Green Space Our Place Our Volunteers Voice
Green Space Our Place
SmithďŹ eld High lends a hand
Celebrating Tree planting 2019 creates success community ISSUE 26 MARCH 2020
Front Page: Kewarra Beach tree planting attracted all ages. Back Page: Nypa fruticans palms at Cairns Botanic Gardens.
In this issue: •
From the Editor - Page 2
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Christmas celebrations - Page 3
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Tree Planting Events - Page 4
From the Editor
- Bike Club - Page 5 - Kewarra Beach - Page 6 - Barron Waters - Page 7 - Jalarra Park - Page 8 •
Jewish Community of Cairns Page 9
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Exploring Our Rainforest Tom Collis - Pages 10 & 11
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Around the Gardens - Curator Charles Clarke - Page12
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‘Gardeneers’ trolley sales Page 13
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Clontarf Foundation - Page 14
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Giving back to the community Page 15
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Going batty at Centenary Lakes - Hidetoshi Kudo (Mikey) - Page 16
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Moth Watch - Dr David Rentz AM - Page 17
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Feathered Friends - Dollarbird John Peter - Page 18
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Migratory birds return north to Papua New Guinea - Jennifer H. Muir - Pages 18-19
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Did you know? - Page 19
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Stalked-gilled Fungi - Barry Muir - Page 20
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Gapforce - Page 21
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Tropical Fruits - Page 22
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Moody Creek transformation Page 23
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What’s on - Page 23 Editor - Volunteers Supervisor, Louisa Grandy Proof readers - Michelle Walkden Volunteers Sandy Long, Jennifer H. Muir. Contributors - Volunteers: Barry Muir, Jennifer H. Muir, John Peter, Dr David Rentz, Tom Collis, Hidetoshi Kudo (Mikey) and Botanic Gardens Curator Charles Clarke.
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Welcome back! We’ve hit the ground running this year with our usual activities along with three major tree planting events and smaller group plantings to enhance our local parks and green spaces – see more on Page 4. Last year ended with our Christmas celebrations and presentations of ‘Years of Service’ awards (see next page) with over 100 people in attendance. We have been working alongside a number of groups once again such as the Clontarf Foundation (see Page 14), Smithfield State High School and its RISE program (Page 15), the Jewish Community (Page 9) and Gapforce international volunteers (Page 21) achieving some great results in various locations around Cairns. The Friends of the Cairns Botanic Gardens ‘Gardeneers’ have begun their weekly trolley sales and could do with some extra hands. If you are interested in supporting with propagation, potting and general nursery duties you can find further details on Page 13. We are pleased to say that our program continues to attract people despite the hot, wet and humid conditions with over 50 registered volunteers already since mid-January. If you would like to know more about our program, take a look at our pages on the Council website or give me a call or email greenspaceourplace@cairns.qld.gov.au for further details. There is something for everyone.
Louisa
CHristmas CeleBrations YEARS OF SERVICE
Jeff 5 years
Lois 5 years
Charles 5 years
Council’s CEO John Andrejic and Cr Cathy Zeiger.
Enjoying the get-together (from left) Friends’ president Val, Tom, GSOP officer Christian, Jude and Jenn.
Full of smiles - film producer Chelsea with GSOP officer Christian.
Lee 10 years
Norma 10 years
Rod 10 years
Leslie gives a friendly wave while Annette reads the program’s bumper December issue.
Maisha Bora participants Bisimwa, Asongo and Bolikoko.
Council officers (from left) Stratford Nursery horticulturalist Ryan, Botanic Gardens horticulturalist Ben and curator Charles. 3
Tree PlantinG EVents Creating community connections
The Green Space Our Place volunteer program planted over 2000 trees in February in various locations throughout Cairns with the support of our partners, collaborators and many community members. While these events are enhancing our green spaces, they also build community connections. We joined with South Side Mountain Bike Club to organise a tree planting along the new tracks in Edmonton. Over 70 participants from the Club, the Clontarf Foundation and St Theresa’s Primary School planted 350 trees. The Kewarra Beach community supported us with a beach vegetation project, with 500 trees planted in less than an hour. Beach vegetation is an important part of the eco-system and stabilises the shoreline against erosion as well as providing habitat for native fauna. Gapforce international volunteers and our nursery volunteers planted over 600 trees in a newly developed area at Montalbion Avenue, Smithfield (pictured here). Saltwater Creek ‘Salties’ volunteers have planted 600 trees in their revegetation site at the Yellow Arrow trail head; our Barron Water volunteers have planted 23 advanced trees (adding to the 70 advanced trees planted last year); and Jalarra Park volunteers planted a further 50 plants along the creek. The Chabad Jewish Community planted 100 trees in the central swamp along Russell St, Edge Hill as a part of their ‘New Year for Trees’ celebrations.
