanic Gardens Visitor Centre reception 4032 6650.
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Crathern Close volunteers proud of the growth in their new neighbourhood garden.
The process to apply for an ONG in your area: • Discuss ideas with neighbours and form an interested group of at least six people. • Contact GSOP to register your interest. • GSOP will discuss with you if site is appropriate and, if not, try to find a suitable local site. • GSOP will then organise a community meeting on site to discuss ideas. • Residents send e-mail with discussed proposal to GSOP. • Council considers proposal. Registration of the Crathern Close Open Neighbourhood Garden volunteers.
• If approved, an agreement is drawn up between Council and volunteers, outlining expectations and visual standards required by Council. • GSOP inspects regularly to ensure the garden is compliant.
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Trundle Terrace wicking beds and surrounding reserve land management work has united the neighbourhood.
‘Open Neighbourhood Gardens’ prove popular Open Neighbourhood Gardens (ONG) is a new initiative piloted by the Green Space Our Place (GSOP) program with a successful trial garden based in Draper Place, Whitfield in May 2017.
Cairns Regional Council’s ONGs differ from the Community Garden model. They are mainly targeting residents in close proximity to the garden and are generally created at a smaller scale. They are also unfenced and entirely communal. If the ONG is permitted by Council, residents register as volunteers with the GSOP program and are then supported to create the garden to specified standards. The community response to the trial ONG, which is in a prominent position, has been very positive.
Wicking bed using a bath tub being built at Draper Place.
With 12 members of varying ages and abilities, the maintenance work has been divided up to suit each participant’s capability and time with enough produce growing for all involved.
Wicking bed
Passers-by are welcome to take herbs, while it is intended that the vegies produced are for the volunteers engaged in the garden no matter how small their engagement. Anyone is welcome to join in and help out. There is a sign on site promoting the garden with contact details for people wishing to become involved.
Water inlet pipe
There are now two more ONGs developed, involving residents in Trundle Terrace, Whitfield and Crathern Close, Edge Hill. Both gardens are growing very well under the care of their members.
Zone of saturation
Zone of root growth
Water reservoir
300 mm Geotextile soil mix Food for wicking grade PVC Liner beds
Frame untreated timber or use bath tub as pictured above Water level indicator pipe and overflow
75mm of scoria
Slotted pipe
Draper Place Open Neighbourhood Garden was a trial garden, proving very popular with the community.
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gh i H e t a t S le a v n o d r o G
h g i H e t a t S e e r Wo 6
Bentley Park College
C
lontarf Foundation Academies at Bentley Park College, Gordonvale State High and Woree State High have been working closely with Cairns Regional Council’s Green Space Our Place program on a large-scale group activity. The Mount Sheridan Duck Pond Gardens has been a hive of activity with garden beds being cleaned, weeded, mulched and planted. About Clontarf The Clontarf Foundation exists to improve the education, discipline, self-esteem, life skills and employment prospects of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and by doing so equips them to participate more meaningfully in society. The Clontarf programme provides an important school engagement mechanism for many at-risk, teenage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander male students who would otherwise not attend or have very low school attendance. Full-time, locally based Clontarf staff mentor and counsel students on a range of behavioural and lifestyle issues while the school caters for their educational needs. Upon completing the program, Clontarf leavers are assisted into employment or further study. Specialist Clontarf Employment Officers are engaged to do this and to provide support to graduates for as long as is required. The programme is delivered through a network of ‘Clontarf Academies’ established in partnership with local schools. After commencing in the Cairns region in February 2017, Clontarf operates Academies at the Cairns, Gordonvale, Trinity Bay, Woree and Yarrabah state high schools and
Clontarf Foundation restores ‘Duck Pond’ gardens Bentley Park College. There are already 750 students participating in the programme across these six schools. The inaugural Clontarf Academy commenced in one school in Perth in 2000 and catered for 25 local Aboriginal students. Since this time, the program has expanded across the country (NT, VIC, NSW and QLD) to encompass 89 Academies (in 97 schools), providing support every day of the school year to almost 6,500 young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men. In 2018, 650 of these young men are in Year 12 and will soon be completing their schooling and with the assistance of Clontarf, transitioning into work or further study. In Cairns alone, 93 students are currently in Year 12 and most of them will commence employment in the local Cairns community almost immediately after completing their studies. Community work Council and Clontarf academies around Cairns have been working closely addressing a number of different pillars: volunteering under the Community and Employment pillars, academy and regional training events under the Sport and Wellbeing pillars, mock interviews and work experience under the Employment pillar. The collaborative activity addresses so much for each young man who makes the effort to volunteer. Firstly it’s an introduction to horticultural practises and careers within Council. Secondly it builds work experience and soft preemployment skills. Lastly it builds an individual’s self-esteem and wellbeing as the project is being well received by the local community and a sense of ownership is felt over the group.
