The newsletter of the Wildlife Preservation Society of Fraser Coast Branch

SUMMER 2018

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 For many of us, the Festive Season is so far behind us that we, like the Chamber of Com- merce, are now thinking about what we’ll get up WILDLIFE PRESERVATION to over the Easter Break. No surprises what SOCIETY OF QUEENSLAND the editor of Wambaliman will be up to! And of course you readers will have written and sub- known informally as mitted your articles for the Spring issue of WILDLIFE QUEENSLAND Wambaliman well in advance so that you can enjoy the break! FRASER COAST BRANCH According to trends over the past several PO Box 7396 Urangan, 4655 decades, this year will be another challenging one for wildlife conservationists. But take President: heart, the articles in this Summer 2018 issue Audrey Sorensen of the Newsletter aren’t all bad news. 4125 6891 [email protected] Audrey’s President’s Report points out that, Vice President: although nobody can do everything, each one of us can do something for wildlife. The students Rodney Jones 0423 812 881 of Tinana State School have certainly done Secretary: something; they are the first school in Austral- Vanessa Elwell-Gavins ia to have received the Green Flag award. 0428 624 366 On another positive note, FCRC are giving in- Assistant Secretary: creased recognition to the value of wildlife. The membership of the Environmental Advisory Bruce Dick Group will be expanded to include other wildlife Treasurer: conservation groups, and Council have intro- Jenni Watts 0400 656 325 duced and implemented a ‘Vegetation Damage’ Assistant Treasurer: Policy. Bruce Dick This issue also contains a number of activities and resources for you to get involved in, such Newsletter WAMBALIMAN as Find a Frog in February, the Butterfly Iden- Publisher: WPSQ Fraser Coast tification Workshop, and the cruise. You can also go online or download Editor: Rodney Jones Floras to brush up on your Common Names and 0423 812 881 [email protected] Scientific Names for plants. Production: Rodney Jones The pressure is on again for K’gari. This issue Proofreading: Andrea Van Kampen contains a Call for Bids for students to under- take research on the negative impacts of heavy -metal wastewater discharge from the Colton coal mine into the Great Sandy Strait. Enjoy the read. ● Rodney [email protected] Wambaliman SUMMER 2018 2 NOTICE BOARD Contents SUMMER 2018 Social gathering for members and friends President’s Report ······························· 4, 5 Diane 4128 3992 Wildlife Fraser Coast Activity Report ······ 5–8 Monthly talks on community radio Environmental Advisory Group Report ·········9 Audrey 4125 6891 Common names for plants ··················· 10, 11 Branch meetings held each month Scientific names for plants ······················· 11 Venue alternates between Maryborough Green Flag award for Tinana School ···· 12, 13 and . Vanessa 0428 624 366 Find a Frog in February ······················ 14, 15 Acmena ingens flowers & fruit ··················· 15 Nature in the Library talks Butterfly Identification Workshop ··············· 16 Third Friday of the month at Hervey Snake Season ········································ 16 Bay library. Burton’s snake-lizard ······························ 17 Sara 4129 5789 or the library 4197 4220 Compensation for vegetation damage ······· 18 16 February Alan Peebles GSS and K’gari under threat—again ·········· 19 All about Birds Call for bid$ to fund student research ··· 19, 20 16 March Discover the Great Sandy Strait cruise ······ 21 Don & Lesley Bradley Plant identification resources ···················· 22 Research on satellite tracking of turtles Book Review ·········································· 23 20 April Don & Lesley Bradley Last page cartoon ··································· 24 Nest relocation of turtles Contributions Nature Walks We welcome contributions from WPSQ members and supporters. Articles can Saturday 10 March take the form of reports, observations of Point Vernon circuit: Gatakers Bay to nature, anecdotes, quotes, humour etc. Eli Ck mangroves and Paraweena Park Send contributions to: Peter Duck 0432 250 213 [email protected] Saturday 7 April OR Rail Trail The Editor, Wambaliman PO Box 7396 URANGAN 4655 Vanessa Elwell-Gavins 0428 624 366

Submissions for the next issue Saturday 5 May are due by Friday 6 April 2018 ‘The Wild’: member John Williams’ Opinions expressed in Wambaliman are not neces- property near sarily those endorsed by the Wildlife Preservation Peter Duck 0432 250 213 Society Queensland, Fraser Coast Branch unless specifically attributed to them. 3 President’s Report