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SoutH Side Mountain BiKe CluB
Over 70 participants joined in with the South Side Mountain Bike Club (SSMBC) tree planting in Edmonton.
SSMBC’s Daryl with Cr John Schilling were pleased with the turnout.
St Theresa’s Primary School tree planters.
Students and staff from the Clontarf Foundation academies at Cairns, Trinity Bay and Bentley Park high schools.
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KeWarra BeacH
The Kewarra Beach community supported the tree planting that proposes to assist with stabilisation of the beaches.
Cr Brett Olds cooking up a storm for the tree planters.
Ava having fun planting a few trees.
What a great turnout! Thanks everyone. 6
Lining up to ďŹ ll their water buckets.
Jack and Chelsea with their newly planted Golden Bouquet Tree or Deplanchea tetraphylla.
Irene staking the new trees.
In February, the Barron Waters’ volunteers planted an additional 23 advanced trees (to add to the 70 planted last year).
Barron Waters
Barron Waters’ volunteers are pleased to have the opportunity to enhance their local park with a selection of flowering trees. 7
Jalarra ParK
Jalarra Park volunteers have been working steadily since 2017 to eradicate the Singapore Daisy weed along the park creek. The volunteers hold a working bee once a month and as they weed a section, they replant with native species such as Lomandra and small tree species that will support the creek’s stabilisation. Pictured: our dedicated volunteers planting on a very wet Sunday morning in February.
Having extra hands on deck makes the weeding easier - 20 Gapforce international volunteers spent a morning at Jalarra Park in February.
Planting native Lomandra longifolia to replace the weeds. Persistence is the key to eradicating Singapore Daisy. Well done Bridget.
Hazel happy to receive her uniform - a volunteer shirt makes it official! 8
Weeding is a family aair, Hagan (left) and John.
JeWisH CommunitY of Cairns
Planting trees to celebrate the new year The Cairns Jewish Community celebrated the Tu BiShevat holiday ‘New Year for Trees’ by planting trees to support the Green Space Our Place volunteer program to enhance this beautiful city. The Jewish community of Cairns celebrated the Jewish Arbour Day on Sunday 9 February with young and old from all walks of life getting their hands dirty with their shovels and soil. Tree planting is part of the traditional celebrations of the holiday and will be repeated in hundreds of communities throughout the world. According to Rabbi Ari Rubin, "We humans can also celebrate along with the trees. After all, the Torah says 'Man is a tree of the field' we are nurtured by our deep roots, as far back as Abraham and Sarah; we reach upwards to the heavens with our feet firmly in the ground; and when we do good deeds we produce fruits to benefit the world - namely, our good deeds." Tu BiShevat is the 15th day of the Jewish month of Shevat and marks the beginning of a new year for trees and plant life. Customarily, a tree is considered to have aged one year every Tu BiShevat. The age of trees is important, because Jewish Tradition mandates that fruits grown in Israel cannot be eaten for the first few years of the tree's life. Often people celebrate Tu BiShevat by eating a new fruit, planting a tree or collecting money for trees and Israel.
“...when we do good deeds we produce fruits to benefit the world...” Rabbi Ari Ruben
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EXPlorinG our Rainforests Tom Collis
The yellow ‘feeding’ stamens and red ‘pollinating’ stamens on the flower of Dillenia alata.
