Wendon Way Bushcare
February Update
Next working bee
Sunday 16 March 2025 (7.30am to 9.00am)
Activities: weeding, plant identification, site planning discussions and morning tea
At the February working bee our volunteer group continued efforts to remove Hypoestes phyllostachya (polka dot plant), Momordica charantia (bitter melon), Ochna serrulata (ochna), and Ageratina riparia (mist flower) as well as tending to the tube stock planted in at the January working bee.
New plants thriving
In a complete 360 from our initial planting in November last year, every one of our new plants is doing well. The plant stock was sourced by Wes, our BCC Creek Catchment Officer, from Wallum Nurseries and the quality of this stock along with Wes’ advice on how best to plant and protect has been a big factor in this success. We hope to follow up with some fill in stock and ground covers when funding permits. Here’s a list of what we planted.
Cart and hose donation
Our sincere thanks to ACF Community Brisbane Northside for funding a new Gorilla cart which makes light work of getting all our tools, noticeboard, first aid kits, etc to site. They also funded a high quality hose and fittings so watering new plants is an easier task!
Developing our approach as a group
Our group is collaborative when it comes to learning and decision-making about our bushcare site. The general consensus is to approach care of the site by regeneration of exiting native vegetation, additional planting where necessary and to be chemical free.
Currently we are looking to the ‘Bradley Method’ as a basis for our work. In the 1960s Joan and Eileen Bradley developed a series of weed control and native vegetation recovery techniques. These two remarkable sisters laid down a set of principles of bush regeneration that still form the framework for the rehabilitation of degraded bushland today. Basic principles include:
Always work from areas with good native plants towards weed-infested areas.
(As you work towards more degraded areas, the native plant seeds follow you into the areas you have weeded.)Create minimal disturbance
(Weeds are encouraged by disturbance of the ground layer)Let the rate of regeneration of native plants determine the rate of weed removal (Too rapid clearing will lead to massive germination of weeds)