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s e c a f g n i l i m New s e c r o f p a G m o fr Annie planting at ‘Salties’ reveg site Gapforce, from left, Jon from Seattle, USA; Ivan and Annie from UK; and Frankie from Germany
Annie and Ivan pleased with their planting at ‘Salties’ site
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Full of smiling faces and eager to join in with our volunteers, Gapforce joined us once again in August with a small group of four. They attended talks on Electric Ants and Mangroves, weeded with the Salties, mulched with the Down ‘n’ Dirties and did a little planting.
Smiling Frankie joined the Down ‘n’ Dirty volunteers mulching at Cairns Botanic Gardens
Love It Clean - Cairns cleaning up our city
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ove It Clean-Cairns (LICC) is a volunteer community group with over 300 members that was founded in March 2017. LICC had a stall at the Cairns Eco Fiesta where many more people indicated their interest by providing contact details for future clean ups. The group’s purpose is to remove litter and illegal dumping from public spaces on clean-up days and raise community awareness of the problem by organising bimonthly clean-ups in Cairns and surrounding suburbs. Research has shown that people are less likely to litter in an area that is free of rubbish: the more ‘cared’ for a place looks the more likely people are to keep it this way. LICC believes it makes a difference with leading by example and promoting this concept. Wherever possible LICC works collaboratively with other organisations and businesses to promote a litter- free environment and reduced waste. It currently operates on a zero dollar budget. Children are encouraged to come to LICC clean ups. Those under 15 years of age must be accompanied by an adult for insurance purposes. Gloves, bags and a limited number of grabbers are provided at each clean up with a coffee session at the nearest café concluding the event. Some areas that have been cleaned in the past year include Machans Beach, Lake Morris Road and
Odette Aspinall
Holloways Lagoon. Our most recent event was on 22 July at the Fearnly Street drain where 17 volunteers cleaned up along the banks of the creek and adjacent Cairns Central Swamp. We worked collaboratively with Council and would like to take this opportunity to thank Louisa Grandy, Supervisor of the Green Space Our Place program for providing funding for this initiative and promoting the event. The total amount of rubbish collected at this clean up was 840 kgs in one and a half hours. The vast majority of the rubbish consisted of plastic bottles, glass bottles and aluminium cans plus larger items such as mattresses and shopping trolleys. At this stage we are not able to sort and itemise the litter due to shortage of man power, however this would be the aim down the track as this information would then be entered into a database and source reduction could be tackled. New members are always welcome and if you have any area that you would love to see cleaned up please email Ben at loveitcleanaustralia@gmail.com Pictured: Top: from left, Roger Cumming, Ben Smith and Bella Zanandrea, Bill Aspinall; Bottom: Love It Clean-Cairns participants. 9
FRIENDS NEWS
Instructors Lynnette Griffiths and Marion Gaemers display some of the boats, made by workshop participants, which will be displayed in the installation ‘Sailing’ in October.
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n 2016 a partnership between Saltwater Creek Basketry Group and Friends of the Botanic Gardens, Cairns initiated Sculpture Botanica Cairns16. This exciting project used art to attract local, intrastate, interstate and international visitors to explore the whole Gardens precinct and discover the stunning beauty of the area.
artworks, involved community members, produced a new tourism product and laid the groundwork for establishing Sculpture Botanica Cairns as a biennial event. In 2018 we are extending the project to also involve Sugarworld Gardens in Edmonton. These are historic gardens created in the grounds of the closed An exhibition of sculptures, made from predominantly Hambledon Sugar Mill which remain unknown to many locals and visitors. natural materials, was arranged in the form of an art trail, which was exhibited for five weeks. It surprised We are delighted that Cairns Regional Council and the and delighted visitors. State Government are prepared to back us through the As well as delivering professional development to artists Regional Arts Development Fund and plan to produce an even more impressive project in 2018. through workshops, it developed and showcased new One of five workshops was held on 14 July. Participants use natural materials from such plants as palms, coconuts, bananas, spider lilies and lomandra to make string, weave, construct and create items to be installed from 11 to 27 October this year. Bookings can be made at www.trybooking.com/ sculpturebotanica for a workshop on 22 September at the Botanic Gardens Visitor Centre and 8 September at Hambledon House in Edmonton at $15 per workshop.
Friends’ Visitor Guides needed
Friends President Val Schier has got into the spirit of Sculpture Botanica and made a sailing boat for the exhibition 10
The Friend’s Visitor Guides need your support. If you have an interest in promoting the Botanic Gardens to our visitors and sharing information about the amazing collection of plants contact Colin Batch 0458823630. Please note: you do not have to have extensive plant knowledge to become involved.
Locals enjoy looking for night life in Botanic Gardens The annual Moth Night was held at the Cairns Botanic Gardens on Wednesday 11 July to coincide with the monthly event of the Friends of the Botanic Gardens, Cairns. Sixty-two people attended, including several children. Moth Night was started in the America five years ago. Of course, this is the northern summer when the most moths would be present. In July we are in the midst of the dry season and insect numbers are down. However being in the tropics there is always something about. We did not have an abundance of insects at the lights but members with torches were able to find many insects on vegetation along with sleeping lizards and birds with a sighting of a Papuan Frogmouth which delighted all. We hope to have another moth night in October or November when it is warmer. Some photos of the night’s highlights taken by entomology student, Jessa Thurman.
