Welcome Back Tree Planters!
The great news for 2020 is that Treeforce was successful in securing an Australian Government Communities Environment grant for our Citizen Science project!
This project is a bit different to what we have done in previous years in that it will be a combination of tree planting and educational activities focused on caring for Freshwater Creek. Some activities will be larger tree plantings on two sites in the Redlynch Valley Estate area, and other activities will be smaller educational family events held by the creek on the Goomboora to the Rocks bike path.
We are easing into the start of the year with the first activity being held on Rice’s Gully involving some site preparation (hole digging), a few trees to plant, and possibly some weeding of our last tree planting there followed by a project discussion over morning tea by the creek.
Access is via Goomboora Park…Enlarge the map on our main page and see Site C in green.
Wear sun smart gear, hat & covered shoes & bring gloves and water. Morning tea will be supplied. No dogs thanks :)
Below is an outline of our 2020 project:
“In close consultation and also with support from the Cairns Regional Council, hands-on tree plantings and citizen science sessions will be held on Freshwater Creek. The first events will involve site preparation and tree planting. These will take place in the early part of the project before the dry season sets in. The bike path activities will aim to clear certain plots of weeds and plant a small amount of trees each activity. The next fortnightly activity we will return to the previous planted plot for a weed and watering check up before we proceed to the next planting plot. Time and care will be taken so that the participants learn about the different species of weeds & trees, their role in the ecosystem, and how to care for their plot. The larger Redlynch Valley Estate tree plantings will take place on two sites off Huntley Crescent and Gamburra Drive.
The tree planting sessions will build up our volunteer base ready for the next phase of ‘Citizen Science Sessions’ from August to November.
A new facebook page will be set up under the Treeforce one possibly as ‘Friends of Freshie Creek’ and participants will be encouraged to share their knowledge & stories about the creek and the area. These educational sessions will be hands-on family orientated science activities and include collecting data on weeds, native vegetation, aquatic invertebrates, birds & fauna and will include water quality monitoring, clean up activities and nesting box setups. A variety of interesting Guest Speakers will complement the sessions.
The population growth in the Redlynch area has rapidly increased over the past few years and we need to care for our creek that provides us with such beautiful recreational areas & wildlife. The aim of the project is to celebrate Freshwater Creek by sharing educational information & events with the Redlynch community.”
