Magazine of National Parks Association of Queensland Cyclone Debbie’s impact on parks PLUS The ecological effects of high-energy storms ALSO FEATURED Wooroonooran National Park Misty Mountains Wilderness Trails Issue 15 Littoral rainforests June - July 2017 1 Contents From the President ......................... 3 Misty Mountains trails ................... 10 FROM THE PRESIDENT Cyclone Debbie’s impact on parks... 4 Littoral rainforests ......................... 12 The ecological effects of The National Park Experience ........ 13 high-energy storms ........................ 6 Spotlight: Ranger of the Month ...... 14 Wooroonooran National Park ........... 8 What’s On / Vale .......................... 15 Editorial team Advertising enquiries Fred McKie (editor/designer), Laura Hahn and Please email [email protected] or phone Jeannie Rice. (07) 3367 0878. Michelle Prior President, National Parks Association of Queensland (NPAQ) Notice of Contributor guidelines Advertising policy NPAQ invites contributions to Protected Advertisements are required to align with AGM articles. Please email [email protected] for a relevant NPAQ policies. NPAQ reserves the Change. Throughout human history, schedule of future editions. right to refuse any advertisement at any time. Severe cyclones are important in Advertisement in Protected does not imply there has always been change, National Parks Contributors, please include contact details NPAQ’s endorsement of products or services. sometimes fast and sometimes slow. maintaining species diversity in and brief personal summary. Articles can be Life is about cycles. However, Association of submitted via email or hard copy. Digital photos Copyright and disclaimer while a single human life is of limited tropical rainforests ... nature has Queensland Inc should be minimum 300dpi. NPAQ retains copyright of Protected. Articles duration, many things created by the amazing ability to deal with will hold its annual Cover image may be quoted provided that appropriate humans last for generations. This acknowledgement occurs in the reproduction is because people, in their turn, general meeting Whitehaven Beach in Whitsunday Islands and use of material. significant change. National Park, which was hit hard by contribute what is needed at each on Wednesday, Cyclone Debbie, during the clean-up effort. Articles in Protected do not necessarily reflect evolutionary step – through which Sadly though, the human species lined with trees is now a dam. What September 20, 2017. Photo: Queensland Government. the NPAQ’s opinion or position. comes times of transition, experiences tends to dramatically alter nature and once was pristine beach is now littered of learning and ability to build resilience the natural evolutionary processes – with plastic debris. for the future. effectively laying waste to the earth. Venue and starting About NPAQ Species are lost and, as time Throughout natural history, there has What once was a forest is now passes, some no one even time will be confirmed also always been change, sometimes Mission statement concrete. What once was a deep gully remembers existing. closer to the date. The National Parks Association of Queensland (NPAQ) caused by nature and sometimes promotes the preservation, expansion and good caused by humans. Such is the human tendency for management of national parks in Queensland. destruction of nature, that 44 years Often change brings about renewal Nominations ago, in 1973, one day of the calendar Council Staff – the forest fire that causes seeds to for council sprout, the flood that clears a stagnant year (June 5) was set aside to raise President Michelle Prior Business Development Officer Marika Strand pool. Other events change the face of global awareness and action for Vice Presidents Tony O’Brien Communications Officer Fred McKie the earth, destroying all in its path. protecting the natural environment – Are you interested in Athol Lester Conservation Officer Laura Hahn World Environment Day. driving the strategic Hon Secretary Debra Marwedel Project & Office Administrator Jeannie Rice However, what at first may appear This year’s theme is ‘Connecting Asst Hon Secretary Yvonne Parsons total decimation from a natural event, direction of NPAQ People to Nature’. Hon Treasurer Graham Riddell Contact details such as a cyclone, can in fact be a on behalf of its process of renewal. Councillors David Ball Office Unit 10/36 Finchley St, Milton Here at NPAQ we believe that people membership and Julie Hainsworth Post PO Box 1040, Milton QLD 4064 Research has discovered that severe know that they are connected to contributing to good Daniel Kelly Phone (07) 3367 0878 cyclones are important in maintaining nature – that no amount of concrete, Denis McMullen Web www.npaq.org.au species diversity in tropical rainforests. Rangers