In response to recent letters in the Buderim Chronicle
Buderim SAILS Buderim Native Forests Preservation Project aims to preserve and extend, where possible, existing areas of native forest by weeding and removing exotic plants and planting natives. Removing weeds and linking existing patches of native vegetation supports the native wildlife. In the local native forests many different plant species occur within a small area. The self seeded caphorlaurel forests, in contrast, contain a much smaller variety of plants and support less wildlife.
In the early 1990s there was a large public meeting held at Lindsay Gardens to discuss the management of Martins Creek. Three volunteer weeding and revegetation working bees were established to work on public land along the creek. These included one based behind Village Green which over time has become Tom Rickards Park, and one based in Buderim Forest Park below the end of Quiet Valley Crescent led by Dan Johnston. These working bees were supported by the Council who provided native plants, advice and expertise. Some of the private landowners from that meeting and others who have come more recently, with frontage to the creek or who own a length of it have continued working to establish native forests along the creek and the springs what feed into it.
Some areas where the camphors have been gradually replaced with native species over twenty years are now the home to whip birds, cat birds and other creatures who do to live in the camphor forests.
Buderim SAILS has been caring for Buderim’s native forests for some years in the Martin’s creek cathcment and the strip of remnant rainforest on the escarpment between Middy’s and Buderim Village Park. This has included working bees and occasional community planting days on public land, in Martin’s Creek Bushland and Stone Street (the strip of land behind St Marks, Craft Cottage, and the BWMCA Hall), and on privately owned land including St Mark’s Anglican Church, and Buderim Forest Nature Refuge.
The 2014 State Government Department of Environment and Heritage grant of $66,000 over three years is being used to support the ongoing environmental conservation efforts of private landowners. The work meets the Departnment’s environmental project criteria. Strict six monthly reporting obligations apply.
SAILS has complied with all the conditions of the grant, The Department has all the details of the landowners, the breakdown of the budget, and the proposed work on each property. They do not publish these details, nor do they require that SAILS publish them on its website.
For privacy reasons SAILS does not disclose the names of individual landowners without their consent.
The grant consists of $33,000 in 2014 with the remainder split between 2015 and 2016.
To date in 2014
$3000 has been spent removing camphor laurels at St Marks. This was followed by a community planting by the local traditional owners in association with the Australia Day events.
$10,000will be spent this year employing contractors and buying tube stock to weed and revegetate the edge of Martin’s Creek behind Buderim Central. This work is underway and involves no camphor laurel removals.
The other landowners receiving grant money choose not to be identified.
SAILS removes only self seeded camphor laurels and supports the preservation of the large trees planted by John Walters in front of St Marks Hall. SAILS follows the standard practices of professional and academic environmental conservationists in line with environmental policies of the responsible council and state government authorities.
Heather Johnston coordinator Buderim SAILS 3.3.14
