Volunteers voice issue 6

Cairns Regional Council - Parks & Leisure Issue 6 - March 2015

Community pride alive Community pride is alive and thriving! Cairns Regional Council supports residents who wish to give something back to their community by spending their time in gardening, revegetation and track maintenance programs on Council land.

Last year Council registered a number of residents as volunteers to ensure they were given guidance and direction as well as an induction in health and safety awareness.Ivan Evans Track in Bayview Heights is well known to the locals. Two very keen residents Inga Kamps and Alex Hoffmann approached Council for permission to conduct minor repairs and maintain the track especially after wet season wash-outs. Council conducted a track assessment with them and registered them as volunteers. Council also gained support from NEATO Employment to assist with much larger projects such as creek /pathway washout.

Kewarra Beach Parklands Estate, volunteers have been putting their time and energy into beautifying their streets with trees and shrubs while continuing to retain open grassland sections.

Clifton Beach residents Don Davis, David Dann and Raymond Woodhouse, now registered as volunteers, have been maintaining and planting out the Upolu Esplanade foreshore areas in front of their homes under Council guidance. These residents are aware of the necessity to retain vegetation within these foreshore areas to ensure sand is not eroded especially during storm surges.Geoff McClure, also of Clifton Beach, has spent a number of years replanting Deadman’s Gully Creek in Yule St area. The young trees he planted approximately 10 years ago have now created a small forest along the creek banks. Geoff continues maintaining this area with pride.Individual residents such as Gail Winters were inspired to care for a small area of Council parkland at Garnet St. After Council had to remove a Ficus tree threatening nearby buildings Gail has replanted and maintained this small plot with support from Council.Annette Angell spends her time clearing weeds from the reserve behind her home and loves every minute of it.Contact Public Relations & Volunteers Officer Louisa Grandy 4032 6648 for further information. (see photos Page 2)

This newsletter will be published quarterly, showcasing articles

and photographs on volunteer activities

throughout Council’s Parks & Leisure

branch.

In this issue:

• Community pride alive

• VolunteerProfile• Botanic Garden

construction news• Gardeneers’ plant

sales 2015• Volunteer

Comments• Little Taccas• Questionnaire

results• Training in 2015• Test your

knowledge• Hort. Notes• Plant Information• Volunteers

celebrate• What’s On

Volunteers Voice

Making a difference in Cairns

Page 2 Volunteers Voice

(See article front page:)

Pictured: Left: Alex and Inga conducting a track assesement of Ivan Evans Track (behind Bayview Heights) with Council Botanic Garden’s Curator David Warmington (middle).Below: This section of the track is being eroded by the creek.This was deemed to big a task for two volunteers. Council and NEATO Employment staff would repair this section.

Community pride alive and thrivingFrom Page 1

Upolu Esplanade, Clifton Beach foreshore area is being planted and maintained in various areas by residential volunteers. Photos below: left to right: Before and After protective fencing was installed in January this year. This fence is designed to keep foot traffic to designated pathways to and from beach whilst maintaining vegetative erosion control.

Before After

Volunteers Voice Page 3

became a regular visitor attending the cafe for breakfast or lunch before walking around the gardens. I soon began to know the Gardens a little more intimately.“Through Lorraine Smith I became acquainted with the Friends and joined the Down ‘n’ Dirty group. Joining this group was the best thing for me since sliced bread.

“I would also attend Friends’ Wednesday night functions as it was a great way to meet fellow Cairns community members. This led to joining the Friends Committee as a member. A year later I was elected as vice-president.“I’ve always enjoyed this type of community involvement. Although every club or group is different I feel relatively comfortable because I’ve been on committees in the past.”Before living in Cairns Del had lived in Southern Cross, WA with a population of only a thousand so “I had my finger in every pie so to speak,” Del laughs.“The pool manager and I began a swimming club for kids and I was also involved with the amateur theatre, becoming the president of this group. I enjoy the companionship within groups.”Although Del enjoyed the hands on of the Down ‘n’ Dirty group she had to retire for a little while due to knee problems. This however gave her time to take part in other groups such as the Shop Volunteers where she now organises the volunteer roster. “I enjoy working in the Friends Shop, there is such a

variety of personalities and nationalities who visit the shop. It’s great to be able to assist them in any way I can - such a variety of questions!”.

