About
Gold Coast Botany is founded on a long history of working with and studying local plant species and forest communities and includes extensive industry, government and community participation. Our services range from flora survey to plant identification, reports and management plans, revegetation and landscape design, specific skills training and all-round information about plants. We often work with colleagues as part of a larger ecological team and while the Gold Coast and hinterland is our area of focus, GCB has undertaken projects in many other areas of Queensland as requested by clients.
The Gold Coast region is rich in plant diversity and many areas contain hundreds of individual species, some unique in the world. This richness concentrates in the mountain forests of Springbrook & the Gold Coast Hinterland where properties including World Heritage areas often contain multiple threatened species and high population numbers. For some species, the only place they occur in the World is in Springbrook!
Motivated by this abundance, we have a particular interest in threatened plant species of the SEQ region.
GCB is based largely around the work and research of the proprietor David Jinks, along with other expert assistance as required. With almost 30 years of local experience, a personal highlight of David's career is the discovery of a new species of ancient rainforest tree at Springbrook, named in his honour: Eucryphia jinksii (Springbrook Leatherwood).
Excerpts from David's CV include:
Awards:
Jewelled Gecko Award, November 2015 – for services to the environment
- “For a lifelong contribution to the conservation of the Gold Coast’s unique flora and fauna through education, advocacy and professional excellence.”
Golden Gecko Award, December 2005 – for services to the environment
- “For consistent commitment to the conservation of native flora through the Gold Coast’s Nature Conservation Strategy and providing information and support to Gecko and other community members in a range of activities.”
Silver Gecko Award, December 2003 – for services to the environment
- “For your ongoing work which is an inspiration to fellow conservationists and sets an example to the community.”
Certificate of Appreciation, November 2003 – Gecko, and Friends of Springbrook Alliance
- “In acknowledgement of your outstanding commitment and work in the care and protection of Springbrook.”
Residential Development Awards, The Ecovillage at Currumbin – part of the multi-award winning team, (inaugural consultant 2003 & ongoing)
Industry participation:
City of Gold Coast: Priority Species for Conservation, flora expert panel (2020)
Qld Gov't – EHP Biodiversity Planning Assessment – Expert Panel: Flora (March 2016)
Qld Gov't – EHP Biodiversity Planning Assessment – Expert Panel: Landscape (March 2016)
Qld Gov't – EHP Groundwater Dependant Ecosystems – Expert Panel (2015)
Gold Coast City Council (GCCC) Nature Conservation Strategy – Local Naturalist & Key Stakeholder
GCCC Mapping Review – Expert Panel
Gold Coast Catchment Association – Inaugural Member
Queensland Parks & Wildlife Service – Tourism in Protected Areas, Glowworms SVC Working Group
Qld Gov't – SEQ Environmental Weeds Strategy – Working Group
Qld Gov't – SEQ Regional Vegetation Management Plan – Working Group
Qld Gov't – SEQ Landscape assessment – Expert Panel
Publication acknowledgements:
Harden, G.J., McDonald, W.J.F., Williams, J.B. (2007).
Rainforest Climbing Plants, A Field Guide to their Identification. Gwen Harden Publishing
Harden, G.J., McDonald, W.J.F., Williams, J.B. (2006).
Rainforest Trees & Shrubs, A Field Guide to their Identification. Gwen Harden Publishing.
Leiper, G., Glazebrook, J., Cox, D., Rathie, K. (2008).
Mangroves to Mountains (Revised Edition): A field Guide to the Native Plants of South East
Queensland. Published by Logan River Branch S.G.A.P. (Qld Region) Inc
Rainforest Plants of Australia – USB, an Interactive Key and Information System. Authors: Gwen Harden, Hugh Nicholson, Bill McDonald, Nan Nicholson, Terry Tame and John Williams.
Interesting mention:
White Beech, the Rainforest Years. Germaine Greer, Bloomsbury Publishing (2013).
My tangled mess of paradise, Germaine Greer, The Age (London 2004). Excerpt below:
At the outset, I made a mistake so serious that the manly cheek of a consultant botanist grew pale when I told him what I had done. I had paid a man with a JCB (earth mover) to rip out lantana and open up the forest edges.
The result was not only that we could walk on the old snigging tracks, but there were great gashes in the plank buttresses, branches ripped off the canopy trees, young trees mashed, and a python crushed where he slept.
What was more, my sole employee, a bushy of the old school, was determined to destroy the uprooted lantana by fire. He would light a fire anywhere, under the forest canopy, in dry grass, beside a stand of hoop pines.
I placed myself under the guidance of the expert on the rainforests of the Shield Volcano Group, David Jinks. He was uncompromising. There would be no more heavy machinery, no fires. Any clearing would be by hand.
As David rambled indefatigably through the bush, my nimble sister kept up with him, and I panted after. Years of snowboarding have preserved Jane's sense of balance. She skipped from rock to rock as I crawled, clutching the video camera that I use as a notebook.
In the evenings, she and I would sit with our books keying out the botanical samples we had collected during the day.