Friends’ member David Rentz and an assistant packing up the light equipment after the Moth Night.
Shield Bugs Sawfly larvae
Katydid moulting
Ischyja sp, a fruitpiercing moth.
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Around the Gardens Curator David Warmington
Nepenthes genetic study The Cairns Botanic Gardens is collaborating with the Australian Tropical Herbarium on a genetic study of the carnivorous pitcher plant genus Nepenthes. This genus comprises around 160 species distributed throughout Southeast Asia and Oceania. There are three recognised species in North Queensland. Species have traditionally been distinguished using morphological characteristics, such as pitcher shape, but many recently described species have been distinguished on the basis of minor differences which may be questionable. Nepenthes veitchii
To date, no taxonomically informative molecular or DNA analysis of Nepenthes has been published. This lack of information has hindered efforts of biologists who seek to study and conserve threatened Nepenthes. This study seeks to eliminate this problem using next generation DNA sequencing methods to construct an evolutionary tree of Nepenthes based on around 100 species. The project also aims to provide DNA barcodes across the genus Nepenthes as an additional tool for enabling non-taxonomists to rapidly verify the identity of uncertain Nepenthes material (including degraded and fragmented samples), which will facilitate effective monitoring of illicit trade of these Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) listed plants. The role of the Cairns Botanic Gardens will be to assist in the acquisition of additional species to add to our existing collection, and to grow these plants so that research work can be undertaken and herbarium specimens provided. The Gardens would then retain the plants that are suitable for long term growth in our collection.
Nepenthes (lowii x veitchii) x boschiana 12
A recently appointed Botanic Gardens employee in charge of the Nursery and Conservatory collection, Charles Clarke, is a leading authority on Nepenthes. Charles will be an invaluable resource in this project ensuring correct species identity with plant material grown and supplied in top condition.
Exploring our rainforest Plum Satinash, Syzygium wilsonii subsp. cryptophelbium
Rose-crowned Fruit Dove
Mission Beach Satinash, Syzygium alliligneum
Flowers of Brush Cherry, Syzygium australe
Dried buds of the Clove, Syzygium aromaticum
Syzygium in the Wet Tropics Tom Collis - Jalarra Park Volunteers
Gardeners in the tropics are familiar with various forms of Syzygium as a screening plant in suburban backyards. Many of the shrubby, evergreen plants have delightful pink or red new foliage and numerous white flowers that produce colourful fruits. ‘Big Red’ and ‘Aussie Southern’ are two popular varieties of Syzygium australe sold in local nurseries. In the Wet Tropics rainforests there are about 60 species of Syzygium with common names such as Lilly Pilly, Satinash, Watergum and Brush Cherry. Syzygium are members of the Myrtacaeae family and related to Eucalypts, Bottlebrush and Melaleuca. In the dry country the Myrtaceae family ‘rules’ with Eucalypts dominating large parts of Australia. However, in the rainforests Eucalypts are in the minority and only a few species survive there. Syzygiums are the main representatives of the Myrtaceae family in the rainforest and some species grow to large trees that develop buttress roots, such as the Bamaga
Satinash, a tree that grows to nearly 50 metres. Recent taxanomic studies have renamed several other genera (such as Acmena) as Syzygium. The name Syzygium comes from Greek word ‘syzygos’ meaning ‘joined together’ referring to the flower buds that have a cap made of segments that are joined together. Many of the Wet Tropics species produce colourful, edible fruits that attract native animals. The single-seeded fruits are eaten and spread around by cassowary, fruit doves, many other bird species, fruit bats and native rodents. Indigenous people also value the fruits as a food source. Most of the edible fruits are quite tart and are often used to make jams such as Riberry Jam. Other species such as the Malay Apple and Bell-fruit produce large edible fruit but all fruit must be correctly identified before consumption. The well-known spice cloves are the dried buds of Syzygium aromaticum, a species native to Indonesia. Oil of cloves is also extracted from stems, leaves and buds of this plant. 13
Pollination - not as simple as you think!
Barry Muir
of which are female in the morning, becoming male in the afternoon. Other species have male and female flowers at different times during the flowering season and may be ‘out of sync’ with each other, ensuring that pollen is transferred to a different plant. This can be done by having the male flowers mature first (e.g. Helianthus – the Sunflower) or the female flowers mature first (e.g. Solanum), but never both at the same time on the same plant.
