Samford Eco-Corridor

Bushcare Sunday 14 June 2-4 pm - big turnout needed

Our next Council-assisted bushcare working bee will be held from 2 to 4 pm am this Sunday 14 June (our Bushcare Officer will be Stefan Hattingh). We will be planting native grasses on the hillside planting P3 plus some additional understorey plants in rainforest zones P1 and P2 (a total of 180 plants). This is to meet our commitment under our CMB Healthy Environment Grant. We will need to ferry water from the tap at the tennis centre, so please bring a wheelbarrow and/or any 20L containers if you can.

After all the rain, and following the very low turnout in May, the weeds are running rampant right across the site, so a big turnout of volunteers is needed this month. Please come along and help us catch up lost ground. There is a slight chance of a drizzly shower for Sunday, but we will still go ahead regardless.

Please wear closed-in shoes, a long-sleeved shirt and pants, and we recommend wearing a hat and applying sunscreen and insect repellant (available on site).

Afternoon tea will be provided at the picnic site afterwards.

Just a reminder, our July bushcare will be on the first Sunday the 5 July, rather than the 12 July, to avoid the Samford Show.

New volunteers are always welcome. If you would like to become a volunteer at one of our working bees, please first contact the Council bushcare team at [email protected]. They will send you a volunteer agreement and a link for an online induction, which will greatly speed up the process on site. You can still just walk in if you prefer (but there would be an on-site induction before you start work).

Biodiversity workshop
On Friday 22 May, Samsonvale-based national charity People for Nature ran a workshop on biodiversity at the Eco-Corridor. The morning commenced with the Biodiversity Puzzle: an interactive game to better understand biodiversity, ecosystems, and the challenges linked to biodiversity loss. This covered threats to biodiversity such as habitat loss, introduced species, human impacts and climate change. Participants then learned about the aims of the Eco-Corridor project: improve biodiversity in the Parklands; enhance public amenity; raise awareness about threatened species and ecosystems; educate the community about local flora and fauna; provide models for landholder revegetation; and site monitoring using citizen science. Ken and Peter then helped attendees to plant 20 Richmond Birdwing Vines (Pararistolochia praevenosa), which are the host plant for the threatened Richmond Birdwing butterfly. We thank Donna Farrell who donated 5 of the vines and Matt Cecil of the Richmond Birdwing Conservation Network (a project of the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland) for 15 more. The vines were planted about 1 metre from a suitable tree (multi-trunked is ideal) and the stems wound anticlockwise up some biodegradable twine tied to the tree and held in the ground with a tent peg. We also planted some lomandras, which are the host plant for various skipper butterflies and Love Flowers (Pseuderanthemum variabile), which are the host plant for the Varied Eggfly and Leafwing butterflies. These plants were funded via a City of Moreton Bay Healthy Environment Grant. Afterwards everyone enjoyed a delicious lunch (kindly funded by People for Nature) at the picnic table. This is another example of the Eco-Corridor team collaborating closely with like-minded local groups.

Bird survey
On 20 May, our birders considered postponing the Eco-Corridor survey because of strong early morning westerlies, but were pleased they didn’t because they recorded 71 species in about 3 hours following the standard route. Small birds were again abundant, with all 3 species of local fairywrens, all 3 finches and all 3 ‘Little Brown Jobs’ (scrubwrens and thornbill) recorded. A large flock of Silvereyes included a few of the Tasmanian subspecies with brown flanks visiting for the winter. Other notable sightings included White-eared Monarch, Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove and a Square-tailed Kite hunting low over the canopy of the riparian zone. However, by far the biggest highlight was finding 4 Plum-headed finches feeding on seeding grasses near the NPWS buildings. Submitting our list to eBird triggered a rare bird alert, because this species is rarely recorded in Moreton Bay (it is usually found west of the D’Aguilar Range). This brings the number of species recorded on site to an impressive 164. Full details can be found on eBird: https://ebird.org/checklist/S342623837. We thank Tom Tarrant for supplying the fabulous photos of the Tasmanian subspecies of Silvereye, Tree Martin and male and female Plum-headed finch.

July bushcare date change
Just a heads up, our July bushcare will be held on the first Sunday of the month, the 5th July from 2-4 pm, rather than the second Sunday of the month. This is avoid clashing with the Samford Show.

Bushcare
On Sunday 17 May a couple of showers arrived just after lunchtime, so only 4 volunteers braved the elements for our Council-assisted afternoon bushcare session (thankfully the showers eased off after 2.30 pm). Regardless, we managed to plant, fertilise and water almost 200 of infill/understorey plants funded under the CMB Healthy Environment Grant. To speed up the process, on Saturday Jono from Bushtekniq and Peter had pre-dug the holes using augers. We filled in most of the gaps in the Lomandra border and planted some Bolwarra (Eupotamia laurina), Cunjevoi (Alocasia brisbanensis), Love Flower (Pseuderanthemum variabile) and palm-lilies (Cordyline stricta and petiolaris) in the understorey of P1. Lesley also carried out some essential weeding of Madeira Vine, Dutchman's Pipe and others at the Bowls Club end of rainforest planting P1. We didn't take many photos this month because we were flat out making sure we got all the tubestock planted and watered. We cancelled afternoon tea because the showers seemed too unpredictable. The wonderful rain we have since Sunday will give the new plants a fabulous start.

