JUNE 2026 Activity Details - Friday meeting, and the Sunday outing to the upper reach of Hodgson Creek

CLUB MEETING: 

Date & Time: 7 pm, Friday 5 June 2026

Speaker: Dr Penelope Mills, Entomologist and Scale Insect Expert. From an early age Penny was fascinated by insects, and was involved in several research projects during her final year of undergraduate study at UQ. Her Honours and PhD theses focused on the biology, taxonomy, systematics and evolution of several species-groups within the gall-inducing scale insect genus Apiomorpha (Coccomorpha: Eriococcidae). 

Title: Australia’s Fascinating Gall-inducing Scale Insects 

Summary: Scale insects are plant parasites related to aphids and belong to the order of true bugs (Hemiptera). Many of the species in Australia induce galls: abnormal growths found on plants due to an irritant that causes an immune response from the plant. Australia is home to a high number (c. 10%) of the world’s known gall-inducing scale insect fauna. In this talk Dr Penny Wills will focus on several of the main genera present in Australia, especially those that occur in the Toowoomba region. 

Venue: St. Anthony’s Community Centre, Memory Street, Toowoomba. The speaker's presentation is followed by official business and supper. 

  

CLUB OUTING: 

Date: Sunday 07 June 2026 – Kearney south and upper reach of Hodgson Creek, Toowoomba

Meeting Time: 8.30 am

Where: at the end of Kearney Street

Description: 

Carly Hibberd Park Trails
Photo: Toowoomba Region website

This excursion in south Toowoomba will take us along the upper reach of Hodgson Creek show-casing recent housing expansion south of Kearney Springs and the TRC’s management of new parks and gardens. 

Activities: From our meeting place we will walk to the Carly Hibberd Park and along the creek before returning to our parked cars for morning tea. Our walk will then take us further west along Hodgson Creek before returning back to our cars for lunch. There will be an opportunity to walk part of Kearney Street to note the extensive TRC native plantings.

Come along and enjoy the walk and talk with friends. 

Level of Fitness: This is all easy walking (Grade 1) with mild undulations. 

Facilities: toilet facilities at Carly Hibbard Park

What to Bring: Bring morning tea, lunch, a chair, water and sun protection. 

All welcome. 

May Outing Report - Gowrie Junction, Rosalie Heights, Mount Storey, Mount Kingsthorpe - 3 May 2026

Adapted from the TFNC newsletter article of V. Temple-Watts

Members on Mt Kingsthorpe
Photo: M. Weaver

Our meeting point on the Gowrie-Tilgonda Road at Gowrie Junction, proved wonderfully productive for birds. We saw 16 species in a short time ranging in size from Yellow-rumped Thornbill to White-faced Heron. The flowering Mugga Ironbark across the road rang out with the sound of feeding Scaly-breasted Lorikeets.

Our first scheduled stop was at the northern section of Birdwood Conservation Park on Hilltop Drive, Rosalie Heights, where we explored a patch of remnant Semi-Evergreen Vine Thicket. The botanists in the group graciously shared their knowledge and answered many questions. We admired the pretty pink-flowered Hypoestes floribunda - a good butterfly plant, the Hairy Boonaree (Alectryon pubescens) – look for a thumb-like projection which is often but not always present, and is sometimes paired, near the base of the leaf, a Native Olive (Elaeodendron australe) bright with orange fruit and saw Variable Mistletoe (Amyema congener) in flower, as well as many other interesting plants. The vine thicket is all but impenetrable so we made our way along the fenceline and marvelled at the dark, rich scrub soil built from years of leaf litter. Here and there we saw lumps of igneous rock pock-marked by escaped gas. A resident told us that Swamp, Pretty-faced and Black-striped Wallabies live in the scrub, Echidnas and Dingoes too, but we didn’t see any.

During morning tea we saw two Wedge-tailed Eagles and wondered whether they had made the large stick nest in a solitary Brachychiton tree across the road. 

After a short drive to Terry Egan Park at Mount Storey, just south of Glencoe Mountain, we had extensive views over the very dry Downs and could orientate ourselves via familiar landmarks such as Gowrie Mountain. A handsome Fig tree, spared when the land was cleared, caught our attention as did a group of Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes.

Our final stop was Kingsthorpe where the group chose between climbing Mt Kingsthorpe via the 450m trail to the summit, exploring the Rosalie Walk which is part of the Kingsthorpe Linear Corridor or staying at Settlers Park, our lunch spot. The mountain toppers enjoyed spectacular views of a flock of Australian Pelicans flying low over the plains and then watched as they gradually circled to finish high in the sky before flying out of sight.

