Friends of David Fleay Conservation Park

06/08/2026

This transformation is so insane, you have to see it to believe it.

For National Landcare Week, we want to celebrate the incredible wins we have achieved in David Fleay & Tallebudgera Creek (north) Conservation Parks - the before and after photos speak for themselves. This is what happens when a small group of dedicated people decide to transform a weed-dominated bushland back into a native oasis.

We have taken on an area completely choked by invasive weeds and, with pure hard work, we are bringing the native bushland back to life.

This is the power of community-led conservation. Swipe to see the transformation.

Join us this Saturday from 8:30 am - 12:00 pm. See our Facebook event for all the details!

05/08/2026

It's National Landcare Australia Week, and we're celebrating one of our own Landcare Champions.

Meet Lyn: Landcare Champion, retiree, dedicated wildlife spotter, and one of the volunteers caring for five Gold Coast reserves: Nerang National Park, Tallebudgera Creek Conservation Park, Burleigh Knoll Conservation Park, Burleigh Head National Park and David Fleay Conservation Park, and more!

For Lyn, volunteering started as something to fill the days after retirement. It's become a lot more than that.

"Volunteering has given me a purpose in life since I retired, and I'm much healthier, happier and fitter," she says. "It's great to leave the house and chores behind and go to a happy place. It's been wonderful to work beside so many dedicated, like-minded people who care for our beautiful places."

One moment that has stayed with Lyn is watching koalas slowly return to sites she helps care for. Alongside that, she's clocked her first-ever greater glider sighting (still her favourite, spotted at Nerang), found Richmond birdwing butterfly larvae, and discovered a flowering, critically endangered native guava.

For Lyn, being a Landcare Champion isn't just about the parks. It's about purpose, health, and a happy place to come back to, week after week.

You too can become a Landcare Champion this week! Check our website for more ways to get involved 👇
https://friendsofparksqld.org/event-calendar/

26/07/2026

It’s even more satisfying than it looks! This green carpet of invasive Ground Asparagus smothers everything in its path, preventing native plants from germinating and completely altering the ecosystem structure. Removing it is the first step to reviving this beautiful patch of bushland.

How long do you think it took our team to roll up and clear this one section?

22/07/2026

Queensland's parks are full of chances to get hands-on with nature this week, from Sunshine Coast rainforest lookouts to hidden heathlands and urban oases on the Gold Coast.

Friends of Parks - Mapleton Falls - Volunteer Event
🌿 WEDNESDAY, 22nd July 2026 | 8:30am to 11:30am
Spend a morning on Jinibara Country with Queensland National Parks rangers and the local Friends group, helping care for walking tracks, tackle weeds and support rainforest habitat in this compact but spectacular park overlooking the 120 metre Mapleton Falls.
📍 Mapleton Falls National Park, Sunshine Coast hinterland
📩 RSVP: [email protected]

Friends of David Fleay Conservation Park - Habitat Restoration
🌿 SATURDAY, 25th July 2026 | 8:30am to 11:30am
Support habitat restoration along the northern banks of Tallebudgera Creek on Kombumerri Country, helping protect wild koalas, wallabies and rare plant species next to friends of david fleay conservation park.
📍 David Fleay Conservation Park, southern Gold Coast
📩 RSVP: Friends of David Fleay Conservation Park

RELAUNCH - Friends of Pine Ridge Conservation Park
🌿 SUNDAY, 26th July 2026 | 8:00am to 10:00am
Celebrate the group's relaunch under new leadership with Friends of Pine Ridge Conservation Park, caring for one of the northern Gold Coast's most extraordinary natural areas, from wallum heathland to tea tree swamps and eucalypt forest, home to koalas and threatened flora such as Christmas bells.
📍 Pine Ridge Conservation Park, Luke Harrop Circuit carpark, northern Gold Coast
📩 RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/share/19E9ceTF5u/

Friends of Burleigh Knoll - Habitat Restoration
🌿 SUNDAY, 26th July 2026 | 8:30am to 11:00am
Spend a morning in this small island of native bush on Kombumerri Country in the middle of Burleigh Waters, working alongside friends of Burleigh Knoll to protect old hollow bearing trees and plants found nowhere else on the Gold Coast.
📍 Burleigh Knoll Conservation Park, eastern entrance, Burleigh Waters
📩 RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/share/14hjEWVFbYQ/

RSVP via the links above and become a regular part of habitat restoration in your local park.

15/07/2026

Burleigh is more than a surf break. It's home to 433-year-old Callitris pines, koalas tucked into suburban bushland, baby hammerhead sharks sheltering in the rock pools, and a connection to Country stretching back tens of thousands of years.

"Nature in the Heart of Burleigh," a community story collection produced by Tony O'Malley, brings together voices from people who know and love these places. Have a read to see a feature from Mitch of Friends of Burleigh Head National Park - Jellurgal , sharing what makes the area worth protecting.

These places are cared for by local volunteers, including Friends of Burleigh Head National Park - Jellurgal , Friends of Burleigh Knoll , Friends of Tallebudgera Creek Conservation Park, and Friends of David Fleay Conservation Park. Supporting them is exactly what Friends of Parks Queensland exists to do.

Find your local Friends group at friendsofparksqld.org and get involved.

📄https://watergum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Nature_in_the_Heart_of_Burleigh__Final.pdf

Join Friends of Parks Queensland for conservation volunteering opportunities and to give back to Queensland's national parks.

08/07/2026

🖤💛❤️ Celebrating NAIDOC Week: 50 Years of Deadly 🌿

This week, as Australia celebrates 50 Years of Deadly for NAIDOC Week 2026, we're reflecting on a recent day out in the Burleigh-Tallebudgera area that reminded us just how much strength comes from working together on Country.

Our team started the morning at Tallebudgera Outdoor and Environmental Education Centre, meeting teachers and the Jellurgal Indigenous Ranger before heading to the QPWS Ranger Base on Burleigh Hill. There, John Hand and his team walked us through the areas they care for 0 and the conversation quickly turned to how much more is possible when volunteers and rangers work side by side.

A real highlight of the day was visiting the Jellurgal team where Jackson, one of the new Indigenous rangers, shared how these positions came to be, what the team will be working on, and their vision for partnering with QPWS and Friends of Parks groups into the future.

Fifty years on from the first NAIDOC Week, it's moments like these, with new pathways, new partnerships, and Traditional Owners leading the care of Country, that feel like exactly what "deadly" means.

The day continued at David Fleay Conservation Park, where Friends of David Fleay Conservation Park group leader Patrick shared the incredible work his group has done. From there, we wrapped up kayaking Tallebudgera Creek to see the park from the water.

Huge thanks to everyone who made the day so rich: Kalindi from Tallebudgera Outdoor Environmental Education Centre for facilitating, John Hand and the QPWS team, Jackson and the Jellurgal Rangers, Sarah Carnell and Brett Smith at David Fleay Wildlife Park, and Outdoor Education QLD. Here's to more collaborative relationships built in the spirit of caring for parks. 🖤💛❤️

29/06/2026

That's a good haul of invasive Ground Asparagus!

Thank you to all our incredible volunteers who have joined us on our mission to restore David Fleay & Tallebudgera Creek (north) Conservation Parks. Every little bit counts!

Our next bush regen date will be the 11th of July.