Coming from a rural Bushcare block in the foothills of the Toowoomba Range to a 1,260 square metre block at Urangan was not easy for my late husband, Eric, and me. During our thirty years at Lingalonga we learnt how to live with the wildlife: wallabies, possums, echidnas, snakes, frogs, chestnut mice, planigales, and melomyses. Eric put a carpet snake in the ceiling of our unfinished house, and soon there were two. I built frog ponds and the frogs from the scrub moved in, followed by the snakes. We built chook pens that were safe from snakes, quolls, foxes and dingos. We built gardens that were safe from possums and scrub- turkeys, and grew our own veggies using recycled water. We built electric tree- guards to protect the trees we’d planted from hares, horses and cattle. But we lived WITH the wildlife. The house-yard was protected by a single hot-tape (electric), and the wildlife moved freely under it. Bird-baths of all kinds were in- stalled—water is SO important—and frog ponds were created from lots of recycled materials. Wonga pigeons wandered through, and whip birds nested in the garden. Owlet nightjars raised babies in a nest box in the garden, and mistletoe birds nest- ed outside our bedroom window. Yes, I do miss the regent bower birds and the companionship of the yellow robins as I worked in the garden. And, oh the delight of a joey wallaby learning to hop in circles around his mother before climbing back into the pouch, leaving his tail and big feet hanging out. As I planted up our urban jungle at Urangan, I delighted in finding the wildlife was moving in: pink-tongued skinks feeding on snails; a baby carpet snake curled up in the Green House; plus possums and tree-snakes as well as keel-backs. Sadly, the neighbours are still killing the snakes, and their cats and dogs have decimated the lizards and skinks. The butcher-birds and kookaburras are being fed by SOME- BODY: lovely to hear them but sad to see them taking baby birds and eggs from nests in the garden. But all wildlife is opportunistic—they must be to survive. And we need to know that we are only the caretakers of this planet, we are simply borrowing it from future generations. Ten years ago, Eric was writing a follow-up to his book ‘Wake-up World’, and I found this segment of text after his death: “We are all onboard the good ship Planet Earth—a ship that is looking more and more like the Titanic. The warning flashes of the icebergs of disaster ahead on our

Wambaliman SUMMER 2018 4 President’s Report cont. present course are being seen more frequently, but we are still steaming at full speed ahead, even trying to generate more speed, still striving to create more ener- gy, more production, more use and waste of natural resources, more destruction of wildlife habitat to create more human habitat. We are still generating more carbon to more quickly disrupt the environmental balance. We are still eroding and contaminat- ing soils, and wasting and polluting water. We are still destroying the forests and depleting the ocean’s resources.” Enough is enough! While nobody can do everything, we can, each one of us, do something for wildlife. As William Wordsworth wrote a long time ago, “Come forth into the light of things, and let Nature be your teacher.” ● Audrey Sorensen, President

Wildlife Queensland Fraser Coast – Activity Report 9 October 2017 to 5 January 2018 Still lots to keep us busy, despite the onset of the silly season and the all-too-brief annual summer lull ... Walks, talks, workshops and other events • Our Nature Walks program included:  the October Nature Walk, rescheduled to 14 October, which was along the Point Vernon foreshore from the Pines round to Gatakers under a gloomy sky. The weather kept a few people away, but we still had a large group and a few new walkers. Many thanks to member and regular walker, CJ Baker, who shared his geological expertise with us, and showed us some fossils on the rock platform out from ESA Park. The rain held off or was very light until just before we got to Gatakers. We chose to cut it short there, instead of continu- ing round to Paraweena Park, the planned finishing point.  the November Nature Walk on Satur- day 4 November, which was in the Vernon State Forest, off Cane Rd. It was an unexpected de- light, after all the rain in October. When we did our reccy for the walk on 30 September it was tinder dry. By 4 November, the vegetation had fresh- ened up and Lacewing (N ) truly come to at Vernon State Forest. life, with loads Photo: Scott Gavins

