News Article - Controlled Fire at Rogers Reserve Border

News Article regarding the planned controlled cool burn fire at Rogers Reserve.  Article from High Country Herald, "Fire on Border of Rogers Reserve" by Greg Lukes, 7th July 2020

Re-mulching and labeling of Bill Mollison Memorial Tree

20/06/20

After the long drought and not much tlc, the Bill Mollison Memorial Tree, planted on 11th November 2016, recently needed replacing.  We discovered that this had been done at our last bushcare working bee in June and decided to give the tree the attention it deserves, with proper placement in the ground, tree stakes for support, a tree bag and memorial sign to mark it's significance.

We will bring water in containers to water the tree at every bushcare working bee and hopefully this will help it make it through this time.  There aren't any water sources at the reserve for tree watering, making it a little challenging to care for newly planted plants. 

More info about the original planting here: https://rogersreserve.blogspot.com/2016/11/memorial-tree-for-bill-mollison.html

Planned Cool Burn for Rogers Reserve Highfields

The date has been set for the planned "Cool Mosaic Burn"at the Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields.  The Friends of Rogers Reserve have had on-site discussions about the details of this burn with Toowoomba Regional Council and the aim is for regeneration of the understory, hazard reduction all while retaining significant areas, plants, tree hollows and nesting boxes.

The burn is planned for from 22nd June to 28th June and the park will be closed to the public during this time.

We thank the council for working with us for a positive outcome on his project, pleasing all parties including local neighbours.

More information here: 

http://www.tr.qld.gov.au/community-business/community-safety/be-prepared-for-emergencies/14241-councils-bushfire-mitigation-plans-for-the-next-season

Sugar Gliders using Nesting Box at Rogers Reserve Highfields

Today at the Rogers Reserve Working Bee at Highfields, Brendon brought the extension ladder and conducted a check on the only nesting box that we have installed. It has been in place for a few years now and we haven't checked it for about 2 years.

He carefully lifted the lid a small amount and put the phone inside to take a couple of photos and a little video to check the contents. To our delight there was a family of Sugar Gliders living inside in their beautiful leaf nest they have created. We couldn't be happier that it is being used for the species that it was designed for.

Sugar and Squirrel Gliders live in the Rogers Reserve and feed on the wattles, insects, flowers and sap.

This is a wonderful example of what you can do at your own property to provide artificial habitat for important wildlife. Video to come on our Facebook Page. www.facebook.com/rogersreserve

June 2020 Bushcare Working Bee at Rogers Reserve

05.06.20

Today we had 4 Bushcare Volunteers for the monthly Rogers Reserve Working Bee at 9am, followed by an additional 5 people who came for the 10am tour and fire management talk for local residents.  Today's working bee concentrated on rubbish removal, asparagus fern regrowth removal, mossman river grass removal, fauna surveys of the nesting box and birdlife visiting tree hollows.  We had a new bird sighting today of a Budgerigar high in the tree tops, a few were heard and then spotted by Brendon. Very rare however Budgie flocks are known to visit our region in periods of western drought.  The Toowoomba Bird Observers club confirmed last night that recent small flocks of Budgies have been seen this week at USQ Toowoomba, so we are not to rule out this sighting.

Birdlife list today included:

• Budgerigars x 4
• Cockatiel
• White-browed Scrub Wren
• Weebill
• Brown Thornbill
• Red-browed Finch
• Noisy Miner
• Galah
• Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
• Rainbow Lorikeet
• Scaley-breasted Lorikeet
• Un-identified  Bird of Prey
• Australian Magpie
• Laughing Kookaburra
• Common Bronzewing

Nesting box survey results were very exciting - details to come in a separate post.

High Country Herald Article Re Fire in Rogers Reserve, June 2020

Thankyou to Dougal, one of our long term bushcare volunteers at the Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve at Highfields for his letter to the Editor, published in the High Country Herald on 2nd June 2020.  Dougal has responded to the claims by Mayor Paul Antonio, that the reserve was full of rubbish every time he has been there. We have never had the mayor attend any of our working bees, excursions or guided walks.

High Country Herald Newspaper Article - 2nd June 2020

Onsite Meeting with Council at the Rogers Reserve to discuss planned burn

Following on from the newspaper articles and facebook controversy (see previous posts). I received a call from the TRC Environment Department Staff, to discuss the plans for the reserve burn and also to let us know about what had been happening behind the scenes with the complaints from the residents on O'Brien Road.  Council were wanting to work with the Friends of Rogers Reserve Group for a positive outcome that we could all be happy with and that will help the reserve with regeneration of some native tree species and also reduce fuel load risks in key areas.

Four of the members of the Friends of Rogers Reserve, attended a meeting on site with TRC council staff on Friday 29th May.  Some of the members who attended from our group are very experienced with both bushland management and fire management so this was very helpful.  We were able to show council the areas of significance that we wanted avoided which included rare orchids, the large fallen tree at the back of the reserve, trees with significant hollows and areas of significant ground wildlife habitat.  The burn will be a cool mosaic burn and we are happy with the plan made with council for the areas that will be burnt. We have also been invited to be on site when the burn happens, which will be towards the end of June, all being well weather wise. 

