With the recent rains, the 2023 weeding season will be starting up soon. Weeding is very satisfying and great exercise! Please get in touch if you are keen to give it a go. Sing out if you see us down there with our “Flag” out or contact us at admin@friendsofjirdarupbushland.org.au.
This is a new three-year project designed to test the efficacy of chemical-free hand weeding in a designated section of Kensington Bushland. Twice a week since early July 2022, our diligent weeding team have managed to reduce the weed load while getting close to nature. The Jirdarup biodiversity continues to amaze and inspire – from orange ‘slime mould’ to rare orchids and self-sown jarrah seedlings.
Working alongside the expert SERCUL team, the Friends’ weeding group is learning how to target the worst weeds while protecting the native species at the same time. To help develop these skills, a ‘Beating the Weeds’ Training Session was held in August 2022. The Town of Victoria Park’s Urban Ecosystems Supervisor (Stephen Szydlowski) spoke about the Council’s Integrated Weed Management program, and Jayson Sekhon from SERCUL gave a masterclass in weed identification and weeding techniques.
We did over 500 volunteer hours of weeding in 2022. It is certainly rewarding to compare a haul of pink gladioli now to the massive amounts found in a “Gladdie Grab” 20 years earlier.
Dave gets his Gladdie 2022
Grab a Gladdie c2005
Jayson Sekhon with a sample of the dreaded African Veldt Grass, one of the worst weeds in the Bushland.
