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Transition the Grove Inc.

Community Transition - adapting to the emerging future

Category: Environment

Fauna – Birds & Butterflies

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Birds::

  • Some locals regularly feed parrots and they flock in large numbers at feeding times in Lanita Rd and Archdale Rd (sulphur crested cockatoos pink and grey galahs Major Mitchell cockatoos king parrots).
  • Rainbow and scaly-breasted lorikeets roost in large numbers each evening in the trees around the Ferny Grove Railway Station.
  • Bush stone-curlews can be heard in the local streets at night.
  • The Grove is alive with the sound of bird-song each morning.
  • Scrub turkeys (bush turkeys) are a common pest in gardens as increasingly are noisy mynas.
  • A Native Bird Rescue Service is operated in Ferny Hills by Len 3351 4068 or 0417 193 573
Posted in Environment |

Fauna – Spiders & Snakes

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Snakes::

  • Queensland Reptile and Amphibian Club meets at the Queensland Museum South Brisbane Queensland Theatre level 2 every 2nd Wednesday of every second month at 7.30pm. Contact Secretary Alma Searle  3200 0266
  • If bitten:
assume venomous and phone 000 immediately stay calm and don’t move as movement increases heart rate and causes lymph flow which carries the venom around the body avoid washing the wound as hospitals can test the bandage for poison and may be able to identify the type of snake bandage over the snake bit firmly and then work the bandage right up the limb

Snakes potentially resident in The Grove

Carpet Python

Red-bellied read more

Posted in Environment |

Pests and weeds

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Pests::

Department of Natural Resources and Mines Pest Management and Pest fact sheets

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  • Freshwater mosquitos
  • Cane toads
  • Feral cats
  • Wild dogs
  • European fox
  • Red-eared slider turtle
    • Contact Department of Natural Resources and Mines 1800 999 367
    Rabbits Yellow crazy ants Common myna birds European honey bees Deer Exotic aquarium fish  (guppies platys swordtails mosquitofish (gambusia) tilapia carp/goldfish)
    • Ring Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries to report or identify 13 25 23
    • You can help by using only native fish in your aquarium (crimson spotted rainbow fish pacific blue eye firetail gudgeon eel-tailed catfish). They are great for reducing mosquitos.
    Termites Rats and mice Scrub turkeys Exotic aquatic weeds (salvinia senegal tea alligator weed water hyacinth water lettuce cabomba)

    ||||Weeds::

    Many weeds threaten our local bushlands and waterways.

    ||||Suggestions for eradicating weeds::

    • Hand weeding. Make sure the whole root is removed or most weeds will grow again.
    • Mattock scraping. Khaki weed bindi and low ground covers usually in the grass.
    • Heavily mulch.
    • Smother in black plastic.
    • Collect seeds and seed heads of annuals.
    • Broad spray with herbicide. e.g. Glyphosate – systemic Dicamba – selective. Read and follow all instructions.
    • 90% concentration of Glyphosate (diluted with water 10%)
      • Cut and paint (wild tobacco devil’s fig castor oil)
      • Scrape and paint (vines)
      • Double scrap back to back (Chinese Elm Easter Cassia Ochna)
      • Drill and fill (Camphor Laurel Jacaranda Cadaghi)
      • Frill and squirt
      • Chemical ringbarking (Leucaena)
      Glove of death. Cloth glove over latex glove. Dip in prepared herbicide (10ml herbicide to 1 litre of water. Rub on leaves and stalks (Nutgrass). Tongs of terros. Attach a small piece (aprox. 1.5cm x 5cm) of kitchen sponge to the inside of each tong of a pair of kitchen tongs using an elastic band. Dip in prepared herbicide (10ml herbicide to 1litre of water) and lightly pinch target weeds. Boiling salty water (paths and pavers). Be very careful not to scald yourself. Bend and paint. Bend the stalk until it snaps once but is still attached then dab concentrated herbicide on the bend. (Groundsel bush) Make a weed tea. Place weeds in a perforated bucket in a larger bucket of water or use a hessian bag. When weeds rot and stop smelling remove fermented weeds dilute remaining liquid by adding 10 parts water to 1 part liquid. Use as a spray-on fertiliser. Sheet mulch. Cover weeds with organic fertilizer and cover with newspaper at least six (6) sheets thick and overlapping by at least 15cm. Cover the sheets with mulch and leave for at least a month before planting. Dig weeds in. Dig emerging weeds in with a mattock before seeds form (green mulch) Plant fast-growing appropriate native species Eat them! (refer: Tim Low’s “Wild Herbs”) Vinegar and salt. 2 litres of vinegar and 1 cup salt. Spray on weeds in brick paving.

      ||||Non-invasive read more

Posted in Environment |