Recently Completed Projects
NATIONAL TREE DAY 2024
In late 2023 and throughout 2024 the group has tended to the 2023 planting site and prepared the 2024 site. Mulching, mowing, spraying, staking and replacing damaged tree guards took place. Most of the plants were thriving, though some were damaged due to a tree fall and we suspect feral deer.
The 2024 site was an extension of the 2023 site, continuing along Barracks Creek towards Queanbeyan River.
The planting plan remained the same, strengthening and thickening the corridor along the creek towards the Queanbeyan River.
Site preparation focussed on weed control and ripping. We would like to thank and acknowledge Marc van Dyk from Black Earthworks & Civil who volunteered their time and machinery to rip the site. Members who regularly volunteered their time and energy include Glen & Alison Crawley, Ian Johnsson, Bruce Taloni, Dave Grey, Michele & Steve Dovers and Tom Baker. Also John, Kat, Joel, Lindsay and Di & Lindsay. QPRC helped with spraying and mulch supply. And Les Murray who along with Tom and Michele propagated many of the plants provided by Queanbeyan Landcare.
Sunday started with light rain, some hail and temperatures around 0 degree Celsius but the clouds soon cleared, and the wind dropped so a very pleasant working temperature. Over 100 Volunteers turned up and planted over 600 plants guided by our team of wonderful Supervisors. Once again many Community Groups joined the many local volunteers.
The logistics of the event were organised by staff at QPRC. They promoted the event, organised a bus to bring volunteers to the site, provided the tools, tree guards, stakes, mulch, gloves, first aid kits, the coffee van Bean Culture. Josie Grenfell from Food2Soil brought along a nutritious tonic for the plantings.
Queanbeyan Landcare’s tasks included site preparation, plant selection, plant placement and the identification of Supervisors who would guide the many volunteers on how to plant, where to plant, tree guard construction, watering and mulching. Once again Black Earthworks & Civil stepped in and provided a water truck for the event.
Over 600 plants were sourced:
279 from Queanbeyan Landcare (propagated by Tom, Michele or Les)
70 x Callistemon sieberi, River Bottlebrush
35 x Melalueca parvistaminea, River Melaleuca or Swampy Paperbark
65 x Gynatrix pulchella, Hemp Bush
20 x Kunzea ericoides, Burgan
35 x Dodonea viscosa, Hopbush
30 x Poa labillardieri, River Tussock
20 x Lomandra longifolia, Spiny Headed Matrush
4 x Callitris endlicheri, Black Cypress Pine
79 from Greening Australia (old stock, many root bound - free)
26 x Bursaria spinosa, Sweet Bursaria or Australian Blackthorn
41 x assorted Wattles, mainly Acacia mearnsii, Green Wattle and Acacia rubida, Red-stemmed Wattle
10 x Dodonea viscosa, hopbush
2 x Eucalypts (species unknown)
280 by QPRC
15 x Eucalyptus viminalis, Ribbon Gum
10 x Eucalyptus melliodora, Yellow Box
40 x Eucalyptus blakeleyi, Blakely’s Red Gum
35 x Casuarina cunninghamiana, River Sheoak
25 x Acacia mearnsii, Black Wattle
25 x Acacia dealbata, Silver Wattle
40 x Acacia pravissima, Ovens Wattle
10 x Callitris endlicheri, Black Cypress Pine
40 x Acacia rubida, Red-stemmed Wattle
20 x Acacia implexa, Hickory Wattle
20 x Acacia pycnantha, Golden Wattle
ENVIRONMENTAL NETWORKING EVENT
The Environmental Networking event with community groups, local environmental organisations and passionate members of our community was held on 5 June 2024.
Queanbeyan Landcare President Ian Johnson was one of those who participated.
QPRC’s waste team provided information about some of the challenges they are managing and the success of the food and organics (FOGO) collection that has been rolled out in Queanbeyan.
The Ecosystems and Threatened Species team from the NSW Government's Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water provided information about some of their current initiatives. This important work supports the recovery of threatened native species, including the flame robin and woodland birds and well as ecological communities.
Thank you to QPRC for organising the event and everyone who participated and shared information about environmental initiatives in our region.
Organisations that took part include:
ACT for Bees
Braidwood Urban Landcare
DCCEEW with NPWS
Canberra Nature Map (NatureMapr)
Molonglo Conservation Group
Molonglo Waterwatch (Upper Murrumbidgee Waterwatch)
Queanbeyan Landcare
Upper Murrumbidgee Catchment Network
QPRC Waste and Sustainability teams
WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY
The World Environment Day Education Walk on 2 June 2024 was a great success. Over 50 people turned up to Queanbeyan River to learn and share information about the history and ecology of the river.
