By Spencer Shaw
How time flies. It’s been 4 years since my first article for the Hinterland Times and in that time we’ve covered a whole range of ecological restoration topics, hopefully in an accessible, sometimes controversial and even humorous way. Feedback is generally great and that makes my day, but occasionally one stirs up the hornets’ nest … and that makes my day too!
As a paid column I should probably be putting in lots of subtle (tree guards on special now – buy, buy, buy!!!), and not so subtle links (Best Native Plants on the Planet!!!!) to our products and services so as to make it worth our while, but for me I enjoy the opportunity to take you on a journey of my latest ecological vignette whether it be about seeds, trees, weeds, views, carbon, water, fauna etc…
Talking about vignette’s, we are fortunate at the moment to have a resident Koala on our block (his name is Keef, one of my daughters assures me). He’s taken up residence in a twenty year old revegetation patch and enjoying the Flooded Gums (Eucalyptus grandis) and somebody forget to tell him that Forest She Oak (Allocasuarina litoralis) isn’t koala habitat because he likes sitting in them also. Surprisingly we didn’t become aware of our resident koala by spotting him in a tree, but by the strong aroma of his presence (a bit like the smell of a horse stable that’s just been mopped out with Eucalypt oil!) Keef is welcome to stay as long as he’d like and even invite a few friends. He looks robustly healthy which is great, as Chlamydia (an infectious disease) is widespread and a serious threat to Koalas in SE QLD.
The opportunity to educate and inspire is at the core of our vision for Brush Turkey Enterprises. A vision that has grown over the last 16 years from a team of 1 to a team of 16 local people earning a living in a career that contributes to positive change on our little planet each and every day. Because even though we get up every day with a passion for restoring and growing our native ecosystems and living within our environment, it’s a drop in the ocean. My thanks goes out to the wider community of bush regenerators, farmers, educators, professionals and in particular landholders, who are also passionate and committed to restoring and growing our native ecosystems, you are amazing!
Enjoy the winter, enjoy the change of season, plant some trees for Keef and his mates (and for the sake of the trees themselves) and just as importantly for the sake of your grand children!