faced a massive task to reopen steel and air conditioning can cause governance? walking tracks after Cyclone Debbie, such as Richard Proudfoot Email [email protected] Severely disturbed areas later have complete and utter severance of the higher levels of diversity and variation. the Pine Grove Circuit at Eungella National Alexsis Wilson ABN 60 206 792 095 Park (above), and (top) work to restore sand interconnectedness of the human and Nominations to be an Nature has the amazing ability to to Whitehaven Beach after it was eroded. natural worlds. It’s just that sometimes NPAQ councillor are Want to get involved with NPAQ? deal with significant change. PHOTOS: QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT people need to be reminded. NPAQ welcomes people from all walks of life and offers a variety of ways to be involved: now open. • Have fun in the bush – come • Step up – become a National • Connect with us – Facebook, along on a bush walk or Parks Conservation member Instagram and Twitter Below are some Queensland national parks images recently shared with NPAQ on Instagram Connecting with nature ... tag your posts #connectandprotect or #nationalparksqld for a chance to be featured other activity or a National Parks Protector • Stay in touch – read regular Please contact • Get your hands dirty – • Donate – support our work updates on our website Curtis Falls in the Balancing Rock on Hikers atop Mt Joalah section of top of The Pyramid Ngungun in Glass The Secretary for a participate in on-ground • Volunteer on exciting projects • Share a bush adventure with Tamborine National in Girraween House Mountains conservation efforts children – download NPAQ’s councillor nomination • Subscribe to Protected and Park in the Gold National Park on the National Park on the • Join us – become a member Neck of the Woods via email Kids in National Parks guide form. Email Coast Hinterland. Granite Belt. Sunshine Coast. [email protected] SUPPORT NPAQ AND HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE — @kenwarephotos — @tnttravels — @dronestlkr or call (07) 3367 0878. BECOME A MEMBER, DONATE OR VOLUNTEER www.npaq.org.au/get-involved www.facebook.com/NPAQld @nationalparksassocqld @NPA_Qld 2 3 SWIFT ACTION HELPS TO MITIGATE WIDESPREAD IMPACT ON PARKS Collaboration features strongly in cyclone clean-up effort Laura Hahn Be safe! Check parks alerts before heading to a Conservation Officer, National Parks Association of Queensland (NPAQ) national park: www.npsr.qld.gov.au/park-alerts Queenslanders are a resilient bunch, a bedraggled cockatoo. However, tested by drought, flood, bushfires, DEBBIE BY NUMBERS unlike cyclones Yasi (2011) and Larry severe storms and tropical cyclones. (2006), when the loss of canopy But is our environment resilient? caused a food shortage for the landslides on Lamington Many Queensland national parks National Park Road endangered southern cassowary 73 population, no concerns over any were heavily impacted in late March Queensland parks and and early April as Cyclone Debbie forests totally reopen by specific species have been noted by cut a path of destruction centred on 190 Easter (out of 223 affected) rangers or conservation groups. the Whitsunday and Mackay regions, wind speed (km/h) recorded before tracking south and creating in the Whitsundays region 263 Is full recovery possible? widespread flooding. cubic metres of mulch created from uprooted Although about 95 per cent of The extent of the disaster has vegetation on Whitsunday led to a mammoth clean-up Queensland’s parks and forests had 700 Island (approximate) reopened by the time of publication, involving Queensland Parks and millimetres of rainfall in full recovery remains a long way off. Wildlife Service (QPWS) rangers in some areas – more than half collaboration with others. 1000 the annual average Yet many Queensland parks cubic metres of sand shifted affected by cyclones in recent years Protected areas hit hard back onto a 350m section – Girramay, Undara Volcanic and 10k of Whitehaven Beach Bowling Green Bay (Yasi, 2011) and While cyclones are a natural part parks in the Scenic Rim (Oswald, of Queensland’s tropical coastal 2013) – have largely recovered. environment, they not only wreak Clockwise from top: Whitsunday Island National Park after Cyclone Debbie; mulching havoc for humans but have the power of fallen vegetation on Whitehaven Beach; debris post-flooding at Purling Brook Falls in The assistance of rangers from Circuit forced the popular track to As fragmented forest systems to transform landscapes and change Springbrook National Park. PHOTOS: QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT unaffected parts of the state and close for the foreseeable future. are less resilient to cyclones given their higher ratio of edge to area and the structure of ecosystems.