5 Wildlife Queensland Fraser Coast – Activity Report cont.

Thumbs up for new member Linden Alston, with Audrey Sorensen and Carol Bussey

Alice Ekin, Jenni Watts and Sue McLean

End-of-Year Function

Linden Alston, Sara Gerdsen, Ruby

Rosenfield, Peter Duck, Diane Christensen, and Audrey Sorensen

Wambaliman SUMMER 2018 6 Wildlife Queensland Fraser Coast – Activity Report cont. of interesting flowers and ephemeral plants to keep the botanists very happy indeed. Many thanks to Christine Heiser for leading this walk and making sure that people did not get lost on the network of trails. • Our final Nature in the Library talks at the Hervey Bay Library for 2017 included:  David Flack on frogs (October)  new member Jim Johnston on wildlife of Laos (November) • Audrey Sorensen and Carol Bussey ran a very successful display on frogs at the Hervey Bay Library between 6 and 20 November. • End-of-year function: Some 20 or so people attended our end-of-year 'bring a plate to share' function at lunch time on Sunday 3 December. This was originally scheduled to be held at the Serenity Caravan Park in Toogoom, managed by long -time stalwart member, Lily Hand. However, the absence of an all-weather shelter there and forecast heavy rain and storms forced us to make a decision a couple of days earlier to relocate the event. Thanks therefore are due both to Lily for kindly offering her venue, even though we ended up unable to use it, and to Audrey for hosting us all in her home in Urangan at the last minute. It was great to meet the Alston family, who came with our new youngest member, Linden. Musi- cal instruments that appeared included small pipes, cello, violin, recorder, and voice. And thanks to all for bringing a splendid and varied feast, most fitting for the season. Communications • Wambaliman SPRING 2017 issue was released in October. • President Audrey has continued to make excellent use of our 10-minute slot on local community radio FM 107.5 just after 10 am on the second Tuesday of each month. • Our Facebook page continues to attract interest from the wider community and that elusive group of people we find hard to reach through more traditional com- munication channels. Meetings and planning • The Executive has not met during this quarter but has been in regular touch by email. The next Executive meeting is scheduled for 4 February. • Two General meetings were held: 15 October at Foresters Hall in Maryborough during a massive downpour, and 19 November at Halcro St Community Centre. • Various planning meetings have taken place to develop the Nature Walks and Wildlife Friendly Gardens program for 2018, and to discuss a draft submission on the draft Public Environment Report for the Turtle Cove Haven Retirement Village development at River Heads. President Audrey has attended several community

7 Wildlife Queensland Fraser Coast – Activity Report cont. meetings at River Heads to discuss this proposed development and provide sup- port for the River Heads community in developing its submission. • Planning is well underway for the monthly Hervey Bay Library Talks program in 2018, as well as a butterfly identification workshop to be held on 11 March. Working Groups, Advisory Groups and other groups • Vanessa Elwell-Gavins attended a meeting of Council's Environment Advisory Group in Maryborough on Wednesday 13 December as a proxy for Rodney Jones.

Fund-raising • Another successful Bun- nings sausage sizzle was held on Friday 3 November. Thanks once again to the magnificent team who sizzled Krissie Seeleither, Audrey sausages, served customers Sorensen and Vanessa Elwell- Carol Bussey and Gavins discussing the Turtle Jackie Henrion and collected the money. Cove submission. were also present. Submissions • We have drafted a submission in response to the draft Public Environment Report on the development application by Anscape Pty Ltd for a proposed Turtle Cove Haven Retirement Village development at River Heads. In our view, if this develop- ment proceeds, there will be a devastating environmental impact on the adjacent Ramsar wetland, listed migratory species and listed threatened species. ● Vanessa Elwell-Gavins, Secretary

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

Black-striped wallaby rescued from dead mother’s pouch by Judy Elliott

Wambaliman SUMMER 2018 8 Environmental Advisory Group – Report I thank Vanessa Elwell-Gavins for attending the 13 December EAG meeting on my behalf. As the Minutes of that meeting have not been distributed as yet, this Report is taken from Vanessa’s notes and Agenda items from that meeting. • A more formalised record of meetings will be adopted, with recommendations to Council where appropriate. • Council has agreed in principle to some options for use of the uncommitted Envi- ronmental Levy funds. Of four options, three have been approved:  purchase of additional land;  provide education/tourism facilities on current land; and  undertake additional environment projects across the , e.g. Land for Wildlife, with the possibility of employing a Land for Wildlife Officer for two years. The fourth option (of additional planting on Council land) was not supported on the grounds that funds possibly already exist for this. • Membership of the Environmental Advisory Group will be expanded to include a representative from the Mary River Catchment Coordinating Committee, and the Burnett Mary Regional Group. Also possibly opened up to representation from other environmental groups such as Landcare groups in the region. • A request for quotations to prepare a Threatened Species Plan was advertised, closing on 15 December. • The current plastic doggy poo bags will be replaced with biodegradable and com- postable versions. • Council will trial steam weeding, with limitations on where it can be used depend- ing on its practicability. • Vanessa enquired about Council’s position on the proposed Turtle Cove Haven retirement village adjacent to the Great Sandy Strait. At the time of the meeting, the two Councillors and several other members of the EAG attending were una- ware that the Public Environment Report for the proposed development was open for public comment. ● Rodney Jones, Environmental Advisory Group Representative

