Small things done now will be disproportionately important in decades to come.

NEXT MEETING   7pm Thursday 17th August at Sunnybank Hills library     
Level 2 Sunnybank Hills Shoppingtown
Cnr. Calam Rd. and  Compton Rd.  Sunnybank Hills

MEMBERSHIPS DUE - SEPTEMBER
It’s the time of year again when our post office box is kept busy amassing membership renewals and applications. Please don’t forget to send in your renewal, or if you have been receiving the complimentary newsletter it would be a good time to join. We are at present involved in two court cases regarding development proposals as well as numerous discussions and negotiations dealing with various threats to Forest linkages  including the all important Greenbank Link. Our strength lies in our membership and it is this which gives us negotiating power, so please take the time to fill out the form and send it to -
Karawatha Forest Protection Society  at PO Box 2017 Sunnybank Hills 4109.

COMMUNITY AWARENESS DISPLAYS
August is a busy month for community displays with three important events occurring in the same week.

The Lions Algester Fun Day will be held on Sunday 20 August at Col Bennett Park Algester. This promises to be a great day for the whole family commencing at 10am.

Health and Well-being Expo – Enjoying Life, Ageing Well.  will be held at the Trinder Park Rest Home 10 Laurel Street Woodridge on Friday 25 August 10am-3pm. There will be over 30 exhibits as well as instructive presentations to make the day informative and enjoyable.

Kuraby Fair  will be taking place at Svoboda Park, Beenleigh Rd Kuraby on Sunday 27 August from 10am-3pm
This has always been a worthwhile community event bringing local inhabitants together to enjoy many activities and take pleasure in the spring sunshine.

KFPS will be at all these events engaging the community on issues affecting Karawatha and surrounds as well as  encouraging the public to visit the Forest and enjoy the many natural offerings found there. Come and have a talk to us if you decide to attend.

LICHEN - THE BIG PLAYER IN OUR ENVIRONMENT
Anyone who has taken a walk in Karawatha would have noticed a grey/green/yellow covering of lichen over the exposed rock surfaces on the sandstone outcrops either at the lookout, the rocks area or if looking down you will also find them growing on the surface of the soil on various undisturbed sites.

In the pastoral and desert zones of Australia lichen crusts make up more than 50percent of vegetation cover and their presence matters. They stabilize soil by reducing drift, they regulate the infiltration of water, are highly resilient to desiccation, reduce soil erosion, build up organic matter and minerals to aid seed germination and growth, and are tolerant of extreme heat and salinity.

In the semi-arid grazing lands in west Queensland the biggest single threat to lichen crusts are cloven hoofed animals – sheep, cattle, goats, pigs and horses. Their hooves quickly break through and destroy the lichen crusts and the destruction tends to affect many other species. There is strong evidence to suggest that lichens play a large role in reducing and/or preventing erosion in the fragile semi-arid area and in increasing germination of seedlings. It is high time that land managers, environmentalists and people working in the natural resource management industry took a closer look at lichens and included management of lichens as a major component in erosion control and prevention, revegetation and vegetation structure/diversity.

AUGUST BUSH WALK – BBQ BREAKFAST
            Will leave from Acacia Rd. Picnic area Acacia Rd Karawatha on Sunday 27August at 7am. This will be followed by a BBQ breakfast at 9am. The cost is $3. Please RSVP to 3272 3292

QUOTE OF THE MONTH
            Believe you can, believe you can’t, either way you’re right.
                                               Henry Ford

DATES TO REMEMBER - August/September

Report illegal activities to 3403 888