Fun in the Sun Pollinator Link Bushcare Sunday 29th Aug

By: Laurie Deacon

When do we have fun? We meet last Sunday of the Month from 3pm to 5 pm, with Tea and Cakes and pack up after. Sometimes we do outdoor games or Yoga on the green until sunset.

Location: Mount Gravatt State High School Ovals

Number of Volunteers: there were 9 attendees and 8 Apologies on the day. Six new locals came today for the first time. And we had a lass nine years old who had come with her Grandma when she was 8 months old and planted a tree!!

Total Number of hours gardening in Bird Bee Butterfly Corridor on Sunday Total 29.5 Hours. (Number of attendees x hours spent)

Bushcare activities done on Sunday Arvo 29th Aug 2021.

Orientation of Volunteers to Bushcare and aims of creating a Pollinator Link Corridor for our Suburban health!
Weeding Guinea grass and Mother of Million plants and we got 20 Bushel bags full!
Mulching after weeding site to keep weeds down.
Teaching locals about weed identification and how to reduce them.
Teaching correct way to plant natives to survive.
Teaching children about Pale-headed Rosella Platycercus adscitus birds who live in the School and what they look like and sound like so they can spot them.
Children enjoyed learning about Butterflies and hanging Woodened Butterfly’s art in the Corridor made by Men’s Shed Mount Gravatt.
Planted two trees brought by a local who had just gained her Citizenship and was given the plants as part of the Ceremony; She wanted to plant the bottle brush trees in “Bird Bee Butterfly” Corridor for all to enjoy for the Future!
Live Music: a Flute played by local to practise for her Concert.
Socialising, storytelling about “our hood”, welcoming and making friends with new neighbours.

Number of plants put into the Corridor: Two trees a Bottle brush and a Black Bean. We were preparing the site ready for a larger Spring Planting on Sept 21.

Worthy Hearts and Minds moments of the Day:

We had a young lass join in, now nine years old, who had come previously with her Grandma and planted a tree 8 years ago, when she was 12 months old! I still have her baby photo planting with her Gran and her Mum. “

We had a lovely local lady who planted her two trees given to her at her Citizenship Ceremony; She wanted to plant the bottle brush trees in “Bird Bee Butterfly” Corridor for people all to enjoy into the Future!

Wildlife seen or heard: 2 Pale-headed Rosellas; Plovers, Noisy Miner Manorina melanocephala, kookaburras, magpies. No obvious butterflies or reptiles seen this time.

Science Reading FYI: Next time you see a butterfly, treasure the memory: scientists raise alarm on these 26 species (theconversation.com)

Learnings for Kids FYI : Curious Kids: Do butterflies remember being caterpillars? (theconversation.com)

Thanks to the following good folks:

Norman Creek Catchment and Bulimba Creek catchment Groups for your scientific support (eg tools, plants, knowledge, insurance)
For the MG SHS School Groundsmen for their help in our Combined Beautification projects for their school,
For the MG SHS Principal and Community Liaison Officer who understand that local community can build health and wealth into schools for the benefit of all.
Neighbours and friends who make it all possible.