July Outing - A different section of Mt French, Hidden Valley

     

Mt French

Time:  8:00 am, July 21^st Saturday 
             
Meeting Place: Mt French Road.  Park along the road near the National Park access gate on the LEFT going up the mountain and before the sharp right-hand bend right up on top. There used to be a shed in there. 
               
Activities: This month we are exploring a hidden valley on Mt French – very close to the road but hidden from most tourists. We will check it out by walking leisurely around it, on rather flat ground, and looking in. So, most folk can make this one. The area is noted for interesting scenery, plants and birds. There are cliffs, rock slabs, big trees, rock holes, waterfalls, shrubs and probably wildflowers (Hoveas, Jacksonias, Dodoneas and Leptospermums). We won’t be walking far, so morning tea and lunch can be left in the car.  
We may also take a short tour into the vine scrub via the access track on the south near where we park the cars (the other side of the road from the Hidden Valley).  There are some very big trees in there and it has been ages since we last visited.   
                
Level of Fitness: Our leader assures us that all levels of fitness are catered for. Just be ready for some bush bashing as there is no formal track. The more energetic members can scramble down into these gorges quite easily.
              
What to bring: Cameras, binoculars, identification books, sunscreen & insect repellent. Lots. of morning tea and lunch, chairs and picnic tables.
              
Directions: Come along Mt French Road (that starts at the Dugandan Pub) and keep climbing until you come to a grid, near the old “clearing”, and then up a rise to the meeting spot.
        
Upon Arrival: Please register in the Attendance Book and pay your $2 per person participant fee. 
           
Facilities: The closest facilities are at the car park at Mt French.
              

Clean Boots:  Give your boots/shoes a clean and disinfect before coming as the local grasstrees suffered some phytophthora die back a few years ago - and it is good practice anyway.

Vale Des Crepin

Des cleaning his boots at Mt French

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of long-time member, Des Crepin. Des was always a cheerful face on our outings. He had plenty of tales to tell of people and places, and the changes, in the local district. 
             
We'll miss his chats about local history and wildlife, especially birds, seen across the Dugandan flats from his home.
              

Outing Report - Snail Hunting on Mt French, 16 June 2018

Lorelle Holcroft searching
for tiny snails in a handful of dirt

You’ve heard of snails, and of snail-mail but have you heard of snail hunting? Well that is exactly what the members of the Fassifern Field Naturalists were doing on their last outing; hunting snails! They teamed up with Dr John Stanisic, the Snail Whisperer, and Lorelle Holcroft, in search of snails on Mt French. Stanisic is Australia’s foremost expert on land snails and is lead author of the Australian Field Guide, ‘Australian Land Snails’ Volumes 1 & 2. 

            

John told us that the Queensland Museum had very little on snails from our area. Anything we found would add to the store of knowledge. Armed with a permit to collect snails in the National Park, and several plastic vials in which to place any snails that were found, it was heads down searching for snails under rocks, logs and leaf litter. 

               

We had a slow start as we hunted in the eucalypt woodland. No snails. There were plenty of scorpions, centipedes, beetles, spider crickets, moths, ants, and even an Eastern Small-eyed Snake. Gradually we became more experienced in spotting them and realized how tiny they were, and quite a number of different species were collected.

A strikingly decorated weevil, 
Talaurinus fergusoni

After lunch in a members’ shed John gave us an informative talk on snails, Australian ones in particular. They are not interested in our garden plants. Those snails are introduced pest species. Most of our snails live on decomposing matter and fungi in the rainforest. There are 2500 species of native snail, slug and semi-slugs.

               
Land snails play an important role in recycling forest nutrients and are a food source for many animals – birds, amphibians, and mammals. From knowing almost nothing about Australian snails and slugs the members ended up being much more knowledgeable and interested in these little critters that are so important for our biodiversity.

Eastern Small-eyed Snake, Cryptophis nigrescens 

Scorpion, unknown species

Some of the minute snails we collected
in the bottom of a specimen vial

Dr John Stanisic talking to the Field Nats about Australian snails

Dr John Stanisic displaying some Australian snail shells