Wambaliman Winter 2017

The newsletter of the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland Fraser Coast Branch

WINTER 2017

Wambaliman since 1967 In the language of the Butchulla people, who are custodians of land that includes the Fraser Coast, ‘wambaliman’ means ‘to carry’, and refers to the messages that the Newsletter is communicating.

Editor's Note This issue of our newsletter marks a couple of remarkable milestones. As editor, I can appre- ciate the historical significance of deleting ‘and WILDLIFE PRESERVATION Bundaberg’ from the cover of the Newsletter. SOCIETY OF QUEENSLAND Not one to accept change easily, I had to look for positive things to come from that, and a known informally as quick scan over the contents of the Winter WILDLIFE QUEENSLAND 2017 issue provided plenty to be optimistic about. FRASER COAST BRANCH It is absolutely amazing that this issue of PO Box 7396 Urangan, 4655 Wambaliman marks 50 years of publication. This is surely a testament to the dedication of President: all the wonderful people that have been in- Peter Duck 0432 250 213 volved with production of the newsletter over Vice President: that time: a dedication to their passion for the wellbeing of wildlife. Rodney Jones 0423 812 881 Fifty years on from 1967, the challenges for Secretary: those involved in wildlife preservation are the Vanessa Elwell-Gavins same but different. In the early 1970s, Eric 0428 624 366 Zillmann was emotionally when the Assistant Secretary (Minutes): rainforest area of an intended WPSQ camp was bulldozed before the event, but we are able to Ruby Rosenfield 4123 4765 enjoy a reasonably intact K’gari due to John Treasurer: Sinclair’s efforts nearly 50 years ago ... and Jenni Watts 0400 656 325 still going! Assistant Treasurer: The pressure on the natural environment has Bruce Dick not abated over the last 50 years. At the local level, vigilance is imperative to save significant Newsletter WAMBALIMAN habitats like Baldwin Swamp at Bundaberg. On a Publisher: WPSQ Fraser Coast broader scale, massive developments like the proposed Adani Carmichael coal mine, and un- Editor: Rodney Jones conventional gas extraction pose unprecedented 0423 812 881 [email protected] threats to Australian wildlife. Production: Rodney Jones It’s easy to feel that the world is marching to Proofreading: Andrea van Kampen an agenda unfavourable to wildlife. For those people concerned about wildlife conservation, there’s no time like the present to find a fresh catalyst for action. History is now! … Enjoy the read. ● Rodney [email protected]

Wambaliman WINTER 2017 2 NOTICE BOARD Contents WINTER 2017 Social gathering for members and friends President’s Report ·································· 4 Diane 4128 3992 Wildlife Fraser Coast Activity Report ······ 5, 6 Monthly talks on community radio Community Environment Program ·········· 7, 8 Environmental Advisory Group Report ········ 9 Audrey 4125 6891 Nature Walk – Fairlies Knob NP ················ 9 Branch meetings held each month Nature Walk – Mt Bauple NP ·················· 10 Venue alternates between Maryborough Mammals in the Library! ·························· 11 and Hervey Bay. Water 4 Life Ride ··································· 12 Vanessa 0428 624 366 Central Branches Get-together ··········· 12, 13 Blue-banded Bees ································· 13 Nature in the Library talks The Future of Baldwin Swamp ············· 14, 15 Third Friday of the month at Hervey A tree-eating Bird ··································· 15 Bay library. Feeding Native Birds ······························ 16 Sara 4129 5789 or the library 4197 4220 Sculptures of Wildlife ······························ 17 18 August 50 Years of Wambaliman – Celebration ····· 17 John Williams An Inspirational Contributor – Zillmann ······ 18 A Wildlife Adventure – early days ·············· 19 Flying Cane Toads: Indian myna invasion Wambi – An editor’s perspective ········· 20, 21 15 September Wambi – 50 years, five editors! ················· 21 Yvonne Miles What’s in a name? – wambaliman ············· 22 Humpback Whales Book Review – The Hidden Life of Trees ···· 23 20 October Horst Haitzinger – Art ····························· 24 David Flack All about Frogs Contributions We welcome contributions from WPSQ members and supporters. Articles can Nature Walks take the form of reports, observations of Saturday 5 August nature, anecdotes, quotes, humour etc. Mt Doongul Send contributions to: [email protected] Peter 0432 250 213 OR Saturday 2 September The Editor, Wambaliman Wildflowers at Tinnanbar PO Box 7396 URANGAN 4655 Vanessa 0428 624 366 Submissions for the next issue are due by Friday 6 October 2017 Saturday 14 October

Opinions expressed in Wambaliman are not neces- Glenbar National Park sarily those endorsed by the Wildlife Preservation Peter 0432 250 213 Society Queensland, Fraser Coast Branch unless specifically attributed to them. 3 President’s Report – Winter 2017 I often wonder if sometimes too much knowledge has an adverse effect, rather than a beneficial one. I’m not just talking about the impact of the all-too-frequent horrific events our news broadcasts bring into our loungerooms. As nature lovers, as we wildlife people are, a walk in the bush you would think would be a somewhat cathartic experience, a commune with nature. And yet, as I write this report after a day walking in Sydney’s Lane Cove NP, I reflect on my inevitable focus: not the glorious flowering banksias, but on the recognisable weeds and my yearning to yank them from their intrusive situ. Most of the human population pass along these tracks blissfully ignorant of the floral immi- grants, and simply marvel at the greenness, the Banksia ericifolia lushness, the serenity. Their spirits uplifted, at Lane Cove NP, Sydney mine somewhat tortured. However, when I read the pamphlet provided by National Parks I see Angophora (of which our A. l is a subspecies) is called the Sydney red gum. Really? I know us (north of the border) calling Eucalyptus Queensland blue gum is a bit of a stretch given its wide distribution in eastern Australia, but at least it’s a eucalypt/corymbia! So, I finally concluded we do need to foster knowledge, we need to describe our natural world in ways that give understanding, and better protection. This leads me to the significance of this issue of the newsletter Wambaliman. It marks 50 years of publicising and broadcasting the message of conservation of our local environment and wildlife. We have seen a litany of wonderful articles written by scores of erudite contributors, skilfully fashioned into a celebrated journal by five passionate and dedicated editors for over half a century. I for one have learnt so much from Wambaliman. It has become a must read and each new issue is always eagerly anticipated. In the current climate where we are being battered by so much mindless misinformation, may we see this enduring little publication of ours continue to choof out the knowledge we need to fight the green fight. ● Peter Duck, President 0432 250 213 or email [email protected]