9 Common names for plants: barking up the wrong tree? I had yet another reminder recently that we need to use botanical names. A neigh- bour said she knew of a very special tree growing in the park opposite our place; a Cork tree. Hmmm … that didn’t give it away, so off I went to have a look. Well, yes it was a mature 6 m or so Grey corkwood or Bean tree or Coral tree or (perhaps better-known) Bat's wing coral tree. These are a few of the common names for , as well as the Aboriginal names Yulbah and Ininti. While common names may derive from a single character- istic of the plant and be shared by many species, the scientific name is unique, tells us some- thing of the plant, and places it with its relatives. The name is based on Erythrina ... from the Greek, erythros—red, referring to the flower colour, and vespertilio ... from Latin vespertilia—a bat, referring to the shape of the leaves. The leaves are bifolio- Cork tree or late or trifoliolate, with the leaf- ? lets having a broad wedge- shape with three lobes, resembling a bat's open wings (giving rise to one common name). has a large range across the north and north-east of Australia, occurring in all states except Victoria. While mainly in open woodlands it is also found in arid areas and rainforest margins. It is a rather open straggly tree, growing up to 10 m. It has thorns on the trunk and branches. The bark is creamy-grey, deeply furrowed and corky (giving rise to another common name) and the seeds are bean-like (giving rise to yet another common name). It is found in many locations around the Fraser Coast, but I wonder whether it would have grown here in Point Vernon naturally or this specimen has been planted. It is growing in an area of natural vegetation. The tree blooms between August and September producing scarlet to orange-red pea flowers on terminal racemes (the coral coloured flowers giving rise to another common name). I have seen this plant in full flower on the slopes of Mt Walsh, and it was truly spectacular, particularly as the flowering usually occurs when the plant is leafless. The species is deciduous in the dry season. Equally spectacular is another Erythrina species (usually called Coral tree) that can be seen in SE Australia, most often naturalised along waterways and in other moist habitats. However, this plant is a terrible weed; hybridised from garden plants. This Wambaliman SUMMER 2018 10 Common names for plants: barking up the wrong tree? cont species does not produce viable seed and only propagates vegetatively. Branches and even twigs will grow into new plants and they break easily, thereby aiding its spread during floods. The plant also has a trifoliate leaf but the leaflets are not the bat’s wing shape of our native . Anyway, I wonder why these leaves of have evolved into the bat’s wing shape; another mystery of nature. ● Jenni Watts Scientific names for plants: the real deal! On your travels down the New England Highway through a town called Tenterfield, you might notice a sign directing you to the ‘Cork Tree’. Hopefully curiosity might take you to have a look at this historic tree. If you’d read the previous article by Jenni Watts, you might expect to find a specimen of , but you would have fallen for the old ‘common name’ trap. The ‘cork tree’ at Tenterfield is actually a specimen of ; a most inter- esting species of oak. The scientific name is derived from ‘quercus’, meaning oak or oak tree, and ‘suber’, referring to suberin, the main chemical component of cork cell- walls. Unlike many other oaks, Q. suber is an evergreen, and also has the rare quality of being able to regenerate the bark layer after being ‘ringbarked’. The cork industry associated with this practice, and hence the ecosystems that the tree supports, are under threat from alternatives to cork as bottle stoppers etc. Check out the web for information on this amazing ecosystem. ● Rodney Jones

