On Sunday, 20 September 2026 Friends of the Escarpment Parks hosted Carnival in the Bush as our contribution to the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers. It was hosted in J E Duggan Bushland Park and included a variety of activities including stalls as listed below.
There was a Bush Cafe selling drinks and snacks from 8am – 1pm. It had tea, coffee and Milo, as well as cakes, biscuits and savoury snacks.
All Carnival in the Bush activities were FREE for participants but, to ensure safety and quality of the experience, capacity was limited and bookings were essential.
Activities
| Time | Event | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| 8:00 am – 1:00 pm | Children’s Nature Trail: Self Guided Follow our child friendly nature trail through Duggan Park. Look for hidden creatures, amazing rocks and special plants. A guide book is available from the FEP stall or download a copy here. | No limit and at your pace |
| 8:30 am, 9:30 am, 10:30 am | Plant Walks with Friends of the Escarpment Parks Volunteers from Friends of the Escarpment Parks will lead a group to observe and identify local plant species of Duggan Park and explain the ecology of this endangered ecosystem. Please wear closed in shoes and a hat. | 15 in each session |
| 9:15 am | Bush Kindy with Tiffany Gesler Children from the ages of three months to six years are invited with their parents to join Tiffany Gesler, a proud Gunggari woman for Bush Kindy. Experience bush play, nature craft, story telling and yarning circles. Tiffany is an experienced bush kindy leader and early educator who works with many of the early learning centres in Toowoomba. This is NOT a drop-off session. Each booking for a child includes a parent. | 15 |
| 10:00 am | All Abilities Walk with Friends of the Escarpment Parks Volunteers from Friends of the Escarpment Parks will lead a small group to observe and identify local plant species of Duggan Park and explain the ecology of this endangered ecosystem. Please wear closed in shoes and a hat. | 5 each with a carer |
| 10:00 am | Introductory Bushwalk with Toowoomba Bushwalkers Come along on a short (under 3km) introductory bushwalk through a small part of Toowoomba’s extensive escarpment bushland. Bring a hat, sturdy footwear, at least 750ml of water, and a smile. | 15 |
| 9:00 am, 10:15 am | Butterfly Walk with Charles Dove Local environmentalist, bird and butterfly specialist Charles Dove will lead a group to observe and identify butterflies in the wild. Please wear closed in shoes and a hat. | 15 |
| 10:30 am | Bush School with Tiffany Gesler Children from the ages of five to twelve years are invited with their parents to join Tiffany Gesler, a proud Gunggari woman for Bush School. Experience bush play, nature craft, story telling and yarning circles. Tiffany is an experienced bush kindy leader and early educator who works with many of the early learning centres in Toowoomba. This is NOT a drop-off session. Each booking for a child includes a parent. | 15 |
| 7:00 pm | Spotlighting Walk with Friends of the Escarpment Parks Volunteers from Friends of the Escarpment Parks will lead a night walk to observe and identify local animal, bird and insect species. Please bring a torch and wear closed in shoes. | 15 |
Stalls
Friends of the Escarpment Parks & Condamine Country Plant Group – membership information and books
Crows Nest Community Nursery – local native plants for sale
Wilderness Society – koala trees for sale as well as information
Peacehaven Nursery – native plants for sale including hard to obtain species
Toowoomba Bushwalkers – membership information and information about local bush walks
Charles Dove – information and books about birds and butterflies
Darling Downs Wildlife Hospital – information about efforts to enhance local care for wildlife