Community Engagement Team Updates
Messy Film
The "Messy regenerative agriculture" film event held on the 3rd May, was well attended by locals and out of towners and we reached full capacity at the Little Theatre. The film explored the principles and practices of regenerative agriculture and highlighted the connections between soil health, biodiversity, pollination, and sustainable food systems. We managed to raise $532 for GBSAN projects thanks to the generous “Messines Farm” crew who donated refreshments and the goodies for the raffle. A big thankyou to our wonderful GBSAN volunteers who made the delicious soup, damper and cakes. Our esteemed secretary, Siobhan West, won the raffle!
Pub Chat
Our first GBSAN Pubchat was a great success with 30 people gathering for some face to face time catching up and hearing what's happening in our teams. Team leaders for energy, resource recovery, community engagement, biodiversity and bushcare each had a couple of minutes to talk about what we've been doing and where we are headed. It was amazing to review the achievements so far. There's an apetitie to have more of these gatherings – stay tuned for the next one.
GBSAN Biodiversity – Landscape Linkages Project
Land For Wildlife Re-launch and Biodiversity/Biosecurity Officer with a Land for Wildlife component Proposal.
A joint proposal (GBSAN, Landcare groups) together with 30 letters of support were sent to all SDRC Councillors, Mayor and the CEO. GBSAN received an invitation to present at a Council Information Session – Rick and I delivered this on 22 May, 2025. Fingers crossed the SDRC will include this in their upcoming budget.
Funding for this position would provide on the ground support, education, networking and resources for landholders to strength biodiversity and biosecurity protection as well as assisting in agricultural sustainability and investment via nature tourism.
Feral Scan App
We are encouraging everyone to download and use this app to collect data about feral animal activity in our region. The SDRC inform us that this data is essential in leveraging funds from State and Federal Governments to assist us in managing feral animals. This is an easy app to use and essential in providing evidence so that we can all work together to address this issue which adversely affects our biodiversity as well as agriculture.
GBSAN Bushcare Group
We had a busy month in May. Our Bushcare group members gathered at Goldfields Rd, Amiens to clear a rock platform rich in biodiversity from the invasive weed, Coreopsis. We had the promise of chocolate.....that is chocolate lillies (in spring and summer). This is an interesting wildflower that has been important bush tucker with its edible tubers and unusual chocolate infused scent.
We will be going here again on 25 June to clear more Coreopsis. We will return in December to see how the area is progressing and to enjoy the chocolate......scent that is!
Quolls
We also joined the Paul and Jess from the Quoll Society Australia along with 20 other volunteers at Girraween National Park to collect 40 remote cameras as part of their long term monitoring project for the elusive spotted-tailed quoll. Over time this will lead to measuring the population and any changes, so that we can continue to protect this remnant Qld stronghold population.
Paul and Jess will be offering training for interested GBSAN members on 15 June in Broadwater State Forest, to set up and collect data from these cameras as well as digital mapping skills. Let us know if you would like to be part of this exciting opportunity.
Contact us at community@gbsan.org.au if you have a project for the Bushcare group or would like to join the group.
Upcoming Bushcare dates are:
25 June Corner of Goldfields and Harslett Rds and
16 July at Greenlands
Community Engagement Team
Trivia night – 11 October 2025 – keep this evening free so you can come along and enjoy a night out with friends at our fundraiser. Details to follow.
Geraldine Hollingsworth, Convenor CET and Landscape Linkages