Hibiscus Harlequin Beetle Highfields

Hibiscus Harlequin Beetle photographed by Gary Alcorn at Charles and Motee RogersReserve Highfields. Gary observed the beetle resting on a young brachychiton tree on 18th April 2015.

The Hibiscus Harlequin Beetle (Tectocoris diophthalmus) , also known as Cotton Harlequin Bug, predominately live and feed on native hibiscus trees and also on bottle trees.  They are known to also have a taste for cultivated cotton.  The orange one shown is an adult. They can also be red and the juveniles are vibrant blues and greens and reds.

Hibiscus Harlequin Beetle (Tectocoris diophthalmus)

Clean Up Australia Day 2015 Highfields

Clean Up Australia 2015 at Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve at Highfields today was a great success. This event was the 2nd annual event organized for the Highfields area by the Friends of Rogers Reserve group. Thank you to everyone who got up early on their Sunday morning to come and and "Clean Up" our bushland reserve. It was wonderful to see the reduction in rubbish since the Friends of Rogers Reserve Group was formed 12 months ago (the group conducts rubbish pick-ups once a month on their meeting dates). Last year's clean up event saw 9 bags of rubbish removed, where as this year saw only 3. Some lantana and weed removal was also performed.  Recycling items including aluminum cans were sorted from mainstream rubbish and all disposed of at the local recycling and waste facility at Kleinton.
J.G.

Koala in Highfields Rogers Reserve 24/02/15

KOALA AT Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve at Highfields TODAY!!

Students from HSSC walking along the new O'Brien Road Footpath spotted the healthy looking Koala after school this afternoon. Many students and parents spent time observing the koala in it's natural environment. Finding a Koala in the Reserve is very important to help secure the future of this reserve, and Geo-referencing Satellite photos were taken to submit to the EPBC. These photographs thanks to Vanessa King.

J.G.

Healthy Koala at Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields 24/02/15  Witnessed by school children, parents and local residents.

Rogers Reserve Footpath Construction Progress

The construction of the O'Brien Road Footpath on the edge of the Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve has begun.

These photos show the progress and stages of the construction process.  The Orange tape around the trees on the edge of the reserve is to show the areas in which the footpath will need to be raised over tree roots to ensure they aren't damaged during the footpath construction.

26/11/2014 - O'Brien Road Footpath Construction on the edge of Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields.

12/11/14 - Construction Begins.

10/11/14 - Orange Bollards in place for the footpath works to begin. 

Flowers of the Lacebark Kurrajong Highfields

These beautiful pink flowers are from the Lacebark Tree (Brachychiton discolor) (Aka Pink Flame Tree)  which is in thw Kurrajoing family.  The large bell shaped flowers form in clusters at the end of the branches of the tree and are then followed by large seed pods. Today when I photographed these flowers, the tree only had a few flowers left on it, with many already fallen to the ground.

This particular tree can be found at the Community Court Entrance of Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve at Highfields, on the left hand side of the nature trail just after the reserve sign.

For more information on the Lacebark Kurrajoing Tree (Brachychiton discolor) please visit the Toowoomba Plants Blog here...

J.G.

Flowers on the forest floor from th Lacebark Kurrajoing Tree (Brachychiton discolor) at Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields.

A Lacebark Flower still on the tree at the Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields.

Lacebark Kurrajoing Tree (Brachychiton discolor) Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve