News

Gecko Regen held its inaugural "Retreat" at Bornhoffen PCYC, in the beautiful Numinbah Valley on 17-18 November 2009. It was (and continues to be) an extremely powerful event providing direction, strengthening bonds and increasing morale for our employees. Over 20 Gecko Regen employees were able to attend and most attendees stayed the night in the excellent accommodation facilities at the Bornhoffen youth and community development facility.

The main activities conducted over the two days were:

Day 1 (am): Gecko Regen undertook practical ecological restoration activities on the Bornhoffen site.

Day 1 (pm): Gecko-Gold Coast and Hinterland Environment Council Assn. Inc. members Anna Itkonen, Ella Horton, Lois Levy and Rose Adams presented information on the role that Gecko plays in the community and the relationship between Gecko and Gecko Regen.

Following the Gecko presentation, we conducted plant ID and skill training exercises, before changing back into "civvies" ready for the evening activities based in the dining room. Our main meal was followed by some light-hearted games and the presentation of a variety of serious (and some not so serious) awards. This evening was full of fun and camaraderie.

Day 2 (am): Workshop facilitated by Guidelight Psychology. The first part of the morning session included information and team building games based on Myer Briggs personality typing, followed by a goal setting workshop based around the question "What could we really do as a group if we were not held back by budgets and other constraints?" It was really exciting to see our employees being moved to put ideas on the table. Three core ideas emanated from this activity:

(i) Increase and enhance habitat connectivity in Gold Coast catchments.
(ii) Increase our involvement in Environmental Education.
(iii) Work with socially responsible organisations that understand and appreciate our skills.

Day 2 (pm): Staff travelled to the upper reaches of Hinze Dam for a raft building exercise. The group was divided into two teams and each team had to build a raft with the limited materials provided; and paddle the raft across the dam and back. This was an entertaining and often hilarious exercise; a wonderful way to wind up two fulfilling days for the staff of Gecko Regen.

Special thanks to Mick Foran, Manager of Bornhoffen PCYC, for assisting us in so many ways and to all of his staff for making every effort to ensure the success of our retreat.

The good work of Gecko Regen has been rewarded with two business awards in September 2009.

The Gold Coast Business Excellence Awards were presented at the KPMG Boardroom overlooking the water at Bundall. At this event Gecko Regen was awarded the Environmental Management Award for September. General Manager Mark Bibby and Director Bardhold Blecken attended the presentation and received the award on behalf of all of the employees and the directors.

This award places Gecko Regen in the running for the 2009 Gold Coast Environmental Management business of the year which will be awarded at Conrad Jupiters on 21 November 2009. You can catch up on the photos and information about the awards at: www.goldcoastbusinessawards.com.au

The second award for September was presented by Liz Cantor and Darren McIntosh at the Creek to Creek Chamber of Commerce 2009 Business Awards. The winners were announced at a gala breakfast held at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.

Adele Lucas (Regeneration Supervisor) and Mark Bibby (General Manager) accepted the award on behalf of the employees and board of Gecko Regen.

When later presenting the award to staff and board members, Mark spoke of the importance of the award: "It is extremely pleasing to be recognised as a leader in environmental restoration on the Gold Coast and it provides a sense of satisfaction that our contribution to the environment and the community is rewarded in this way."

Gecko Regen wishes to congratulate all the businesses that participated in both the awards events and thank the organisers and sponsors of the events.

For all the info on the Creek to Creek Chamber of Commerce 2009 Awards, go to www.creektocreekchamber.org.au

Gecko Regen is working with Tweed Shire Council to restore degraded land alongside the Rous River. The restoration site is on the riverbank of a cane farm and has also been used for cattle grazing. Cattle have been excluded from the banks using electric fencing. This will stop erosion caused by "pugging"; where the hooves penetrate and disturb plants and soil on the banks. It will also allow re-growth of plants, which would previously have been grazed by the cattle.

