About the Junior Bushcare program

What we did on our first event.

This is the story of our first event held on January 23. The weather was perfect that Friday morning, not too hot with a touch of cloud. Being the last Friday of school vacation, some were unable to attend but we still had nine children, their parents and several younger siblings meet us at the Bandstand beside the children’s play area for our 8AM start. Once we checked in, made out our name tags and got a pair of binoculars, John and Gary introduced themselves and outlined the plan for the morning. John gave a short history of Whites Hill Reserve and our regular Bushcare program, and Gary spoke about what the Junior Bushcare Naturalist program was hoping to accomplish. Both parents and the children were invited to share their program ideas and expectations with the organizers using the survey that had been sent out the week before.

This first outing would be a Discovery Walk. We prepared 24 stops at placards along the track up to the Whites Hill Summit and back. At each stop there was some information on a tree, animal or other natural feature and a question the children parents needed to answer. Each child was given a map, clipboard pencil and a Book of Clues into which they where they would write their answer. We used the placard there at the Bandshell to complete the first stop together. Before setting off, we did a quick ‘how to use a pair binoculars’ lesson so we could identify and record some of the common Whites Birds on the list included in the Book of Clues. Being able to use binoculars to identify local birds by both sight and sound is a tricky skill for children, but we will get better at with time and practise. After stops to look at methane vents, invasive grasses and Kaggur Mabul (Mt. Gravatt), we jumped onto the Bloodwood Track to identify trees and mysterious holes in the banks along the track. At Sankey’s mountain we turned left onto the Acacia Track exploring tree hollows, scratch marks, termite nests and quartzite rocks. By the large dead tree, we stayed to the left working our way up to Summit where we talked about Mr. Whites Tea Room and the “camera obscura” that was once there and had a great view of the city 7Km off in the distance. We returned to the toilet block via the steep Tallowwood Track examining ferns, mosses, spotted gums and learned that ‘sedges have edges’. On our way to the finish via the play area, we learned about the memorials within it to WWII Merchant sailors. Perhaps you can spot them on your next visit? (Special thanks goes out to Olivia who volunteered to lead the group, and to Lua and Yehan for their very good questions!).

Our trek had lasted just over an hour, by which time everyone was happy to wash up and tuck into some water and cordial, along with the homemade baked goodies that Phyllis King had prepared for us. We answered some questions as we ate. Once we rested and the clipboards and binoculars were returned, each student received a blank art journal into which they could write and/or draw their impressions of the morning. Gary shared with them an example of what could be done with one he had made a few years ago that was a mixture of photos, drawing, wring and a lot of glued in bits n pieces. With each journal could also be a schedule of all the dates for our regular walks, Bushcare events and the Junior Bushcare Naturalist dates from now until September. Each participant also received a complimentary copy of Griffith University’s “Common Vertebrates” which list many Whites Hill creatures.

NEXT SESSION - Sunday, March 29th

We will begin at 8:00AM, again, to avoid the heat.

Plan for this Session:

7:45 Early Arrival & sign-in

8:00 Welcome & Introductions

8:05 Questions & Answers About Australian Wildlife / ‘Who Lives in Whites Hill?’

8:10 ‘How Does a Habitat Actually Work?’ – a game of predator vs prey

8:40 Morning Snack* & Personal Journal**

9:00 Spotting & Identifying Whites Hill Wildlife

9:05 Who Did You See? Challenge - small groups activity, with prizes!

9:40 Who Did You See? - sharing our findings, group scores

9:50 Macrotis lagotis – A Truly Australian Easter

Next Session: Planting on Fri. April 17th [last day Easter Holiday / staff PD Day]

10:00 Questions & Home time

* Morning Snack: homemade baked goods, some gluten free and cordial & water

**Personal Journal: bring your journal & pencil; any newcomers will be given a journal & pencil that day

WHERE DO WE MEET? - At the Bandstand – the octagonal shaped shelter with the bench seats just at the far end of the fenced children’s playground, near the exercise equipment [see map attached].

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO BRING?

· Bring your Journal from the last session and a pencil. Any newcomers will get their own, & pencil, on Sunday.

· Proper footwear for hiking, sunscreen, a hat, sun glasses and a water bottle.

· Bring binoculars if you have a pair, but we have 10 pairs available to borrow

WHAT TO PREPARE? – Ask your parent to explore these two Citizen Science wildlife websites, and if they’re willing, create an account. We will be referring to both of them during the second half of the morning when we look for wildlife.

iNaturalist https://www.inaturalist.org/places/australia

[see back of Session 1 Program page, attached]

eBird/Whites Hill https://ebird.org/hotspot/L2560211

WHAT SHOULD WE KNOW? – If your child has any special dietary needs or has medical conditions that we should be aware of PLEASE tell us!

NOTE: for anyone unable to attend we will share a summary of what we do that morning via email.

Coming Soon

Even more coming