This is the 16th Forum hosted by THECA. The first Forum was in 2000 on the topic Genetic Mix and Local Provenance: Implications for Bush Regeneration Projects.

Help us continue the tradition of sharing knowledge in the environmental sphere by registering for People Reconnecting with Nature here https://tinyurl.com/yc6fk9sn

THECA_2023_Forum_Flyer.pdf

See all the latest data and other updates here

Thank you to our members who attended the AGM on April 27th, or sent in proxies, we achieved a healthy quorum.

Greg Siepen (President) and Ian Ferguson (Treasurer) presented the highlights of 2021:

We had a variety of speakers throughout the year, bushcare bees at the bottom and top of the mountain, several children's holiday activities, visits by Chapel Hill State School preps, nest box workshop and grants delivering new nest boxes/ weather station, the creative Art Show display, a field trip for WWII history buffs, the 2022 Wild West Calendar and lastly a spotlightling and moth evening in December. These offerings are for the 100+ members who support THECA and make us a community hub. These activities would not be possible without the help of our volunteers, we always welcome newcomers (especially a Newsletter editor) :-)

Congratulations to Dawn Muir, Don Sands and Lyn Cole who are now Life Members, contributing so much to THECA over the years as dedicated volunteers.

We farewelled Margaret Palmer who has been the Secretary and Newsletter editor for so many years. Her editorial skills, calm approach and community spirit will be truly missed. We wish her happiness pursuing other interests.

After the AGM we enjoyed an excellent talk by Genevieve Deaconos from the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, taking us on a virtual tour of the properties they manage throughout Australia. 

The questions at the end were an indication of the high level of engagement with the topic. 

Please join us in making 2022 even better!

Please submit questions here https://tinyurl.com/yzb4rjh5

Species Spotlighting Special  

Maria Miller

December 15^th, 2021, from 7 - 10 p.m.

 What a great way to end a full year* by merging virtual and real worlds while investigating night critters in the forest.

Twenty-eight folks from across the SEQ community gathered for an evening of discoveries on the western side of Mt. Coot-tha. We were based at the Hut, as THECA hosted the event.

Reps from the SEQ Spider fb group with great macrophotography skills, UQ PhD candidate Jessa Thurman (and entomologist Andrew Maynard), Wild BNE blogger Christian Perrin and Great Southern BioBlitz contributor Natasha Taylor where in the mix and made the evening worthwhile by sharing expertise and documenting finds.

Don Sands joined us with a specimen of an unknown species of Cossid moth (the larvae bore into trees).  There certainly is more to understand about moths, especially wood moths in our area. Click the link for more on Wood Moths. *Digression* I actually ate a witchetty grub while living in Yuendumu in the early 1980s, not really knowing anything about the creature it would have become. If you are intrigued, see Australian Museum info on Bush tucker. It was tasty toasted over coals on an open fire, and high in protein.

After a briefing in the Hut, we broke into four groups. A larger group led by Christian Perrin, comprised of families with young children. We were instantly captivated by the Botany Bay Weevil and Christian’s detailed explanations as we walked along the Rose Robin loop from the Hut. Wolf spiders, orb weavers, a single Cressida Cressida egg on a low scrambling vine and Boobook call motivated us along the trail. The youngsters were able to spot various lichen types - corals of the forest, and clean air indicators - as well as termite mounds.

A second smaller group, with Natasha at the helm, walked clockwise starting at the Honeyeater end. They too, came across the 30 runners with headlamps in addition to plenty of insects, spiders, and a scorpion they spotted using a UV torch (including a moult, ‘skin’ left behind when the scorpion grows). Keep your eyes peeled for a February Newsletter item by Margaret Palmer, as she was in this group.

The SEQ Spider members wandered off in search of quiet spaces where invertebrates, especially arachnids, might reveal themselves. They certainly found some spectacular specimens. 

Staying behind to tend the light-sheet equipment (kindly on loan from Geoff Monteith), were Jessa and Andrew. They welcomed us upon our return with an intriguing display. While Jessa and Andrew did not record the number of insects in a systematic way, they report that several varieties of insects appeared on the light-sheet. Most notably, there were several owlflies, stink bugs, and many moths. One wood moth (Culama australis) was found. This species is one of the many small species of wood moths and is one of the more common varieties. While none of the larger wood moths were attracted to our light-sheet, Jessa suggested there is evidence of them on Mount Coot-tha and future surveys should look out for them. 

We marvelled at the range of insects and moths attracted to the sheet, but the Emperor Gum Moth who settled on a shrub near the light was certainly the most photographed creature. Everyone shared stories of insect encounters. Such a group effort!

 Check out the results on the iNaturalist project Mount Coot-tha and Surrounds, documenting diversity and distribution in the area.

We truly appreciate your engagement.

Please consider joining THECA or an environmental group near you in 2022!

*2021 Newsletter content can be found under the Publications Tab. Copy for the February 2022 Newsletter is due January 5th.

Support for community activities gratefully received from Brisbane City Council and the Jane Scragg bequest.