We all know the basics of pollination, either from studies at school, by watching wild-life documentaries on television, or by observing bees and other insects going about their business in the garden. But is it as simple as it looks? Pollination is the process whereby pollen from the male parts of flowers (called anthers) are transferred to the female part of the flower (called a stigma). Once pollinated, the female ‘egg’ (called an ovule) can develop, ultimately producing a seed. In the flowering plants, such as roses and eucalypts, the ovules are inside an ovary. In plants such as the pines, and other trees that produce cones, the ovules are naked so pollen falls directly on them. We’ll discuss pines and their relatives another time.
Solanum seaforthianum, a nasty weed of rainforest edges, matures the female flowers first.
Other tricks are to arrange male and female flowers at different heights on the plant; or to have the stigma project beyond the stamens, making it more difficult for insects to blunder into the stigma while they collect pollen, e.g. Hibiscus; or to have the stigma bend in the opposite direction to the stamens.
Pollination can be brought about by the pollen being Hibiscus insularis carried by wind or water (including rain), by insects and by has the deep mammals such as bats and possums, and even by slugs and purple female snails. stigmas Pollination in the flowering plants is of two types: selfprotruding pollination, where pollen grains are transferred from further out than anther to stigma within the same flower; and crossthe yellow male pollination, where pollen grains from the anthers of one stamens, and flower go to the stigma of another flower of the same most stigmas are species. Cross-pollination can be of two types: crosseven bent away pollination between two flowers on the same plant; or from them. pollen grains of one plant reach the stigma of another flower of the same species on a different plant. Some plants may be self-sterile, so that, even if pollen happens to attach to the stigma of a flower on the same Cross-pollination is a great asset to the species that do plant, it cannot fertilise the ovum. Examples are Abutilon this because it ensures much better combinations of (Chinese Lantern) and Passiflora (Passionfruit). Another genes than can occur when a plant ‘breeds with itself ’. trick is for the self-pollen to be poisonous and kill the Consequently many plants go to great lengths to avoid self-pollination. For example, some plant species produce flower on which it attaches, e.g. some orchids. only male or female flowers on a plant, never both. A Plants that normally cross-pollinate but rely on certain typical example of this is the well-known pawpaw before plants carrying both sexes were developed. You always had pollinators may become self-pollinators if their insect or to plant several pawpaw trees to increase your chances of other animal vector is not available. The Yucca plant, for example, can cross-pollinate only if a certain moth is getting at least one male and one female. available, which it is not in Australia. When pollination Another trick is having both male and female flowers on does not occur, the plant becomes self-pollinating. the same plant but having only one or the other mature Helianthus (the Sun-flower and relatives) do the same thing. at any given time. An example is the avocado, the flowers
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Many thanks to the Green Space Our Place team for hosting our students for their three weeks of work experience. They really enjoyed their time with you – it has fired them up to continue on with their studies so they can work in the industry. We appreciate the time spent assisting the students and the range of tasks you have enabled them to experience. Once again, thank you for your support and assistance training the next generation of horticulturists. Anna Cole Leading Vocational Teacher Horticulture TAFE, Cairns
From left, Lisa Thomas, who has joined the volunteer programs at Stratford Nursery and ‘Weedbusters’, Jasmine Raymond, Alessandra Pascucci, Tristan Quigley and Codie Glasser.
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Urban foraging - going back to nature in the city Cairns is a great place for foraging, or more precisely for urban foraging, which is the practice of harvesting indigenous and introduced edible wild plants and fruits from streets, parks, railway reserves and other urban places. I first became interested in urban foraging when I started my PhD at James Cook University two years ago. My research focuses on how millennials connect to nature in a digital and urban context. Today we can have access to absolutely everything all the time. We are just a click away from our next dream, the latest consumerist widget, and we spend more and more time on our digital devices.
Melusine Martin
and supermarkets, and only about 30 of those are used most commonly. Scientific research is starting to show the health benefits of indigenous foods that grow wild in native soil, free from fertilisers and genetic modification. Many are rich in antioxidants, enzyme regulators and anti-inflammatory substances. For instance, the Davidson Plum, native to the rainforests of Queensland, is now being called a superfood. The Davidson plum has many health benefits as it contains high levels of anthocyanin and potassium, along with important antimicrobial properties, that improve cognitive function and protect against heart disease.
