Moggill Creek Catchment Group (MCCG) Tree Planting on Sunday 23 rd August 2020
The Huntington/Tuckett bushcare group looks after a section of the ‘riparian zone’ of Moggill Creek
that extends from the footbridge at the bottom of Branton St. Kenmore Hills through the parklands
to Rafting Ground Rd. The group has been operating for about 20 years and during that time has
planted most of the trees that can be seen in the area. On the morning of Sunday 23 rd August, we
planted another 420 native trees and shrubs in two locations that had previously been occupied
mainly by weeds.
One of our regular working bee members, Baheret Sabet had asked us to organise a special tree
planting to commemorate the centenary of the arrival in Australia of the Bahá’í community, of which
she is a member. We had planned to host around 20 of their local youth group at the planting, but at
the last minute this had to be curtailed due to an announcement from the Queensland Premier the
previous day that stricter Covid-19 restrictions were being implemented, limiting numbers at
outdoor gatherings to 10. However, with some rather frantic last-minute reorganisation, we were
able to proceed with the planting, albeit with a reduced participation to comply with the new
restrictions (see photos).
A new member of the group, Julian Tuckett, who attended the working bee with his daughter
Martina, has a historical connection to the area. They recently moved to Brisbane from north
Queensland. Julian’s great grandfather, who gave his name to Tuckett St., was the owner of the dairy
farm that used to occupy much of the area where the bushcare group now operates. Julian and
Martina are now helping us to return at least some of the land to the native forest that dominated
the area prior to logging and land clearing in the 19 th and early 20 th centuries!
Jim Pope
Chairman, Moggill Creek Catchment Group

The next working bee will be on Sunday 23^rd August. We will have over 400 native trees and shrubs to plant at an area in the parklands opposite Kensington Circuit, Brookfield. The site, which is opposite 41 Kensington Circuit, is about 300m upstream from the ‘dog off leash’ area and can be accessed either from Kensington Circuit or by parking at the bottom of Branton St., Kenmore Hills and walking across the footbridge, then turning right and following the path for about 300m.

We will meet on-site at 8.30am. I am hoping for a big turn-out but  we do need to know numbers beforehand to manage social distancing requirements. If you plan to join please email Jim [email protected]

Please try to arrive on time, thank you.

In 2006 Moggill Creek Catchment Group (MCCG) received a grant from Australia’s Open Garden
Scheme to establish a ‘Bush Tucker’ Garden behind the Brookfield Produce Store at the end of
Rafting Ground Road. With the permission of the then owners of the store, two 20,000 litre water
tanks were in stalled at the back of the store to provide water, both for the garden and for MCCGs
bushcare groups. The idea of the ‘Bush Tucker’ Garden was to provide an opportunity for MCCG
members and local residents to become familiar with a range of plant species that were used to
provide food for the traditional Aboriginal owners of the land. Unfortunately, in recent years, due to
lack of maintenance, the garden had become overgrown with exotic vines such as glycine, Madeira
vine and balloon vine, as well as other weeds.

Having learned only recently of the existence of this ‘Bush Tucker’ Garden, MCCG Chairman Jim Pope
decided to organise a special working bee to start to clear out the weeds and clean up the site. On
Sunday 9 th August, a group of 22 volunteers gathered at the site (with appropriate ‘social
distancing’), to start the work. About half the group were young people from a local Baha’i youth
group called the ‘Brookfield Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program (Brookfield JYSEP)’, who
despite little previous experience of bushcare work, proved of great assistance in the task. The area
is now largely clear of weeds, but will require some ongoing support to replace species that had
been smothered by the weeds and to maintain it weed-free in future. With the agreement of the
current management of the Brookfield Produce Store it is hoped to restore it to its former glory and
encourage local residents and school groups etc. to visit the area and learn more about foodstuffs
that the first Australians included in their diet.

If anyone would like to volunteer to assist with the upkeep of the ‘Bush Tucker’ Garden please
contact Jim Pope ([email protected]). We need 3-4 people to meet at the site for 2-3 hours once a
month to re-plant the missing species and keep the area well maintained. No previous experience is
necessary and tools etc. will be provided.

Plaque commemorating establishment of the ‘Bush Tucker’ Garden in 2006

Volunteers at the working bee on 9 th August

Before                                                                                                     After

Before                                                                                                    After

THECA will be holding a wildlife show run by well-known wildlife expert Martin Fingland, of “Geckoes Wildlife”, on Sunday 16 August. Come and meet a range of Australian native animals, and learn fascinating things about them.

Martin will run 2 consecutive one-hour sessions, the first starting at 9.30am, the second at 10.45am.  Book for one or both. This event is great for families, especially children.

As COVID19 means that numbers are an issue, booking is essential. Please RSVP to Margaret Palmer on [email protected], stating which session you wish to attend, and providing the number of people coming and their contact details. Please note that the event is subject to rules surrounding gatherings, which may change without warning.

THIS EVENT IS FREE FOR THECA MEMBERS. For others, please pay $10 per family at the door. For further information on Geckoes Wildlife, please go to their website at www.geckoeswildlife.com.au.

Cold mornings and the pandemic haven’t stopped MCCG member Ed Frazer from getting out to monitor platypus populations in Gold Creek!

Ed has been monitoring the platypus in two big pools on his property for the past twelve months.

You may recall his articles from late last year about a family with two babies.

Ed has continued to observe the youngsters and you’ll be pleased to know the wounds on the one which was attacked have now repaired.

At one point Ed was so concerned he consulted with Dr Chris Hosking. Her advice was to monitor the platypus closely and fortunately this has paid off.

But: are the youngsters still there?

To find out more and for a marvellous read about Ed’s platypus families, please head to our latest Bush Bites feature:  Platypus watch August 2020

Our sincere thanks to Ed for his ongoing contributions to the website, and to the MCCG in general.

Don’t forget to sign up to join Dr Hosking’s Platypus Survey on Sunday 13 September.

For more info, please click here.

© Ed Frazer 

Test your skills each month with  Jim Butler’s Wildlife Identification Quiz!

You’ll find Know Your Wildlife towards the back of every month’s The Local Bulletin.

We will provide the answers to each quiz right here in the first or second week of every month!

So, do you have your answers ready for the August quiz?  The correct answers is:

Number 3, Channel-billed Cuckoo.

ps: If you need some help, we’d recommend searching our digital field guides! Open them from the side menu:

These alphabetical lists provide a wealth of local information about wildlife. They feature thumb-nail images which expand to a larger view when you click upon them.

Keep an eye out for next month’s quiz!