The Red Beech Tree - Dillenia alata One of the most interesting trees in the coastal Wet Tropics is the Red Beech, Dillenia alata. This medium-sized tree with beautiful yellow flowers and reddish-brown flaky bark prefers the wetter, swampy parts of the coast of North Queensland from Cardwell to the Torres Strait Islands, the Northern Territory and Papua New Guinea. In Cairns there are quite a few growing along the boardwalks and tracks of Centenary Lakes and Cairns Central Swamp. The genus Dillenia has about 60 species worldwide but in Australia we have only one species, Dillenia alata. Two other species of Dillenia have been introduced to Cairns. Dillenia suffruticosa, native to Brunei, has been planted at Cattana Wetlands and several specimens of Elephant Apple, Dillenia indica, are growing in the Cairns Botanic Gardens. The leaves of Red Beech are dark green and glossy with an unusual petiole (the stalk attaching a leaf to the plant). The petiole is flattened and is described as being ‘winged’. The second part of the botanical name Dillenia alata comes from alatus, an ancient Greek word meaning winged. 10
Dillenia alata produces numerous yellow flowers at any time of the year leading to another common name for the plant, Golden Guinea Tree. The flowers are unscented and do not produce nectar for insects as a reward for pollination. Instead the stamens on the flower offer pollen as a food source and produce two types of stamens – one with a ‘feeding’ function and the other a ‘pollinating’ function. The ‘feeding’ stamens are yellow and encircle the ‘pollinating’ stamens that are red. A single female stigma is located in the centre of the flower. The bright yellow flowers only last for a day and the fallen petals are often seen on the ground below the tree. After pollination the flowers produce a red fruit that splits open to reveal several chambers that contain small black seeds. The seeds are covered with a white fleshy edible aril that attracts birds such as the Eclectus Parrot. The red flaky bark provides a perfect environment for a large assortment of epiphytes. Older specimens are often adorned with numerous ferns, Button Orchids, Pencil Orchids and Ant Plants.
Fruit of Dillenia alata with edible white arils.
The short-lived flower of Red Beech, Dillenia alata.
Winged stalks on leaves.
The introduced species Dillenia suffruticosa flowering at Cattana Wetlands.
Reddish-brown flaky bark.
These trees have an important role in wetland ecosystems and a Red Beech at Centenary Lakes that overhangs the water is a favourite perch for the tiny and elusive Little Kingfisher. A specimen of this tree was collected near the Endeavour River by botanist Joseph Banks while the HMS Endeavour was being repaired in 1770. Stunning line engravings of Red Beech are featured in Joseph Banks’ ‘Florilegium: Botanical Treasures from Cook's First Voyage’ and on an Australian 50c stamp released in March 1986.
Numerous epiphytes growing on a mature Red Beech, Dillenia alata. 11
Around the Gardens Curator CHarles ClarKe
Reinvigorating the Conservatory step them, and we are now abandoning the strategy of grouping of plants in the Conservatory on the basis of taxonomy. Rather, we will be working towards themed bed displays that focus on telling interesting ecological The Gardens’ staff put a great deal of work into the and environmental stories by grouping plants under those management of this facility, as it is a very challenging one kinds of themes. Furthermore, the themes will change every year or two, so that there is always something new to maintain. to see in the Conservatory, no matter how often you visit. After the Conservatory was opened to the public in 2015, there was a period of establishment for the new plantings, This process has started already. In January, we extended followed by another period of substandard performance the main palm bed and included a variety of rare small palm species from Malaysia to enhance what is already where some plants grew well, and others did not. a very good collection. And, thanks to the kind support This is not an unusual outcome for new structures that of the Australian Orchid Foundation and the orchid are devoted to the cultivation of plants – it takes time for growing fraternity of Australia, we were able to establish horticulturists to determine which plants will grow well a new tropical native orchid display on a large wall panel, inside the structure, and whereabouts they prefer to be adjacent to the existing orchid display. located. A great deal of trial and error is involved, and In the coming months, we hope to install a series of vertical many unanticipated problems arise along the way. gardens on the brick wall near the entrance, allowing us to By 2018, most of the teething problems had been solved introduce a wider range of small ornamental plants to the and the overall performance of the plantings increased Conservatory in a location that is protected from heavy dramatically. So much so, that by late 2019 we had reached traffic. We will also re-develop several of the existing beds the stage where some beds had become overgrown, and and change their overall themes. it was time to review the layout and composition of the Although these developments are exciting for us, they beds in the Conservatory. don’t happen overnight and the conservatory is so large At present, plants in the conservatory are grouped that any changes must be limited to areas that our staff according to their taxonomic relationships; for example, can comfortably manage, without causing deterioration in beds are devoted to palms or bromeliads or orchids. the overall appearance of the plantings. However, there is a big logistical problem with this What this means in the short term is that there will be approach: grouping plants such as orchids based on their some loss in clarity in a few beds, with no obvious theme evolutionary relationships doesn’t take into account that being apparent. This is part of the ongoing process of not all orchids grow in the same type of habitat. For working out which plants grow well in the different instance, most of the moth orchids (Phalaenopsis) like environmental niches in the building, and then allowing to grow in deep shade, whereas others, like most native them to coalesce into a new themed bed. Every time we Dendrobium species, enjoy strong sunlight. identify a new theme for a bed, and plant it accordingly, This makes it difficult to display orchids in one location we will review and update the accompanying signage. in the Conservatory, and this is a pattern that is repeated So, if you visit the Conservatory in the coming months across many of the groups of plants we want to display and can’t detect any themes in some areas, don’t worry: there. The best way to address these limitations is to side- we’re working on it, and so are the plants! The Cairns Botanic Gardens Conservatory is seen by many people as the Gardens’ ‘Jewel in the Crown’ and is a highlight for visitors, particularly those who come from temperate climates.