Foraging may provide additional health benefits by restoring So, in an attempt to cut down on screen time, I decided to get emotional balance. Working with our hands and all our senses back to nature and connect with my primitive side. I left the fast seems to alter the experience of time and helps us stay in the pace of the internet behind and tuned into the slow, cyclical present moment. This is the benefit of what American author rhythms of nature in search of bush tucker, right here in the city. Michael Pollan calls unitasking, in opposition to multitasking: “It What is urban foraging? seems to me that one of the great luxuries of life at this point is Aboriginal Australians have eaten native animal and plant foods to be able to do one thing at a time, one thing to which you give yourself wholeheartedly. Unitasking.” gathered from the wild for an estimated 60,000 years. The Yirrganydji people – an indigenous rainforest and coastal culture belonging to the Djabugay language group of Far North Queensland – had an intimate knowledge of their lands and its flora and fauna. As a gatherer-hunter society, they foraged up and down the coast following seasonal food sources (their country comprised the strips of land between the areas known as Cairns and Port Douglas, including Freshwater Creek and the Barron River). Their fruit and vegetable intake included yams, figs, plums, lilly pilly, and various nuts and berries. Today, looking for edible wild plants in a city is part of a larger movement towards sustainable living, local eating, and urban homesteading. The benefits of urban foraging A WHO study shows that more than half of the total global population now lives in urban areas. We are slowly evolving into an urban species, which is why it is important to nurture our connection to nature. In this respect, urban foraging is a solution to reconnect to nature in the midst of our high-tech city lives and to heal what American journalist Richard Louv calls the nature-deficit disorder. In The Nature Principle, Louv argues that “the more high-tech our lives become, the more nature we need.” When you forage, you get to know nature. You learn about nature in an empirical manner as you use all your senses to find, evaluate and identify bush tucker, and in an intellectual way as you extend your knowledge about plant diversity. Foraging brings attention to provenance and seasonality, and, to some extent, it can help alleviate the increasing environmental costs of distribution chains that transports items back and forth all over the world. Industrial agriculture has resulted in a loss of variety in plant consumption. There are over 120,000 edible plants worldwide, however only about one thousandth of those end up in markets 16
Be safe when foraging I was going to Rusty’s Market when I saw an Asian woman picking up leaves from a huge decorative bush outside Cairns Central. I was intrigued. I asked her if, as I suspected, these leaves were edible. She said that yes, you could eat them and that they were delicious as a flavouring wrap for grilled meats. I later learnt they were Piper sarmentosum, also known as wild betel, or la lot in Vietnamese, which was the name the woman gave me. This story takes me to another important point about foraging in an urban area: pollution. Just as you must make sure that what you are eating is safe and not toxic (I have found Tim Lowe’s small guide Wild Food Plants of Australia most helpful for that), you have to use common sense and not forage from overly polluted places and always make sure to wash thoroughly all foraged produce before eating it. There are many great places to go foraging in the Cairns region because nature is so omnipresent that you sometimes wonder where the city ends and where the bush begins. So you do not need to pick up plants from the side of the road. I enjoy gathering mangoes from spots in Yorkeys Knob and Trinity Beach. I have found papayas in Trinity Park, coconuts near the beach, kumquats in a bushy strip of land between a park and a row of houses, guavas near James Cook University, Davidson Plums and bush lemons, the list goes on and on. All were free, in season, local, and wild. I haven’t found much downsides to urban foraging. You learn, you connect and you eat, it’s fun and it’s free! So now, when I see the flowering mango trees, I think of the delicious juicy fruits to come. My mind stops for a second and I get grounded. I can already taste the mango and banana smoothie I am going to enjoy after a swim at the beach. I walk past noisy cars, the busy rush of the shops, the plastic bags and the concrete walls, and I remember that we are, before all and forever, human beings on a green planet, animals who belong to nature. Illustration: A summer morning by Melusine Martin
Sexual dimorphism in Birds: Part 2 In this second article, we’ll look at another two species that are ‘sexually dimorphic’ meaning the male and female are different. But first, just a quick reminder that ‘dimorphism’ refers to parts of a plant or animal (or individuals in a population) that occur in two forms or colours. This was discussed more fully on page 18 of Green Space Our Place Issue 19, June 2018. As discussed in the previous issue, ‘sexual dimorphism’ is well known in the bird world, and is a particular advantage in selective reproduction such as the choice of a mate by a female animal because of attractive features of the male, such as bright colouration. Particular male display behaviour is often another factor in female choice, but that is a matter for a later issue.
Jennifer Muir
You can also see that the male’s feathers have an iridescent blue (sometimes green) gloss, which is strikingly beautiful in sunlight, as in this photo. The female’s black feathers are also glossed blue (or green) in sunlight. Male and female are so different that many people don’t realise they are the same species. As in the previous article, we are looking only at those differences we can see in these photos. Sometimes other differences we see are due to the state of the feathers, moulting, body position, effects of light and shade, how wet the bird is, and are not always reliable identification factors.
As previously discussed, some bird species are markedly different, while with others the observer needs to look more closely for the differences, which just makes birding even more interesting and challenging. Remember: ‘In nature, adaptation and diversity rule’. Here are two Shining Flycatchers; pictured left is the male with the female on the right.
Male and female Sunbirds can be hard to distinguish at times as they are so small, fast, and often hidden by foliage. So, look closer at the photos above of the male and female below.
Just by looking at these two photos, you can see some obvious differences. The male is glossy black while the female is black-headed with rufous/chestnut-coloured wings, back and tail; white underparts; and cinnamon under the tail (in eastern Queensland). I photographed these two individuals in the wild part of Hartley’s Crocodile Park at Wangetti, north of Cairns. Thus, even without knowing where they were photographed, we can recognize that at least the female is an eastern Queensland individual as shown by the cinnamon colour under the female’s tail.