I spent my younger years in Sydney at the bottom of a dead-end street that ended with an area of about 50 ha of beautiful Sydney sandstone vegetation. No doubt my interest in botany and the natural environment was kin- dled from that experience. ● Rodney Jones Wambaliman WINTER 2017 4 Wildlife Queensland Fraser Coast – Activity Report

8 April to 7 July This has been a very busy period for the Branch, with a wide variety of activities, and lots of involvement by members in organising, assisting and participating. We are lucky to have such a rich pool of skills and interests to draw on. Many thanks to all for the fantastic efforts. Importantly, we have also reached well beyond our membership to a lot of members of the public, and in doing so have welcomed some keen new members to the Branch. Walks, talks, workshops and other events • The Nature Walks program has included:  Our May Nature Walk with over 40 participants was a circuit walk on John Williams’ wonderful property The Wild near Gundiah, and in the adjacent Glenbar State Forest #4. The rocky escarpment at the top was a highlight.  Our June Nature Walk with 42 participants was another circuit walk in the Fairlies Knob National Park.  Our July Nature Walk with 40 walkers was in the very popular Mt Bauple Na- tional Park. This is a steep climb to some spectacular views to east and west, past some wild Macadamia integrifolia trees and seedlings and lots of other very special plants. We have had a good mix of regular walkers, including members and non-members plus new people on each of these walks, resulting from excellent publicity in the local media. • Our very popular Nature in the Library talks at the Hervey Bay Library included:  Lee Carter, talking about Things that go bump in the night (April).  Sheena Gillman (coordinator of Protect the Bush Alliance) talking about wildlife and fossil fuel mining (April).  Our own Ruby Rosenfield talking about attracting birds and butterflies to your garden. • In partnership with Fraser Coast Regional Council, we held two very successful and informative Wildlife Friendly Gardens workshops, on 20 May and 10 June, at the Community Environment Program Nursery in Urangan. Many thanks to speakers Tina Raveneau, Jenny Robin, Ruby Rosenfield and Audrey Sorensen, and to the team of people who helped to set up, put together information folders, cater, take registrations, run a raffle and MC the workshops. • The Schools Team, under direction from Carol Bussey, delivered a successful program at Pialba State School in May. We now have a reorganised Schools Team being coordinated by Diane Christensen. Communications • The Autumn 2017 issue of Wambaliman was released in April. • We have continued to make good use of our 10-minute slot on local community 5 Wildlife Queensland Fraser Coast – Activity Report cont. radio FM 107.5 on the second Tuesday of each month. We would like to wish Audrey Sorensen a speedy recovery from her major surgery in April, and to thank speakers who have filled for Audrey in her absence. • We are in the process of setting up a Facebook page and reviewing our website. Many thanks to our new Facebook/website team: Rodney Jones, Vicki Perrin and Roland Schuller. • Diane Christensen organised a display to promote the activities of the Branch at the Hervey Bay Library. The display will run for three weeks from late June. Meetings • The Executive met in May to discuss the 50th anniversary of Wambaliman • General meetings were held on 23 April, 21 May and 18 June. Isak Schabort was guest speaker at the April meeting, reminiscing about his experiences as a ranger in South Africa’s Kruger National Park. Working Groups • Rodney Jones attended the third meeting of Council’s Environment Advisory Group in late May. He convened a discussion group meeting to help him develop a position on the topic of shorebirds and dogs off-leash areas, with the aim of producing a submission to Council on the issue. Fund-raising • Two Sausage Sizzles were held at Bunnings , in May and June, under the tongs of chief sizzlers Temp Brown and Chris Ballantyne, aided and abetted by a trusty team, led respectively by Peter Duck, Carol and Rod. Many thanks to those members rostered for their assistance. Over $1,000 has been raised thanks to their efforts. Administrative • We have written to Council asking for turtle interpretive signage in Point Vernon. • Lots of work is underway, planning future activities and events. As usual, apologies for any inaccuracies or if there is anything major that has been omitted. ● Vanessa Elwell-Gavins, Secretary