The highlight was the fantastic display the platypus that lives just upstream of the Barracks Creek Bridge put on for the entire group.
Special thanks to our group leaders and organisers Steve, Tom, Michele and Ian. Also thanks to Jed from Waterwatch who provided a great display of the aquatic invertebrates that live in the water.
Local residents and members of the Field Naturalists Association of Canberra enjoyed the morning tea provided by QPRC who organised, promoted and participated in this event.
FIFTEEN TREES
A grant was received from the Fifteen Trees organisation in Victoria in late 2023 to co-fund the purchase of 1430 native trees, shrubs and grasses. 6 landholders in Carwoola participated sharing over 800 plants and the Wandiyali Restoration Trust planting approximately 600 plants. Cool Country Natives, Pialligo supplied the plants for delivery and planting in autumn 2024.
Ian Johnsson from Queanbeyan Landcare managed all aspects of this project including the grant application and reporting, co-payments, species selection, plant orders and delivery. Members advised on planting methods, supplied equipment and volunteered their labour.
The objectives of these plantings varied between landowners: e.g. restoring habitat lost in the 2017 Carwoola bushfire, expanding stands of existing native species vegetation to improve habitat for local vulnerable species, re-creating vegetation corridors, stabilising gully erosion and improving property values.
NATIONAL
TREE DAY 2023
Queanbeyan Landcare and Queanbeyan Palerang Regional Council worked together to plant 400 native trees, shrubs and grasses for National Tree Day on 30 July in 2023.
Over 160 volunteers joined the planting which took place at Barracks Flat Creek in Karabar, over an area of 600 square metres (seen above). The site was chosen as it reinforces a critical vegetation and habitat link between surrounding natural areas, achieves many of the goals identified in the QPRC Urban Forest Cooling Strategy, provides habitat and stabilisation along Barracks Creek, and has potential for extension including possible future National Tree Day plantings.
Members of Queanbeyan Landcare took account of the recent history of the site to develop a planting plan (Initial plan, history, and other observations). They viewed aerial images of the area from 2010 to 2023 and searched QPRC archives to identify what plantings had previously occurred on the site and who had been involved.
The final species list was determined with reference to publications from QPRC, Molonglo Conservation, the local knowledge of our members and an understanding of the plants most suitable to a warming climate. Some 400 plants were planted, staked and mulched, including several local Eucalypt species, along with wattles, tea-tree and other native shrubs, and a range of smaller shrubs and grasses. Many community groups and families from Queanbeyan and Canberra pitched in along with Queanbeyan Landcare Members and QPRC staff. It was a great day as the images below show.
References:
QPRC Urban Forest Cooling Strategy December 2021
QPRC Climate Change vulnerability of Urban Trees
Barracks Creek Aerial Maps 2010-2023
Gallery
Images © Bill Hall 2023
2022 Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Planting
Queanbeyan Landcare participated in the Planting of Trees for The Queen’s Jubilee Program which provided up to $15.1 million of grant funding to eligible groups and organisations for community-based tree planting events across Australia .
Queanbeyan Landcare's proposal for a Street Beautification Project at Fernleigh Park focussed on increasing the density of existing roadside plantings in Fernleigh. The planting took place on Sunday 23 October with details and photos of this event in the section, Current Projects - Fernleigh Park.
Queanbeyan Palerang Regional Council also organized a planting for this event. It was held on Sunday 6 November 2022 at Garryowen Park. See Our History and Achievements - West Queanbeyan Remnant Bushland. The flyer for the event is shown as is a poster QPRC developed to recognise the role of Queanbeyan Landcare in the history of Garryowen Park and reinforces the close ties between Queanbeyan Landcare and Council.
The formal commemorative event for both plantings was held at Garryowen Park. The ceremony, held on Friday 25 November 2022 included the unveiling of a plaque which is secured to a rock at the site entrance and the planting of a Grevillea.
A plaque for the site at Fernleigh was also presented and can be found attached to the Community Centre.
The Honorable Kristy McBain MP, Nicole Overall MP, Kenrick Winchester (mayor of QPRC), Esma Livermore (Deputy Mayor), members of QPRC and Queanbeyan Landcare and local residents attended. Kristy McBain and Esma Livermore spoke. Refreshments served included a Jubilee cake made by a local business.
Left to right: Nicole Overall MP, Honorable Kristy McBain MP, President Queanbeyan Landcare Bill Hall, Esma Livermore (Deputy Mayor).