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‘Gardeneers’ trolley sales raise funds for Botanic Gardens The Gardeneers commenced working in the Cairns Botanic Gardens nursery in 1990 and are committed to growing healthy topical plants. Proceeds from the sales of these plants go directly to the Gardens and often fund the purchase of rare and unusual plants to help make the gardens even more fascinating and to encourage research. The Garden staff have specific expertise in different plant species which makes the overall presentation so much more interesting. Over the years the Gardeneers have had many volunteers with great knowledge who enjoy propagating and ‘yarning’ with one another. The members assist each other when necessary and nothing is ‘too much trouble’. ‘Gardeneers’ are all registered with the Friends of the Cairns Botanic Gardens and work closely with the President. We have had assistance from the Green Space Our Place Down ‘n’ Dirty volunteers from time to time for which we are grateful. Every Wednesday morning the Gardeneers take cuttings, propagate and generally pot and tweak plants to look their best. If you have heard of someone able to ‘sell a fridge to an Inuit’ then look no further than to Rae. The Wednesday morning trolley sales are very popular, with Rae looking after the trolley and giving good growing tips. The crew work towards the three big sales days in April, September and December. These are fundraising occasions that give much satisfaction when the plants ‘walk’ out the door. All this would not be possible without the assistance of Botanic Gardens staff as we all work together sharing common interests.
Gardeneers Del (far left) and Rae (front) selling plants to happy customers. The Trolley Sales are held every Wednesday morning fromn 9.30-11.30am outside the Friends House in Flecker Gardens with a variety of plants to suit most needs.
Friends’ Vacancies ‘Gardeneers’
There are vacancies with the Friends ‘Gardeneers’. If you have an interest in propagation, potting, taking part in general nursery duties and assisting at plant sales, contact Val Auld - telephone 0438 592 330 or email val.auld@bigpond.com
Guides
Friends Guides are looking for support for their Monday to Friday garden tours roster. All you need is a little plant knowledge and the confidence to lead tours. Contact Del 0457 629 178 for further details.
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Gordonvale academy weeding at the Forest Gardens’ Duck Pond with Cr Cathy Zeiger.
Clontarf Foundation Academies The Clontarf Foundation collaborates with Green Space Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander male students who Our Place to provide opportunities for the kids to take would otherwise not attend or have very low school attendance. part in weeding, mulching and planting activities. The Clontarf Foundation exists to improve the education, The collaborative activity addresses so much for each discipline, self-esteem, life skills and employment prospects young man who makes the effort to volunteer. Firstly, of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and by it’s an introduction to horticultural practises and careers doing so equips them to participate more meaningfully in within Council. Secondly it builds work experience and soft pre-employment skills. Lastly it builds an individual’s society. self-esteem and well-being as the project is being well The Clontarf program provides an important school received by the local community and a sense of ownership engagement mechanism for many at-risk, teenage is felt over the group.
GSOP volunteers officer Sarah Gosling presenting a safety induction to Clontarf Foundation academies from Gordonvale, Cairns, Woree, Bentley Park and Trinity Bay High schools prior to spending an hour weeding at the Yellow Arrow trail head. 14
Giving back to the community Smithfield State High School RISE program Late last year, Green Space Our Place collaborated with the Tropical North Learning Academy at Smithfield State High School to engage students participating in the RISE program. The RISE program consists of four key areas: building resilience to overcome challenges; growing students’ investment in their own future; providing holistic support for student success; and improving student engagement with education and learning. Green Space Our Place provided activities at
different locations in the northern beaches suburbs to support the program’s aspect of engaging in and giving back to the community.