WILDLIFE RESCUE Fraser Coast for all species of native wildlife Phone 4121 3146

Wambaliman WINTER 2017 6 Community Environment Program – Update Community Education The month of May was very busy with CEP supporting several events and community days. This year’s Fraser Coast Volunteer Expo, held at the Maryborough Town Hall on May 6, provided us with an excellent opportunity to promote our various groups as well as network with other local volunteer organisations. We always support Hervey Bay’s annual Under 8 – Kids Day Out, and our stall and plant giveaway at the event on May 24 was very popular. Two hundred easy-to-care- for local tubestock were gifted to budding junior green thumbs to take home and plant in their own gardens. This is one way we can educate the community about the useful and interesting local species found here on the Fraser Coast, and to promote CEP activities at the same time. May 28 was Botanic Gardens Australia and New Zealand (BGANZ) Open Day, and Council’s Botanic Gardens and Orchid House staff and volunteers coordinated a day of displays, tours and talks with all proceeds going towards Beyond Blue. Once again we handed out educational material and information on our groups and activities, and we also sold some of our excess plants. Our most recent display was at the Tiaro Field Day on July 8. Jacqui and her daughter Maddi flew the CEP flag and manned the stall, swapping native plants for weeds brought in by participants. Wildlife Friendly Gardens workshops May 20 and June 10 FCRC is once again partnering with WPSQ to present a series of 4 Wildlife Friendly Garden workshops in 2017. Our first 2 sessions were run at the Nursery, with the re- maining two to be held at Lupton Park Community Garden, Maryborough in August, and at Howard in September. It is always encouraging to meet so many people who have a genuine appreciation of wildlife and wish to live in harmony with local fauna. Kingfisher Lakes Bushwackys This year, 2017, had started slowly in our bushland as the weather had been so hot and dry. Nevertheless KL Bushwackys volunteers turned up once a month until April to do what we can to keep our lovely habitat as free of weed plants and shrubs etc. as possible. From April onwards the activities will be twice a month until the end of the year. We are very fortunate to have a great group of happy, hard workers, with four new members joining us: Donna and Dennis Marshall, who have a beautiful award-winning garden of their own, plus Carole and Keith Everitt, who have recently moved into their home and are also keen gardeners. These wonderful people bring our volunteer numbers to twelve. From March we were blessed with a good amount of rain, with Tropical Cyclone Debbie dropping a lot more. Tiny saplings amaze us with their resilience and determi- nation to survive, and now the rejuvenating rain will give them a really good boost to

7 Community Environment Program – Update cont. join their elders to fill our bushland with greenery and nourishment for the birds, bees, butterflies and ground dwellers. We have planted more native grass, and shrubs, courtesy of the Council Nursery, and thanks to Jenni for her assistance in choosing the varieties. Pheasant Coucal, Koel, Wattle Birds, and others too numerous to name, feasted on Figs, and a very good breeding season saw many fledglings learning to fly and feed. Mistletoebirds raised three chicks in my garden, and I hope the seeds taken out of the nest by their devoted parents have grown in the bush to feed them next season. Early morning is a birdwatcher’s paradise with so many varieties calling and flitting amongst the bushland at Kingfisher Lakes. A must see for all devotees. ● Gloria Boag, Group Leader, Kingfisher Lakes Bushwackys Hollows and Nestbox-building Workshop In June we had Alan and Stacey Franks from ‘Hollow Log Homes’ present a workshop at the nursery. Nursery volunteers and a group of students from St James Lu- theran College (one of our community partners in restoring Eli Creek Upper Reach) learned about the importance of hollows for wildlife, and constructed 15 nestboxes. The boxes will be installed on several CEP sites in the coming months. National Tree Day 2017: preparations begin! Council’s Tree Day site this year is being held at one of our large historically mown reserves along Doolong Road, Kawungan. A small dam at the lower end is already a haven for local wildlife (26 bird species identified over the times we’ve been there), so we are going to expand the existing vegetation and increase habitat and biodiversity values of the site. A group of residents, led by enthusiastic Team Leader Troy John- son, started the project about 2 years ago, planting trees from the CEP Nursery around the dam’s edge. In preparation for the event, Jenni and the nursery volunteers have been busily se- lecting plants for the day. These will include mostly local species, but with a few bush tucker trees and shrubs from broader Queensland added to the mix. Council’s Arbor Team have been delivering mulch from their pruning activities for several months. With the guidance and support of Kurt Eising from ‘Engineers Plus’ we’ve constructed an earth swale as part of the project. The swale will not only catch and absorb stormwater run-off, but will provide a bed for planting into. It is exciting to include some principles and techniques from permaculture into our revegetation work. I am fortunate to be involved with so many exciting projects, a committed work team, and so many incredible volunteers. Thank you everyone for your generous support and enthusiasm! ● Tina Raveneau

To walk in nature is to witness a thousand miracles. Mary Davis

Wambaliman WINTER 2017 8 Environmental Advisory Group – Report From the recent meeting on 31 May:  The Group was addressed by Emily Burke (FCRC, Senior Planner) who gave a history of Council’s Planning Scheme. A fruitful discussion arose on how best to make amendments, resulting in a successful motion being proposed at the FCRC General Meeting in June by Cr Lewis to raise a Temporary Planning Instrument to utilise the Environmental Levy fund re. koala habitat. Carried unanimously!  My proposal to make a substantial submission to Council re. increased protection of shorebirds that use the Fraser Coast, especially relating to migratory birds and dogs on/off leash areas, is taking much longer to prepare than anticipated. Am now waiting for feedback from Peter Rothlisberg (QWSG) and Richard Fuller (Fuller Lab, UQ), both of whom have been very positive in communications.  The outcome of a process to fill a vacancy for the Community Rep on the EAG should be known at the next meeting on 2 August. ● Rodney Jones Nature Walk – Fairlies Knob National Park A good muster of walkers turned up for our June Nature Walk to Fairlies Knob National Park. This Park is 50 km west of Maryborough, and the feature is a 323 m, rounded peak. It bor- ders Wongi National Park, and Wongi State Forest. The State Forest has a significant Hoop Pine plantation which we The group on the summit of Fairlies Knob. walked through in the early part of the All walkers completed the climb without the use of supplemental oxygen! walk. The Fairlies Knob peak is only 10 km from Mount Doongul, a 238 m peak which is the focus of our upcoming August walk. The 43 walkers broke into two groups, with 32 completing a 5 km circuit walk to the peak. The other 11 participants spent their time with botanist Tony van Kampen around the walk start, surveying both the vine and eucalypt forest vegetation. We had a number of birdwatchers on the walk who were well satisfied with the of- ferings including King Parrot, Brown Cuckoo-dove, Large-billed Scrubwren, Jacky Winter, Spectacled Monarch, Rose Robin, Golden Whistler, Dusky Wood Swallow, Wedge-tailed eagle (thanks to Frank Ekin). A stimulating morning ended with some of the botanists keen to continue, while the summit walkers returned to Nth Aramara to have lunch in a pleasant picnic area at the old school site. ● Peter Duck 9 Nature Walk – Mt Bauple National Park