Quercus suber in Wood St, Tenterfield

11 Green Flag award for Tinana State School “Every mighty king was once a crying baby. Every great tree was once a tiny seed. Every tall building was once on paper. And so I dream my dream.” Good morning invited guests, teachers, parents and students, My name is Bonnie Quinn-Hennessy and I am the 2017 Sustainability Captain at Tinana State School. What an honour and a privilege it is for me today to stand before you and celebrate the tremendous work of our school community which has resulted in Tinana State School being the first school in Australia to be awarded the Green Flag. [The highest recognition awarded to an Australian Eco-School] When I applied to take on this role at the commencement of 2017, I did so knowing that this leadership role Bonnie Quinn-Hennessey accepting the Green Flag award. has the most capacity to make a difference for today and into the future. In my opening speech this year I began with a quote by Robert Swan, “The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.” I could not be prouder to be able to stand here today and celebrate that we as a community are not waiting for someone else to save our planet, we are actively working and achieving environmental goals that will impact our planet well into the future. This year my goal was to raise awareness and make sustainability everybody’s business. Together with the sustainability squad, some of our achievements in 2017 have been: • receiving 2nd place in the National Clean Up Australia Day Blue-Thumb Video Competition; • presenting workshops and participating in the 2017 Kids in Action Conference on the Sunshine Coast; • hosting a multi-school Kids Teaching Kids STEAM symposium with over 600 students involved across both primary and secondary sectors; • receiving 1st Place in the Fraser Coast Council Water and Waste Wise Chal- lenge; and • writing and producing the Catchy Water Wise Song and music video. These incredible achievements would never have been possible without support from the entire school community and, on behalf of myself and the sustainability squad, I thank you all. Wambaliman SUMMER 2018 12 Green Flag award for Tinana State School cont. However, there are some people who I wish to acknowledge personally today as without them our work would not have been possible. I am going to firstly acknowledge the incredible work of our school groundsman, Mr Osmond. He is a perfect example of an unsung hero in our community, working tire- lessly to keep our school beautiful. Mr Osmond, I thank you for all of your work and support of the sustainability squad. Next, I wish to thank our principal, Mr Burns. Mr Burns leads our school with a strong determination that every child will leave Tinana being competent in both literacy and numeracy. But he also does something very unique and special; he allows teachers and students the freedom to pursue their passions. Without his support and trust, Mrs Yates and the Sustainability Squad could not have achieved all it has. Mr Burns, thank you for understanding that being able to follow that fire that burns within us, makes us better learners and better people. And most importantly, I want to thank Sustainability Champion, Mrs Yates. Mrs Yates is not just a Sustainability Champion, she is a champion to all kids. There is a quote by Rita Pierson, "Every child deserves a champion; an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection, and insists that they become the best they can possibly be." Mrs Yates, thank you for being that champion and helping the students at Tinana be the best they can be. Your work over many years has come together today as we celebrate this incredible achievement of receiving the Green Flag. As I come to the end of my time as Sustainability Captain I would like to share with you one last wish. I hope that today, the day Tinana State School is awarded the Green Flag, is in fact just the beginning. My wish is that every person here today un- derstands the incredible power they hold to make a difference. Our choices, our ac- tions have the power to keep this planet alive and in pristine condition for the genera- tions to come. Let our success today, the first school in Australia to be awarded the Green Flag, inspire you to make the right choices for a brighter tomorrow. I hope that you go now and make a difference to our planet, to our world. Thank you. ● Bonnie Quinn-Hennessy, 2017 Sustainability Captain, Tinana State School

The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it. Robert Swan

13 Find a Frog in February

Media release January 2018 Our frogs need you! Find a Frog in February

The Mary River Catchment Coordinating Committee (MRCCC) is once again embarking on a Citizen Sci- ence program called Find a Frog in February which will involve the whole community in the Fraser Coast, Sunshine Coast Hinterland, Noosa, and Gympie re- gions. This includes the Mary River catchment and coastal river catchments from Peregian to and K’gari (). The program encourages all people to get outside, find frogs, and send their information in to the MRCCC. “The Mary River catchment is home to some 40+ frog species, including the endangered Giant Barred Frog, one of the largest frogs in Australia, and the Cas- cade Tree Frog, a rainforest stream spe- cialist. Frogs are a vital component of ecosystems and are easily affected by changes in the air, water and land. Col- lecting data to improve the plight of frogs, and engaging the wider community to get out there and really look at their environ- Shaun Fisher with an endangered giant ment, are two of the main aims of Find a barred frog ( ) Frog in February” said Eva Ford, Catchment Officer from the MRCCC. “We need to know more about the whereabouts of many species across this broad area so we can bet- ter look after them.” stated Eva. “Initially we are aim- ing for 1,000 sightings, and then we can aim even higher!” “We can identify the frogs from photographs, re- cordings of calls or good descriptions. We need the information to be reliable so it can be used with great certainty,” Eva said. Just recently the Australian Mu- seum has launched their new Frog ID App which is an excellent tool to help with frog identification, in- Striped Marsh Frog cluding comparing frog calls. A Frog Finders Guide ( ) and Data Sheets can be downloaded from the Found at Tinana, Tiaro,

Wambaliman SUMMER 2018 14 Find a Frog in February cont. MRCCC website. The information gathered from the community during February will be verified and stored in the State Government’s WildNet data- base where it can be accessed by researchers, planners and members of the public.

Full details available at: www.mrccc.org.au/find-a-frog-in- february-citizen-science/

Media contacts: Eva Ford 0408 749 162 or (07) 5482 4766, [email protected] [email protected],au

Deb Seal (07) 5482 4766 [email protected] Map of survey area

Buzz!

So many bees (and flies) making the most of the flowering period on my beautiful Red Apple Lilly Pilly (Acmena ingens) at Pialba.

