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.

Sunday 8th February 2026 - Franke Scrub. and Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields.

Meeting Time: 8.30 am.

Small-leaved Tylophora
Tylophora grandiflora
found at Franke Scrub
and should be flowering
in February
Photo: L Beaton

Where: Peacehaven Botanic Park at 56 Kuhls Road, Highfields to car pool as car parking is limited at Franke Scrub.

Description: Franke Scrub is a small but incredibly diverse rare dry rainforest remnant with 38 types of rainforest trees, 21 types of shrubs, 15 types of climbers and 40 other native plant species on the local volcanic red soil. Nearby the Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve consists of remnant dry rainforest and eucalypt woodland plants. Both areas are managed by volunteer workers who meet regularly to maintain and weed these endangered ecosystems.

Activities: The terrain down to the gully is quite steep while a gentle walk along the roadway has many informative signs identifying the easily seen nearby plants. More about Frank Scrub here.

After morning tea, return to Peacehaven Park (for use of toilet facilities) before continuing north-east on Kuhls Road. For those arriving independently – turn left onto Clarke Road, right onto O’Brien Road, next left onto Polzin Road and left onto Rogers Road. Off road parking is available on the left. The well-defined walking tracks through this Reserve allow for easy walking. More about the Rogers Reserve here.

Facilities: None. Toilets at Peacehaven Botanic Park.

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

Our first function for 2026: Peacehaven Botanic Park, 56 Kuhls Rd, Highfields

Happy Naturalizing New Year 2026

Marvel at the changes since our first visit to the park in December 2009.

TFNC Members with Robert Campbell in 2009

By time-honoured custom we do not have an evening meeting or an outing in January. Instead we have a members' get-together.

Meeting Date & Time:  Saturday, 17th January, commencing at 4pm.

Where:  Peacehaven Botanic Park, 56 Kuhls Rd, Highfields.

Description: We will meet on the grassy area near the rotunda. There will be several tables provided for food items.

Activities: Those wishing to have a wander around the park are of course welcome to arrive earlier. 

Level of Fitness: Easy, graded and surfaced paths.

Facilities: Toilets.

What to Bring: please bring your own chairs, nibbles to share and drinks. Insect repellent might also be advisable.

This is always a good opportunity to catch up, and to welcome new members.