The second in a series of spring wildflower walks being organised by the Stanthorpe Rare Wildflower Consortium will be held this Sunday 19 September in the Broadwater State Forest just north west of Stanthorpe.
Secretary of the Consortium, Liz Bourne, said the walks aimed to show people some of the diversity of the flora of the Granite Belt as well as helping them to identify local species and learn more about their ecological requirements.
“We have been running these springtime walks for a number of years now and they have been very popular with visitors as well as the local community,” she said.
“The Broadwater Forest was severely impacted by the 2019 bushfire and it is good to see how many plants have come back since then,” she said. “The endangered Boronia repanda has made a remarkable recovery and is flowering beautifully at present as well as many other species.”
Liz said that as part of their activities to raise public awareness about the local flora, the group had produced a colour booklet which depicts over 250 of the species that people are most likely to come across and these would be available for sale at the walks, along with the group’s comprehensive flora book and a guide to local eucalypts.
She said that anyone with an interest in the Granite Belt’s wildflowers was invited to come along on the walk. The group will be meeting outside the Applethorpe State School on the New England Highway at 9.30am and will then travel from there a short distance out to the forest.
Liz said that the walks usually took a couple of hours but people were welcome to stay longer if they want to enjoy the diversity of spring wildflowers the area had to offer.
Participants should bring a hat and water bottle and wear sturdy footwear.
The walk should be suitable for most ages and levels of fitness.
“Further details about the walk can be found on our website www.granitebeltwildflowers.com,” Liz said.
The next walk will be on Sunday 17 October to Girraween National Park which always has spectacular flowers during spring.