Del has also been a Volunteer Guide for a number of years. “This is where the school teacher comes out (employment role before retirement) as I like to

think I can interest people. Although my knowledge of the Gardens is limited, it is expanding all the time and I share what I can. It’s amazing where people travel from to attend these guided tours.

“I especially enjoy the regular groups that come from WA as I can relate to

their questions having come from the same area.”

As an ex-teacher Del also became involved with the Little Taccas program last year. “I have grandchildren of my own and it was great to be involved with this group. At first I was expecting it to be all about the kids however I have since realised it’s also about the parents - about involving everyone in nature. I enjoy talking with the parents. It’s interesting to see not only mothers attending but also fathers and grandparents.“Volunteering gives me a reason for being! The contact with people keeps me involved and I like to challenge myself. Although it’s frustrating with my current physical impairment, I continue in any capacity I can. I also admire others involved, such great role models who continue to inspire me. I do it as much for me as others and the Gardens.”

“Joining the Down ‘n’ Dirty group

was the best thing since sliced bread.”

Del Van Mierlo has been volunteering with the Friends of the Botanic Gardens, Cairns since 2011 spreading her time across a number of activities.

Del, originally from Western Australia, said “I knew Cairns well before I came to live here as my late husband, who fell in love with the town, and I would visit regularly.When he died I spent a year travelling around Australia and in 2010 purchased a unit in Cairns before coming to live here permanently in 2011.“I hadn’t been to the Botanic Gardens until Mum came to visit and asked about seeing the Gardens. After that I


Botanic Gardensconstruction news

Thank you Lachie

Lachlan Ottley has been volunteering with the Down ‘ n’ Dirty group and Cattana Wetlands Jabirus for a year. He will be

greatly missed when he and his wife leave Cairns this month.

“I have always been a great lover of nature with it's beauty and grandeur, ranging from the giant Sequoias of

America, down to the wild flower shows of Western Australia, to our magnificent

rainforest of the far north. Botanical gardens all over the world, endeavour to

preserve, on a smaller scale, the highlights of this beauty, no less than the Cairns Botanic Gardens. Learning that these

gardens cannot survive without volunteer labour was the catalyst for me to offer

my services as a citizen of this wonderful place to live. I think your organisation

and the programs are great, as are the folk who carry out this work. I am proud to

have been one of them.”

Two major construction projects in the Cairns Botanic Gardens will be major highlights once completed.Construction has commenced on the 1.3 million dollar Conservatory within Flecker Garden. This will house a collection of tropical plants that require the environment and protection provided by such a structure.With an overall area of 650 square metres the structure’s shape is based upon the native Licuala palm leaf and replaces the Munro Martin Fernery and the George Watkins Orchid House. The structure is also designed to house a range of native butterflies. Flecker Garden is listed as a state heritage location on the Queensland State Heritage Register for its historical, aesthetic and social values. A heritage impact statement was a mandatory requirement under the Sustainable Planning Act 2009 to accompany the

development application for the Conservatory. If all goes to plan it is expected the facility will be open by the middle of 2015.A Chinese Garden has been designed and approved with construction expected to commence in March 2015. This 1500 square metre garden will celebrate the Sister City relationship between Cairns and Zhanjiang, China.The garden will be located at Centenary Lakes and will feature a formal entrance, boardwalk, pergola, moon gate and pavilion (see artist’s impression below).The garden has been designed in consultation with the Cairns Sister City Association, the Cairns & District Chinese Association and the Zhanjiang Urban Management Bureau.Garden City Design, the Cairns landscape architect company for the project, was also responsible for the design of the Sino Australian Friendship Garden in Zhanjiang China.

Volunteer Comments


Gardeneers plant sales for 2015Friends of the Botanic Gardens, Cairns Christmas Plant Sale on Sunday 7th December was a huge success for all stall holders.