The students were able to remove about 200kg of rubbish during wetland and beach clean-ups in Trinity Beach and Trinity Park. They worked alongside the Jabirus of Cattana Wetlands in the removal of vine weeds from trees and Sensitive Weed and Singapore Daisy from the grounds adjacent to Jabiru Lake. In total they removed roughly 12kgs of weeds from the Cattana Wetlands.
Smithfield State High School’s Tammie Thornton, Dean of Middle School and HPE Teacher (centre) with Fenix and Blake weeding at Cattana Wetlands.
This collaboration was an excellent opportunity to expose the students to various issues facing their local environment as well as highlighting the difference they could make as individuals.
Under the Smithfield State High School RISE program, students took part in a beach clean-up in Trinity Park and Trinity Beach (pictured here and left). 15
Going batty at Centenary Lakes
HIDETOSHI KUDO (MIKEY)
Bare-rumped Sheathtail Bats
Dusk at the Centenary Lakes, Cairns Botanic Gardens is the start of the day for small mammals such as micro-bats. These tiny bats are recognisable in the dusk sky because their flight patterns are more random than those of birds.
and in 2013 he conducted a mist-net survey of this population. I also had a chance to see other bats captured by a harp trap set up in the pandanus forest in Centenary Lakes on a separate occasion.
My bat story started in April 2011 in an unexpected way. A friend and I went spotlighting for Striped Possums near Centenary Lakes. We noticed a good number of tiny bats flying around a hollow in a large Melaleuca tree near Saltwater Lake. The hollow was known to be used as a nest by Rufous Owls in 2009. I took some photographs, but a positive identification of the bats couldn’t be made from the photos. We went back to the nest the following month, but all the bats were gone.
One of the bats was the Large-footed Myotis (Myotis macropus). As the name indicates, they have large feet that are used for catching small fish from the water surface.
Large-footed Myotis Optimistically, we kept spotlighting at the same tree almost Another species was the Eastern Long-eared Bat every month and finally confirmed that the bats were back (Nyctophilus bifax). These in the hollow in January 2012. bats live under the loose paper bark of Melaleuca trees. Surprisingly, these bats were subsequently identified as Bare- Since this bat survey, I have been keen to learn more about rumped Sheathtail Bats (Saccolaimus saccolaimus nudicluniatus). bats in my neighbourhood. I hope to have a chance to write At the time of our discovery this species was listed as about fruit bats in Centenary Lakes in a future article. Critically Endangered under the Federal Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), although its status has since been downgraded to Vulnerable.
I have now been monitoring the bats monthly for nine years. They were over 200 in number in 2011, but that number has reduced due to the progressive decay of the hollow becoming insufficient to provide a good shelter for a large number. The original hollow isn’t used anymore, and the bats have moved to a small hollow nearby which seems to have 20 individuals. This bat discovery came to the attention of Research Zoologist Dr Kyle Armstrong at the University of Adelaide 16
Eastern Long-eared Bat
Moth Watch
Critters in the Gardens
Return of the Big Moths DR DAVID RENTZ AM
Within a day or so after the recent stint of thunder storms many adults of the large silk Emperor Moth (Family Saturniidae), Syntherata janetta (White) started appearing at my lights in Kuranda. Males of this moth average about 89mm in wing span, females slightly larger at 111mm. For a short time as many as 20 individuals can be found on the light sheet in the morning. The moths seem to fly after midnight with only a few individuals seen earlier in the evening. The Emperor Moth has a considerable geographic range from coast to coast across the northern portion of Australia. The caterpillars feed on a wide range of trees and shrubs. They must be fairly common but I have never seen one on my property in Kuranda. Perhaps, they are out of reach high in the trees. Emperor Moths are noted for the variability in the colour and pattern of their wings. What is the significance, if any, in the variation in colour and pattern in this moth? With many insect species, variable colour and pattern may benefit in dazzling predators or inhibiting their ability to learn a certain image. Perhaps, the moths appear as leaves to potential predators during the day as they rest on the undersides of leaves in the forest. Disabled moths are relished by Black Butcher-birds and Cane Toads so the moths do not appear to be distasteful. Pictured right: Emperor Moths come in a variety of colours and patterns; below, Buck Richardson has provided this photo of a caterpillar that is probably one of the Emperor Moth.
