by u6667644, Guy Gould

I didn’t do anything fancy for my volunteering; no counting frog calls for me! Instead I chose to do something I thought more practical: weeding, because I’m a working-class man keen for a hard day’s work. And wow was it more work than expected! I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect weeding to be hard, but it’s hard on the body, and most of my fellow volunteers were much older than me. I spent half my time at the Franklin Grasslands (the newest reserve in the ACT) and the other half at Mulligans Flat, primarily pulling out Paterson’s Curse (Echium plantagineum) with a mattock or a shovel.

Paterson’s Curse (PC)

But it’s so pretty! Luckily it wasn’t yet flowering, so I had no such moral qualms. PC is on Victoria’s Priority Weeds list, and is a problem throughout South-East Australia and also Western Australia (1, 2). It is poisonous to grazing animals, primarily pigs and horses, but has been used as a last resort for ruminant animals in South Australia (earning it the name Salvation Jane). In Australia, it is classified as a weed because it is invasive (coming from the Mediterranean), and outcompetes many natives for nutrients and light (2).

Photo: Elizabeth Fenton

PC in TG

Temperate grasslands, that is. Paterson’s Curse is especially prevalent in temperate grasslands, one of the most disturbed Australian ecosystems. Up to 99% of the original extent of south eastern temperate grasslands have been destroyed or disrupted (3), with Franklin Grasslands being one of the few remnants. It is the belief of many of my fellow volunteers that TG are so disturbed because they do not fit people’s idea of natural conservation or environmentalism. In my coordinator’s rough words, everyone wants to plant a tree, but no one wants to look after grasslands. People see grasslands as just a useless field, even when they are important habitat for the (almost flightless!) critically endangered Golden Sun Moth. Luckily there are such groups as Friends of Grasslands there to take care of them.

Friends of X, who are they?

Non-profit volunteers! They support native ecosystems, some working closely with rangers, such as Friends of Mulligans Flat. Friends of Mulligans Flat work with ParkCare, but Friends of Grasslands work with LandCare…wait what’s the difference? I’m still not sure! They work with Catchment Groups, who coordinate between them and the ACT Government. Catchment Groups are non-profit, except for Molonglo Catchment Group. They get some funding from the government, but not a lot. Talking with my convenor I got a large sense of confusion. How does it all fit together? Lots of border and responsibility clashes, according to my convenor. Then there are some rogue members like Bob, a renegade planter in the Hall region.

Ethics of Volunteers

Throughout it all, I’m struck by doubt on the ethics of volunteering. Is it really okay for the ACT Government to rely so much on the work of volunteers? Shouldn’t they be paid somehow? Especially when they meet so frequently and do such hard work. At the least, I’ve come away with more knowledge on weeds (damn you Paterson’s curse and Chilean needle grass!), and an appreciation for the people who spend their time helping and restoring our environment.

Acknowledgments

Thank you so much to Kathryn McGilp for organising my whole program, and for all the information! Thank you also to Friends of Grasslands and Friends of Mulligans Flat for the hard work they do tidying up our wonderful native vegetation.

References

1. https://www.environment.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/902012/ACT_Weeds_Fact_Sheet-_Patersons_Curse.pdf
   • ACT Weeds Fact Sheet, produced by the Conservation Council in 2012
2. https://agriculture.vic.gov.au/biosecurity/weeds/priority-weeds/patersons-curse
   • Paterson’s Curse, last updated 2020 by Agriculture Victoria
3. https://www.greeningaustralia.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/GUIDE_A-revegetation-guide-for-temperate-grasslands.pdf#:~:text=The%20temperate%20grasslands%20of%20south,regions%20of%20New%20South%20Wales
   • A Revegetation Guide for Temperate Grasslands, produced by Greening Australia in 2017