When you can see them closely, the main difference becomes obvious: the male has a beautiful metallic blueblack chin, throat and upper chest (which in poor light, looks black); whereas the female is continuously yellow from chin to under the tail. Otherwise, the two sexes are quite similar. You can sometimes see the metallic blue-black colour developing on young, maturing males. 17
Critters in the Gardens - Aquatic Insects
Dr David Rentz AM
We have a number of permanent water features in the Cairns Botanic Gardens. There are ponds as well as streams and each has a distinct insect fauna. There is some overlap but there are many insects that can live only in fast-flowing water while others thrive in the quiet waters of a pond. Most insects that live in aquatic habitats require some intensive observation in order to find them. You must get down on your knees and concentrate. After a while, movement will be detected and eventually a whole new world will open up. Many insects spend only a part of their time in water. This is usually in the juvenile stages. Others spend their entire lives in an aquatic habitat. Dragon and damselflies spend only the nymphal stages in water (by the way we have one dragonfly where the juvenile stages are spent in wet leaf litter!). There is even a suite of moths with caterpillars that are aquatic. The adult moths regularly show up at light sheets. Larvae of many aquatic insects disguise themselves with debris as either a protection from predators or to attack in ambush. We often find aquatic insects abroad at night. Many water beetles and “Toebiters� are seen at the lights at petrol stations and along well-lit streets. These insects take to the air after dark to find new habitats. Many find water, others come to their demise making the wrong choice.
Some mistake the reflection of car bodies as ponds and meet their fate there. Others land in swimming pools and succumb to chemicals. Take a close look at the ponds and streams in the Gardens and discover a different world.
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Enhancing Gardens Feathered visitors’ experience Friends Volunteer Jenny Martin always has a story to tell after spending a few weekend hours at the Cairns Botanic Gardens / Tanks Art Centre precinct as a part of the Visitor Enhancement Volunteers’ program. Sunshine or rain, Jenny has been making her way to the Gardens to assist visitors when she has the time for the past two years. Here are some of her weekend experiences.
“I meet such a variety of people from all over Australia and overseas. Some of the people I’ve met have had some wonderful compliments about the Gardens. “An English couple from Hahndorf in South Australia stated that they had an enjoyable and very pleasant visit to the Flecker Gardens and would highly recommend the experience to others on their travels. “Other visitors, originally from the UK and now living in Sydney, gave a great compliment saying the gardens were outstanding, stunning and they would return on holidays every year to visit the gardens!!! And an elderly couple from the Tablelands was amazed at the changes in the 20 years since their last visit. “A young couple from Albany Western Australia, really appreciated my assistance and brochures, and were last seen heading for Centenary Lakes via the Rainforest Boardwalk, while two polite German backpackers, found wandering near Goodwin Street, were very pleased to receive maps and directions. “The Nature Playground is very popular since it opened last year and I’m often directing families to it’s location and the Native Bee display at the Friends House is also drawing great interest. “The information isn’t always about directions either. A young couple from Innisfail were looking for a wedding venue later in the year and I’ve also informed people about the tours held through the week such as the Friends garden tours, John Seale’s birdwatching tour on Tuesdays and the new History Tours on Thursdays. “I also have copies of butterfly information that are very much appreciated by visitors, and also provide information on events and exhibitions such as the Saltwater Basketry Group. “If it’s quiet at Flecker Gardens I often wander around the Visitors Centre assisting visitors. “The most asked question is ‘where are the toilets?’” VOLUNTEER SUPPORT: if you would like to take part in this program from Monday to Friday, contact Louisa at
greenspaceourplace@cairns.qld.gov.au
Jenn Muir
Orange-footed Scrubfowl
Most birds sit on their eggs to keep them at a stable temperature to aid the development of the unborn chicks. However, there’s a group of birds the ‘megapodes’ - which don’t incubate their eggs themselves, but use an ingenious alternative method. Three species of megapodes inhabit Australia; the least well known is the Orange-footed Scrubfowl. Instead of sitting on their eggs, scrubfowl lay them in massive piles of vegetation. Then, as the compost gradually rots down, the heat it produces gently warms the eggs. And to ensure they remain at a constant temperature, organic material is scraped onto or off the mound to regulate the warmth. The chicks are independent after hatching, when they’re susceptible to predation by unleashed dogs and cats wandering about at night. Although scrubfowl occur on islands north of Australia, and in the Kimberley and Top End, they are most widespread from Cape York south nearly to Yeppoon. They mostly occur in lowland rainforests and coastal vine scrubs, but they are also in gardens, scratching among leaf-litter with their enormous feet, searching for seeds, flowers, berries and the occasional invertebrate to eat. However, they’re not always considered good neighbours - when nesting in people’s gardens, they scrape leaf-litter for their mounds from up to 25 metres away, ruining garden beds in the process. And the mound itself may be 13 metres across and over two metres high - quite an imposition in anyone’s backyard. And to add insult to injury, they’re often noisy at night, with some calls audible from kilometres away! By John Peter 19
Flower structures and their
Hort. Notes
This issue’s Hort. Notes will cover flower structure and the flower’s function.