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Feathered Friends Migratory birds return north to Dollarbird
Sometimes the Dollarbird is seen as the poor cousin of the more spectacular Rainbow Bee-eater. The Dollarbird isn’t nearly as colourful, and its big head, wide bill and dumpy build render it much less elegant than the Bee-eater. Nevertheless, the Dollarbird is quite spectacular in its own right. In flight, its attractive pale-blue and azure wings contrast with the vivid white wing patches (like ‘silver dollars’ that give the Dollarbird its name), visible as it dips and flutters expertly in pursuit of cicadas, beetles and other flying insects, snapping them up in its cherry-red bill. The best time to see this aerobatic display is at the end of the day: on balmy evenings, they perch on bare branches projecting above the forest canopy — they often have a favourite perch — and launch into the air to catch their food. They’re usually rather conspicuous on their perches, often drawing attention to themselves with a loud chattering kek-kek-kek-kek, that may build to a crescendo. Dollarbirds are migratory, arriving from their wintering grounds in New Guinea and Indonesia in August or September, flying as far south as Victoria to breed. But many don’t go that far, as Dollarbirds can be commonly seen around Cairns throughout the summer breeding season, nesting high up in tree hollows or in arboreal termite nests. These nests may be defended quite aggressively. When breeding is over — usually around April — they head north once more, gathering into flocks to migrate at night, leaving via Torres Strait or flying directly across the Coral Sea to their winter homes. JOHN PETER BirdLife Australia 18
Soon the Wet Season will come to an end and most of our migratory birds, having finished breeding, will return to their non-breeding, winter grounds in Papua New Guinea and neighbouring islands. You may recall from my December 2019 article that species including Dollarbird, Eastern Koel, Channel-billed Cuckoo, Torresian Imperial-Pigeon and Metallic Starling arrive here between August and September, and Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher around midNovember. In this article, we briefly discuss Dollarbird (complementing John Peter’s article to left), Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher and Channel-billed Cuckoo. Dollarbird Dollarbirds are ‘Rollers’: a Family of medium-sized, stocky birds so-named for their flamboyant, rolling acrobatic display flights. The Family comprises around 12 species usually with typically blue plumage. Apart from northern and eastern Australia and New Guinea, Dollarbirds have also been recorded in Southeast Asia, India and China. In flight, the shape of the ‘dollar’ in the wings varies depending on the angle of the wings, and sometimes looks pale blue depending on the light and angle of the wings. Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher Of Australia’s 10 kingfishers, the Buff-breasted ParadiseKingfisher is the most spectacular with its rich blue and orange plumage, black under the crown, and white on back and rump (largely concealed by folded wings when perched). It has a large red bill and blue and white tail, often with two long white, quite fragile tail streamers; longer in males than females. Including the tail streamers, these birds average 2935cm in length. Like the other migratory species listed above, they visit here to breed, and have been recorded in parts of coastal Northern Territory and in Queensland, from the northern tip of Cape York Peninsula to south of Townsville.
Papua New Guinea
JENNIFER H. MUIR
On arrival, they noisily set up small breeding territories in lowland rainforest, and lower slopes of ranges, that have open ground and active, bulbous termite mounds in which they excavate a tunnel and nest chamber.
Once they have eggs, they are quiet and secretive. The females incubate the eggs, and once hatched the male helps feed the young with insects, spiders, frogs and lizards. The young leave the nests in January or February. Once the young are independent, around February most adults return to their wintering grounds in New Guinea, though some individuals ‘overwinter’ in Australia. The youngsters find their own way to New Guinea some weeks later. Being shy, these birds are difficult to see, despite their often strong colours, as they perch quietly in the shade of mid to lower levels of the rainforest. They are most often seen in flight when their tail streamers and white back and rump stand out strikingly. Best time to see them is soon after they arrive in November, before nest excavation muddies and damages their tail streamers, and incubating discolours their plumage. Channel-billed Cuckoo This typical cuckoo parasitizes at least eight nesting bird species including the Collared Sparrowhawk, Magpie-Lark and Pied Currawong, as well as species further south such as Whitewinged Chough and several crow species. After hatching, young Channelbilled Cuckoos don’t kick the host’s eggs or young out of the nest as other cuckoos do. The host’s young rarely survive however and it is thought that the fastergrowing Channel-billed Cuckoo nestlings simply out-compete the host’s young which decline and die and are removed by the parents. Channel-billed Cuckoos are large birds (approximately 58-65cms tall), with a large, curved, pale-coloured, toucan-like bill and a long barred tail making them quite distinctive. They prefer ripe figs, but will also eat other fruits and berries; occasionally eggs and young of other birds; and large insects including stick insects. They often spread their wings and tail as they reach out to capture an insect from foliage. Males offer a gift (an insect) to a female in order to encourage her to accept him as a mate – less fattening than chocolates!