Mt Bauple National Park has proven to be a very popular destination for our nature walkers. Some 40 people, aged between nine and 78, turned up for our walk on 1 July. All but two of them opted for the longer walk up to the saddle between Mt Bauple’s two peaks. As a result of excellent media coverage, some 30 people who wanted to come were too late to register. Mt Bauple National Park is managed as a ‘scientific’ national park because of its high conservation values, so access requires approval from the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service. Hence the popularity of any organised walk there! T he Mt Bauple walk is moderately strenuous, but is very rewarding. There are excellent views to east and west from the saddle, and lots of interesting things to see along the way, including Hoop Pines (Araucaria ), dense rainforest, some orchids, Cassia brewsteri in spectacular flower, a huge Foambark tree (Jagera pseudorhus), quite a few staghorns (Platycerium superbum), and Maca- damia trees (Macadamia ), including seedlings and a couple of big trees in flower. Birdlife was relatively quiet on the day, and the birding highlight was possibly a big flock of topknot pigeons seen from the saddle. For anyone missing topography or rocks around them in Hervey Bay or Maryborough, Mt Bauple provides an abundance of both. It also provided a wonderful bone-scavenging opportunity for our 9-year-old budding palaeontologist who was fascinated by the skeletal remains of a large cow that we had found dead on the path at the end of July last year. Mt Bauple was a great 4-hour walk, in excellent company. Many thanks to Jane Barnes, Noel Gibson, Terry Csonka and Roland Schuller, who gave the walk leader Vanessa some much valued help with registrations, and as ’Tail-end Charlies’, tape- markers and guides to the main group for the descent. And we are always grateful to our botanist, Tony van Kampen, who had a great morning exploring many things of botanical interest with Alice. ● Vanessa Elwell-Gavins

Wambaliman WINTER 2017 10 Mammals in the Library! After weeks of planning and preparation, the mammal display at the Hervey Bay Library finally took shape. The display included a total of 14 animals, each displayed with its own fact sheet; it was a daunting task. I managed to place each mammal in its own habitat to help with identification and visual learning. The mammals were: Kangaroo, Koala, Brush-tail Possum, Grey-headed Flying Fox, Sugar Glider, Spotted-tail Quoll, Bilby, Marsupial Mole, Dugong, Platypus, Water Rat, Microbat, Echidna and Dingo. I thought it was important to include not only local animals like the Dingo, Echidna, Flying Fox, Koala and Possum, but also ones not seen here, such as the Marsu- pial Mole. The main purpose of the display was to raise awareness of the fauna's existence and the danger it faces from habitat removal. It was rewarding to watch discreetly some of the public's reactions as they peered into the eight glass cases in which the mammals were displayed. Having been met at the entrance by an extremely life-like kangaroo, the visitors were set for an unfolding, educational treat. The inclusion of the mammal quiz was a fun way for the public to test how many facts they had absorbed, and it actually reinforced internalisation as it was a self-correcting quiz. Now I have conquered the first display, I am motivated to do more. We have been approved to hold a ‘Value of Trees’ display during the next school holidays, and a frog display in January when hopefully there will be so much rain that croaking will be heard outside in everyone's backyard. ● Diane Christensen Find us on

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11 Water 4 Life Ride – Water for Wildlife The wildlife (and people) of the Wide Bay Burnett Region are threatened by the proposed development of about 3,000 square kilometres of unconventional shale gas fields in the area. The development of these fields involves a process known as ‘fracking’, which is the injection of liquid at high pressure into subterranean rocks, boreholes etc. so as to force open existing fissures. The process has some serious implications for the wellbeing of wildlife in the region that are already under pressure from other sources, e.g. habitat loss. For shale gas, wells are located about 750 m apart, and up to 30 million litres of water is required for each frack! For shale gas, wells have to be fracked during the exploration phase as well as multiple times during the gas extraction phase, with each frack increasing the chance of chemical leakage into the soil and ground water. How many truck loads of water will that be? How many well-pads? How many kilometres of roads and pipelines? The result is about 3,000 sq km of landscape hostile to wildlife. Join the rally alongside FCRC Councillors to send a strong message to the State government that we want legislation in place that protects the Wide Bay Burnett Region from all unconventional gas extraction. Invite friends, have a banner-making session, have some fun. Whether you saddle- up or walk, please attend the Ride to add the Wide Bay Burnett Region to the 440 communities across Australia that have declared themselves gas free. For further information contact Vicki 0400 673 131 To register your horse contact Violet 0438 661 525 10:00 am Sunday 3 September 2017 Heritage Rose Gardens, Kent St, Maryborough to Queens Park, Maryborough ● Rodney Jones Central Branches Get-together – in your diary? Andrew and members of WPSQ Capricorn Branch are busy organising the next annual Central Branches Get-together. Where: Safe Haven (near Mt Larcom, about 30 km west of Gladstone) When: Friday 6 October to Sunday 8 October 2017 The dates are a bit later than usual, but are the most appropriate for key members of the Branches involved.

