u7036597 – Brett Studden

On September 4th, I had the pleasure of spending two hours working with the Mount Ainslie Weeders. The Mount Ainslie Weeders are a group of approximately ten core volunteers who aim to preserve Mount Ainslie Nature Reserve. Upon arrival, I was given a short history lesson behind the location of work, Old Ainslie Tip. Before the group began planting, the location was used as a dumping site. The first Sunday of each month is held as a work event. Additionally, each Wednesday a small work party is held. 

Photo of work area at Old Ainslie Tip. Recently laid mulch is seen on the bottom-center terrace. 

A group of four volunteers including myself took part in weeding, mulching, and preparing the soil for planting. The dry and hot conditions of Australia can often be stressful for plants (Anderegg et al. 2012). Preparing soil for planting can help reduce stresses on plant species. Our process involved volunteers removing introduced weeds. We proceeded to lay down wet newspaper and mulch. Mulching has proven to be effective in stopping the growth of weeds (Skroch et al. 1992). During future work parties, the Mount Ainslie Weeders group will plant a range of native species to help conserve natural spaces on Mount Ainslie Nature Reserve.  

More information about the Mount Ainslie Weeders group can be found here.

On September 7th, I spent five hours working with the Friends of Black Mountain. The Friends of Black Mountain is a non-profit organization that helps conserve biodiversity in the Black Mountain Nature Reserve. For the first three hours of my volunteer experience, I worked alongside eleven others helping with weeding. We removed Burgan (Kunzea ericoides) along the Lower Woodland Track of the nature reserve (Purdie 2018). Due to its ability to spread quickly and outcompete other species, Burgan has proven to be an issue (Doherty 2018). We used an experimental method in which plants were cut as near as possible to the ground and then rooted stems were poisoned using glyphosate (Baylis 2000). It is uncertain whether this method will prove to be effective in the control and management of Burgan. Control of Burgan is important in preserving the natural state of the lower slopes.

Photo of the work area along the Lower Woodland Track. The shrubs are Burgan (Kunzea ericoides). The pair of loppers in the bottom left is an example of one of the methods used to chop down the Burgan.

For the last two hours, I participated in a self-guided hike using an instructional pamphlet. The pamphlet is used to guide viewers around the “Link Trail” while identifying many of the flora species along the trail. The purpose of my participation in the hike is to provide feedback on the draft copy of the pamphlet. Once complete, the pamphlet may help educate readers on native species identification and local plant diversity. 

More information about the Friends of Black Mountain group can be found here.

Map of walks in the Black Mountain Nature Reserve (found here).