Springbrook Rescue

Partners

We have a range of partners from community groups and the corporate sector.

Birds Queensland

Birds Queensland are involved with ARCS in joint bird surveys. Our association with Mike West, their team leader for this project, goes back many decades. The world community owes much to him for his vision, persistence and drive in helping protect other World Heritage sites such as Fraser Island. Birds Queensland are making an enormous commitment and contribution to the success of Springbrook Rescue. Their first formal survey was in January 2011. The surveys are conducted each season near dawn and pre-dusk, each for two hours, on four permanent transects varying in altitude from 600 m to almost 1000 m. The group then spends four hours culling flower or fruit heads or digging out whole plants of Aristea ecklonii on Warblers. As Aristea ecklonii threatens restoration as well as the viability of the World Heritage area this is a major contribution to Springbrook Rescue.

Brisbane Bushwalers

As a vital part of Springbrook Rescue, Brisbane Bushwalkers come to Springbrook at least three times a year and stay for a weekend at the Lodge. The group arrives on Friday with some members coming early to explore Springbrook tracks. All spend four hours digging out Aristea ecklonii (Blue Stars) at Warblers on Saturday mornings leaving the rest of the weekend to explore and enjoy what Springbrook has to offer. Saturday evenings are for relaxing with fine food, quiet music, and a talk on Springbrook Rescue: its rationale and achievements. Volunteers such as the Brisbane Bushwalkers play a fundamental role in Springbrook Rescue.

Community of Christ

Community of Christ has been involved in the Springbrook Rescue project since 2007, when the Queensland Government bought their accommodation centre, “Koonjewarre”, as a vital part of restoring ecological integrity in the high altitude catchments of Springbrook. ARCS purchased the accommodation business as a means of raising the necessary funding to support the Springbrook Rescue project. Peter Lawson, Queensland manager of the Community of Christ at the time, and his wife Joy, provided invaluable guidance and assistance in the early days of running the business. Our history with Peter goes back a long way. Peter, in his former life worked for the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and was project manager when ARCS was commissioned to write the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage nomination in 1992 (then Central Eastern Rainforests Reserves of Australia) for the Australian, New South Wales and Queensland governments. With this history, Peter and Community of Christ have been vital supporters of our efforts to protect and restore these World Heritage rainforests.

ICT International

ICT International, centred in Armidale, NSW, has provided invaluable advice and assistance relating to equipment for our environmental monitoring projects (Projects SRC1, SRC2). Dr Peter Cull founded the company in 1982, which is now one of the leading suppliers of soil, plant and general environmental monitoring equipment in the world. We are very grateful for Peter’s generosity and early encouragement that transformed our aspirations to practical reality. Both Peter and Michael have visited Springbrook to inspect and advise on our project. All equipment for our Wireless Sensor Network programme was supplied by ICT International. Dr Michael Forster, ICT associate and specialist in plant physiology, has been equally helpful. The collaborative Wireless Sensor Network which ARCS initiated involves the CSIRO, Department of Environment & Heritage Protection and ARCS as integral partners. ICT was a major equipment supplier for the project which won the Queensland iAwards for Research and Development in 2012.