The project involves planting locally indigenous tree species to establish a canopy that will assist with the natural regeneration of mid-storey and ground cover plants. The establishment of native plants along the previously cleared riverbank will go a long way towards providing protection from erosion associated with floods and will also increase the site's natural 'resilience' against weeds.

As the trees grow and the under-storey develops, a new habitat for insects, birds, fish and other animals will establish. Over time, it is expected that the restoration will have a positive influence on overall water quality. The project has the potential to be a model for future restoration works on similar land.

Most of the 2000 or more trees being planted are canopy species and some are quick growing 'pioneer' trees. All of the trees are commonly found associated with riparian situations in the Tweed Valley.

Some of the better known trees are:

Swamp Oak (Casuarina glauca)
Broad-leaved Paperbark (Melaleuca quinquenervia)
Blue Quandong (Elaeocarpus grandis)
Brown Kurrajong (Commersonia bartramia)
Foam Bark Tree (Jagera pseudorhus)
Blush Macaranga (Macaranga tanarius)
Red Cedar (Toona ciliate)
Cheese Tree (Glochidion ferdinandi)
Plum Pine (Podocarpus elatus)
Sandpaper Fig (Ficus coronata)
Giant Water Gum (Syzygium francisii)
Bumpy Ash (Flindersia schottiana)

Trees will be planted at approximately 3 square metre spacing's and Gecko Regen will maintain the site for at least 12 months. This is important because a good proportion of plants that grow back after excluding cattle are agricultural and environmental weeds; and these need to be controlled before they spread. Preparation of the site will begin late September and it is expected that planting will commence in October.

Gecko Regen has been awarded six contracts to undertake dune regeneration works on Gold Coast Beaches as part of the Gold Coast City Council's Dune Restoration Program for 2009/2010.

Dunes are an important part of the foreshore system on the Gold Coast, protecting the beach's natural ecosystem. The Gold Coast City Council has adopted a policy for the management of the City's coastal dune areas (Policy 15 Gold Coast Planning Scheme). Dune restoration works must adhere to the guidelines of Policy 15 and must also achieve a delicate balance between creating a sustainable environment and recognising community values and concerns.

With this in mind, Gecko Regen will conduct a detailed site analysis and use the data to prepare a vegetation management plan (VMP) and/or a work action plan for each area before restoration work gets underway.

A major focus of the on-ground works will be controlling some of the "nasty" environmental weeds that currently threaten the long term stability of the dune system.

Depending on the location, local residents will receive an information sheet and be offered the opportunity to be involved in a community information session and planting activity on their local dunes.

Reporting on the progress and success of the project will be undertaken to assist in planning for future work on our beaches.

The six sites for this years round of works are in the following suburbs:

Rainbow Bay
Currumbin
Palm Beach
Mermaid Beach
Surfers Paradise
Federation Walk (The Spit)

Gecko Regen has been restoring dunes and littoral vegetation systems in South East Queensland and Northern New South Wales since 1998.

Gecko Regen participated in the recent Youth Earth Symposium (YES) held at Numinbah Valley on 19 June by facilitating a workshop and practical exercise on ecological restoration.

Approximately 20 keen, young budding ecologists joined in to control Lantana and plant 160 trees, shrubs and groundcovers at the Bornhoffen PCYC on Nerang-Murwillumbah Road near Natural Bridge.

Before the practical activities began, the group was involved in a general discussion on natural area restoration and received information on the importance of preserving and enhancing our natural areas. All participants were shown how to access Queensland regional ecosystem mapping (R.E. mapping) and we discussed the importance of such mapping in planning for future land use.

In addition to this, each participant received excellent background information on bush regeneration and ecological restoration prepared by Gillian Whear (Gecko Regen Bush Regenerator), and formatted into an information brochure by Jacqui Willis (Gecko Regen Administration Officer).

Following the workshop, feedback from the group was very positive with most commenting on the satisfaction they gained by removing weeds and replacing them with local native plants.

The plants for this workshop were kindly donated by Gold Coast City Council's Catchment Management Unit and further assistance was provided by GCCC Catchment Liaison Officer Kris Boody.

