Next monthly meeting - Thurs 7 June 1:30pm at CCNN. Next group weed - Yaroomba Bushland Park - Thurs 7 June from 8am - followed at 10:30am by World's Biggest Morning Tea - please bring a gold coin donation!

Local Information

Dunes & Beach & Bush Care

Pandanus Monitoring

Pandanus dieback is caused by an infestation of flatid (Jamella australiae). The flatid feeds on the tree’s sap and as such produces a sticky by-product that encourages mould growth. The mould growth results in leaves dropping and the trunk and branches showing signs of stress at the tree’s growing points and eventually the death of the entire tree. Management approaches to address the dieback of Pandanus (Pandanus tectorius) focus on mapping and monitoring of populations and, if necessary, treatment. This change in direction focuses on maintaining population of the parasitic wasp to control levels of the flatid populations. Teams of Coolum District Coast Care Group (CDCCG) volunteers and Council Officers map and monitor Pandanus population and evidence of the wasps activity in accessible sections of the coast from Stumers Creek to Maroochy River in March and November each year.

Rocky foreshores

Download Rocky Foreshores Brochure
Download Rocky Foreshore Research

Native Plants and Nursery

1. Endangered Plants
Bertya sharpeana is a plant found in the Mount Coolum area. It is listed in Schedule 4 (Rare Wildlife) of the Queensland Nature Conservation (Wildlife) Regulations 1994. Attempts to cultivate have not been successful and it is not held in any Australian Botanical Garden. The occurrence of Bertya shapeana in the powerline corridor has been confirmed with a sample sent to the Queensland Herbarium. It is a bushy shrub or small tree (from 0.4 to 4 m in height) with short, distinctive oval leaves with curled margins arid furry surfaces, Bertya sharpeana is suitable to conserve below the high tension lines as it will remain low in the open conditions resulting from the management of the corridor. Coast Care is discussing this with Energex. Bertya on private undeveloped lots has twice been sabotaged. Building permits are not issued where Bertya exists since the plant is classified rare. Yet mysteriously the plants have been burned, cut and bulldozed. Coolum Coast Care is keeping a watching eye on this unique species and its location. A meeting with the Environment Protection Agency before Christmas (2007) resulted in an agreement that barriers will be erected to prevent cars from entering and damaging the National Park section where it also is found.  2004 report with management suggestions

2. Mount Emu She-Oak or Allocasuarina Emuina
Threatened destruction of large areas of the endangered Mt. Emu She-oak (formerly located where the Peregian Springs housing estate now exists) was an issue which Coolum Coast Care pointed out to government and the estate’s developers. Subsequently we participated in the Allocasuarina emuina recovery project. Community groups were able to successfully ensure that a small but valuable wallum sanctuary of the endangered Allocasuarina emuina on the southern side of Mount Emu was added to the Noosa National Park. Coast Care has asked the Sunshine Coast Environment Council to ascertain the status of the Emuina Recovery Plan while it is examining the developers environmental track record in other parts of the Sunshine Coast.

3. Wildflowers

Download our wildflower pamphlet

View our photo gallery of wildflowers

4. Our Beauties Pamphlet

Download the Our Beauties Pamphlet or view our photo gallery here

Turtles and marine Life

1. Find out more about Turtle Life on the Sunshine Coast here
2. Turtle Research for the Coolum area
3. Migrating Whales Research
4. Fisheries
5. Old Woman/Mudjimba Island Protected Park

Local Beauties and Beasts – weeds, wildflowers, fauna

1. Coolum Birds and Animals

Download the Coolum Birds List here

Check out our photo gallery


2. Nesting Box Report for 2008-download

From the February 2007 Report: All boxes are secure in trees, habitation rates of boxes and species diversity is increasing in all areas. The average habitation rates across the nest boxes in this area 72.3%. This is excellent, increasing from 37.62% in December 2004. A native beehive has been established at a Point Arkwright box. Feral European bees still tend to present a problem in nest boxes as they do in tree hollows. It is good however to see that once the box is cleaned out, native species will return straight away. Ten separate species are now using the boxes with this being the first audit to show evidence of microbats and native bees.

The 2007 nesting box data Download here

Feral Foxes Report

Coolum Coast Care received an Envirofund Grant of $15,000 for Marine Turtle Monitoring, which includes work on fox predation. This will be spent in partnership with government agencies involved in pest management. Suggestions for possible action were as follows:-

  • Fox eradication
  • Student Researcher: QPWS is happy to work with a student
  • Need to establish subject matter, mapping, scat collection and contact is to be made with the Sunsine Coast University
  • Public Education- reduce amount of food able to be scavenged by foxes- eg- schools food outlets and resorts
  • Dog owners targeted to keep dogs off dunes during nesting seasons. A program will be put together
  • Equipment to assist with monitoring and mapping fox presence
  • “Dob in a Fox” program to map reported siting and establish locations of dens for fumigation. Put together a trapping program to coincide with fox and turtle breeding season along the beach and dunal areas incorporating Council and National Park Land. Sunshine Coast Council staff can help
  • Monitor nesting sites for dog and fox prints
  • Share information with all stake holders and evaluate the fox program for future works.

You can also find out more about Coolum Beach, the nature walks and things to do on the Coolum Beach website