Red Apple Lilly Pilly ( ) flowers & fruit

15 Butterfly Identification – Our local butterflies by Kevin Neilsen from Cooloola Nature  Habits and identification  How to encourage butterflies to your garden  Display cases of butterflies for viewing  A wander in the school gardens and local bush to hopefully catch and identify butterflies Sunday 11 March, 1 pm – 4:30 pm Tinana State School, Gympie Rd, Tinana Gold coin donation (afternoon tea provided) RSVP 4 March Richmond Birdwing butterfly Sara 4129 5979 or Photo: WOAW (RSPCA) Carol [email protected]

Snake Season – Don’t be too complacent A 24 year old man from West Tamworth, NSW, has been the latest fatality from snakebite in Australia. Despite being rushed to hospital, the man died within an hour of being bitten on the finger by a brown snake while attempting to separate the snake from his dog, which had the snake in its mouth. • More than half of the 35 deaths from snakebite between 2000 and 2016 have occurred in or around the victim’s home. • Most incidents occurred during the warmer months October–May. • The brown snake, found across most of eastern Australia from the desert to the coast, was responsible for 23 deaths. • Brown snake venom is among the most potent in the world. The reptile is re- sponsible for more than 60% of snake- bite deaths in Australia. • One fifth of fatalities were bitten while Eastern brown snake trying to pick up or kill the snake. (Pseudonaja textilis) • Mortality rates for snakebites have remained steady for more than 20 years. Ap- proximately 550 people in Australia are admitted to public hospitals with snake bites each year, and there is an average of two deaths per annum. First Aid for snakebite: Call 000. Lay the victim down and provide reassurance. Ap- ply a pressure immobilisation bandage to the limb (firm enough to reduce lymphatic movement, but not constrict blood flow), starting from toe or finger area, and moving up the limb to cover the bite site. Mark the bite site on the outside of the bandage. ● Rodney Jones Source: The Guardian Today (Australian edition) 12 January 2018; www.paradisefirstaid.com.au

Wambaliman SUMMER 2018 16 Burton’s snake-lizard – a unique reptile An old friend and I were walking in Helidon Hills when we spotted a pale, slender, slithering creature about 30 cm long. Fortunately, Jenny is also a nature lover and does not scream and yell “Kill it!” when she sees what might be a snake. The elegant creature was not a baby eastern brown snake. Its slim, wedge-shaped head is in- stantly recognizable as that of Burton's snake-lizard ( ). Burton's snake-lizard is a member of the Family Pygopodidae, which is the only reptile family endemic to the Australian region. Despite the snake-like body, the Py- gopodidae are very closely related to the geckos. Most species are insectivorous, but some feed primarily on spiders or lizards (the largest family of Australian lizards). is one of only two species in the genus; the other being L. which is endemic to Papua New Guinea (PNG). Burton’s is a very successful species found throughout Australia, except for the extreme south west and south east, and also occurs in PNG. Pygopods (from the Greek pygo–rump and Burton’s snake-lizard pod–foot) have no at Burrum Heads forelimbs, and the hindlimbs are repre- sented by a scaly flap just above the vent. They have no eyelids, and keep the eyes clean by licking with their flat tongue. Some species have earholes Burton’s snake-lizard preparing dinner and can squeak like geckoes, whereas snakes are deaf and dumb. The Burton's snake- lizards that I have seen were a pale fawn colour, but there is an extreme colour and pattern variation within the species. As can be seen from the closeup photo, L. burtonis is one of the species that feeds on other reptiles. It grasps the prey by the throat or thorax and holds it until it suffocates. Once the prey is dead it is swallowed, head first. The photo was kindly supplied by Gordon Claridge of Heli- don who chanced to spot the Burton's just before it grabbed the skink by the throat. Who would have thought that leglessness could be so advantageous that some lizard species have actually evolved from fourlegged animals back to a snake-like shape? ● Carol Bussey 17 $20,000 compensation for vegetation damage Following 12 cases of trees being illegally cut down in a six-month period during 2017, Fraser Coast Regional Council has strengthened its tree protection laws. In October 2017, the Open Space & Environment Department of Fraser Coast Regional Council released a Council Policy, Unauthorised Vegetation Damage on Council Land. Among the Objectives of the Policy are the promotion of the value of, and need for, protection of vegetation on public land, and the provision of consistency in the deter- rence, investigation and response to Vegetation Vandalism incidents. The philosophy of the Policy incorporates the notion that the long-term protection and management of vegetation on public land is integral to maintaining the economic, cultural, environ- mental and social values of the Local Government Area (LGA), and that vegetation contributes significantly to environmental health, biodiversity values and aesthetics, including human health and well-being. Community education is considered a key mechanism to promote the protection of vegetation, and in encouraging the reporting of vandalism. As an example of Council implementing this Policy, in Novem- ber 2017 Council reached a $20,000 out of court settlement with a resident who was caught poisoning trees on the Esplanade at Point Vernon. The man was captured on film by Council staff, and admitted to using herbicide to kill trees in the Esplanade parkland. As an alternative to court action, he agreed to compensate Council for the staff-time involved in treating the site, removing poisoned vegetation, and future replanting of the area. In commenting on the case, Environment Portfolio Councillor David Lewis said that “Council views the unauthorised destruction, damage or removal of vegetation very seriously. Council has a zero tolerance for actions that damage the environment.” Council encourages anybody who sees people damaging or removing vegetation from Council land to contact them immediately on 1300 79 49 29, seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Fraser Coast Regional Council, particularly staff and Councillors directly involved, are to be commended on the introduction and enforcement of this Policy. ● Rodney Jones Source: adapted from Fraser Coast Regional Council website Wildlife Matters Yes, I know that you know that already, but ... Wildlife Qld Fraser Coast now has a monthly column titled Wildlife Matters in the Indy Lifestyle section of the Independent newspaper. Check it out! Wambaliman SUMMER 2018 18 Great Sandy Strait and K’gari under threat – again! The Fraser Island Defenders Organisation is again opposing mining that will impact K’gari. The big difference between the 1970s and now is that the mine is for coal and not for mineral sand. Although the coal mine is located about 30 km from K’gari’s western shore, K’gari will undoubtedly suffer from the annual discharge of 946 megalitres of untreated mine water containing heavy metals. This means that approximately 200 litres per second will all be dumped in the Mary River at Dundathu and find its way just a little downstream to Great Sandy Strait. Here it will be trapped by tides coming from both the north and south. This is where most of the pollutants will fall out.

