Throughout August and September, Unitywater and Barung Landcare will establish over 60 new growths of the Birdwing Butterfly Vine, and the Carronia Vine, on Unitywater land inside the rehabilitated Porters Wood Forest.
Unitywater Executive Manager Customer Delivery, Rhett Duncan, said the plantings would help sustain butterfly populations for generations to come.
“These vines, sourced from the Barung Landcare Native Nursery, are vital for the survival of endangered species,” Mr Duncan explained.
“The Birdwing Butterfly Vine will take between six and 12 months to establish, while the Carronia Vine will require around two years.
“After planting, the vines will sustain themselves both from the naturally occurring rich loam soils and nutrients released from the treated effluent at the treatment plant.”
The Birdwing Butterfly Vine is listed as Near Threatened in Queensland, which poses a significant risk to the Richmond Birdwing Butterfly, a vulnerable species under the Nature Conservation Act 1992. Without this vine, the butterfly’s caterpillars would lack a crucial food source, threatening their survival.
Similarly, the Carronia Vine is the primary food source for the Pink Underwing Moth which is Endangered under the Environmental Protection Act 1999. Female moths lay their eggs on the broad leaves of this vine, and once they hatch, the caterpillars begin feeding – a process critical to their development into adult moths.
Landcare and Partnership Manager at Barung Landcare, Cameron Burton, said without certain native vines, some of Australia’s most iconic butterflies and moths could disappear forever.
“These new vines will create a corridor between known host plants of the moths and butterflies’ larvae, enhancing local habitat connectivity, and ensuring these species can thrive by moving freely between critical habitats,” Mr Burton said.
“With Unitywater’s support to purchase the vines and plant them at their site in Maleny, we are hoping to see increased numbers of the Richmond Birdwing Butterfly and Pink Underwing Moth in the Porters Wood Forest over the coming years as these new habitats grow.”
Since June 2013, Unitywater has planted much of the vegetation that now forms the forest and wetland surrounding the Maleny Wastewater Treatment Plant, which has formed a dense canopy and attracts wildlife including flying foxes, pythons, goannas, bandicoots, and even a platypus that migrated from Obi Obi Creek.