F
lowers are the reproductive structures of flowering plants (Angiosperms). They are composed of four whorls of parts arranged in concentric rings – the calyx (composed of sepals) serves as a protective function; the corolla (composed of petals) usually functions to attract the pollinator; the androecium (composed of stamens) is the male part of the flower; and the gynoecium (carpels) is the female part. Sexual reproduction in plants involves pollination, which is the transfer of pollen from the anther of one flower to the stigma of the same or a different flower. Pollen is released when it is mature. When a pollen grain arrives at a compatible flower, it germinates on the stigma. A pollen tube grows from the grain, down through the style carrying sperm nuclei with it. The pollen tube delivers the sperm to the ovule, fertilising it. After fertilisation the ovules become seeds and the ovary becomes the fruit. The perianth – calyx and corolla The outer whorl, known as the calyx is made up of sepals. They are often green in colour Structure of basic flower: a. from above; b. expanded flower, and enclose the rest of the flower in the bud showing the series of parts; c. side view stage. Inside the calyx is the corolla made up of petals. They can be white or brightly coloured centre of the flower and is made up of carpels. Each carpel has and often equal in number to the sepals. three parts: an expanded basal part called the ovary, in which the Their role is to attract pollinators. ovules are produced; a central stalk-like section called the style; and a terminal stigma. The ovules contain the female egg-cells The reproductive organs and the stigma surface is specially adapted to receive compatible A whorl of stamens, called the androecium, pollen. The ovules, after fertilisation and further development, the male part of the flower, lies inside the become the seeds and the mature carpels with the enclosed seeds corolla. Each stamen has a slender filament develop into the fruit. (stalk) and, at the top, an anther in which the pollen is produced. The pollen grains carry The calyx the male reproductive units. The sepals may be separate from one another as above or wholly The female parts, the gynoecium, is in the or partly united. Sometimes an extra ring of sepal-like segments is
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functions
B.
Excerpt reprinted with permission Name That Flower, Clarke & Lee Melbourne University Publishing, 2003
attached outside the true calyx, which is known as an epicalyx. This is typical of the genus Hibiscus and of other members of the family Malvaceae (A.). Sometimes the sepals fall as the flower opens, as, for example, in Pittosporum undulatum (B.). In other species the calyx persists when the flower fades and becomes a conspicuous feature of the fruit, for example, the apple (see thebase of an apple). The corolla The petals may also be separate from one another or united. When united, the extent of the fusion and the shape and disposition of any free parts give rise to a variety of corolla types (C.). Petals are considered united even if the degree of union is small, or is incomplete. This union may take the form of a very short tube, or a tube in which the petals are free at the base; the corolla tube is then said to be clawed. Sometimes the perianth segments, although in two whorls, are alike in size, colour and texture and then it is usual to retain the collective term perianth and to refer to the units as perianth parts or tepals. Such flowers are typical of the lily family, Liliaceae. In some instances, flowers can have only a single perianth whorl such as in Grevillea. Sometimes all the perianth parts are absent or are reduced in size, often becoming brown and scale-like such as in Casuarina; the perianth is absent in the female flowers and reduced to fine brown scales in the male flowers. Symmetry When looking at a flower from above, the sepals and petals may be arranged on the receptacle in a symmetrical manner and the flower can be divided into equal parts by cutting through its centre in more than one plane. Such a flower is said to be actinomorphic (D.) or regular. Alternatively, a flower may be asymmetrical and can be divided into equal parts by cutting in one plane only – a zygomorphic (E.) or irregular flower.
Sepals not present Sepals present
A.
C. Corolla Types:
D.
actinomorphic flowers E.
zygomorphic flowers 21
Promotional tools Commun ity Garde ns and Open Neig hbourhoo d Garden s
Interested in in your ne developing a prod ig couple of hbhourhood? Ther uce garden ways to do e are a this. Incorporat ed a commun groups can apply ity garden to set up ‘Open Nei ghbourho or there is now an od Garde supported n’ m by Green Space Our odel Call us to Place. find out m ore.
WEBSITE You can now find us easily on the Cairns Regional Council’s website under the Community & Environment tab in red.
This page has an overview of each group with plenty of photos showing our volunteers particpating in gardening, landcare management, nursery work, track maintenance, database entry, and providing tours and children’s programs.
“Plantin NEW BROCHURE voluntari g a few trees ly in our local ark is bhave ringing created This year we the comm pa together unity and we n o meet gularlycovers brochurerethat for a Padallwwe dock Par ty.” ident volu nteer –-Lesee do within theResprogram e images on this page.
