Friends of Mary Cairncross Association Inc

Friends of Mary Cairncross Association Inc The Friends are an active group associated with the Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve located on the Sunshine Coast Hinterland.

Did you know that February is "Find a Frog February”.Find a Frog in February citizen science program has been running ea...
16/01/2026

Did you know that February is "Find a Frog February”.
Find a Frog in February citizen science program has been running each year since 2017 and is provided by the Mary River Catchment Coordinating Committee. It supports the communities of the Sunshine Coast, Noosa, Gympie and Fraser Coast Regional Council areas through increased awareness of our local frogs, their habitat needs, the threats they face and the actions we can all take to ensure their well-being long into the future. Find a Frog in February participants have contributed tens of thousands of frog records to the Queensland WildNet database where it is accessed for research, education and decision making for land and water management. As our frogs become more and more vulnerable to environmental changes, it is vital that we maintain a vigilance as to what is happening to species’ distributions and abundances.
Find out more at “https://mrccc.org.au/frog-in-february/?utm_source=sunshine%2Bcoast%2Bcouncil&utm_medium=website”

Here is the information for our February guest speaker - Dr Ken Wishaw. Please see attached flyer for the details - and ...
26/12/2025

Here is the information for our February guest speaker - Dr Ken Wishaw.
Please see attached flyer for the details - and below for a bit more information.
Bookings - register now on this link
https://events.humanitix.com/half-the-park-is-after-dark-or-mary-cairncross-scenic-reserve-or-dr-ken-wishaw
and you will be sent a reminder closer to the event (we need to know numbers for catering).
Please share with your friends - this is a public event.

HALF THE PARK IS AFTER DARK | Dr Ken Wishaw

M.B.B.S., F.A.N.Z.C.A., A.F.H.E.A. Grad Cert Science (Astronomy)

Ken is the instigator of the Sunshine Coast Regional Council project to create an International Dark Sky Reserve in our hinterland, including the Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve. He is a founding board member of the Australasian Dark Sky Alliance, the primary advisory body to all levels of government on light pollution matters and was recognised for his national and global actions by being named the Dark Sky Defender of 2024 by Dark Sky International. He is also the current Sunshine Coast Senior Citizen of the year. Other roles include:

Honorary Senior Fellow & Senior Lecturer at the University of the Sunshine Coast
Committee Member and Maleny Observatory convenor
Brisbane Astronomical Society www.bas.asn.au Dark Sky Ambassador
International Astronomical Union member
Founding Board Member Australasian Dark Sky Alliance www.australasiandarkskyalliance.org

Darkness is a vital ingredient in a healthy biosphere, and a healthy Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve. Light pollution harms wildlife by disorientation, restriction of habitat, and creates an imbalance of predator prey relationships. Pollination of many species of plants relies on nocturnal foragers. Light pollution also impacts our own health and the starry night sky.

The chief obstacle in taming this pollutant is lack of awareness, because the solutions are simple and instantaneous. All attendees will become experts on how to mitigate light pollution without living in the gloom.

The Obi Obi valley is the last place in coastal Southeast Queensland that is not severely affected by light pollution and the proposed International Dark Sky Reserve is aimed at preserving this for future generations.

Warm festive wishes to all FOMCA members — may your season be filled with joy, gentle moments, and nature’s wonder. Whet...
20/12/2025

Warm festive wishes to all FOMCA members — may your season be filled with joy, gentle moments, and nature’s wonder. Whether you’re sharing time with friends, enjoying a little quiet, or taking a restorative walk beneath the rainforest canopy, we hope you find plenty of reasons to smile. May the days ahead bring lightness, laughter, and the simple happiness of birdsong, fresh air, and green places. Thank you for all you do to support Mary Cairncross Reserve, and here’s to a bright, safe, and uplifting year ahead.

!!!!! The promise of the future is now!!!In “The army of autonomous robots restoring nature” (Tom Chi), impact investor ...
20/12/2025

!!!!! The promise of the future is now!!!

In “The army of autonomous robots restoring nature” (Tom Chi), impact investor Tom Chi challenges the common idea that we must choose between a thriving economy and a thriving planet, arguing that this “either/or” mindset locks us into doing less harm instead of doing real repair. He makes the case that the same forces powering modern innovation — especially advances in AI and robotics — can be redirected toward restoration at scale, enabling practical solutions like mines that extract less, farms that rebuild soil health, and fleets of autonomous systems that can rapidly replant ecosystems (for example, mass mangrove planting) so nature can recover faster than we’re currently degrading it.

https://www.ted.com/talks/tom_chi_the_army_of_autonomous_robots_restoring_nature?user_email_address=2c64fe8b1ff7361bf0cd6340067def7c

Putting birds firstBird watching is an amazing way to connect with the forest’s inhabitants, but our attention can have ...
20/12/2025

Putting birds first
Bird watching is an amazing way to connect with the forest’s inhabitants, but our attention can have a negative impact on the birds we’ve come to see.
Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve is visited by more than 250,000 visitors each year. Our cumulative actions can have a big impact.
Here are some birdwatching tips to put the welfare of birds and their habitat first.
• Keep your distance – binoculars help.
• Be a quiet observer and birds will behave more naturally around you.
• Don’t disturb birds when feeding, roosting or nesting. Your presence can stress birds and cause them to neglect chicks or draw the attention of predators.
• Keep to the track - birds are less stressed when people stay in consistent areas.
• Don’t use call playback or other methods to attract birds. This can cause birds stress and disrupt natural behaviour.
Remember all native animals at Mary Cairncross are wild animals.😀

04/12/2025

It is with great sadness that we share the news of Owen Sharwood’s passing.

Many of you would all have known Owen, some of you for many years. He was vice president of FMCA for several years, while Sue Tanner was president. He was a Friday morning stalwart at MCSR volunteer desk. He also manned Friends info tent at the wood expo for several years.

Owen has been a valued volunteer at Mary Cairncross for many years. His good nature, sense of humour, and wonderful stories brought joy to so many, and he will be greatly missed.
Owen’s family warmly invites anyone who wishes to attend his service at Buderim Crematorium on Friday, 12 December at 1:00 pm.

In the coming weeks, Owen’s family also plans to hold a gathering at Mary Cairncross to celebrate his life.

The loss of Owen well will be deeply felt.

Thanks Maleny Visitor Information Centre.
28/11/2025

Thanks Maleny Visitor Information Centre.

Address

148 Mountain View Road
Maleny, QLD
4552

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