FIDO has been conducting week-long working bees to tackle the urban weeds of Fraser Island for more than a decade. These are both enjoyable and very satisfying projects mixing work, recreation and exploring Fraser Island.
Details of FIDO’s past working bees based at Eurong can be found at www.fido.org.au. These projects are funded with grants from the Burnett Mary Regional Group for natural resource management. FIDO asks volunteers to contract to undertake a minimum of 20 hours voluntary work.
With support of other organizations aiming to improve the natural integrity, FIDO is determined to bring the urban weeds in the townships of Eurong and Happy Valley and close environs under control. Volunteering has progressively grown with each new event offered. Many volunteers are returning (some more than four or more times). As a result more recently our logistics have been unable to accommodate all applicants.
The houses we rent can accommodate up to 9 and FIDO’s two 4WD’s we can provide transport from Brisbane to Fraser Island for up to 6 volunteers and another five from the Sunshine Coast. We can assist volunteers who wish to take their own 4WDs.
FIDO provides the transport, catering and accommodation in comfortable shared houses as well as tours of World Heritage Fraser Island. Volunteers are asked to contribute 20 hours of on-the-ground work in return. Volunteers also need to provide their own towels and bed linen.
FIDO also seeks voluntary contributions to meeting some costs not covered our grant _ (tours, travel and some additional catering – Happy Hours etc). This voluntary payment but for budgetary reasons preference is given to contributors. As a guideline we suggest $200 ($100 for concessions). This allows a more generous budget to provide a little extra and helps maintain FIDO’s 4WDs.
Eurong — Bush Regeneration and monitoring
25th February to 3rd March 2018
15th to 21st July 2018
21st to 27th October 2018
All run Sunday to Saturday
FIDO has been conducting weeklong weeding –bush regeneration programs in Eurong since 2005. These have progressively transformed Eurong and dramatically reduced the weed threats there. All volunteers will be based at “Talinga”, the former Sinclair family home. Work will focus on weeding, bush regeneration and building the capacity of the Eurong nursery as well as continuing FIDO’s on-going environmental monitoring programs. In 2018 this program will be led by Suzanne Wilson who has made such a great contribution to the nursery. John Sinclair will be pleased to show volunteers as much of Fraser Island as is possible in the time and he knows the island better than anyone else. Eurong Resort supports this program and provides dinner for the volunteers each night.
Happy Valley — Weedbusting
4th to 10th February 2018
29th April to 5th May 2018
5th to 11th August 2018
18th to 24th November 2018
All run Sunday to Saturday
Peter Shooter leads these trips to help tackle the heavy weed infestation in and around Happy Valley. A group of up to 8 will share “Kurrawa”, a comfortable holiday house in the centre of Happy Valley. The group will work to contain a particularly aggressive weed with poisonous seeds, Abrus prectorius Var Africanus that is heavily impacting on the vegetation but isn’t found anywhere else on Fraser Island. Peter’s groups continue their long-term battle to eradicate Abrus and prevent seeds being set for another crop of this virulent weed. As the Abrus comes under control the teams are increasingly turning to eliminate large woody weeds Easter Cassia and Lantana. As the major Abrus infestations come under control there is increasingly less need for the use of chemical sprays.
Click here to download the details and the application form – FIDO Call for Volunteers 2018