Banana Mistletoe (Lysiana subfalcata) 
Photo: G. Spearritt

A male Mistletoebird was resplendent in dark blue and red, Silvereyes and White-browed Scrubwrens called from just out of sight and there were many active butterflies which included several Whites, Glasswing and Tailed Emperor. A lone dragonfly flew past and a large grey-brown grasshopper flicked into the understory. The fresh new foliage of a seedling Mountain Coolibah (Eucalyptus orgadophila) contrasted beautifully with its red stems and leaf stalks. The Rosalie Walk also had interesting finds with up to three species of Mistletoe on a single Callistemon and some very fine Mountain Coolabahs. The yellow flowers of the Banana Mistletoe (Lysiana subfalcata) were stunning. A Blue-faced Honeyeater inspected diners at lunchtime and Red-winged Parrots flew overhead. 

Bird list - 03 May 2026.  Compiled by V. Temple-Watts from members observations

Gowrie Junction assembly point: Crested Pigeon, Rock Dove, White-faced Heron, Masked Lapwing, Galah, Scaly-breasted Lorikeet, Yellow-rumped Thornbill, Noisy Miner, Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike, Pied Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Magpie Lark, Torresian Crow, Common Myna, Double-barred Finch.

Birdwood Conservation Park/Hilltop Drive, Rosalie Heights: Spotted Dove, Wedge-tailed Eagle (x2), Masked Plover, Lewin’s Honeyeater, Brown Honeyeater, Striated Pardalote, White-browed Scrubwren, Pied Butcherbird (deceased), Australian Magpie, Willie Wagtail,  Silvereye, Double-barred Finch.

Terry Egan Park, Mount Storey: Brown Honeyeater, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Pied Currawong, Australian Magpie.

Kingsthorpe:  Crested Pigeon, Straw-necked Ibis, Australian Pelican (x13), Nankeen Kestrel,  Galah,  Rainbow Lorikeet, Red-winged Parrot, Pale-headed Rosella, Laughing Kookaburra, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Noisy Miner, White-browed Scrubwren, Pied Currawong, Australian Magpie, Grey Fantail, Willie Wagtail, Torresian Crow, Silvereye, Welcome Swallow, Mistletoebird.

April Outing Report - 12 April 2026, Laidley

 Adapted from the TFNC newsletter report by B. Dyke.

Old Man's Beard
Photo: M. Simmons

The 13 members of the club who attended the outing to our hosts’ property in Laidley could only admire their achievement in terraforming their denuded steep urban block into a living, vibrant ecosystem. The property is a ‘Land for Wildlife’ refuge with predominately native species from the area. All plants on the property are encouraged to self-seed and consequently a rich understorey of vegetation covers the property beneath larger and taller trees. All these plants being able to thrive on poor, shallow, sodic soils is down to the natural vegetation and water management which allows maximum retention while channelling excess without erosion.

Bird life is plentiful and active and our host said she didn’t mind the Currawongs in the garden as they were good ‘seed spreaders’ and the garden is designed with many habitats for smaller birds to escape the currawongs and raptors. Brush turkeys are part of the landscape but are controlled and limited to a certain area of the property by controlling their access to nest-building mulch. Snakes are also very welcome (but not so much i

Stonework to manage the storm water
Photo: M. Simmons

n the house!).

Many different tree species were encountered including Eucalypts, Melaleuca, Brachychiton, Pittosporum, etc. A number of delightful native Bauhinia (with the much smaller leaf than the introduced common species) was appreciated by many of the group.

The group then retired to Cunningham Crest Lookout for lunch and to take in the relaxing panorama of Laidley and its valley.

MAY 2026 Activity Details - Friday meeting, and the Sunday outing to three vine scrub hilltops in the Gowrie-Kingsthorpe area

 CLUB MEETING: 

Painted honeyeater, 
Grantiella picta 
Photo: Roger Jaensch

Date & Time: 7 pm, Friday 01 May 2026

Speaker:  Roger Jaensch

Title: The Habitat Jondaryan Initiative. Biodiversity discoveries in the woodlands, grasslands and waterways of Jondaryan

Summary: Roger Jaensch has been interested in Australia’s bird life since school days, encouraged and enabled by parents and friends and by living in five states/territories as well as overseas. His working days involved nature conservation through coordinating bird surveys by volunteers, expeditions to remote regions, promoting management of wetlands, and project development and administration. Roger’s career was partly with non-government organisations, and he was self-employed before retirement. He especially enjoys the challenge of finding secretive waterbirds and breaking new ground in community projects. Over the past several years he has acted as voluntary facilitator for the Habitat Jondaryan Initiative.

