A BRAIN excursion?

[Marina Novak]

Hi BRAINiacs

Well it's been a long time since we've had a get together and I imagine that everyone, like me, has been concentrating on their own backyards for awhile. We've been planting madly on our little patch and enjoying the little bits of rain that have kept the new plantings alive. The scrub turkeys have been driving us mad and we've resorted to tree guards and bamboo stakes for every single plant. I think the investment will be worth it in the long run as our survival rate has increased significantly.

I'm wondering what the level of interest is for an excursion or some other activity? An outdoors activity with social distancing should be pretty safe. 

If I get positive feedback, I'll organise something in August. Suggestions for a destination would be welcome. Bahrs Scrub has been suggested and Logan Council purchased a significant site there late last year. If anyone is familiar with the site or knows someone who does, please let me know and we'll see if we can get access and a guide for a walk.

If people would like a Zoom get together, I'm happy to organise that too. Just let me know what the level of interest is. 

Please post back to Brisrain or privately to me at marina...@gmail.com.

Enjoy the rain over the next few days.

Kind regards,

Marina

[PAUL DAVID MAY]

Yep. I'm interested!

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[John Moss]

Firstly guys:

Just to bring everybody up to scratch on the mysterious old tree at St John's Wood that the council guys were interested in identifying.

I visited my dentist at Ashgrove West yesterday, and getting a good run in from Capalaba, had some time to kill, so went to look for it. 

The park is located near Enoggera Ck at the intersection of Gresham & Royal Sts. It contains many old & historical trees that were planted in the early 1900's (and possibly late 1800's?). A resident I spoke to said that she has seen a photo of the area taken in 1930 that shows mature trees, viz: Bunya Pines, Blue Quandongs, Cadaghis, Flindersias and Lemon Scented Gums (actually the northern Corymbia citriodora and not our local Spotty Gums!).  

Due to the type of bark I considered it might have been a Taxodium species (North American Cypresses) but when i saw it and looked up from the same angle in the photo (with the background Flindersia schottiana pinnate leaves), I almost couldn't believe what I saw! 

The subject in question is a very old Camphor Laurel with dark brown flaky bark quite unlike the pale, smooth, compact, grooved bark that we usually see. Other massive natives are nearby and most would, like the C L, be over 100 years in age. 

Hopefully the council will preserve/protect them all and attach plaques with correct names, dates etc (which may well be the object of this exercise)? I will send a separate email to Andrew and Matthew.

Secondly: 

Spoke to Glenn Leiper this morning and mentioned your suggestion of a possible BRAIN excursion to the new Logan City Council purchase at Bahrs Scrub.

He said that the new site was actually Bahrs Hill and although near Bahrs Scrub was not nearly as interesting as the latter [still in private hands and difficult to get legal access to -- "they are suspicious of greenies"!]. He mentioned a R & T Croton species (C. mamillatus) in the DRF of the Hill but added that the best part is surrounded by tall Panic Grass and Lantana thicket and is very difficult to penetrate. Understandably Glenn has many other commitments and is not interested in returning to this site.

Next:

There is a Wallum and Coastal Heathland study group, as part of Native Plants Qld, of which I am a member.

Last Sunday our group visited a new Sunshine Coast Council land purchase at Landsborough near Australia Zoo. John Birbeck, who some of you may know, is the council's assessment and purchase officer and took us through this amazing 30 ha biodiverse site of tall mixed Wet Sclerophyll with heath, sedge and RF elements. Also present were a good range of birds and no doubt in a warmer season potential for many insects. 

If BRAIN wanted to visit I would be happy to help organise/lead it.

Finally:

Video type conference meetings can be useful especially for groups where there is some business to attend to.

My NPQ branch (Logan River) has been doing this, plus some separate Zoom presentations, as well as running a separate excursion a day or two after.

My U3A branch (Redlands) where I function as a tutor for Botany in the Bush, have until very recently been in complete recess, bar Zoom video talks where I have contributed a couple of PPP's on mistletoes, butterfly host plants etc and enjoyed others' various presentations.

Council seed collecting/propagation, creek crew and bushcare had completely shut down but expanded the frequency & content of their nature newsletter. Likewise, Qld Naturalist Club went into recess but also published more contributed articles etc, etc.

Marina, the above was a long way of saying YES to a Zoom element for our group which I'm happy to contribute to if you do the organising as you suggested! It needn't be on a regular basis and to cut out costs would only need to run for the free time limit.

Cheers for now,

John Moss

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[pg...@hotmail.com]

Hi Marina

Yes to an excursion and zoom too.  Before the virus intervened we had decided to go to an inner brisbane site but I now can't remember the place we chose. Do you have a note of this site?  If so that place could be a contender

Paul

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