● Rodney Jones Adapted from FIDO’s K’gari E-News 7 January 2018 A call for bid$ to fund student research projects A consortium of groups and organisations has grave concerns over the environ- mental impact of the proposed Colton Coal Mine on the Ramsar listed Great Sandy Strait and the Fraser Island World Heritage area that includes part of the Great Sandy Strait. Research Projects are sought that will assess the potential environ- mental impact of the waste water discharged from the mine and of flood waters flow- ing from the mine site into the Great Sandy Strait Ramsar site The MRCCC, Fraser Island Defenders Organisation and the Greater Mary Associ- ation have established a $25,000 fund for projects to test their hypothesis of serious and sustained damage to the ecology of the Great Sandy Strait resulting from the release of acidic water polluted with abnormal concentrations of heavy metals into the Mary River, and also the impacts from containment dams at the mine site in the Catchment potentially breaching or overtopping. The research projects that the consortium is interested in funding require a basic interest and scientific background that will address the following questions, which may be broken down into a series of smaller projects: Question 1 a) What is the pH of the water likely to be released at the rate of 200 litres per second in the Mary River estuary 8 km from the Ramsar boundary? b) What will be the effect of river flow and tidal movements on this discharge, both upstream and downstream of the discharge point? c) How will a cessation of flow across the tidal barrage affect the dispersal of the discharge water? Question 2 a) What will be the effect of a lower pH at various levels on the biota of the lower Mary River and the Great Sandy Strait? ... Continued on p. 20 19 A call for bid$ to fund student research projects cont. … from p. 19 b) How far are the heavy metals in the water discharged from the Colton Mine likely to be dispersed? c) How long are the heavy metals likely to persist in abnormal concentrations? d) What impacts can be expected on the fauna and flora of the affected area in the short, medium and long term? e) Will heavy metals such as cadmium seriously impact on the food chain and, if so, how and for how long? Question 3 What data already exists relating to water quality and stream flows in the lower Mary River and Great Sandy Strait, and what is the known impact of heavy met- als to be discharged from Colton Mine on the ecosystem and human health. Other Questions: Research into other questions that address the environmental impact of the waste water discharge from the Colton Mine on Great Sandy Strait will be con- sidered TO SUBMIT BIDS Students, individually or as teams, are invited to submit bids to fund projects that will address any of the above questions. The Research Oversight Committee will consider bids on what they deem give the best value for money. The criteria includes : Timing: Projects need to be completed no later than 1 June 2019 Capability: The experience of individuals and collaborators to complete the projects submitted Availability of funds: Projects can only be funded if resources are available. Early applications are advised. Proximity: Preference will be given to applicants close to the impact area

