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Evening Talk – June 27th: Myrtle Rust – a growing problem.

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Tuesday 27 June 2023 (6:30pm, for 7:pm start)

Kenmore Library

Refreshments provided

Myrtle Rust – a growing problem.

Plants from the Myrtaceae family are iconic in the Australian native environment, with gum trees, lilly pillys, tea trees, and paper barks well loved by gardeners and bushwalkers alike. However, over the last few years, you may have noticed a new disease on one of your favourite Myrtaceae plants, the orange/ yellow spores of myrtle rust (Austropuccinia psidii). This short talk with provide some background on the pathogen, it’s history in Australia and impacts so far, in addition to some early results from research undertaken as part of my PhD studies in a wet sclerophyll forest that has experienced high levels of tree mortality due to myrtle rust.

Kristy Stevenson, The University of Queensland

Background:

Kristy is a PhD candidate at the University of Queensland, her research interests are in disturbance and restoration ecology in native forest systems. She completed her undergraduate studies in agricultural science at the University of Tasmania.

Myrtle-Rust-on-Rhodamnia-maideniana-photo-Kristy-Stevenson

Myrtle Rust on Rhodamnia maideniana  photo: Kristy Stevenson

Bush Bites with Ed Frazer

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Prized Aquarium Fishes in Local Creeks

We have two small fish in Gold and Moggill Creeks that have hit the world stage as popular aquarium fish.

They are the Pacific Blue Eye,  Pseudomugil signifier, and the Southern Rainbow fish,Melanotaenia duboulayi, previously named M. splendida fluviatilis.

They are interesting both for their attractiveness and their unusual reproduction.

They come from a group of Rainbow Fish that are predominantly found in northern Australia and Papua New Guinea and have been gaining interest in the Aquarium hobby particularly in Germany, which has the largest number of Aquarium hobbyists in the world.

Pacific-Blue-Eye-Pseudomugil-signifer

Pacific Blue Eye Pseudomugil signifer

They spawn in the warmer months and quite large numbers can be found in the more vegetated reaches of our creeks. Unlike most freshwater fish they lay a small number of eggs every day over several days rather than a big spawning in one go.  The eggs take several days to hatch and are sometmes exchanged by hobbyists by post wrapped in tissues or in peat moss.

In our creeks they eat a wide range of small crustaceans, mosquito larvae, midge larvae and small worms. They are ideal fish for outdoor ponds and farm dams and can cope well with our winter temperatures.

Southern-Rainbowfish-Melanotaenia-duboulayi

Southern Rainbowfish Melanotaenia duboulayi

In recent years many other Blue Eyes and Rainbows have been discovered in Australia and PNG and we have a club devoted to their preservation, ANGFA (Australia and New Guinea Fish Association).

It is interesting that we have two local fish that are prized overseas. Protecting the quality of our local waterways is essential to preserve these popular aquarium fish in their natural habitat.

Words and photos by Ed Frazer

The Winter Newsletter is out now!

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Another fabulous edition put together by Cathi and contributed to by many Moggill Creek Catchment Group members.  Find out what has been happening, what’s coming up, hear from Dr Karl answering a suite of catchment related questions, there are frogs, fish, native Plumbago, meet one of our new Committee Members Simon English and there is so much more!

Click on the link and enjoy the read …

Newsletter snippet

Tree planting fun in Brookfield

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Our recent Moggill Creek Catchment Group (MCCG) ‘Huntington/Tuckett’ bushcare group working bee was a great success, with a total of 36 volunteers participating in tree planting on an area of parkland behind Brompton Place in Brookfield. The riparian zone of Moggill Creek between the Branton Street footbridge and Tuckett Street park is dominated by exotic Chinese elms (Celtis sinensis) weed trees, which create such dense shading that they suppress the growth of native species. This part of Moggill Creek is important because it is platypus habitat. With the assistance of Brisbane City Council (Habitat Brisbane) our bushcare group has been gradually removing some of the larger Chinese elms and replacing them with native vegetation. On this occasion we planted almost 200 native trees and shrubs. We were assisted in the work by members the local Baha’i youth group, as well as our normal hardy bunch of dedicated volunteers. The kids all seemed to have a lot of fun, while learning about how to plant trees and care for the parkland. When the work was completed, we all enjoyed a delicious morning tea that included some home-made vegetable soup prepared by one of our regular volunteers.

The Huntington/Tuckett bushcare group (as well as others throughout the catchment) arealways seeking new volunteers across all generations and skill levels. Much of the work involves keeping our plantings free from exotic weeds that otherwise would smother the native trees and shrubs if not kept at bay while the native plants establish themselves. The group meets once a month on a Sunday morning for working bees between 8.30am to 11.00am. Working bee sites can range from the Branton Street bridge upstream all the way to Rafting Ground Road. No previous experience is necessary. We provide hand tools and work gloves etc. and always finish up with a refreshing morning tea and an opportunity to socialise, meet new people and catch up with old friends. For more details on the Moggill Creek Catchment Group or our other working bees across the catchment visit us at moggillcreek.org.au, moggillcreek.org.au/working_bee_calendar/, or contact[email protected].

Jim PopeHuntington Tuckett Working Bee

Huntington Tuckett Working Bee

Huntington Tuckett Working Bee

Could you be an MCCG Micro Volunteer?

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Have you ever thought about volunteering but weren’t sure when, how or what to expect!? Try MICRO-VOLUNTEERING!
It’s the perfect sample-size chunks to test the waters and suit our busy lifestyles. A little adds a lot!
Did you know that MCCG relies 100% on volunteer effort. Last year MCCG volunteers contributed over 7000+ hours and we’d love to have your support to our growing community.
Not only is it great for the creek and the local environment it’s also a great sense of achievement, social engagement, citizen science and of course our mental health.  Research has found that volunteers and members of volunteer groups feel a strong sense of support and inclusion in their community.
Opportunities exist for ALL skills, interests and ages. Event planning and coordination, community engagement, bushcare, seed collection and propagation, AV and equipment setup, social media management and content, newsletter article contributions, photography, platypus surveying, water quality monitoring, governance, membership management, IT support, general admin, finance management, grant writing, project management, statistics, graphic design, website maintenance and more… we do it all, with volunteers JUST LIKE YOU!
A BIG thank you to our existing 150+ volunteers!!
To find out more contact us today! Email [email protected]
Volunteer
Volunteer
Volunteer
Volunteer
Volunteer

Know Your Wildlife!

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How well do you know the local wildlife? You are invited to meet the Wildlife Identification Challenge!

CAN you identify these pigeons and doves of Moggill Creek using the Digital Field Guides?

Which of them has a specialised feather in its wing that makes a distinctive sound when it takes off?

Crested Pigeon Ed Frazer

Emerald Dove Ed Frazer

Wonga Pigeon Ed Frazer

Answers:

Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes)

Emerald Dove (Chalcophaps longirostris)

Wonga Pigeon (Leucosarcia melanoleuca)

 

The Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes) has a specialised feather in its wing that makes a distinctive sound when it takes off.

All photos by Ed Frazer

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