DID YOU KNOW...? Our North Queensland Wet Tropics rainforests are the richest wildlife habitats in Australia, with a concentration of endemic species found nowhere else. Records of endemics have included nine marsupials, 13 birds, 24 reptiles, 23 frogs, and a huge diversity of invertebrates. Almost 80% of these endemics have been recorded in the Greater Daintree region, widely recognised as one of the major areas of biological diversity in the Wet Tropics. In particular, the lower Daintree River and Daintree valley south of the Daintree River are among the richest bird-life areas in the Wet Tropics. The beautiful Buff-breasted ParadiseKingfisher (pictured) breeds in Daintree rainforests during the wet season. The Daintree River was named for Richard Daintree by his offsider, George E. Dalrymple, who considered it “the finest tropical river he had seen”. English, Cambridge-educated Richard Daintree, while living in Australia’s Victoria in the 1860s, is considered the first geologist to venture into North Queensland. Later, he was appointed Government Geologist for North Queensland. In 1871, he and his family returned to London, after which Dalrymple named the River in his honour. Years later, Richard Daintree’s name was given to the Daintree Rainforest, Daintree National Park and the World Heritage Area. Sadly, it is believed Richard Daintree never saw the region that was named after him. JENNIFER H. MUIR 19
Stalked-gilled fungi
Pluteus petasatus Some of the best-known fungi have an umbrella-like structure with gills underneath. This is a huge group of disparate species placed in over 30 families and with dozens of genera and species being described almost daily. There are also at least eight extinct genera known only from the fossil record. They range from the common edible mushroom (Agaricus bisporus), found in nearly all food stores, to the deadly Destroying Angel (Amanita phalloides); the white-spotted red Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria) pictured in many kids’ books, usually with fairies attached; and the various glowin-the dark (bioluminescent) mushrooms. There are lots of definitions of which species is a mushroom and which is a toadstool. All these definitions are completely inaccurate. The only definition that works is that if it kills you or makes you very sick it was probably a toadstool but by then it’s too late, so don’t eat it in the first place! A common joke among people who study fungi is that you can eat any of them once but always keep at least one uncooked so the coroner can identify it! Many mushrooms are not closely related to each other but have similar form; usually of a stalk with an umbrellashaped cap which has gills on the underside (although there are a few that break these rules). The use of gills to produce the spores is very efficient, as spores are produced over a
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BARRY MUIR very large surface area of the gills, much more than would be possible with just a flat underside like an umbrella. The whole purpose of a fungal fruit body is to reproduce, with the spores carried away by air currents, animals or water and, with any luck, to land in a suitable location to germinate and start a new organism (the hyphae). The odds of any individual spore having this kind of luck, however, are so low that the mushroom produces millions of spores to compensate. The gills of the fungus shown below are made of hyphae and are covered with thousands of microscopic structures called basidia (singular: basidium) and each one of these has a number of spores attached on little stalks at the top. When conditions are right the spores are fired off the basidia and drift away on the wind. Many species appear only occasionally while others can be relied upon to appear every year or every time it rains. There is even one species only discovered in 2005 that fruits underwater! One common large species in the Cairns Botanic Gardens is Chlorophyllum which grows up to 25cm across. Another, called Coprinus, is about 3cm across and beautifully delicate. It is common at any time of year in the Gardens in areas that are irrigated. It appears to be undescribed but the group in which it belongs is a taxonomic shambles so watch this space. Another very common fungus in the Garden is Pluteus petasatus. They pop up everywhere and are probably the fruit of one or two enormous hyphal networks. To make it even more interesting, each year when it comes up it appears to have differences in its microscopic characters! Very confusing.
Coprinus
GaPforce FeBruarY 2020
Derek cleaning out the weed trailer at Cattana Wetlands.
Drew removing Guinea Grass at Cattana Wetlands.
Gapforce planting at the ‘Salties’ reveg site at Mt Whitfield’s Yellow Arrow trail head.
Alice and Odile planting at Mt Whitfield’s Yellow Arrow trail head.
Gapforce joined forces with Tracks ‘n’ Trails to control Lantana on Mt Whitfield’s Blue Arrow track.
