Here's the latest scoop from Corymbia Biodiversity Project & Banyula Conservation Reserve…
From Glossy Black-Cockatoos returning with young, to never-before-seen footage of our endangered coastal emu, it’s been a season of incredible discoveries and hard work on the ground. In this special Autumn + Winter edition, our weed team has restored hundreds of hectares, volunteers are diving into conservation for the first time, and Banyula has weathered both flood and fire preparation with resilience. Add in curious gliders, sparring roos, owl calls, and community-led climate action, and you’ll see why we’re excited to share these stories with you.
🌿 Dive in and celebrate conservation in action! |
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| | | Over the past five years, our weed team has delivered exceptional results in restoring and protecting our landscapes. At the time of filming, an incredible 89% of primary weed control had been completed – that’s 420 hectares of 472 under active management! This is what dedication in the field looks like – watch the team in action! |
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| | FROM FLOOD TO FIRE-READY: BANYULA PROPERTY UPDATE
In late February, our team prepared for the rains, installing rollovers on the main tracks and reinforcing creek crossings on the smaller trails. When Cyclone Arthur swept through in March, bringing weeks of relentless wet weather, we faced fallen trees and heavy runoff. To protect the property, we built a sacrificial fence designed to catch leaf litter and storm debris, and topped up rock over Fiona’s Crossing.
Other recent works include removing the garden beds, re-graveling the driveway, completing the retaining wall for the last water tank, and tackling a range of ongoing projects. At the same time, we’ve ensured the property is fire-ready, with tracks cleared, fence lines mulched, and leaves blown and sprayed.
It’s been a season of both flood and fire preparation, but as Ken, our hardworking groundsman says, “we’re loving every day on the ground, working to keep the property resilient and thriving”. |
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| | | Volunteer’s First Taste of Conservation at Banyula
In late June, Zane joined us as a volunteer at Banyula Conservation Reserve—diving into lantana weeding, small mammal trapping, and nightly spotlighting walks. With no prior ecology experience, he quickly found himself surrounded by dunnarts, bush rats, and the feisty Antechinus, gaining a new appreciation for Australia’s native wildlife and ecosystems. From dawn surveys to dinner-table laughs, Zane’s week was full of hands-on learning and connection. |
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| | | WHO’S HOOTING IN YOUR BACKYARD?
It’s owl breeding season in the Clarence & Richmond Valleys, and the NCC team wants your sightings!Have you heard the “wok wok” of a Barking Owl, the screech of a Masked Owl, or the deep hoot of a Powerful Owl? Or maybe you’ve spotted a mysterious glider tail, a splatter of owl poo (aka whitewash) at the base of a tree, or a furry regurgitated pellet… gruesome, yes, but all tell-tale owl clues!
Report your findings to aunderwood@nature.org.au or sbower@nature.org.au |
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| | COMMUNITY, CLIMATE & CONNECTIVITY Corymbia’s Role in Building a Resilient Clarence Corymbia is proud to be contributing to the Northern Rivers Adapts initiative—an important collaboration led by Griffith University and Jagun Alliance to support climate resilience and community-led conservation across the region. From the recent Clarence Valley Conservation Connections networking event at Banyula to Adrian Deville’s involvement in the Climate-Resilient Landscapes project, our team is helping turn research into real-world action. These stories highlight the power of local knowledge, community collaboration, and on-ground conservation to build a more connected and climate-resilient landscape in the Northern Rivers. |
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| | | | RUMBLING ROOS, GRUMPY ROBINS AND A CURIOUS GLIDER MOMENT |
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| | Our cameras have been busy capturing life from ground to canopy. At the dam wall, two male eastern greys were seen sparring while the females were unimpressed.
In the treetops, the TreeTroff drew a Lewin’s Honeyeater, an Eastern Yellow Robin, a bat, and gliders. One squirrel glider clip left us wondering – was it eating a frog, or grooming its joey?
What do you think? Email us at admin@corymbia.com.au |
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| Subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch our wildlife enjoying these vital water reservoirs plus more — we post new videos regularly! |
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| | | | Exciting news from Banyula – a family of Glossy Black-Cockatoos with a fledgling has returned to feed and drink inside our Predator Feral Free Area!
It’s the first time in two years we’ve seen them here with young, supporting evidence that Glossies may follow a two-year breeding cycle.
The Glossy Squad Clarence Valley, led by Victor Ostrowsky and Daniel McCawley, is working hard to locate families and their hollow-bearing nesting trees. If you hear the soft squark of a Glossy or the quiet chewing of Casuarina cones, please report it – every sighting helps. Glossy Squad Clarence Valley Facebook Page |
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| | | NEVER BEFORE SEEN FOOTAGEIn May 2025, more than 100 people gathered in Maclean to witness something extraordinary… never-before-seen footage of our endangered coastal emu, captured and produced by Save Our Species and SkyLoca. Filmed by Micah using a state-of-the-art drone, this remarkable vision offers rare insights into the emu’s behaviour, giving us an intimate look at one of Australia’s most iconic birds. The evening also showcased other short films celebrating the coastal emu, but it was this breathtaking footage that left the crowd in awe. |
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| | LOOKING FOR A VENUE TO STUDY, FACILITATE MEETINGS OR HOST A WORKSHOP?
The facilities at the Banyula Conservation Reserve are available for use in the name of science, education, or community events based around the natural environment. These include our fully equipped large shed with toilets and bathrooms, perfect for workshops, as well as our extensive walking tracks, feral-free area, and close proximity to the Yuraygir National Park and Solitary Islands Marine Park.
We encourage everyone to take advantage of these resources to foster learning, research, and community engagement in the natural environment.
Checkout the Banyula webpage and fill in the form at the bottom to host an event. |
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| | WAS THIS EMAIL FORWARDED TO YOU?Join the Friends of Banyula mailing list to receive inspiring good news stories, invites to events, and updates on activities organised by us and other like-minded organisations and individuals. Stay connected and be part of our mission to protect and preserve our natural world! |
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