Bushcare Sunday 17 May, 2-4pm
Our next Council-assisted bushcare working bee will be held from 2 to 4 pm am this Sunday 17 May (our Bushcare officer will be Debbie McQuattie). We aim to plant more lomandras along the border of the Ecotrail and infill and understorey shrubs in the rainforest zones, as well as doing further weeding in riverbank planting P4. There is a forecast of showers for Sunday, but we will still go ahead if they are isolated and infrequent: we suggest you check the radar before you depart. If the forecast worsens, we may postpone via email and social media.

Please wear closed-in shoes, a long-sleeved shirt and pants, and we recommend wearing a hat and applying sunscreen and insect repellant (available on site).

Afternoon tea will be provided at the picnic site afterwards.

New volunteers are always welcome. If you would like to become a volunteer at one of our working bees, please first contact the Council bushcare team at [email protected]. They will send you a volunteer agreement and a link for an online induction, which will greatly speed up the process on site. You can still just walk in if you prefer (but there would be an on-site induction before you start work).

RiverWatch

On Thursday 7 May, Samford Eco-Corridor volunteers joined Lou from PRCA to undertake the May 2026 RiverWatch comprehensive survey of the Eco-Corridor and Showgrounds Drive sites on the South Pine River. The group undertook habitat assessments and several samples including surface water quality (physiochemical parameters and grab sampling) and aquatic macroinvertebrate sampling along the edge, bed and riffle zones of the river sites.

The macroinvertebrate specimens collected from each site are preserved and taken to the PRCA lab, where they will be identified to the lowest practical taxonomic level.

Peter's first 7 photos show the team sampling at the Eco-Corridor site and the last 3 show the Showgrounds Drive, Highvale site. If you look closely at the net sample, you may be able to spot a dragonfly larva and a freshwater prawn.

For further information on the RiverWatch Pine Rivers program please visit the following link for the 2024-25 report https://prca.org.au/riverwatch-pine-rivers/. This project is sponsored by Samford Community Bank.

Bird survey
On 14 April, our birders broke the record for the number of species recorded on a monthly Eco-Corridor survey, at 74, and for the most birds counted, at 419. This was most unexpected, given that all the summer migrants have already left to head north (e.g. Dollarbird, Sacred Kingfisher, Channel-billed Cuckoo, Sahul Brush Cuckoo, Pacific Koel). Small birds were particularly abundant, with 40 Silvereyes and 20 each of Double-barred and Red-browed Finches, which is very pleasing. The Autumn migration was very evident, with several loose flocks of Noisy Friarbirds, and one of Little Friarbirds, flying northwards. Like last month, we saw an Azure Kingfisher perched in riverside vegetation in the remnant beyond the waterhole (see photo of habitat). Noteworthy flyovers included White-headed and Topknot Pigeons and Australian White and Straw-necked Ibis, White-breasted woodswallow and Tree Martin. Other notable sightings included all 3 local species of fairywrens (Superb, Variegated and Red-backed) and a pair of White-eared Monarchs with a juvenile in rainforest zone P2 and hillside planting P3. During morning tea, a pair of Brown Goshawks displayed overhead. We thank Tom Tarrant for the photos of the Grey Fantail, Red-browed Finch, male Superb Fairywren in non-breeding (= dull or eclipse) plumage and adult White-eared Monarch. Full details of the survey can be found on eBird: https://ebird.org/checklist/S321412565.

On the afternoon of 12 April, we had a modest turnout for our Council-assisted bushcare session. Given the very dry conditions for the past few weeks, our priority was to water the 150 plants we put in the ground in March, something we wouldn’t have expected to be doing at this time of year when there is normally good moisture in the soil. We had intended to plant another batch of infill/understorey plants as per the CMB Healthy Environment Grant but decided against it given that the soil was like dust as far down as we could dig. We did manage to do some weeding in riverbank planting P4, removing mostly Guinea Grass and Blue Billygoat W**d. Afterwards we had a delicious afternoon tea at the picnic table kindly provided by Karen on behalf of Samford Progress. We thank the volunteers who attended.

Just a reminder that all continuing volunteers should by now have completed their annual induction refresher online. New volunteers are always welcome. If you would like to become a volunteer at one of our working bees, we suggest you first contact the Council bushcare team at [email protected]. They will send you a volunteer agreement and a link for an online induction, which will greatly speed up the process on site. You can still just walk in if you prefer (but there would be an on-site induction before you start work).

Bushcare Sunday 12 April 2-4pm
Our next Council-assisted bushcare working bee will be held from 2 to 4 pm am this Sunday 12 April. Our original plan was to plant more infill and understorey shrubs throughout the site, as well as doing further weeding in riverbank planting P4. However, the very dry conditions since we planted the last batch in March means that our highest priority will be watering those 150 plants in P2, along the Ecotrail and in P4. Unfortunately, the Council water trailer is not available on Sunday, so Bushcare Officer Stefan will only be able to bring 120 L in containers, which we will have to refill. If you have any large water containers that you can fill and bring along it would be helpful. If time and volunteer numbers permit, we will also continue planting and watering our Lomandra border along the Eco-Trail.

Please wear closed-in shoes, a long-sleeved shirt and pants, and we recommend wearing a hat and applying sunscreen and insect repellant (available on site).

Afternoon tea will be provided at the picnic site afterwards.

New volunteers are always welcome. If you would like to become a volunteer at one of our working bees, please first contact the Council bushcare team at [email protected]. They will send you a volunteer agreement and a link for an online induction, which will greatly speed up the process on site. You can still just walk in if you prefer (but there would be an on-site induction before you start work).