Further updates to come.  We would like to thank Toowoomba Regional Council for the time taken to discuss this with us in great length and offer their expertise and them to listen to ours.

J, Gray

Friends of Rogers Reserve.

Controversy about the requests to Burn Rogers Reserve

Public Controversy surrounds the requests of members of the public (predominantly residents of O'Brien Road Highfields) for a burn at the Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve at Highfields.  The copies of the articles and comments are listed below.  It is disappointing that no one contacted the Friends of Rogers Reserve before these articles went to air, as the group had already been in discussion with the Rural Fire Brigade and Council's environment department about the assessment for selective burning.  There was also some ill-informed comments on facebook from members of the public who felt they could judge harshly the volunteer work we have been doing since January 2014, despite never visiting the reserve, participating in events or taking the time to learn anything about its significance or unique habitat.

More updates to come. I do note that Cr Bill Cahill did contact me to follow up for further information about the environmental management plans for the reserve and other details after the concerns were raised in the council meeting. We must also note that both Cr Cahill and Cr Kerry Shine have been avid supporters of the work the bushcare group has done in the reserve over the years and understand the importance of its preservation.

History behind the naming of Rogers Drive and Motee Crt at Highfields

Have you ever wondered where the Street Names in Highfields for Rogers Drive and Motee Crt came from? Rogers Drive runs behind the Highfields Village Shopping Centre and the Highfields Cultural Centre and behind the Rogers Reserve from Highfields Road through to Polzin Road and Motee Crt comes off Merritt St (from Rogers Drive).
These street names are named after the former owners of this land, Mr & Mrs Charles & Motee Rogers who were well known Toowoomba Musicians and ran the successful Midlands Poll-Hereford Stud on the surrounding land many years ago. They were also part owners of "Rogers Bros" which was one of the largest Milk Vendors in Queensland and a Toowoomba business.
Mr and Mrs Rogers bequested the land for Preserve Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve at Highfields to the Crows Nest Shire Council after lengthy discussions and agreements, to ensure that this patch of remnant vegetation would be preserved for future generations to come. Mr and Mrs Rogers donated the rest of their land (which is now Highfields Village Estate) to the Royal Flying Doctors Service. They were very generous people. Out of respect for this generous donation and for the memory of Mr and Mrs Rogers we owe it to them as a community, to do whatever we can to continue to honour and preserve this environment and not forget about the significance of this bequest.

Motee Court and Rogers Drive street signs at Highfields, named after Charles and Motee Rogers.

Clean Up Australia Day - Rogers Reserve 2020

CLEAN UP AUSTRALIA DAY - 1st March 2020

We again participated in our annual Clean Up Australia Day Event - Celebrating this year 7 consecutive events!!  Something we as a community volunteer group -we are very proud of.

I would like to thank everyone who attended, and also those members of the community who always pick up rubbish on a regular basis in the reserve.  

Any cans and plastic bottles collected were donated for the container collection scheme to support local wildlife rescue volunteers.

J. Gray

Clean Up Australia Day 2020 - Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields

McDonalds cups and straws are a constant find during our clean up events at Clean Up Australia Day 2020 - Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields

Clean Up Australia Day 2020 - Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields

Clean Up Australia Day 2020  Complete!- Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields

The Elusive Whip Birds of the Rogers Reserve Highfields

7th February 2020

The Eastern Whip-Birds make an iconic call across the Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve at Highfields, and have called it home for as long as I can remember.  The reserve has thick natural mulch and they at times can be seen scratching around in this looking for insects, mostly though they are rarely seen - only heard. On this visit, I happened to see two whip birds doing exactly that but they would then hop up into the branches and were secluded by foliage.  These are the best photos that I managed of them during this visit.

The birdlife is always a wonderful distraction when weeding or doing rubbish collection during our Friends of Rogers Reserve Bushcare working bee days.

J. Gray

Elusive Eastern Whip Bird at Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields, February 2020

Elusive Eastern Whip Bird at Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields, February 2020

Elusive Eastern Whip Bird at Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields, February 2020

Pale-headed Rosellas at Rogers Reserve Highfields

7th February 2020

PALE-HEADED ROSELLAS (Platycercus adscitus) at the Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve.

Pale-headed Rosella at Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields, 7/02/20

Pale-headed Rosellas are an exquisitely beautiful bird and one that is fairly consistent with sightings at the Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve at Highfields. The reserve provides excellent nesting habitat with plenty of tree hollows and a plenty of food source with a range of flowering eucalyptus trees, native fruits, seeds, shrub flowers, insects and native grasses.

Even though it is brightly coloured, the Pale-headed Rosella is very well-camouflaged when feeding amongst leaves in the canopy of trees. The call is similar to that of the Eastern Rosella: 'kwik, kwik' calling in flight, or when perched a high pitched rapid 'pi-pi-pi-pi-pi' and soft chattering. (Source http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Platycercus-adscitus)

Pale-headed Rosella at Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields, 7/02/20

Pale-headed Rosella Pair at Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields, 7/02/20

Pale-headed Rosella Pair at Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields, 7/02/20