After a much needed downpour the night before, the Gardens were sparkling for the event with many locals coming along to purchase plants and enjoy the Gardens’ atmosphere.If you missed out, you can always purchase plants from the Gardeneers every Wednesday near the Friends

House at Flecker Gardens from 9.30-11.30am.Their larger annual sales will be held on the following dates:• Pre-Easter Sale - Sunday 29th March• Carnival on Collins - Father’s Day Sale - Sunday 6th

September • Christmas Plant Sale - Sunday 6th December

Pictured below: Some of the Gardeneers packing up after a successful plant sale, from left, David Gandini, Rod Garrett, Wally Whitnell and Sandy Long.


PRAISE FOR LITTLE TACCAS

New Program begiNs march‘Little Taccas’

Children’s Nature Activities Program begins this month on Thursday 5th March with the theme of ‘Flowers & Colours’.

There is always plenty of fun and nature exploration for both children and parents - what a great way to connect with nature, the Gardens and meet new friends!If this appeals to you contact Botanic Gardens Visitor Centre 4032 6650. Limited numbers, bookings essential. Pictured from left, Molly, Lachlan and Keisha with their nature collages.

Questionnaire resultsA questionnaire was given out to the Down ‘n’ Dirty volunteer gardening group by one of it’s members to gain information for an end of year presentation.

This article has been written with results from this questionnaire as well as one that was handed out in 2013.

Majority of members joined the group for the following reasons:• Love of gardening• A desire to contribute to the Botanic Gardens as it is an

inspirational and unique garden and to become involved with the Cairns community.

• To learn about tropical gardening.• Had seen the camaraderie and enthusiasm within the group

and wanted to join. • Enjoy the company of like-mind people.• Enjoy gardening but no longer have a garden.Others joined because they had recently left school, were in between jobs or new to Cairns, wanting the experience and to further their skills to enable future employment.

Most members said they enjoyed working in a variety of areas, although most wanted to work in shady areas during hot weather!They also enjoyed a variety of activities such as mulching, manicuring, delicate work and also ‘brute force’ work.Some especially enjoyed working in the vegetable garden as they believed it was educational and needed to be self sufficient in a sustainable and spiritually nurturing way.

This year’s plans will include the suggested areas that volunteers would like to work such as the orchid house, Aboriginal Garden, the Lakes, Vertical Garden, new Chinese Garden (when completed), and vegetable garden. Plans will also include other suggested activities.

Molly, who is going to school this year, celebrated her birthday with the Little Taccas on her last day of the program on November 27, 2014. Father, Peter Dunstone, said “Molly loves Little Taccas and is always excited days before, and tells her grandparents all about it. I think she

will miss being a part of the group.”


Questions:1. What is the collective name for the stigma, style and ovary on a flower?2. What gives rise to the species name (second part) Maniltoa lenticellata.3. What are the spaces in between stems on a branch called?4. What does the term dioecious mean? 5. What is the term for a leaf with a single blade (a) and a leaf with more than one blade (b)?6. What is the family with the following three genus Plumeria, Wrightia and Strophanthus?7. What is the name of the roots that hang down from a Ficus branch? Answers:

1. Carpel.2. Prominent lenticels - small, corky, oval or elongated areas on the surface of a plant stem, trunk, or fruit that allow the interchange of gases between the interior tissue and the surrounding air.3. Internodes.4. Two houses. A plant having the male and female flowers in separate individuals.5. (a) simple, (b) compound 6. Apocynaceae7. Aerial or adventitious roots.

Training plans for 2015It’s time we gave you something back for all the time you have volunteered at the Botanic Gardens and Cattana Wetlands (or both; which is the case for some of you)! The exciting news is horticulture training and plant identification courses are being offered this year.

It has been in the pipeline for some time, receiving a training package from the Gold Coast called SMART (S = Soil, M=Mulch, A= Alternative Water Solutions, R= Range of suitable Plants, T=Transformation into efficient water-wise gardens) and now our plans are coming together.

