Bushcare Community Efforts on Coochie taking shape

There’s something quietly powerful about watching a group of people stop, look around, and decide… yeah, this place matters enough to get their hands dirty.

That’s exactly what happened on earlier in April, when a mix of Coochiemudlo locals and visitors came together for a Bushcare Queensland working bee. Twenty people in total. Not a massive crowd, but enough to make a very real dent in something that’s been creeping under the radar for a while.

The morning started gently. A walk along the Wetlands Track, the kind of slow wander where people notice things. Plants, birds, the way the light hits the water this time of year. Then, right on cue, a White-bellied sea eagle showed up and perched above the group like it had been booked in advance. It stayed long enough for everyone to take it in. One of those moments you don’t plan, but you remember.

From there, things got a bit more hands-on.

The group moved across to a site along Innes Street, right on the edge of the northern Ramsar wetlands. If you’ve ever walked that way, you’ve probably seen the fishbone fern (Nephrolepis cordifolia). Looks harmless enough at first glance, but it’s one of those plants that doesn’t know when to stop. It spreads fast, pushes everything else out, and before you know it, you’ve lost the diversity that makes these wetlands what they are.

By March, volunteers had already worked their way to the edge of a significant infestation and treated it. This working bee was about going further. With the extra help from visitors, they managed to remove nearly half of what remained. Not bad for a single day.

And here’s the bit people don’t always see.

It’s not just about pulling things out. It’s about what goes back in.

As the fern was cleared, the space was replanted with native species sourced from Indigiscapes and the local Native Nursery. Plants that actually belong there. The kind that support the local ecosystem instead of taking it over. Species like Swamp Banksia, Broad-leaved Paperbark, Midgenberry, and even a few Grass Trees going in to anchor things long term.

It’s careful work. Thoughtful work. And it adds up.

The plan now is to finish the job at the next working bee on April 18, tackling the remaining section along Innes Street. That stretch might only represent about 20% of the area, but it’s the difference between “we made a start” and “we actually fixed it.”

A big part of what made the day work was the energy behind it. Bree Meyer, Bushcare officer, led the walk and coordinated the effort, bringing that mix of knowledge and genuine enthusiasm that gets people leaning in rather than checking out. Backed by Redland City Council, these events don’t just happen by accident.

They happen because people show up.

If that sounds like your kind of Saturday, you can reach out via pwear@bigpond.net.au to find out more about the next working bee.

Because turns out, preserving a place like this doesn’t happen in big dramatic gestures.

Read more about Bushcare on their website here.