Join Green Sp our ace volunteers Our Place program
Contact u
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Telephon e
: 07 4032
6648 Email: gre FACEBOOK enspaceo u rplace@ cairns.qld .gov.au Like us and invite your Website: www.cairn s.qld.gov. friends communon au/ ity-enFacebook. viro space-our-
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Find us on
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Supervised Grou
ipers, irus, Salties, Sandp Down ‘n’ Dirty, Jab Little Taccas programs and ils Tra ‘n’ cks rdens, Tra Cairns Botanic Ga operate weekly in range, at Cattana ld itfie Wh on the Mt the Esplanade and Wetlands, along Saltwater Creek. , ed with gardening You will be involv ement, track nag ma ed we g, ical plantin rning about the trop maintenance, lea sharing your love of and na flora and fau . nature with others
Our Vision
tive partnerships ugh Building collabora and community thro between Council ms, to promote and volunteering prograand connect and develop our region to enrich lives. es create opportuniti
Our Mission
dership , support and lea Provide programs es in developing and niti to engage commu spaces. en s, parks and gre improving garden
What we offer
ms of volunteer progra We offer a range s and green in our parks, gardenible, engaging, spaces that are flex fun and good for the g, community buildin environment. et a great way to me are These programs bling you to give ena , ple peo d nt, like-minde munity / environme ical back to your com learn about the trop develop skills and flora and fauna.
n gives me a reaso “Volunteering contact with for being! The d involved an people keeps me myself. I also ge I like to challen involved; such admire others who continue ls de mo great role to inspire me.” Down ‘n’ Dirty -
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Your local park
/ reserve areas
h oming involved wit Interested in bec erve or trail in your your local park, res community? utify your area to bea Join with others in e planting, weed anc enh h wit k par your litter clean-up. management and nity and y to build commu This is a great wa ghbours and work with nei get to know your ce’. spa en a better ‘gre Council to create
Meet the GREEN TEAM HOW YOU CAN HELP If you would like to support promotion of our program please ask us for some brochures. Another great way to promote us is sharing the magazine with others after you have read it. Or leave it in waiting rooms of your local doctors, dentist or similar health practices next time you visit. 22
Christian, Louisa and Sarah
Green Space Our Place
H
volunteer program overview
ere is an overview of the Green Space Our Place attractive with the latest addition, Open Neighbourhood volunteer program for our new readers. Gardens supporting communities in growing produce.
What started as a demand for a regular gardening group for a handful of people at the Cairns Botanic Gardens nearly 10 years ago has evolved into a wide-ranging program with 300 regular volunteers doing their bit to maintain and beautify Cairns natural areas.
Such is the interest for volunteering, three new groups have started this year – Sugarworld Gardeners, ‘Weedbusters’ and the History Tour Guides, focusing on history tours of the Tanks Art Centre/Botanic Gardens precinct.
To ensure the programs are run effectively, legally and strategically, Green Space Our Place has three full-time In the past 12 months, volunteers have donated over 30,000 staff, volunteers supervisor Louisa Grandy and volunteers hours of their time to take part in the Green Space Our officers Sarah Gosling and Christian Cluver. Place initiative. Louisa says: “Our volunteers make our jobs worth coming The volunteers, from all walks of life, literally roll down to – their passion and dedication is inspiring. The biggest their sleeves and get their hands dirty with activities from surprise of this program is just how any people want to pruning, weeding and mulching, to growing seedlings and help out. It has been humbling.” repairing the Arrow tracks, as well as connecting others Brett Spencer, Branch Manager Community Development, with nature. says: “It’s impossible to put a value on the contribution of Green Space Our Place focuses on the outdoors, with our volunteers. Whether they are looking to develop new groups working in locations such as Cattana Wetlands, skills, meet new people or to just get out into the outdoors, the Botanic Gardens, Cairns Esplanade and the banks of their efforts have such an impact on what we as Council Saltwater Creek. can achieve for the community. These groups do work that There are also resident groups who band together in their Council would otherwise not be able to do. We are grateful street or nearby park to make their own part of the city more they are so civic minded.” Green Space Our Place
JOIN THE FRIENDS Friends of the Botanic Gardens, Cairns
Membership details email - phone 4032 3900 or email info#botanicfriends.org.au You can support the Friends by assisting on the Committee or become a Friends Visitor Guide or offer to assist in the Friends Shop.
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 November for the next quarterly publication in December. 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
• • • • • • • • • • •
Tuesdays - Cattana Wetlands Jabirus 9am-noon Tuesdays - Esplanade ‘Sandpipers’ 9am-noon Wednesdays - Botanic Gardens Down ’n’ Dirty volunteers 9am-noon Thursdays - Stratford Nursery 9am-noon Thursdays - ‘Weedbusters’ 9am-noon Thursdays - History Tour Guides 10am Thursday (once a month) - Sugarworld Friends & Gardeners Fridays - Saltwater Creek ‘Salties’ 9am-noon Wednesdays and Fridays - Tracks ‘n’ Trails 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.
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