What’s On with FIDO
Update from FIDO President: Zela Bissett
Past events
Happy Valley trip with Peter Shooter Feb 6 – 12.
Peter and the team called in to Zela’s place at Bidwill on their way home and dropped off some very chunky stalks of Sisal hemp for Zela’s paper of weeds experiments. The RADF Weeds to Paper application was successful so we are looking forward to seeing some tough paper from these chunky leaves! Peter is looking for a successor as Happy Valley Team leader. He will remain as our KBAG (biosecurity) rep and Happy Valley expert.
Peter presents the sisal hemp to Zela and Paper of Weeds helper Marjorie watched by Clive.
Eurong trip 12 – 22 February with Su Dawson, Zela, Colleen and Len.
Captions: On arrival we visited the Discovery Centre at Kingfisher resort while the tyre pressure was reduced. Central Station was a cool stop-over while crossing the island.
I was happy to get a message from Chantel Van Wamelen, BAC ranger co-ordinator re Butchulla Land and Sea rangers being available from Feb 18 – 20 Feb. BAC rangers Kodi Worrall and Jason Broome met us at QPWS station nursery at Eurong Tuesday 18th Feb. Sam Young, the QPWS Wongari person had offered a session for our volunteers on 18th over on K’gari so it was a mixed team of BAC and FIDO who attended the talk which was given by Katie Sanders with support from senior ranger Chad.
Su has produced a whole scrapbook of photos, notes and dates of when things have been done, and what and where. Kodi and Jason came to lunch with us at Talinga the following day and examined Su’s book. The hi-vis vests caused some interest.
The full trip diary is available for reading on request.
Book Sales
Both resorts on K’gari have ordered more books and Zela delivered some copies to a newly opening bookshop in Maryborough, Number 17 Cherry Land (Mary Poppins reference).
Weeds to Paper
Good news! The Weeds to paper RADF grant application has been successful, with the first session taking place next Thursday March 13, I will be running 8 teaching workshops to provide skills and knowledge to participants and hopefully form a skilled cohort who can carry the project forward. Here is an excerpt from the report on the pilot run last August:
The Weeds to Paper Pilot project promotes using weeds to make botanical paper which may become a saleable tourism product and provide employment for local young people and income for Butchulla Native title and environmental groups. Offering visitors the opportunity to make a sheet of paper from weed pulp would also add to the eco-tourism opportunities on offer in the region. Such a project would sit well with the Great Sandy Biosphere as an innovative biosecurity strategy for managing invasive plants.
If any members of FIDO would like to see the project in action, session days are 10 am till 2.30pm on any of the session days March 13, March 27, April 10 or April 24. These will be held at Papernicus, my papermaking studio at 92 Carnaby Street, Bidwill.
Beach Clean Up
Charlene Brown is a FIDO member who works with the 4WD beach clean-ups. She will be on K’gari May 5 and again May 22 which is the clean-up day. Another event is scheduled for October.
Container Deposit Scheme
Mark Dwyer has also set up a container deposit scheme as a fundraiser for FIDO. The link to donate your containers is FIDO Member number is C11544124. To donate your proceeds from recycling:
Open your Containers for Change member page and login.
Click on “Payment methods”
Click on “Edit”
Verify your login if required
Select “A good cause”
Choose a cause, and search for “Fraser Island Defenders Organisation”.
Select “Make this my preferred payment method” if that is your preference.
Click on Done.
This is already providing some income for FIO so Please give it your support.
Biosecurity also includes animals
Cane Toad traps, tadpole bating and toad busting
I have been approached by Fraser Coast Regional Council Mayor George Seymour and Sealink barge Captain Neil with concerns about the numbers of cane toads on K’gari. George was horrified when doing a “Night Walk” at Kingfisher with his young son Hugo that the main animals they saw were cane toads. Neil saw huge numbers of a recent visit to Ocean Lake. I have been in touch with Watergum from the Gold Coast which are coordinating toad busts all over Queensland, They sell and supply the tadpole traps at $65 each. I want to schedule some events of K’gari, possibly combined with other trips. It would be a good goal to raise funds to buy some of those traps that attract the tadpoles before they morph.
Possible future actions: Knowledge transfer sessions on K’gari recorded on video
I have requested help with this from Brian Latcham a newly appointed person with BMRG who I met at FINIA in Maryborough last month.
Controlling invasive weeds in the USL areas
FIDO has been heavily subsidising this for over a decade. We want to make a joint FIDO/BAC proposal to the Department of Resources (DER) to help fund weed control on USL and Aboriginal Freehold Land at Happy Valley and Eurong (in accordance with our Memorandum of Understanding). Chantel Van Wamelen, who BAC assigned as out liaison person, has been contacted about this.
FINIA on K’gari
The board stakeholder group for K’gari, FINIA, chaired by Sue Sargent, will hold its annual on-island meeting over April 27.28 and 29 at K’gari Research Station formerly Dili Village. This year David Anderson is organizing the itinerary.
Community Representative on the Environment & Sustainability Advisory Committee.
Zela has been appointed as one of two (2) community representatives at on this Fraser Coast Regional Council Panel. panel. The first meeting is set for March 11 at Hervey Bay.
Wide Bay Locals
The Wide Bay Locals group has lost a couple of key members and we are looking to re-build this group from the ground up. Two recent volunteers are keen so there is still hope. A local group is needed for short trips and nursery maintenance.
Keep up the good work everyone! from Zela