Become a Steward of a Local Ecosystem
The Tyner Biodiversity Park is one that we as a community are very proud of. Because of the hard work of our community members, we have been able to restore the ecological integrity of the property that the Tyner’s left behind for others to enjoy.
We are always looking for new stewards of the Tyner Biodiversity Park, which is located a short walk south of central Madeira Park. As a steward of Tyner Park you can become a part of the following:
- Organizing volunteer restoration events with the community and local organizations or schools
- Monitoring invasive species within the boundaries of Tyner Park, including both terrestrial and aquatic invasives
- Planting and caring for native species
- Maintaining trials and signs
If you are interested in volunteering to help steward the Tyner Biodiversity Park, please visit our Become a Volunteer page and fill out our online form!
Tyner Park History
Tyner Park is located on the southern edge of Lily Lake. It’s a small park, at just over five hectares, but it is ecologically and culturally significant to local residents. Peppered with rusting remnants of the past, the property previously belonged to Vi and Jim Tyner, who purchased the land in 1946. Outside of their modest home on the property, Vi Tyner established a beautiful garden which was frequented by many animal visitors. She documented these visits in her book Tails Across the Kitchen Floor, and was particularly fond of a raccoon family that would come to the backdoor for snacks.
The Tyner family donated their land to the residents of the Sunshine Coast in 2003 for “their use and enjoyment in perpetuity as parkland.” The land lay idle for a few years afterward, and the Lagoon Society initiated restoration in the area as citizens began to notice that the land was being claimed by invasive species.
As volunteers worked away they quickly uncovered Vi Tyner’s old garden beds, and removed an old shed from the property. Volunteers were able to remove a large amount of Himalayan blackberry and Scotch broom from the site, and restoration still continues today with the help of Madeira Park Elementary students. Due to the initiative of the local community and help from the volunteers involved with the Lagoon Society, the land is now a designated regional park.