Wambaliman WINTER 2017 12 An awesome sight – Blue-banded bees Returning home early in the evening in March, camera slung over my shoulder, I walked towards the garden at the back of our house. I hadn’t gone too far when I was struck by something so sweet; a number of Australian native Blue-banded bees (Amegilla cingulata) were converging on a russella branch for a group sleepover! You may have occasionally seen one; they are solitary bees but they are social, and the males rest together at night on a grass stem. Female Blue-banded bees build their nest un- derground in soil, or in decomposing sandstone, or in walls. Blue-banded bees may build nests in the same location as other blue-banded bee nests, but when they do, it is not one colony. Blue-banded bee males have five blue bands while females only have four. The male abdomen tip segment is blue while the female end is reduced. They are buzz- pollinators, holding a flower and vibrating with a loud buzzing sound. The vibration excites the flower which then drops the pollen onto the bee’s body. They zero in on flowers with their large bulging eyes which have multiple lenses—their colour prefer- ence is blue—there’s a tip! These bees do sting but are not aggressive, although they may attack when dis- turbed. Unlike European honey bees, they fly in a dart-and-hover pattern. Adult Blue -banded bees only fly in the warm months (October to April). As the cold weather arrives, all the adults die. The eggs in each nest develop but remain sealed in their cells until the warm weather returns and they emerge as the next generation. Information: www.bluebandedbees.com and www.brisbaneinsects.com ● Ruby Rosenfield Central Branches Get-together – in your diary? cont. Safe Haven is a sanctuary for Australian wildlife. It not only cares for sick and injured wildlife but also runs dedicated breeding programs for both hairy-nosed wombats and bridled nail-tail wallabies (see article in Summer 2015–16 issue of Wambaliman). More information about the facility and the work they do to conserve endangered species can be found on Safe Haven’s AACE website http://www.aace.org.au/ A program and relevant activities will keep attendees active, and the site has camp- ing facilities with showers and toilets, plus a kitchen with fridge and cool rooms. ● Rodney Jones

13 The Future of Baldwin Swamp, Bundaberg Many conservationists in the Bundaberg region are eagerly awaiting news of the future plans for Baldwin Swamp. This Environmental Park is right in the heart of Bundaberg and is described by Bundaberg Regional Council as ‘Our slice of Kakadu’. This year the Council, which man- ages the Environmental Park, is reviewing the management plan which was last prepared in 2003 and so is now out of date. Baldwin Swamp is well known throughout Queensland and beyond as a beautiful area of freshwater wetlands and rainforest that provides an important habitat for wa- terbirds and other wildlife. According to members of Birdlife Bundaberg, visitors from South Africa, America and Europe are often shocked that they can wander through such a diverse range of wildlife habitats, in the middle of a small city, without even paying an entry fee. It is easy for birdwatchers to see 60 species of birds within a few hours. However, the future of this Environmental Park is uncertain. Although the Council is preparing a draft management plan with input from representatives of Landcare, Birdlife Bundaberg, and the Friends of Baldwin Wetlands group, the plan will need to go through a public consultation phase. Already nearby residents have started to put alternative views that place people ahead of the environment. One resident com- plained that too many trees are being planted, and would like to see regular burning of bushland to “give it a tidy up”. Another resident wanted to encourage people to feed domestic ducks as it was good for people’s mental health! Others would like the entire Environmental Park to be a ‘dog off leash’ area. A major problem for the Swamp’s lagoons is the rapid expansion of housing development in the catchment upstream. According to the Bundaberg Regional Council Planning Scheme, during the next 20 years about 75% of the catchment will be ur- banised as Bundaberg grows; an increase from 30% at the moment. After storms, all the rainfall from rooves and roads will rush so quickly through the Swamp that ero- sion and siltation is inevitable. Birdlife Bundaberg and the Queensland Frog Society have prepared videos about Baldwin Swamp and how management could be improved. Both videos are on Youtube (see https://youtu.be/T4ucR28z0r0 and https://youtu.be/5vOQ2SaOEqw). All lovers of wildlife will need to ensure that their voice is heard as part of the public consultation. Wambaliman WINTER 2017 14 The Future of Baldwin Swamp, Bundaberg cont. The public consultation process will most likely open later this year. People will be able to comment online, as a letter or email, and perhaps at a public meeting. A few people have already written to Council in response to the Birdlife video. Your com- ments relating to the management of Baldwin Swamp should be directed to the CEO of Bundaberg Regional Council at [email protected] ● Rodney Jones Compiled from information from Bundaberg members and groups. A tree-eating bird! I had heard of it but had to see it to believe it; that a bird could do so much damage by eating into trees in search of food, in this case large grubs. The damage done to this tree on a Hervey Bay property was inflicted by just a single Yellow-tailed Black Cocka- too. Now this bird certainly has a large beak, but to think that just one bird had eaten so deeply into a solid tree had me in wonder- Photo: Tina Raveneau ment. For a start, I wondered why it had eaten into the tree where it did. I confess I was in the dark and had to go on hearsay at the time. I am lucky to have a property that often gets visits by Glossy Black Cockatoos. Sometimes also from the Red Tailed Black Cockatoos who land if the right nuts are around for them. The smaller numbers of Yellow-tailed cockatoos sighted usually just cawed as they flew over. A couple of years after being sent the photo of the damaged tree I took a visitor to the back of my property to look for the Glossys that visited there. As we approached an area where they had been sighted in the past, with the sun in my eyes, I said, “There’s one now”. As I got a better look I realised it wasn’t eating the nuts that the Glossys love but was moving from tree to tree. I then realized it was the first Yellow-tailed to land since I had lived there. I followed it with my camera and I noticed it was investigating the different trees. All of a sudden, it started gnawing into one particular tree. By watching its movements and behaviour I had discovered that it knew where on the tree to gnaw by listening for the grubs, locating them by sound. Bits of wood went flying off the side of the tree which, being still green, was apparently easy for it to tear. Chips were lying all over the ground, and with food close at hand it wasn’t put off by having two human onlookers. Half way into the tree it got its beak around a whopping big tasty grub, pulled it out and downed it with a look of satisfaction on its face. It then did the rounds of a few more smaller trees, found nothing, then flew across the road to inspect the trees on another property. By chance, this great happening had enabled me to see this tree-eating bird, the Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo, in action for myself. ● Alan Peebles