Venue: St. Anthony’s Community Centre, Memory Street, Toowoomba. The speaker's presentation is followed by official business and supper. 

CLUB OUTING: 

Hilltop Drive, Rosalie Heights
Photo: Google Maps

Date: Sunday 03 May 2026  

Meeting Time:  8.30am

Where: Gowrie Junction on the Gowrie-Tilgonda Road opposite the Convenience Store. Or, from here continue west for 0.6 kilometres, turn RIGHT onto Gowrie Lilyvale Road for 1.1 kilometres, turn LEFT onto Gowrie-Glencoe Road for 0.8 kilometres, turn LEFT onto Baxters Road and continue to Hilltop Drive. 

Description: (This is the outing planned for March which was cancelled due to wet weather.)

Vine scrub hilltops. Rosalie Heights, Mt. Storey and Mt. Kingsthorpe offer easy access to small patches of remnant vine scrub with panoramic views across the Darling Downs.

Activities: 1. After a short walk along the edge of this patch of vine scrub, we will continue around Hilltop Drive to a private garden where a small patch of remnant vegetation was saved by the owners from clearing when the Rosalie Heights estate was built. Following this we will return down the hill stopping for morning tea. 

2. After morning tea we will continue to the Terry Egan Park, Mt Storey area just south of              Glencoe Mountain for a walk where there is a picnic table and views to the west.

3. Continuing on to Kingsthorpe to Settlers Park where there are two options. 

Mt Kingsthorpe Vine Scrub
Photo: M. Simmons

(i)  a short drive to the base of Mt. Kingsthorpe        and a 450-metre walk from there through           vine scrub along a well-formed path with             some steps to the top. (Difficulty level 3:               Suitable for most ages and fitness levels.               Some bushwalking experience preferable.             Tracks may have short steep hill sections a           rough surface and many steps. ).

   (ii)  700-metre ‘Rosalie Walk’ – part of the             Kingsthorpe Linear Corridor. (Difficulty -             level 1:  No bushwalking experience                       required. Flat even surface with no steps or         steep sections. Suitable for wheelchair users       who have someone to assist them.)

4. Return to Settlers Park for lunch.

Facilities: only at Settlers Park 

What to Bring: suitable clothing and closed footwear for walking in the bush, sunscreen, insect repellent, water, morning tea and lunch, chair, and the usual naturalist stuff of your choice; binoculars, camera, field guides, notebook, etc.

For further enquiries please contact toowoombafieldnaturalists@gmail.com

April Activities Details - (CHANGE OF DATE DUE TO EASTER)

Pepe Clarke

CLUB MEETING: 

Date & Time: 7 pm, Friday 10 April 2026

Speaker:  Pepe Clarke

Title: Nature Conservation in Outback Australia

Summary: Pepe Clarke is a conservation policy specialist based on the Sunshine Coast with 25 years’ experience working to protect nature in Australia and internationally. His work focuses on large-scale habitat protection and conservation policy. From 2017 to 2022 he worked with the Pew Charitable Trusts’ Outback to Oceans program, collaborating with governments, indigenous organisations and community partners to secure new protected areas and strengthen support for conservation across remote landscapes. This included major commitments to new national parks, Indigenous Protected Areas and Indigenous ranger programs. Pepe has also held senior roles with WWF International, BirdLife International and the Nature Conservation Council of NSW, contributing to conservation initiatives in Australia and around the world.

Venue: St. Anthony’s Community Centre, Memory Street, Toowoomba. The speaker's presentation is followed by official business and supper. 

CLUB OUTING: Rejuvenation of an Urban Laidley Block 

Stone channels created 
to manage water flow

Meeting Time: 9.00 am

Where: Lions Park, Vaux Street, Laidley

Description: Put a soil scientist and a stone wall specialist on a denuded steep urban block and marvel at their achievement over the last thirty years. The owners have managed their sodic soils around water management with deep channels, pools and drainage to a neighbour’s dam while regenerating with local plants (many obtained from the Tanglewood Nursery). Some of the species now present include Alphitonia, Brigalow, Silky Oak, Bloodwood, Moreton Bay fig, Cassia brewsteria, White cedar, Pittosporum, Syzygium, native Bauhinia, Brachychiton, Eucalypts and Melaleuca with attention given to butterfly host plants. Vines and grasses help replicate natural vine scrub. Many lichens grow on trees and rocks.