Gecko Regen has expanded its nursery operations. After five years working from our Mount Nathan site we have moved to a four acre nursery at Clagiraba. This new site is also the headquarters for our natural area restoration business which was previously at Carrara.

Nursery Manager Wayne van Tiggelen is excited about the new opportunities that come with this new direction for our nursery business. The new nursery has the capacity to grow more plants than our four previous nurseries combined.

We have purchased a near new 35 hp tractor and quad motorbike as well as five self tracking nursery trailers to facilitate the increased production requirements.

Local native plants for bushland restoration will continue to be a major focus for our nursery and we will expand our stock lines to grow native plants in advanced containers for use in native landscaping and streetscaping.

By offering a large range of local native plants in various container sizes we hope to influence landscapers and landowners to 'think native first' when selecting plants.

The irrigation system is designed to best practice water use specifications for nurseries and we are working with the Nursery and Garden Industry Association to achieve NIASA quality accreditation for this new premises. This NIASA accreditation will compliment our ISO:9001 Quality Assurance accreditation.

The Richmond Birdwing butterfly is listed as Vulnerable and its lowland larval food plant, the Richmond Birdwing vine, Pararistolochia praevenosa, is listed as Rare under the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992. Declines in density and local extinctions of the Richmond Birdwing vine have resulted in local extinctions of the Richmond Birdwing butterfly throughout South East Queensland.

On the Gold Coast, much of the lowland habitat containing the Richmond Birdwing vine has been replaced with urban development. Although adult butterflies are still seen in these areas, there are insufficient vines to sustain breeding butterfly populations.

During this project Gecko Regen nursery staff, under the leadership of Manager Wayne van Tiggelen, will undertake best management practice propagation of Richmond Birdwing vines.

Gecko Regen will be responsible for seed collection, propagation and cultivation of the Richmond Birdwing vines until they reach suitable size for planting; this may take two years. Propagation of the Richmond Birdwing vines will be undertaken according to the guidelines established in the Richmond Birdwing Recovery Network's propagation and cultivation manual (in production). The exact number of vines to be cultivated will depend on production costs to be identified in the manual.

SEQ Catchments, in partnership with the Richmond Birdwing Recovery Network, will be responsible for timely and strategic distribution of the vines once they reach planting-out size.

The project is funded by Energex, utilising funds raised from the recycling of scrap metal from electricity network upgrades.

In collaboration with South Stradbroke Island Landcare (SSI Landcare) and Gold Coast City Council (GCCC), Gecko Regen is undertaking regular ecological restoration works to help protect and preserve the island's diverse local environments. Sandmining and grazing has left the area between the North and South Currigee campgrounds degraded. Native plant regeneration has been struggling to compete with the diverse range of weeds that have established themselves within the area.

Members from GCCC, Gecko Regen and SSI Landcare have participated in field inspections to ensure that any concerns have been addressed and that the best possible outcomes will be achieved. By involving all interested parties early in the project we hope to raise awareness and promote best practice restoration methods. This is a long-term strategy and it is important we begin with a solid foundation.

Work has begun and is being carried out in accordance with the restoration plan created by GCCC and SSI Landcare. Carrying out a successful restoration requires careful implementation to ensure that abrupt changes that could cause more harm than good are avoided. Ecological restoration is not just weed control. Rehabilitating a degraded natural area is finding a balance between many different factors.

The aim of the restoration activities is to strategically manage weeds while at the same time providing the best possible opportunity for newly establishing native plants. Over time, the native vegetation will gain an advantage over weeds that seek to migrate into the area and will slowly regain its resilience against invasion of weeds.

Other wildlife that live on or visit the island will also benefit from the increased diversity of native plants. By increasing the vegetation's capacity to provide diverse feeding, sheltering and roosting opportunities a greater range and population of animals can utilise the island.

This is an exciting opportunity for Gecko Regen to work with the local residents and Landcare group to achieve an outcome that is positive for the people and the environment.