Located 30 minutes away from the city, the secluded Cliveden Avenue Reserve is known as the ‘secret forest’ of Corinda.
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In 1995, the Cliveden Avenue Reserve Bushcare Group was formed. It is one of the bushcare groups of the Oxley Creek Catchment Association, a not-for-profit community-based organisation whose mission is to protect and enhance the natural environment and resources of the catchment of Oxley Creek.
The Cliveden Avenue Reserve consists of bushland flora, with creepers and other invasive plants in the area, such as cat’s claw pepper trees, and climbing asparagus, that need to be controlled to maintain a healthy ecosystem.
The reserve is also home to other weeds, such as the coastal morning glory, Glycine, which have to be treated and reduced, so that the bushland can regenerate and be capable of repairing itself.
Every month, volunteers would spend a couple of hours together, working on the restoration of the forest. They would visit every first Saturday of the month, usually at around 8:00 a.m. in summer months and 8:30 in winter.
The group, led by Carole Bristow, is responsible for searching for the native ground covers, weeding around them, and leaving them to increase.
They have to be careful in clearing the weedy grasses, though, because they provide protection for the soil whilst providing shelter to creatures like spiders, skinks, and insects. For them, it feels like a treasure hunt to discover what species occupy different areas.
“When you go for a walk through there, there is a refreshing feeling to the area that comes with a wild place, a natural place. These are core values we want to maintain,” the group stated.
The group encourages others to help maintain ecological integrity and local character of the remnant bushland, and to protect the values of wildness and naturalness.
For the volunteers, this section of Cliveden Ave is a special place and having a chance to work on its restoration felt like a privilege.
Those who would like to work with the group may call Ms Bristow at 3379 1453 or text 0409 495 017.
About the Cliveden Avenue Reserve
Located on the eastern part of Cliveden Avenue in Corinda, Cliveden Avenue Reserve is a pocket of bushland that will give you a hint of how Oxley Creek looked before it was colonised.
Ralph Fones, a historian, revealed that the first owners in early colonial days did not clear all the bushland but left it along the creek “so that people would know what it used to look like.”
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The reserve is popular among those who are looking for easy walking trails around Brisbane. It’s close to Corinda Horse and Pony Club and Neata Street Park.