The Granite Belt’s unique flora will be the focus of a series of wildflower walks being conducted over the next three months by the Stanthorpe Rare Wildflower Consortium, with the first being on this Sunday 16 August in the Amiens area, just west of Stanthorpe.
Spokesperson for 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,” Liz said.
“After the recent rain, many species are already flowering so there should be plenty to see on the walk.
“The local Wallangarra wattle (Acacia adunca) is particularly spectacular at present.”
Ms Bourne 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 Amiens School at 1337 Amiens Road, 13 km west of Stanthorpe, at 9.30am and will then travel from there a short distance out to the forest.
Ms Bourne 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.
“We are asking anyone interested in coming along to register on the online booking system on our website www.granitebeltwildflowers.com so we know how many people to expect.”
Walks will be on Sunday 13 September to Girraween National Park and then one on Sunday 11 October to the Passchendaele State Forest area.