An area for ponded water
created to retain flood water 

Activities: Car pooling from Lions Park is suggested as parking at the property is limited. After an interesting morning with Pam and David we will return to the Lions Park before driving to the Cunningham Crest Lookout for lunch.

Facilities:  Toilets at Lions Park, Laidley. No facilities at Cunningham Crest Lookout.

What to Bring: Come with morning tea, lunch, chair, water, sun protection and an enquiring mind.

March Activity Details - Outing Cancelled

CLUB OUTING: CANCELLED, 8 Mar 2026

The possibility of significant rainfall is too high to ignore.

The outing will be rescheduled for later in the year.

Vine Scrub at Mount Kingsthorpe

CLUB MEETING: 7 pm, Friday 6 March 2026 

Mt Kingsthorpe hovea

Speaker: Dr Jen Silcock is a Research Fellow at the School of the Environment, University of Queensland. She spent her first 20 years on the Darling Downs before heading into the drier country further west in search of cryptic species, lost oases, ecological mysteries, obscure local history and the elusive perfect swimming spot. She has worked for various Government Departments and, for the past decade, at the University of Queensland, on projects relating to rangeland ecology, grazing land management, threatened species, wetland ecology and ethnobotany.

Title: Ecology and conservation of two cryptic and threatened outback mammals: the yellow-footed rock wallaby and greater bilby.

Venue: St. Anthony’s Community Centre, Memory Street, Toowoomba. The speaker's presentation is followed by official business and supper. 

February Outing Report - 08 February 2026 Franke Scrub and Rogers Reserve

 Outing Report: Sunday 08 February 2026 Franke Scrub and Rogers Reserve (Adapted from an article and photos D Johnston)

Franke Scrub
from Google Maps

Franke Scrub is a small patch of Semi-Evergreen Vine Thicket remaining in a gully along Franke Road.

Semi-Evergreen Vine Thicket is widely scattered along the northeast of Australia. With the arrival of European farmers much of the SEVT types have been extensively cleared so many SEVT ecosystems have only 5% or similar surviving. They contain a large variety of flora (and dependent fauna) but small patches can suffer considerably from isolation.

Weeds choking roadside

Locals formed a group to look after the patch in the days of Crows Nest Shire Council, and with the assistance of Steve Plant and some crew from CN council removed most of the invasive weeds. After the council amalgamation with Toowoomba Regional Council the local weeding volunteers have been managed by TRC and have managed to keep most of the weeds in the gully under control.

Discussing the sign

Much effort cataloguing the biodiversity has been done. Lists of birds, butterflies and regenerating flora are available for those interested with notes on species that would be expected to be seen as regenerating seedlings. Inside, the dense edge the SEVT has been coping well, showing old vines and new seedlings growing with the competition of choking invasive weeds.

Vines in Franke Scrub

After morning tea we moved to Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve which was donated to the Crows Nest Shire Council in the 1990s. It had been a grazing paddock with numerous tall remnant eucalypts and mostly a grass understory. In the early 2000s council and the local Landcare group had a controlled burn in the northern part and planted a lot of extra trees, mostly from stock in or near the park. Crows Nest Shire Council also had explanatory notes for sites along the walk for visitors.

Species List for Franke Scrub     

Birds: Spotted Dove, Crested Pigeon, White-faced Heron (flying overhead), Cattle Egret (flying overhead), Scaly-breasted Lorikeet, Pale-headed Rosella, Superb Fairy-wren, Brown Honeyeater, Noisy Miner, Eastern Whipbird, Torresian Crow, Silvereye, Mistletoebird, Double-barred Finch.

Mammals: Red-necked Wallaby

Insects: Orchard Swallowtail Butterfly, Graphic Flutterer Dragonfly, Black-faced Percher Dragonfly.

Entrance to Reserve

Aerial View of
Charles & Motee Reserve
from Google Maps

Species List for Charles and Motee Rogers Reserve      

Birds: Common Bronzewing, Rainbow Lorikeet, Laughing Kookaburra, Noisy Miner.                

Insects: Orchard Swallowtail Butterfly, Sand Wasp (Bembix sp.) Lots on the path into the reserve. Shooting dirt out of their burrows.