Proposals should be submitted by email to [email protected] There is no closing date: as long as funds are available, applications will be consid- ered. It is hoped to begin the allocation of funding in March 2018. For further details contact [email protected] or [email protected] Online References to the Colton Coalmine can be found at: http://www.newhopegroup.com.au/files/files/02%20Environmental% 20Management%20Plan%20-%20May%202014.PDF Wambaliman SUMMER 2018 20 Discover the Great Sandy Strait – and help research Want to discover the Great Sandy Strait and help valuable research at the same time? Join us on a cruise to better understand the rich biodiversity and history of this wonderful Ram- sar listed waterway. The cruise will travel around Woody Island and close to the western shores of K’gari (Fraser Island) and then pro- ceed south to Anchorage and Stewart Island before returning to Hervey Bay. Objectives: The cruise has two objectives. The first is to let you see and experience the biological and historical richness of the Great Sandy Strait. The second aim is to raise funds Great Sandy Strait region for research. All the profits from these cruises are fully committed to adding to our $25,000 Research Fund to assess the impact of the discharge of mine water from the pro- posed Colton coal mine on Great Sandy Strait. During the cruise, an explanation will be provided on why there is such concern over these potential threats. The vessel: MV Amaroo is a 20 metre catamaran with a total registered capacity of 95 passengers plus crew. For this type of cruise our travelling speed will be approx. 17 knots. Although Amaroo has large capacity, we are limiting numbers to between 50 and 60 to allow space to move about. There are 3 external viewing decks, for- ward, aft and upper (upper is covered), and seating for 54 in the main saloon. On board facilities include full size toilets and a canteen. Morning tea (biscuits/muffins) and light lunch (sandwiches and fruit) will be served on board. A tea & coffee MV Amaroo station is available all trip. Dates: Tuesday 23 January Sunday 11 March Tuesday 20 March Departure: The cruise departs from the Hervey Bay Boat Club at 9.30 am, but you need to be at the boat club before 9.15 am. Enquiries and Registration: [email protected]

21 Plant identification resources Floras —Online and download

Plant enthusiasts now have a great new resource at their disposal. The online version of Flora of Australia has just been launched. This adds to the existing online resource Flora Online (which includes many plants from the Fraser Coast Region) Also, the three volumes of Flora of south-eastern Queensland by Stanley and Ross are available for download as scanned pdf documents. Even though they are old (1980s), and out of date in some cases, they are still very handy if you are trying to identify plants occurring in this region. The quality of the scanning is very good. Information contained is typical of Floras of that period, including Notes on General Features of SE Queensland (climate, physical features, soils, vegeta- tion), Glossary, Keys to Plant Families, and indexes to Scientific Names and Common Names, plus relevant maps. ● Rodney Jones (adapted from information supplied by Tony van Kampen)

Wambaliman SUMMER 2018 22 Book Review – Lots of stuff about birdwatching Anoraks to Zitting Cisticola: a whole lot of stuff about bird watching by Sean Dooley. Illustrations by Matt Clare. Publisher: Allen & Unwin 2007. Retail price: $24.95

Sean Dooley! What other author would pro- duce an A–Z book with entries that included; anoraks, asbirders syndrome, big day, bore, captain twitchpants, chooks, crippler, dipfearia, duffer, girlfriends, hide, Isabelline Wheatear, Julatten, listeria, parabolic grot, pishing, Rime of the Ancient Mariner, sea sickness, Stint Wars, tertials, Werribee Sewage Farm, xanthochroism, and zitting Cisticola? Sean may be better known by some of you for being a Melbourne based author who contribut- ed to The Age, ABC radio, and 3RRR radio, writing and talking about birds, environ- mental issues, sport, and just about anything else, really. Possibly his greatest claim to fame is breaking the Australian birdwatching record for seeing the most species in one year (over 700), and then publicly outing himself as a bird-nerd by writing about it in a book called The Big Twitch. He is currently the editor of Birdlife Australia. In the Introduction to Anoraks to Zitting Cisticola, Sean explains “So this book is for all of you out there who have ever thought that birdwatching may be for you. I have tried to answer all your burning questions about birdwatching. Not the standard stuff like how to tell a Lemon-bellied Flycatcher from a Grey Whistler at fifty paces, but the useful gen that the field guides won’t tell you: how to look cool in an anorak (answer: it’s impossible); identification tips for recognising someone with Birdy-nerdy Syndrome, and how to avoid being trapped at a party with them; how to fool a rari- ties committee; what is the correct birding etiquette for puking over the side of a boat while out sea-birding; when is it appropriate to take a pish in polite company; right down to What the hell is a Zitting Cisticola, and is it contagious? You know, all the really important stuff.” As you can see, Sean successfully combines his wealth of knowledge on birding with his natural talent for humour. The style of the book is not that of a cover-to- cover read, in fact the author includes an introductory section ‘The cheats guide to using this book’. A tremendous book for any bird enthusiast to have loitering around within reach for when the day gets a bit serious. ● Rodney Jones 23 Last Page

by Carol Bussey

“What’s more, it is sustainable.” Past FCRC Mayor Gerard O’Connell referring to Stockland Hervey Bay Shopping Centre

Want to join Wildlife Queensland? http://www.wildlife.org.au/store/membership.html or download the membership form at http://www.wildlife.org.au/support/image/ membershipform.pdf

Membership for 1 year $30 Individual $45 Family / non-profit group $20 Concession $12.50 Youth

Wambaliman SUMMER 2018 24