15 Feeding Native Birds – A bird-nerd’s perspective

Feeding (providing food) for wild birds has both positive and negative effects, with most of the positives on the human side of the equation. There is an exquisite thrill to be had from having a kookaburra take a piece of meat from your hand that few other activities in the modern world can match. Sure, designer drugs, beta-blockers and chakra realignment will make you feel all right for a while, but how many of them will give you a lasting beak-sized scar on your hand as a permanent reminder of your blissful experience? Unfortunately for the birds, that free meal brings with it a whole swag of downsides, mainly because it interferes with a natural state of affairs. Feeding tends to favour the more aggressive species, such as magpies, mynas, wattlebirds and other large honeyeaters; those that can hold their own on the feeding tray, perpetuating a cycle where those species tend to thrive, often to the detriment of more timid species. Another downside to feeding is that it can have consequences in the spread of avian diseases. If the feeding station is not regularly cleaned, the chances of a virus spreading between birds that would otherwise not come into contact with each other increases exponentially. Also, there is little point in feeding birds if you’re supplying the wrong gear. Gener- ally, a bird won’t eat what it isn’t adapted to eat, so there is little point putting out seed and hoping a robin will drop by for a feed. And strangely enough, most people shy away from breeding mealworms, which are essentially a type of maggot, to bring the robins in. Many honeyeaters and lorikeets can be attracted with sugared water, but this is usually deficient in vital nutrients and is the avian equivalent of junk food. Nectar-feeding species tend to be nomadic, following the blossom, so a regular supply of artificial nectar can keep the birds in the one location for too long. Such birds usually supplement their diet with a few insects to provide the protein and trace elements they require, and forsaking this natural diet for what is provided in feeders means that they can become malnourished. This has been reported in Red Wattle- birds and Rainbow Lorikeets in the suburbs during winter – they’ve been found weak- ened, disorientated or just plain dead. So while feeding birds can be a wonderful experience, if you don’t want to turn your once healthy garden birds into lethargic, grumpy individuals who take over the couch and leave grubby claw prints over the remote, and keep telling you every minute how bored they are, then approach feeding them very cautiously. ACTION: If you really would like to attract birds to your garden then the best thing to do is to grow indigenous plants. They will create food and shelter for a wider range of birds instead of a select few. A birdbath placed strategically out of the reach of cats and other predators can also bring in the birds, though it too should be regularly cleaned to prevent the spread of disease. ● Sean Dooley Editor of Australian Birdlife. Sourced by Rodney Jones

Wambaliman WINTER 2017 16 Sculptures of Wildlife – in bronze Elizabeth Hersey is local artist who does bronze sculptures of native birds and animals. She works with and takes inspiration from real animals. Strange as it may seem she studies dead animals— measuring and photographing—to provide the information she needs. For this purpose she is only interested in dead animals that are in very good condi- tion. Elizabeth will collect the animal from those who have suitable material, and when she has completed her study she gives the animal a dignified burial. If you can assist Elizabeth or are interested in her Frogs on work please contact her directly on 0423 247 889 or An example of Elizabeth’s work check out her website www.elizabethhersey.com.au taken from her webpage. ● Jenni Watts A Celebration of 50 years of – and you’re invited Wildlife Queensland Fraser Coast Branch is hosting a celebration to mark 50 years of the production of their newsletter Wambaliman. Past editors John Sinclair, Pam Soper and Jenni Watts, and the current editor Rodney Jones, will be in attendance as our honoured guests. A hearty invitation is extended to all members and friends, plus past and present contributors to Wambaliman, to join us in the celebration. When 4:00 pm Saturday 19 August Where Hervey Bay Botanic Gardens, Elizabeth St, Urangan Meet near the Orchid House (Car park entrance from Elizabeth St) Informal meet & greet plus nibbles Please bring a chair and your own glass for beverages. There will be a display of old copies of Wambaliman. Limited numbers of the booklet ‘This Wambaliman Life’ will be for sale. What 4:45 pm Speeches and a Toast 6:00 pm Evening meal (at own cost) at Viva Italia, 564 The Esplanade. Bookings for the evening meal are required by 12 August. For further information and to RSVP, contact Peter 0432 250 213 or Jenni 0400 656 325.

17 An inspirational contributor to wildlife conservation A regular contributor of articles to the Wambaliman newsletter over many decades is Eric Zillmann OAM. His first of around 70 articles that he wrote and submitted to Wambaliman appeared in July 1968. Eric is an outstanding field naturalist whose observations have made significant contributions to orni- thology, herpetology, entomology and botany. Eric’s articles, often accompanied by a comprehensive list of bird sightings, are fascinating to read and have inspired many people, including me, to observe, love and try to save our vanishing wildlife. Some of his articles from the 1970s are very significant, as they document information which was previ- ously unknown. For example, he wrote about the Eric Zillmann in his element. Black-banded Pigeon, of which he took the first recorded photograph; and the Rufous Owl, which had been rarely recorded and virtually nothing known about its breeding behaviour; the Oriental Cuckoo which hadn’t been reliably seen in Australia for decades; and several birds from Cape York Peninsula of which he took the first photographs. His articles pleaded for people not to kill snakes; pointed out the rarity and threats to wildlife; and emphasised the importance of naturalists being very observant and patient. His most heartfelt article ‘The Rape of the Rainforest’ appeared in Wambaliman in June 1973 following the clearing of vegetation near the Burnett River which was the intended location for a WPSQ camp. The article starts “Nobody could understand my feelings at the time when I learned the Rainscrub was being bulldozed into oblivi- on.” He goes on to describe his happiness as a boy when he explored that scrub, the 450 species of trees, butterflies, wallabies and birds. His profound sadness and an- ger is obvious as he concludes “Man must surely be the most destructive disease this planet has ever suffered, and his passing will not be mourned by God’s creatures.” Thank you Eric for your support and immense contribution to conservation. Eric celebrates his 94th birthday in 2017. ● Carl Moller [Editor’s note: Carl has a copy of all the articles that Eric submitted to Wambaliman.]

