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Tackling a weedy problem at Klori Reserve
A little knowledge, a bit of persistence, some resourcefulness and a lot of hard work has seen an invasion of Coolatai Grass on the Klori Reserve near Tamworth nearly disappear.
With only a small number of volunteers staring at a huge challenge, the Friends of Klori has in a short time transformed the reserve.
"We knew we had to do something urgently, but when we first looked at the amount of Coolatai Grass the problem seemed insurmountable," Friends of Klori representative Kate McLaren said.
Hailing from Africa and the Mediterranean region, Coolati Grass was originally introduced to help stabilise soil but quickly began to spread into pastures, as well as displacing native plants.
Funding
In 2004 the Australian Government provided around $3,700 to the Friends of Klori to rid a Grassy Whitebox Woodland area of the weed.
With a mix of existing knowledge and a bit of ingenuity, the Friends of Klori found efficient ways of killing the grass.
Activities
"We discovered that using a brushcutter was a good way to remove seed heads, because unlike using a whipper-snipper, heads fall over rather than whipping seed around the place," Kate said.
"So we had someone brushcutting the weeds not too close to the ground, then others followed, picking up the heads, which we piled up under black plastic.
"It was amazing - the stacked heads didn't re-seed, and reducing the volume of the Coolatai Grass greatly decreased the amount of spray we needed to use."
Parry Shire and Tamworth Regional Council provided extra help, sending officers out to establish seed traps to further reduce the spread.
Achievements
Only 12 months later the Friends of Klori held a field day to demonstrate how much could be done, as well as to educate the local community about the weed's impact.
They also developed a now widely distributed brochure to further raise awareness of Coolatai Grass, using their experiences and the expertise of the Northwest Vegetation Forum.
But the group did more than save Klori Reserve from a huge environmental threat and raise public awareness. As a result of the time spent on the site and with the help of the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI), the volunteers have built up a comprehensive list of native plants found at the reserve, as well as a list of birds.
And with further assistance from DPI and the University of New England, one Friend of Klori has established a Klori herbarium containing more than 40 species.
More information
- Kate McLaren, Friends of Klori representative: (02) 6769 5719 or katemclaren1@bigpond.com
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