Gardens Horticulturalist Keith English will be offering the SMART training on a Wednesday in a suitable format for tropical gardens. This will assist volunteers with an understanding of not only general gardening but also horticulture. This will give volunteers new skills to use in their own gardens and also while working in the Botanic Gardens and Cattana Wetlands.

Interpretive Officer Tony Roberts will be providing Plant Identification courses throughout the year. This training will teach plant terminology - see example of this in Hort Notes on Pages 8-9.

Thank you Anne for your years of service!

Anne Griffin was one of the first members of the Down ‘n’ Dirty group, joining in early 2011 when

there were only 5 volunteers. Anne retired from the group

in December 2014 to move to Victoria.

“To the gardeners, the Down ‘n’ Dirties and all the volunteers at

Flecker, it has been a privilege to learn and laugh and work with you

all. Thank you.”

Volunteer Comments

Test your knowledge


In the next few issues Volunteers Voice will cover basic plant terminology to enable better plant identification skills.

The basic plant structure has three vegetative organs: roots, stems, and leaves. The root system is usually underground. It anchors the plant, absorbs water and nutrients and can store food for the plant.The stem supports the leaves, flowers and fruit, conducts water and nutrients from the roots to the leaves, flowers and fruit, and can store food for the plant.The leaves produce food for the plant through photosynthesis.This issue will cover leaves - simple and compound leaves and their arrangement, attachment, shapes and margins.There are a number of technical terms used for describing the arrangement and shape of leaves. These terms can be divided into several groups: arrangement, structure, margin and attachment of the leaf to the stem, and the overall shape of the leaf.The last group is the largest. There is also a large group of terms for describing the surface texture and appearance (e.g. degree of hairiness). These are not currently included here.An undivided leaf is said to be simple. If it is divided into two or more leaflets it is said to be compound. If the leaf is divided once it is pinnate, twice bipinnate, thrice tripinnate.

Leaf arrangement: below, is described by terms such as alternate, decussate, distichous, opposite, radical and whorled.

Hort. Notes

Leaves - simple and compound: (above) a. leaf simple, petiolate, stipulate, with reticulate venation; b. leaf simple, base sheathing, venation parallel; c. leaf simple, sessile, auriculate, venation parallel; d-j. compound leaves (note the axillary bud at the base of the petiole.

Leaf attachment: (above) is described by terms such as decurrent, sheathing, perfoliate, sessile and articulate, petiolate and articulate

simple leaves

compound leaves

Leaves - shapes, margins, arrangements and attachments


widest near the

apex

widest near the centre

widest near the

base

Leaf margins: (above) the diagrams are all of simple leaves, although some are deeply dissected.

Excerpt reprinted with permissionName That Flower, Clarke & Lee

Melbourne University Publishing, 2003Available from mup.com.au

Leaf shapes: (above) this diagram covers most of the commonly used terms, but it should be noted that the shapes are not rigidly defined; two or more terms are often used together when considerable variation occurs.

Descriptions, above, of apices and bases.

Leaves - shapes, margins, arrangements and attachments


Plant Information: Apocynaceae

Apocynaceae is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, stem succulents, and vines. This family has about 380 genera and 4700 species that are mostly tropical with only a few genera and species in temperate regions; about 30 genera occur naturally in Australia.

Members of the family are native to European, Asian, African, Australian, and American tropics or subtropics, with some temperate members.

Many species are tall trees found in tropical rainforests, such as Alstonia scholaris, or commonly known as Milky Pine (even though it is not a pine) and Cerbera floribunda, or Cassowary Plum, while some grow in tropical dry (xeric) environments such as Adenium and Pachypodium. Also perennial herbs from temperate zones occur. Please note the family once known as Asclepiadaceae is now included in this family.