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Tropical Fruits Sugarworld Acerola Barbados Cherry Malpighia glabra There is a beautiful avenue of 16 trees at the Sugarworld Botanic Gardens’ tropical fruit tree orchid, all bearing fruit. Although many are quite high, you can usually get enough for a sample taste before the birds find them. They are at the northern end of Sugarworld gardens, adjacent to the pathway. The fruit is typically round, juicy red and cherry-like with three lobes and fruits from December to March. They have an exceptionally high vitamin C content and are typically eaten raw or made into jellies and jams. The plant is believed to have originated in Texas and spread to Mexico, Central America and throughout the Caribbean. It has been successfully introduced in sub-tropical areas throughout the world. The tree tolerates drought, and foliage drops during water stress, however the tree recovers well.
FRAN LINDSAY President, Friends of Sugarworld Botanic Garden Inc. 22
Ngai-kungo-i People Inc. members who have been restoring Moody Creek, from left Phillip Barlow, Elizabeth Knudsen, Mahli Barlow and Luke Fat.
Moody Creek transformed Ngai-kungo-i People Inc. is a family corporation who believe that every life matters, no matter who you are or where you come from. Incorporation president, Kim Barlow (picture right) says, “We all need water and without it there is no life, no existence for any living thing. “We are working on ‘A Restoration Journey’ which is a project that aims to restore our waterways by cleaning and revegetating our creeks and river beds for now and future generations.” The ‘journey’ began at Moody Creek in Manoora with the family spending months litter collecting, pruning, weeding, brushcutting, mowing and planting to create an incredible transformation.
Kim Barlow
After spending months restoring the Moody Creek area, the Ngai-kungo-i People replanted with native plants.
Bird Tours
Friends’ Garden Tours
Friends’ member John Seale provides guided birding tours in the Cairns Botanic Gardens every Tuesday, leaving at 8.30am from the Friends House.
Discover the Cairns Botanic Garden and its vast array of tropical plants Monday to Friday leaving from the Friends House at 10am. Contact the Friends House 4032 3900 for further details.
Heritage Tours Did you know the Tanks Art Centre tanks were used to store oil? Come along and learn all about the Cairns Botanic Gardens and Tanks Art Centre history with the Green Space Our Place
volunteers. Tours leave at 10am on Tuesdays and Thursdays from the Botanic Gardens Visitor Centre.
Friends’ Plant Sales Trolley Plant Sales: Wednesday morning from 9.30am11.30am outside the Friends House, Flecker Gardens. Pre-Easter Sale: Sunday 5 April 8am-noon in the staff amenities behind Friends House. Carnival on Collins: Sunday 6 September 8am-noon December Plant Sale: Sunday 6 December 8am-noon
JOIN THE FRIENDS
Friends of the Botanic Gardens, Cairns Membership details - phone 4032 3900 or email info@botanicfriendscairns.org.au After joining you can support the Friends in many ways: as a committee member, in the Friends Shop, as a tour guide or assisting with events.
Friends of Sugarworld Botanic Gardens Contact Fran Lindsay frantastic10@bigpond.com
Newsletter contributions: Please submit articles (must be volunteer or nature based) by the first week of May for the next quarterly publication in June. Email: l.grandy@cairns.qld.gov.au Please note articles are subject to editing.
Like us on Facebook to keep up to date with all events or visit our websites: - Green Space Our Place - Cairns Botanic Gardens - Friends of the Botanic Gardens
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Green Space Our Place
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 Thursday (once a month) - Sugarworld Gardeners & Friends Fridays - Saltwater Creek ‘Salties’ 9am-noon Wednesdays and Fridays - Tracks ‘n’ Trails 9am-noon Children’s Nature Activities Program - Little Taccas - Botanic Gardens and Sugarworld Parklands Visitor Enhancement Volunteers - rostered hours to suit individual History Tour Guides - Tuesday and Thursday 10am Plant Collection Database volunteers - hours to suit individual
Interested in becoming involved with your local park, reserve or tracks in your community? Contact us to register as a Council volunteer and be involved in beautifying your park (enhance planting, weed management, litter clean-up), reporting on issues (graffiti and vandalism, anti-social behaviour, maintenance issues) and building community participation (networking activities) with Council support. If you are interested in supporting any of our weekly groups or volunteering in your local area contact Volunteers Supervisor Louisa Grandy 4032 6648 or email greenspaceourplace@cairns.qld.gov.au 23
Green Space Our Place