A June meeting

We are having an extra working bee on Wednesday 24th June.
Every fifth Wednesday just does not come around often enough for some of us.
We will of course still be meeting on Wednesday 29th July as scheduled, so we hope you can make it to one or both of these.
As usual we start around 9 am or earlier if you wish.
Bring a chipping/chopping implement, secateurs, gloves, bag for weeds and your morning tea. Cameras are also welcome, to record interesting things happening in the scrub.

April at Franke Scrub

We had a good turn out today in lovely autumn weather, despite several of our stalwarts being away this week. Sarah Hood from the Condamine Alliance came to talk to us about the range of expertise among volunteer retirees in groups in the Condamine catchment.

We talked about raising awareness of our remnant vegetation and enjoying spending time in it. Meanwhile the wrens were busy providing background music in adjoining trees.
Despite the major impact we have had in clearing asparagus fern from the canopy, we were disappointed to find some fruit on vines, so there is more to be done.

We might need to schedule an extra morning before our next fifth Wednesday which will be on 29th July. As Greg pointed out, it is a nice time of year to spend more time there. A picnic lunch in winter has also been suggested with Alison offering tempting beverage.
Steve will be bringing some plants from the Crows Nest Nursery, for sale, next time we meet. We can grow this local remnant vegetation in our own gardens thanks to his propagating skills.

Press release for Open Day

Franke Scrub Open day reveals ancient treasures

More than 100 curious people met a 300-year-old neighbour during the inaugural Open Day at Franke Scrub remnant dry rainforest at Cawdor north of Toowoomba on March 7.

Friends of Franke Scrub (FoFS) group leader Patricia Gardner introduced guests to an ancient but very healthy specimen of Hill Leopard Ash (Flindersia collina) which may well have been a mature tree when Captain Cook discovered Australia.

It stands on the margin of a small, steep gully head on Franke Rd reserve near the Cawdor-Highfields boundary.

"This 'scrub' is really a tiny piece of dry rainforest, of the type known as 'semi-evergreen vine thicket'," Mrs Gardener said.

"It is one of the very few remaining local examples of this endangered ecosystem type."

"Because of all the clearing across this region since settlement began almost 160 years ago, these ecosystems are now very rare," she said.

The Open Day was run jointly by FoFS and Steve Plant, Natural Resource Management Officer (Northern Region) Toowoomba Regional Council, with assistance from Bushcare Officer Kristie Jenkinson.

Other TRC support staff included Jamie Pukallus and Wayne Bennett who helped market the tubed plants struck from seed harvested from Franke Scrub specimens.

During the guided tours guests were introduced to about 55 dry rainforest tree and shrub species and 15 climbers including the fascinating toothache tree (Melicope micrococca), blind-your-eye bush Excoecaria dallachyana) and the hairy lolly bush (Clerodendrum tomentosum).

Visitors were able to choose from more than 300 examples of most of the rare species found in Franke Scrub reserve as $2 and $4 tube plants thanks to the green thumb of Steve Plant, who operates the Crows Nest Community Nursery with the help of part-time staff and volunteers.

This nursery in Cows Nest is open to the public every Thursday from 9am till noon.

Mrs Gardner invited neighbouring Gowrie and Highfields districts' residents to help clean up and protect this endangered ecosystem by participating in weed removal campaigns on the fifth Wednesday of the month.

"We work hard to control foreign invaders such as cat's claw and asparagus fern which are competing aggressively for moisture and light with the indigenous plant communities.

"Our group always welcomes more volunteers to dedicate a couple of hours to removing these pest species and help maintain the integrity of Franke Scrub which is really a small but thriving oasis and not a barren scrub," she said.

FoFS will meet on-site on April 29 from 9am. Volunteers should bring their own smoko and a weeding tool. Weed bags are provided – all welcome.

For further information contact Patricia Gardner ph 46308505, or access the group's blogsite at http://www.frankescrub.blogspot.com

Thank you Gary Alcorn for providing this press release and photos.

A great success

The Open Day was a great success with a large number of visitors. Thank you to all those who worked to make this such a good day.
Would anyone like to add some comments or photos?

Open Day at the Scrub

An open day will be held at Franke Scrub on Saturday 7 March 10.00am to 1.00pm, to give local people a chance to see what much of Highfields’ vegetation once looked like. Many of the plants will be labelled, so that you can learn their names.
There will be a PLANT SALE of these hard-to-get local native species, so that you can grow some genuine indigenous plants in your own garden. Most of them will be shrubs and trees suitable for small gardens.
For more information contact Steve Plant 0417 193 665

Maps and Site Plan

Aerial views of Franke Road and Remnant Scrub with proposed location of road.

Working bee and meeting

We had a large attendance at our working bee held on Wednesday 28th January.
Jed Brennan, Toowoomba Regional Council’s Director of Engineering, showed us maps and plans of the proposed road development and how it might impact on the Reserve and we came away feeling that our efforts to protect and care for this special patch were well worth continuing.