Sunshine Coast Hinterland Times

Delving into numbers

IT IS interesting at times to look at real figures. The Maleny IGA through its Community Chest supports 134 groups with a combined membership of 6,352. Thank you Maleny Supa IGA! A quick glance at the website shows Barung Landcare right up there with Maleny Hospital in terms of membership support, which is quite an achievement  for [...]

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In the Wild with Spencer Shaw

Saving the creek banks ONCE UPON A TIME … not too long ago, it was considered good practice to remove useless scrub and brush from creek banks and replace it with pasture. Not only did the scrub along the creek and river banks reduce the area that could be grazed, but the trees often fell into [...]

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Open Garden is … Shambles!

The well known Hinterland garden The Shambleswill be open to the public through the AustralianOpen Garden Scheme in October. The garden is walking distance to Montville, and is acolourful old-fashioned garden around a century-oldQueensland house. Refreshments and plant sales are alsoavailable on the day. The garden is wheelchair compatible and there is streetparking available. See the garden [...]

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Students take Maths into the Veggie Patch

STUDENTS in Year 6/7 at Montville State School have successfully combined classroom learning with achievements in the garden via a multi-layered outdoor learning experience. Mathematics skills were a core part of the project. Class teacher Suzan Zeichner supported by an interested team of parents helped the 24 students measure the garden plots and construct scale models [...]

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Affordable & fresh growers market

Jim Hunt, a local producer of organic fruit and vegetables at the Blackall Range Growers Market has been trading since the market started nearly three years ago, and he’s convinced that selling directly to customers means not only fresher produce and better taste but more affordable prices too. The not-for-profit market hosts up to 40 stalls [...]

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What’s Flowering Now?

Euphorbia Leucocephala (Snow flake bush) Closely related to the Poinsettia the snow flake bush is native to Central America. It is more suited to warmer climates, growing successfully as far south as Sydney. A classic low maintenance shrub growing to 1.5m – 2m tall and 2-3m wide, it flowers from April to July and then loses [...]

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Caloundra Orchidfest

THE WHOLE of the Lake Kawana Community Centre will be ablaze with colour this month, as fourteen orchid societies, a bromeliad society and twenty-five nurseries show the best of their orchids, bromeliads, anthuriums and foliage plants at “Caloundra’s Golden Orchidfest”. This is a special opportunity to see a wonderful spectacle and delight in the array of fragrances. Admission [...]

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Biodiversity

BIODIVERSITY is important, really important. Biodiverse systems are complex and more resistant to or at least capable of adapting to challenges. A simple system is vulnerable to pests and diseases and much more susceptible to environmental factors like climate change. As climatic barriers are gradually lowered, high latitude managed and homogeneous forest ecosystems are particularly at risk. Thirteen million hectares of [...]

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In the Wild with Spencer Shaw

Pest Management I RECENTLY sat on the panel for the community input workshops for the new Sunshine Coast Regional Councils first “Pest Management Plan”, that is in its planning phase at present. It’s great to see all levels of government, business, academia industry and community of course, coming together to discuss the issue of pest management. This regional [...]

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Fabulous foliage

Most Range residents will no doubt be quite happy to see the last of the rain. It has, however, encouraged a wonderful burst of leaf growth. Seasonal flowering is great but we enjoy foliage in all its colours and forms throughout the year. Leaves manufacture the nutrients on which plants and other life depend, both [...]

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