Pollinator Links – wildlife corridors for urban spaces.

1. Pollinator Links – wildlife corridors for urban spaces. Michael Fox BComm MBA AFAIM AMICF President – Mt Gravatt Environment Group

2. 2013 Pollinator Link Week Linking fragmented urban habitats with Pollinator Links • Objectives • Empower urban restoration groups to link habitats for a wider range of species. • Engage a wider base of community members – birds, butterflies and bees in backyards. • Educate community members about complexity and interdependence of flora - fauna relationships. • Pollinator Link – wildlife corridors for urban habitat • Pollinator friendly habitat within flight range – Blue-banded Bee - 300 metres • One in ten properties (10%) will create an effective Pollinator Link • Pollinator Link gardens – backyards, unit balconies, parks, schools, community groups, businesses • Certified Pollinator Link garden • Food – nectar rich flowers, fruits, seeds and insects, spiders, lizards • Breeding – nest-boxes, bee blocks • Water – bird bath, frog pond, local creek • Shelter - ....

3. Linking fragmented urban habitat with wildlife corridors Vision for ecological buffer zones

4. Linking fragmented urban habitat with wildlife corridors Vision for ecological buffer zones On-ground reality – houses and backyards

5. Linking fragmented habitat with Pollinator Links Linking Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve with Bulimba Creek • Pollinators – capacity to cross man-made barriers • Birds, butterflies and bees in backyards • Food – nectar rich flowers, fruits, seeds • Breeding – nest-boxes, bee blocks • Water – birdbath, frog pond, local creek

6. Linking fragmented habitat with Pollinator Links Linking Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve with Bulimba Creek How far can a Blue-banded Bee fly? First link 260 metres Rover Street Bushcare 300 metres Mt Gravatt Showgrounds • Pollinator Link gardens create wildlife corridors with: • Food – nectar rich flowers, fruits, seeds • Breeding – nest-boxes, bee blocks • Water – birdbath, frog pond, local creek

7. Linking fragmented habitat with Pollinator Links Linking Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve with Bulimba Creek 300 metres Pollinator Link - 450 metres Girl Guides to Abbeville Community Garden Blue-banded Bees provide valuable buzz-pollination of backyard vegetable crops like tomatoes, capsicums and eggplants. European honey bees cannot buzz-pollinate.

8. Creating Mosaic Habitat with Pollinator Links Patch-matrix-corridor mosaic - Wellers Hill – Toohey Forest Pollinator Links have potential to create urban pollinator “patch-matrix-corridor mosaic”* habitat by interconnecting patches of bushland with wildlife friendly backyards. * Habitat Fragmentation and Landscape ChangeLindenmayer & Fischer (2006) Potential Pollinator Links Width: approx. 150 metres or 5 to 10 house blocks wide.

9. Creating Mosaic Habitat with Pollinator Links Patch-matrix-corridor mosaic - Wellers Hill – Toohey Forest Pollinator Links have potential to create urban pollinator “patch-matrix-corridor mosaic”* habitat by interconnecting patches of bushland with wildlife friendly backyards. * Habitat Fragmentation and Landscape ChangeLindenmayer & Fischer (2006) Potential Pollinator Links Width: approx. 150 metres or 5 to 10 house blocks wide. Potential patch-matrix-corridor mosaic habitat.

10. Creating Mosaic Habitat with Pollinator Links Patch-matrix-corridor mosaic - Wellers Hill – Toohey Forest Only a small percentage of property owners needed to create Pollinator Links.

11. Linking wetlands with Pollinator Links Boondall – Deagon – TinchiTamba

12. Linking wetlands with Pollinator Links Link via Curlew Park & Sandgate Primary School Potential Pollinator Links

13. Certified Pollinator Link Gardens Food - What does urban food look like? Empower community members to take action. Birds – nectar rich flowers, fruits, seeds and insects, spiders, lizards Black-faced Monarch Monarchamelanopsis Australian King-Parrot Alisterusscapularis Prickly Pine Bursariaspinosa Orchard Swallowtail Papilioaegeus Forages for insects among foliage, or catches flying insects on the wing. Forages on Acacia seeds like Brisbane Fringed Wattle Acacia fimbriata Indigenous to Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve. Attracts a range of butterflies. Female Orchard Swallowtail laying eggs on a Lemon tree. Caterpillars don’t do little damage and the reward is amazing. Butterflies – nectar rich flowers • Butterfly caterpillars – plant leaves

14. Certified Pollinator Link Gardens Breeding - Water Birds – nest-boxes Bees – bee blocks Pale-headed Rosella Platycercusadscitus Leafcutter Bee genus Megachile Rainbow Lorikeet Trichoglossushaematodus Blue Triangle Graphiumsarpedon Hollow breeding birds need man made substitute homes. Solitary female bees nest in holes 5-9mm diameter 150 mm deep Shallow water supply safe from cats will be used by all bird species, possums, butterflies and bees. Butterflies use damp surfaces like rocks and gravel in local storm water drains and creeks to access water. Blue Triangle on damp driveway. Bird-baths Local creeks

15. Building Pollinator Links Local communities building habitat for local wildlife. Create local precinct landscape plan Identify habitat issues, community needs, ownership of key land parcels • Define objectives for Pollinator Links • Linking to provide wildlife corridors • between habitats • Consolidation with • patch-matrix-corridor mosaic habitat • Look for partnership opportunities • Other habitat groups • Local schools • Community groups – Girl Guides

16. Building Pollinator Links Local communities building habitat for local wildlife. • How do we engage local communities? • Create a vision that relates to the individual’s backyard. WIIFM (What’s in it for me?) • Join us in linking our mountain to Bulimba Creek. • Blue-banded Bees will deliver the best vegetables at Abbeville Community Garden. • Letterbox drop to households around Abbeville Street Park. • Together we can make the whole of Wellers Hill a special pollinator habitat. • Your children can watch as caterpillars transform to chrysalis to butterfly in your backyard. • Local community event in Tarragindi Recreation Reserve with butterfly garden talk. • Be a stopping point for wildlife travelling between Boondall, Deagon and TinchiTamba wetlands. • Your school can be a vital link between the creek and Sandgate Second Lagoon.

17. Building Pollinator Links Where to from here? • Presentations • Mt Gravatt Library – Pollinator Link display (September) and workshop (13 September) • Social media – Pollinator Link blog, Twitter, Facebook • Newspaper articles • Research/Resources • Pollinator Link brochure (BCC Environment Grant) • Research network – Dr K. Hogendoorn, Adelaide Uni • Database of potential Pollinator Links • Habitat groups/contacts/location • Funding • Grant funding • Certified Pollinator Link garden scheme • Online self-certification • Purchase numbered fence sign • 2013 Pollinator Link Week • August – Australia wide