Walk among the wildflowers

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 in the Amiens State Forest, just west of Stanthorpe.
Spokesperson for the consortium, Liz Bourne, said the walks aimed to show people some of the diversity of the flora on 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,” she said.
“A particular highlight of the first walk will be the endangered granite boronia, Boronia granitica, which is already in flower,” she said.
“This spectacular pink flowering shrub is only found on the Granite Belt and from a few isolated locations on the New England Tableland. After the good winter rain, there will also be a profusion of many other wildflowers on display, so there will be plenty to see in the forest.”
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 more than 250 of the species that people are most likely to come across and these would be available for sale at the walks.
She said that anyone with an interest in the Granite Belt’s wildflowers was invited to come along. The group will be meeting outside the Amiens School at 1337 Amiens Road, 14km 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.
For further information, call (07) 4683 6374 or go to www.granitenet.com.au/groups/environment/rare-wildflower-consortium