Project identifies local species, adds interest to park walks

Bush Care Coordinator Norm Morwood says interest in Petrie Creek Catchment Care Group has increased since COVID, with people seeking outlets to give back and get back to nature.

by Cameron Outridge 

A promising local plant species identification project has been resurrected 20 years after it was shelved.

Bush Care Sunshine Coast Coordinator Norm Morwood re-activated the plan after he became aware of a stockpile of unused engraved nameplates of prominent local species. “One of the main purposes of the name plate project is that people get to know the local plants and might plant the ones they like in their own places,” he said.

So Petrie Creek Catchment Care Group volunteers began work to place the nameplates at Namba Creek (the model Rail Park in Nambour) on Saturday where they carry out regular regeneration work.

“Twenty years ago Petrie Creek Catchment Care Group started a project to have the names of local species trees applied in public places,” he said.

“They produced some engraved name plates and built concrete bases. Unfortunately at the time they could not get permission from Council to install them.

“I have obtained funding from Petrie Creek Catchment Care Group to do some corrections and to have more plates made to fill some obvious gaps and we now have Council permission.”

Norm has been a Bush Care Coordinator since 2012 at three sites: Namba Creek, Florabunda Pocket at Victory Park and “Gulung Gung” which are local Gubbi Gubbi/Kabi Kabi words for “Family Connections Country”. Gulung Gung is just downstream from Quota Park and we work at a few sites there in what is to become a new council park,” said Norm.

Like other volunteers, Norm found catchment care work incredibly satisfying. “It is an enjoyable, pleasant and rewarding way to contribute to the wellbeing of the planet,” he said. “It’s the planting. It’s the growing the natives and looking after the wildlife. And making a habitat for the wildlife. That’s what we do, and it’s fantastic. You put a few plants in, and you pull a few weeds out, and eventually it turns into a fantastic thing like that,” he said pointing to a healthy forest of native regrowth.

“The achievements on the sites are due to the enthusiasm and efforts of the teams of volunteers who come each working bee to give their time and skills and share the satisfaction.”

• For more information  email normmorwood@gmail.com