In October Brisbane Western Suburbs members hosted a day visiting three special places in their locality - Sherwood Arboretum, Cubberla Creek and Rafting Ground Reserve. We looked at branch plantings at Sherwood, then on to Rainbow Forest Park at Cubberla Creek, where a small dedicated group is slowly chewing away at a section of the creek, weeding, discovering natural species, and replanting.

We drove along Laurel Avenue, Graceville, supposedly Brisbanes prettiest street (not in my books), its Camphor Laurels providing an ongoing seedbank for the infestations along nearby watercourses.
I thought Rafting Ground Reserve was lovely - beautiful trees in the plantings and naturally there. Here we had lunch and a brief meeting. From this came the following question: What is the definition of CONSERVATION?

My old Websters dictionary says it is the act of preserving resources from decay, loss or injury.
Another question is: What is the difference between CONSERVATION and PRESERVATION? Both are mentioned in connection with our Society and its aims.

The dictionary says preservation is the act of keeping, or state of being kept from injury and decay. A very subtle difference between meanings.

A blunter explanation was given by a member of the Conservation Subcommittee: Preservation is akin to keeping a specimen in a container of metho or such; conservation is the protection of live habitat plus its species. Perhaps SGAP members in general would like to provide me with some feedback on the above questions.

There are no plans for a full Conservation Day in early 2000, but I would like to have some discussion during the Wallum & Coastal Heathland Study Group weekend at the Beerwah Field Study Centre on 29th & 30th January. See under STUDY GROUP ACTIVITIES for more details. Wallum is a seriously endangered plant community, and will be discussed during the weekends activities.