This baby joey bridled nail-tail wallaby will surely have grown by the time you reach Safe Haven for the Central Branches Get-together on 6–8 October. Safe Haven plays an active role in rescue and rehab. of native wildlife; runs captive breeding programs; and vital research on Australian wildlife. Tremendous work! Safe Haven’s AACE website http://www.aace.org.au/ Wambaliman WINTER 2017 18 A wildlife adventure in the early days Within a month of the first issue of Wambaliman in 1967 I had to attend a University Vacation School in Brisbane during Ekka Week, as I struggled through my Economics Degree as an external student. I used the Brisbane visit to explore wider affiliations and options for what was initially a naturalist’s club. Both the President, Bart Cavanagh, and I wanted to see our group become more than a naturalist’s club. We were both more concerned about landuse and general environmental matters than with observing Bart Cavanagh passes some of the luggage to nature alone. That’s how I came to be Gordon Titmarsh at Carnarvon National Park. introduced to Judith Wright and to be invited to her home for a chat. It was the beginning of a 30-year friendship until her death. Back in Maryborough, the Naturalist Club became the fourth Wildlife Branch in Queensland, with Bart as President and me as Secretary and newsletter Editor. At the meeting with Judith I had mentioned in passing that I was planning to join two mates, Bart and Gordon Titmarsh, for my first trip to see Carnarvon Gorge Na- tional Park. They welcomed a young bloke for what was then a challenging trip across mainly dirt roads. A week later I received a request from Judith to add Vin- cent Serventy, the Editor of Wildlife Australia, to the travelling group. It posed a problem because we weren’t going in a sedan but Bart’s Valiant ute. Four people couldn’t fit in the ute cabin, and there were hundreds of kilometres of rough dirt road to be traversed. Bart agreed to take him as long as two people travelled in the open back of the utility. I agreed, and for my intervention was rewarded by being smothered in dust for much of the trip! ● John Sinclair AO

National Tree Day 8.30–1.30, Sunday 30 July Fraser Coast Regional Council’s event for National Tree Day will be held at the parkland opposite Baycrest Retirement Village, 99 Doolong Rd. Free sausage sizzle for all tree planters. RSVP to Tina Raveneau at (07) 4125 9710 would be appreciated. Full details at http://treeday.planetark.org/site/10014636 Wildlife Queensland Fraser Coast will be holding an information stall at the event. Hope to see you there. 19 Wambaliman – An editor’s perspective

Jenni Watts – Wambaliman editor from Autumn 2003 to Summer 2015–16 Our family came to Maryborough in 1994. Peter and I had been very active in the environment movement in Victoria since the late 1970s. We had written submissions, contributed to publications, organised walks, tree planted and weeded, helped estab- lish the Bunurong Environment Centre, and marched with People for Nuclear Disarma- ment. So it was a natural progression when we came to Maryborough that we sought out the Environment Centre and joined Maryborough Environment Group (MEG) and the Wide Bay Burnett Conservation Council. Through MEG we met people such as Tony and Andrea van Kampen, Bonnie Valentine and Greg Smyrell, Louise Blair and Dean Pratley who, like ourselves, had a young family. We also met Ted Smith, Pam Soper and Merike Johnson through WBBCC and Marilyn Connell from Greening Australia. In the late 90s, before I returned to teaching I worked a short stint as coordinator of the WBBCC Environment Centre, although I had been volunteering there for a while. When Pam Soper was editor of Wambaliman, the newsletter of Bundy WPSQ and WBBCC, I would often be there to help with collating or stapling, and I had started to contribute some articles. I was always interested in graphic art, and had learnt to cut and paste manually using rubber cement and blue lined paper. I had also acquired some computer skills, so when WBBCC was looking for a new editor, “preferably one with knowledge of the Publisher program”, I was keen. I didn’t have all the skills but thought I could learn. WBBCC had resorted to paying a local girl, Amy, to produce Wambaliman, and after a few times observing her I worked out the Publisher program. Some contributions still came in handwritten, and initially I had to scan photos. I really shifted Wambaliman back to an 80s style that Fay Smith had done by using the newsletter to chronicle local issues and reports. I had a great response and no shortage of contributions. At first WBBCC (under Tony’s expertise) printed the newsletter by photocopying a master, one page at a time; turning the printed page over the right way was tricky! Then a group of us would mail out all the copies (about 80). Later Andrea and I printed it out directly from the PDF, but we still had to do it a page at a time so there was a lot of collating to do. When WPSQ FC came on board we would bundle up about 50 newsletters for them plus 10 for Bundy, and still mail out about 80 individual copies. Tony put Wambaliman on the internet on the WBBCC site. In 2011, when WBBCC closed, I continued as editor. I was a WPSQ FC member by then and Wambaliman became the newsletter of the Bundaberg and Fraser Coast Branches. For a few years I got Wambaliman printed (and collated – yah!!!) at the (then) Maryborough Resource Centre. FC Branch then took over the publishing and distribution. I put the newsletter on the WPSQ webpage. I have met lots of inspirational people through Wambaliman, some I have mentioned