Characteristics include milky latex sap and complex flowers. Leaves can be simple, entire, opposite and whorled. This family can often be recognised by the radically symmetrical, trumpet-shaped corollas commonly with lobes twisted like a propellor. Fruit is capsule, schizocarp, nutlet, berry or drupe. Flowers can be scented such as Plumeria, Wrightia, Stemmadenia and Stephanotis.Some genera that can be seen at Cairns Botanic Gardens are Adenium obesum (1), Alstonia scholaris, Beaumontia grandiflora (2), Cerbera, Hoya, Kopsia fruiticosa (3), Plumeria pudica (4), Wrightia religiosa (5), Strophanthus preussii (6), Stephanotis floribunda (7), Stemmadenia and Tabernaemontana corymbosa (8).

The Milkweed Family - Apocynaceae

1. 2. 3.

4.

5. 6.

7.

8.


Council’s Parks & Leisure staff and volunteers celebrated 2014 with a Christmas break-up morning tea on Wednesday 3rd December at the Botanic Gardens Visitors Centre.Parks & Leisure Manager Brett Spencer gave an opening speech on the volunteers great work and was followed by a member from each group (Friends, shop volunteers, tour guides, Gardeneers, Down ‘n’ Dirty, Jabirus and Little Taccas) giving a small presentation

on their achievements for the year and further plans for 2015.PHOTOS: 1. Down ‘n’ Dirty & Jabiru volunteers Alex Edwards and Lachlan Ottley. 2. Friends & Down ‘n’ Dirty members Jenny Martin and Candy Mason. 3. Friends Jackie Frost & Norma Wright. 4. Little Taccas Natasha Stanley. 5. Natural Areas Management Dave Lloyd and Jabiru Jeff Pretty. 6. Gardeneers Sandy Long and Ray Church. 7. Botanic Gardens Horticulturalist Keith English and Down ‘n’ Dirty member Beryl Watson.

1. 2. 3.

4.

5. 6. 7.

Volunteer groups celebrated 2014

Cairns Regional Council - Parks & Leisure Volunteers Voice

What’s On

Interested in Volunteering?There is something to suit everyone. If you are interested in supporting any of the following volunteer programs please contact Public Relations & Volunteers Officer Louisa Grandy on 4032 6648. Opportunities include:• Visitor Guides• Plant Database • Public Relations & Shop assistance in the Friends’ House• Tuesdays - Cattana Wetlands Jabirus • Wednesdays - Botanic Gardens Down ’n’ Dirty Volunteers • Children’s Nature Activities Program - Little Taccas.For Friends of the Botanic Gardens membership details email [email protected] or telephone 4032 3900.

Contributions:Please submit articles (must be volunteer or plant based) by May for the next quarterly publication in June.Email: [email protected]. Please note articles are subject to editing.

Cairns Regional CouncilPO Box 359, Cairns Q 4870 Australia.07 4032 6650

Cairns Botanic Gardens64 Collins Ave,Edge Hill, Cairns Q 4870, Australia4032 6650

Friends of the Botanic Gardens, Cairns4032 3900

Like us on Facebook to keep up to date with all events

Cairns Botanic Gardens and Friendsof the Botanic Gardens

• Bird Walks: John Seale’s free weekly tours are held every Tuesday, leaving the Friends House at 8.30am.

• Friends’ ‘Gardeneers’ Trolley Plant Sales: every Wednesday morning from 9.30am-11.30am outside the Friends House. Pre-Easter sale on Sunday 29 March in the staff amenities behind Friends House.

• Garden Guided Walks commence this month (March). Contact the Friends House 4032 3900 for further details.

• Little Taccas Children’s Nature Activities Program begins Thursday 5 March and then fortnightly Thursdays. Bookings essential 4032 6650.

• See latest workshops and events on Gardens’ and Friends’ websites and Facebook pages.

• Friends’ Wednesday Supper Talks are held the 2nd Wednesday of the month from 6.30pm. The Saturday ‘Walk & Talks’ are held every 3rd Saturday of the month from 9am until noon at the Cairns Botanic Gardens Visitors Centre. All welcome. Contact Friends for information.

Interesting Fungi can be seen during the wet season such as

this Stinkhorn with its intricate lacework.

Documents

Volunteers voice issue 6