50 native species find their forever home
Thanks to Glenn Leiper, Beenleigh-based plant expert and a local native plant enthusiast group, 50 unusual local native plants will be growing roots at Logan City Council’s Belivah Creek project site.
Glenn’s interest in botany began when he and his wife Judy wanted a beautiful garden on their first property in 1979.
The duo drove around the bushlands, collecting seeds and attempting to identify what would work best in their area.
As their garden flourished with native plants and butterflies, so did Glenn’s passion for plants, photography, and conservation.
“These wild plants are critical for the survival of many creatures, providing habitat, food, shelter and roosting sites.”
— Glenn Leiper
‘I enjoy the diversity as we get out into the bush and all sorts of reserves,’ Glenn says.
‘You never know what you’re going to find until you get there and there’s something intriguing about every plant.
‘I document them all with photos and work closely with botanists to identify species.’
His first book, as co-author, a collaboration with equally keen native plant enthusiasts from the Logan River Branch of the Society for Growing Australian Plants in 2002, was a field guide to local native plants titled Mangroves to Mountains.
The book was an unexpected success and sold out almost immediately.
‘We realised there was a growing demand from people who wanted to identify local plants, from bushwalkers and gardeners to people in vegetation management and conservation,’ Glenn says.
‘These wild plants are critical for the survival of many creatures, providing habitat, food, shelter and roosting sites.’
Glenn also works with Logan City Council to conserve significant species in the area.
‘I really need to commend Council for their attitude towards conservation,’ he says.
‘I was tickled pink to see how they really listened when it came to our concerns about certain areas being cleared and the urgent need for preserving significant remnant vegetation.’
When he’s not roaming around the wilderness with his camera, Glenn can be found growing rare and threatened plants at the Native Plants Queensland (Logan River Branch) nursery in Eagleby, along with other keen volunteers.
He says those plants are eventually given back to Council to plant in reserves for a more sustainable future for these plant species.
Image via the Jimboomba Times.
By June Ho