Wambaliman WINTER 2017 20 Wambaliman – An editor’s perspective cont. and then also Tim Thornton, John Sinclair, Rick Haywood, Carl Moller, Eric Zillmann to name a few. Of course I was soon to meet more WPSQ FC people, but knew Carol Bussey as a prolific Wambaliman contributor. I have to say I enjoyed my association with Wambaliman in the 12 years I was editor. I learnt new skills, I met some wonderful people, and increased my natural history and conservation knowledge. I had some confidence in what I was doing as I have a science background (BSc Melbourne University 1975) and four decades of volunteer work with the conservation movement. It was reading other’s articles, and ‘filling in the spaces’ with additional writing to put in a caption for a submitted photo or literally filling in a half- empty page at the end with a vignette, that made it so interesting. ● Jenni Watts Wambaliman – 50 years, five editors: amazing! That’s right folks, believe it or not. The heading could actually read ‘48 years, four editors …’ because after John Sinclair, Fay Smith, Pam Soper, and Jenni Watts, the current editor doesn’t take up many of those 50 years. From an old upright typewriter to an electric typewriter, from Roneo machine to copy machine to photocopier to computer to printer. Now we can receive copies of the Newsletter online and in colour. A sure sign of progress; no dog-eared copies lying around, BUT, does it still get read cover-to-cover in this time-short digital age? I became editor of Wambaliman in 1993 due to Fay’s declining health. At that time, Wambaliman was typed up on foolscap paper and copies run off on a hand-operated Roneo machine. I cannot recall how many copies I produced on the Roneo, but note that Debbie Brischke and members of the WPSQ Maryborough Branch were named for Wambaliman Production. If Debbie is still around she may remember whether they put the editions together, and when photocopying came in. In 1995 Frouke Buwalda in Bundaberg came to my house to assist with the setting out and typing, and was acknowledged as Assistant Editor. Will have to check the date I acquired a computer courtesy of Wide Bay Burnett Conservation Council for my work as Project Officer. Computers and printers certainly made the Wambaliman life a lot easier. I think Tony van Kampen was eventually involved in printing out and/or photocopying the Master copy, with Wildlife members folding and mailing out to members. Eventually each edi- tion was photocopied in Maryborough, by Jenni I think, or may have been Andrea van Kampen or both. Over time, editions of Wambaliman acquired a much more profes- sional look, and took a quantum leap forward when Jenni took over as Editor. The excellent quality of articles and information is continued by Rodney Jones. [Editors note: I think there might still be a few dog-eared copies lying around from the 60 or so hard-copies that we post out.] ● Pam Soper 21 What’s in a name? – wambaliman Where does the Aboriginal word ‘wambaliman’ came from? In the first issue of Wambaliman in 1967 it states that it is a Kabi word. Different dialects of this language were spoken by the Butchulla People from Maryborough and Fraser Island, the Wakka Wakka People from Goomeri and the Cherbourg region, and the Kabi Kabi People from the Woolooga, Kilkivan, Gympie, Caboolture, Kilcoy region. So it may have come from any of these nations, or all, or a clan within a nation. Given the lack of, and conflicting history of the Aboriginal Peoples in our region we will never know. For sure though, Moonaboola (a name adopted by the early WPSQ Maryborough–Moonaboola Branch) was the Butchulla name for the Maryborough district. It is saddening to think that after thousands of years of Indigenous occupation there is so little Aboriginal history that has survived more than 200 years of Europe- an settlement. Much of what we know for this area was recorded by Olga Miller. Why such confusion about our local Aboriginal history? History was passed down through stories and art. Different dialects among clans and hence different names for things made it near impossible for early anthropologists to record information with confidence. Even the name Butchulla itself really only refers to the male gender, and Badtjali refers to the female gender for the nation. With early white settlement, people became displaced from or fled ancestral lands, and clan laws were interrupted. It is alleged that in 1865 an entire clan of Butchulla were massacred at Susan River, and with that went their stories. Olga Miller tells us there were six Butchulla clans. Each clan was more like a big extended family and had their own speciality crafts and skills such as canoe making, tools, hunting, art and so on. Each had their own dialect. She considered that these clans occupied a specific area on the western side of Fraser Island (K’gari) although there was a lot of seasonal movement to and from the mainland. The Butchulla people could also trade their fishing rights to hunt and gather food in other areas. The bunya harvest was an example where many nations, invited by the Kabi Kabi Peo- ples from the Blackall Ranges and Manumbar, travelled to feast and barter. The numbers of indigenous people on Fraser Island as recorded by white man mean nothing as the beach may have had hundreds of people visiting, for say, the mullet season. Olga Miller says that the Aboriginal People were ‘careful conservationists’. There is no doubt about this. The land was their ‘mother’ and could not be harmed. Even on the island, hunting was greatly regulated given that the island, as an isolated land mass, had many species that could not be replenished if over harvested. And so whether ‘wambaliman’ is from the Kabi language or more specifically a Butchulla word doesn’t really matter for the purpose of the Newsletter. It is a poign- ant reminder of our past and from a time when people knew how to look after the land. ● Jenni Watts Wambaliman WINTER 2017 22 Book Review – The Hidden Life of Trees The Hidden Life of Trees: What they Feel, How they Communicate by Peter Wohlleben. Translation by Jane Billinghurst. Publisher: Black Ink, 2016. Retail price: $29.99 ‘The Hidden Life’ is one of those compelling books in which great passion is combined with great knowledge. For 20 years, Wohlleben worked as a for- ester in the oak and beech woods in the Eifel Moun- tains in Germany. The story starts when the author investigates the stump of a tree that was felled a few hundred years ago. The stump is still alive! What is keeping it alive? Why is it alive while other stumps have rotted away? Wohlleben discusses the complex interactions of fungi and bacteria, of communica- tion between trees, between trees and animals, how trees cooperate and how they compete with each other. He states that just as young animals, e.g. teenagers or dingo juveniles, need a community to protect and educate them, so young trees need a forest community. One thing we need to comprehend about trees is the long timescale of their existence; some trees can live for thousands of years. A sapling can remain in a stunted form under the shade of its parents for decades until its opportunity to have its day in the sun. When Wohlleben has trees saying “Ouch” the reader starts to wonder, is he like Spike Milligan (“I talk to the trees, that's why they put me away”). But I’m sure the readers of this newsletter completely understand. Anyone interested in nature's complexity will love The Hidden Life of Trees. And if you are like Spike Milligan and Prince Charles and all the indigenous communities around the world that talk to plants, then you can feel vindicated by the contents of this book. Many years ago, on the radio in Melbourne, it was announced that the fight to save a particular old tree had been lost. As the chainsaws ripped into the tree a young woman defender let out her grief in an unforgettable soul wrenching scream: Wohl- leben would understand. ● Carol Bussey

The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is now!

23 Last Page

Prolific German cartoonist, (b. 1939), who has published about 15,000 cartoons, caricatures, and oil paintings.

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