Solid proof – Volunteers make a difference
Restoration of a degraded grassy woodland
Majura paddock 7 October 2007 (left), and 18 October 2010 (right)
Prior to 2002 the once native pasture paddock adjacent to the Hackett reservoir was over-stocked with horses. Weeds were introduced with daily supplementary food. The weeds spread through the paddock and invaded adjacent nature reserve. Continuous grazing pressure from rabbits and kangaroos prevented natural regeneration of local plants after stock was removed.
The local ParkCare group Friends of Mt Majura swang into action. From 2004 onwards volunteers removed woody weeds from the drainage line that runs through the southern part of the paddock and adjoining land and replaced them with local shrubs and ground cover plants. In spring 2007 they began to tackle large stands of herbaceous weeds such as horehound under remnant trees and Paterson’s Curse that covered the open area. They collected and broadcasted local grass seeds and in 2008/09 and 2009/10 assisted Parks, Conservation and Lands with a program to control rabbits. On National Tree Day in winter 2009 and 2010 over 300 people including students, parents and teachers of the Blue Gum Community School in Hackett gave a hand planting native trees, shrubs and ground cover plants.
The restoration of the grassy woodland in this degraded paddock will take a long time however the hard work by volunteers made already a remarkable and visible difference.
Students of the local Blue Gum School celebrate a successful Weed Bash in November 2010
Pull and Bag a Weed
What: purple Pater
son’s Curse (Echium plantagineum) and yellow Indian Hedge Mustard (Sisymbrium orientale)
When: Whenever it suits before the plants loose their highly visible petals and start to shed seeds (PC: mid-end December, IHM: mid-end January).
Where: in and around the Majura paddock adjacent to the water reservoir off Rivett/French Streets; click this map to view the target sites.
BYO bag or use bags deposited at the parkCare notice board adjacent to the reservoir. leave the weed filled bag close to a trail for pick up.
Adopt a Paddock Tree
The old box and gum trees of the Majura paddock behind the water reservoir are magnificent. Even the dead trees provide shelter and protection for hollow breeding birds such as the Gang-Gang cockatoo. As a fallen log they support a wide range of insects such as beetles and provide foraging sites for many different animals.
In the past years volunteers of the Friends of Mount Majura removed large amounts of horehound under the tree canopy and around the big logs. We now observe some native ground cover plants such as Glycine, Geranium, Einadia, Bulbine Lily, and Sweet Hound’s Tongue reclaiming some of the sites. The weedy past however has left a legacy of seeds in the soil and we expect regrowth for years to come.
Give the environment a helping hand and adopt a tree – living or dead, standing or fallen down. Keep the weeds at bay in the perimeter of the tree, care for the seedlings planted there and plant or direct seed local species. Work in your own time, get together as a family or a group of friends, have a picnic and watch how the surrounds of your tree is changing and attracting more wildlife.
Interested? Please contact the Friends of Mt Majura ParkCare coordinator at 62477515 or admin@majura.org to arrange an adoption.
Majura paddock in spring 2010.