About the Junior Bushcare program

Our Whites Hill - Pine Mountain Community Group was awarded a grant to initiate a Junior Naturalist & Bushcare program. We took enrolments from youths aged 8 to 11 who wanted to attend a series of sessions at Whites Hill Reserve and learn about our local nature and how to care for it. Between January & September we’ll run six (6) events at Whites Hill to show participants how to identify the birds, animals, plants and habitats in the Reserve and the Bushcare skills needed to care for them.

Each session will be about two hours long, involving a teaching part but most of the time will be spent on active, hands-on learning. Learning materials & tools provided, plus mid-session snack & drink.

If this sounds like something you and your child(ren) would be interested in email Gary at gary.is.king56@gmail.com with your name and contact details

Event Schedule for 2026

Discovery walk map and using binoculars

Session #1 - 23rd January 2026

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 - Friday 17th April 2026

Start time 8:30AM.

We are planning a flora centric session with the opportunity to plant a few natives by the Bloodwood Steps before the BIG planting two days later.

Session #2 - 29th March 2026

On our second session of the 2026 Whites Hill Junior Bushcare group, 9 eager participants learned about animal habitats, what birds, animals and plants we could spot nearby and how yummy home baked goodies are 🙂

We started with a Q&A about Australian Wildlife and what things might we find in Whites Hill which was followed by an enlightening game of "Predator v Prey" during which the kids learned being an animal is hard and even harder when humans interfere with and steal your habitat.

After a timely refreshment break to enjoy the homemade goodies, (thanks Phyllis), the children were issued binoculars and a clipboard and set off in search of flora and fauna. We took a short walk to the 'Bloodwood Steps' and along the way saw many different trees, a pair of cute nesting Rainbow Lorikeets, two koalas, two wallabies, plus many other different birds plants and insects.

On returning back at the Rotunda we had a chat about what we'd seen and how we could record this in our nature journals.

This was all polished off with chocolate Bilbies and Easter eggs, what's not to like.

Our next Junior Bushcare group meeting will be on Friday April 17th when we hope to do a little planting prior to our BIG planting two days later.