Terrumbine Reserve BushCare

04/05/2026

These gals wandered past as we worked last week. (The stick was in the exact wrong spot!) Ah, they are brush turkeys (not bush turkeys).

29/04/2026

The 20 new Indigofera Australis (native indigo) just potted up from seed collected on site are doing well😀.

22/04/2026

"Products such as these are considered safer for consumer use because they are less of a risk to pets and other non-target species like owls and tawny frogmouths."

Coles and its rival Woolworths have explained their decisions to remove the items from their shelves.

05/04/2026

Valued at an estimated $1billion for the work they do regenerating forests, we need to better protect our flying foxes...

Scientists for the first time have estimated what Australia would look like without this endearing – but often maligned – animal.

20/03/2026

Autumn is the season for fungi to appear. This one could be mistaken for a weird forest creature but is actually composting a tree branch.

20/03/2026

Relocating ferns from one area to another, we've cut the leaves back to reduce transplant shock. We're pleased to see this umbrella fern (Sticherous flabellatus) is thriving after being moved across the bank a month ago!

06/03/2026

Fun fact Friday 🌸

Epacris longiflora, AKA Fuchsia Heath or the cheekily nicknamed “cigarette flower,” is full of surprises. Those striking red “petals”? Not petals at all. They’re fused into a long tubular nectar tunnel, perfectly engineered for birds with long curved beaks - basically nature’s drive-through for honeyeaters! As they dive in for a sip, pollen dusts their heads, and off they go to the next flower, doing the plant’s matchmaking for free.

The white tips aren’t just for show - think of them as landing lights, guiding birds straight to the nectar. And that fiery red? It’s no accident. Many insects can’t see red well, but birds can, meaning this native shrub attracts exactly the pollinators it wants. Talk about next-level evolutionary strategy. 🐦

Don’t be fooled by its delicate appearance - Epacris longiflora thrives in poor, sandy soils where many other plants struggle. While usually a winter–spring bloomer, it loves to surprise us, flowering at other times after rain - like it is right now, heading into autumn.

Catch this clever little native putting on a show in Caley’s Garden and the Knoll Garden. Look closer next time - you’re not just seeing a flower, you’re seeing thousands of years of ecological genius at work. 🌿

05/03/2026

No sooner had I planted a swamp lily a tiger moth took a rest.

19/02/2026

Was being closely monitored by this little local resident while planting at yesterday's Bushcare session. (A gully shade skink?)

06/02/2026

Was hard to photograph this small 3cm long cicada due to yesterday's breeze. Had just emerged from it's casing. As soon as it was sufficiently dry it took to the sky.