Robert Standish-White: Kedron Brook Catchment Branch of Wildlife Queensland – a fairly small branch. Wildlife Queensland goes all over the state. We have over the years achieved quite a lot. One of the first things our founders did was get the Great Barrier Reef declared. Our little branch is urban but in a way we’re really special in having a complete catchment to look at from up here in the hills all the way to the sea. There are still some very significant remnant patches left. The most unspoiled are up here in the hills. Our aims is to encourage interest in wildlife (not just koalas and lizards). The main focus is habitat for wildlife looking for more habitat up and down the catchment. Mountains to Mangroves slogan we’re keen on encouraging. Connectivity is really important for wildlife. We look at what is degraded. Small birds and koalas can only migrate along the ground. The Creek line is pretty much the only path for migration left in the urban environment.
The next important thing is gathering knowledge (rather than making decisions on ‘gut’ knowledge). It can sound boring but it is quite fun. For example the Fish Snapshot done each year we go and sample the water record the condition of the banks trap the little fish there and record them so there is the beginnings of a database for decision-making. There is Platypus-Watch Quoll-Watch Seagrass-Watch so when the need comes to argue your case developers come along we have the knowledge there to argue the case. We encourage our members to get involved and lobby our local councillors. We get involved along the Brook with a fair amount of the infrastructure that’s happening such as the Airport. We try to get involved very early with the interest and consultation groups to try to move the elephant a bit more towards better results. Then obviously getting action happening getting out and getting people involved. We call ourselves a ‘Network’ like a connected network you’re not working on your own. Bushcare Groups are on our website. We work with Brisbane City Council. Anna Bourke is our Ranger. We invent the projects and get help to push them forward. Bushcare Regeneration R2. We work with things like Clean Up Australia Day. We look for grants – we’re in the grant hunt. We’ve just come to an agreement with Queensland Rail in Ferny Hills. Wahminda Grove Bushcare Group has done some amazing work. We look on ourselves as being a ‘connectivity device’ – only about 20% of our group do the work. We are an engine to get things to happen. We work with Transition The Grove Healthy Waterways and all the other little catchment groups. It’s all a good means of staying connected with Council. We’re interested in the environment. We’re living in the environment so a better environment is good for all of us. We have an excellent website – Charles Ivin is our webmaster. We have a meeting with a speaker refreshments and chat at the Downfall Creek Reserve Centre every two months.
Book: Mangroves to Mountains.