Curse Bash & Bag (November 2020)

Paterson’s Curse in flower.


Give Mount Majura a helping hand. One of our target weeds – Paterson’s Curse – keeps germinating from a large seed bank in the soil due to conditions that are favourable for this pesky purple pest. Fortunately, we can build on the efforts of volunteers who began weeding in late autumn at and around The Fair project site.

Here is what you can do to help. 

Majura Mount Scouts Cub Pack gave a hand  ….

Walk along the track between the Antill Street nature park entry and the entry at the Fair / Tay Street which is lined pink on this map. Pull & bag any of the flourishing Paterson’s Curse that you spot. Bring your own bag or use one of the bags provided at the park entry at The Fair. Deposit the bag with weeds at the Fair park entry or leave it along the track for pick up.

A 10-minute walk along the track in each direction will probably fill your bag. The more people engage in this activity the less you will be able to harvest.

Paterson’s Curse will be visible for about two more weeks before they lose the colourful petals.

Give as little or as much time as you want: You will make a difference!

… and filled a dozen bags with the purple pest.

Weeds – the problem. Weeds have such a good season this year. After years of drought and herbivores grazing out much of the native ground cover, the rain from February 2020 onwards triggered the germination of mainly annual weeds that found little barrier to their rampant growth. A native pasture, if it was present, would have put up a competitive barrier to this rampancy.

Volunteers can assist the management of (critically endangered) grassy woodland on a small scale by hand weeding and spot spraying however weed control – at any scale – must be integrated with land management methods and actions that address the factors leading to and perpetuating the degradation of conservation values such as overgrazing.

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