Spring is around the corner and Mt Majura’s early wattles are in full bloom.
Join in a working party hosted by the Friends of Mt Majura (FoMM) to remove exotic garden escapes including non-local Australian shrubs that grow outside their natural range and threaten to out-compete local natives of the mountain’s critically endangered grassy woodland. Local residents are warmly welcome.
We will be working in the woodlands on either side of the Hackett House Track east of Mackenzie Street – the yellow line on this map – from where it crosses Hancock Road in the south to the Blue Metal Road in the north; the red outlined polygons on the map along the track are sites where non-local garden escapes grow that volunteers mapped earlier in the year with Field Maps.
When: Sunday, 18 August 2024, from 1pm to 4pm
Where: Meet at the nature park entrance off Kellaway St Car Park at the southern end of Hackett; view this map.
Bring and wear: Sun protection, appropriate shoes and body-covering clothing.
What: This will be a search and destroy action to remove garden escapes including non-local Rosemary Grevillea and its hybrids, Cootamundra wattle as well as African Olive and Prickly Pear. The person, who finds the Prickly Pear will receive FoMM’s Golden Weeding Glove.
What else to expect: tools, afternoon tea and delicious cake.
Photos (Canberra Nature Map): The densely growth habit of early flowering local wattles (from the top) Kangaroo Thorn, Acacia paradoxa, Early Wattle, Acacia genistifolia, and Prickly Moses, Acacia ulicifolia and their prickly foliage (phyllodes) and thorns provide protection for little woodland birds particularly when the shrubs grow in clumps and close together.
Enquiries: secretary@majura.org
Novice weeders are encouraged to be early for an introduction on target weeds and the safe handling of equipment. You will be working in pairs or small groups.
How to …. Control woody weeds: Please visit this link or see this excellent ParkCare Weed Manual
Garden plants going bush. Some commonly grown plants in Canberra gardens are invading our bushland where they cause environmental damage. The “garden escapes” may be native plants that have been planted outside their natural range, or plants, which have been introduced from overseas.
Your garden may be a source of garden escapes without you realising it. Birds spread seeds in their droppings after eating the berries of privet, firethorns or cotoneasters. In addition to seed dispersal some garden escapes grow from stems after being dumped as garden waste such as English Ivy, Periwinkle or Japanese Honeysuckle.
Garden escapes cause environmental problems. They smother native plants, prevent natural regeneration and change the natural balance of resources for native animals.
FoMM conducts regular working parties to control garden escapes that have invaded Mount Majura nature reserve. You can help by joining our working bees, by removing potential garden escapes from your garden and by avoiding planting them. Information on garden plants that became environmental weeds is available at our working bees.
