Clearing out the non-native pigs face in small sections and replanting to prevent erosion.
We had a great start to our cooler sunny day with all our participants arriving well before 9:00am so we could sign on, organise the equipment required, who was going where and the respective tasks for the working areas in which work was to be undertaken. The great team of 11 took all the tools which were all used! 8 tool belts, 3 loppers, 3 mattocks and a small Peter lever, several weed bags (less used this month!) along with the 8 x 2 litre bottles of water and the 8 plants for the North-West area and 25 plants on the far western area where we are working to remove bitou and the non-native pigs face. It was a lot of equipment for the team, but it was all required. The group accomplished a huge amount as the photos from the day will show.
Alex and Tayla worked on Turkey Rhubarb in a defined area on the top southern slope (the clump that Brad Law found about 4 months ago) and they found some really good-sized bulbs – Lisa had no idea that this area was such a problem for this weed – so will ensure we follow up next month in this area. Alex and Tayla worked in this area after morning tea as well – determined to get all that they could. Brad, Merrilyn and Gen planted eight tube stock plants of six different species in the top western area where Julie usually works removing Bitou (Julie was away in Orange this month). Once completed they then moved down the slope to where most of us were working, to work on bitou removal, just above the group removing the non-native pigs face. Gen did some planting and whilst doing so, came across a beautiful small light pink and green spider, it was so pretty – we tried to photograph it, but it wouldn’t keep still for 1 millionth of a second.
Planting native pigs face.
Maria arrived about 10 and with Gen after helping with the planting (being a slope terraces needed to be made which means planting takes some time), they worked with Brad and Merrilyn with Bitou removal.
The working day was often interrupted by watching the amazing display of the birds of prey circling around the southern of the ridge from where we were working, they were so prevalent that morning – it was just wonderful watching them circle so close to us – sea eagle, osprey, 4 nankeen kestrels, ravens – a flock of cormorants and we are sure there was another species which we couldn’t identify – it was a fabulous day for bird spotting – that’s for sure!
We had a fabulous morning tea on the slopes overlooking the ocean, enjoying the Danish pastries that Kathy and brought for us – thank you Kathy!
Kathy brought Danish pastries to enjoy by the sea – Thank you Kathy!
Danish pastries, good company and a beautiful ocean view
John, Kathy (our new Supervisor from Dragonfly), Ivana, Kristy and Lisa worked on various tasks from removing the non-native Pig’s face and planting on the slope just east of a sand gully – which unfortunately we cannot remove the last of the bitou due to bad potential of erosion with the sand gully. This is an area that unfortunately is often used by the public for running up and down these sand gaps causing erosion. What was really exciting was that as we moved down the slope we had a good cover of native couch underneath the pigs face – and what we think is bladey grass – Kathy will look into this identification to confirm.