Helping hand with site-specific solutions for weed control
02 June 2017
Green thumb advice as part of wildlife workshop series
A free weed control workshop will be held on Saturday 17 June as the next instalment of Tweed Shire Council's Land for Wildlife workshop series.
Funded by a National Parks and Wildlife Foundation grant with Council support, the workshops help private landholders manage native habitat on their land.
Council's Project Officer - Biodiversity, Michael Corke, said controlling weeds is a major concern for landholders.
"Many landholders have seen how quickly weeds invade and overwhelm native habitat. Controlling weeds can be daunting because it is sometimes difficult to know where to start and site rehabilitation often requires sustained effort," Mr Corke said.
"This is a practical, hands-on workshop at a weed hotspot in Murwillumbah.
“Participants will learn to identify some of our most invasive weeds and how to assess their impacts on native vegetation.”
He said participants would be shown a variety of tools, equipment and weed control techniques. They would then practise these techniques on different types of weeds.
"Everyone is welcome and we encourage participants to bring samples of weeds, which will be identified and labelled,” Mr Corke said.
“The workshop will convey the bigger picture of ecological restoration. Sometimes weeds play a beneficial role.
“For example, they sometimes provide fauna habitat, prevent erosion or provide conditions suitable for native regeneration.
“Each site is different. It is important to be able to assess site-specific weed impacts or benefits and tailor control strategies accordingly."
The workshop will also discuss the potential impact of climate change on the spread of weeds and the implications for management of native vegetation.
“Climate change is expected to exacerbate weed threats because the suite of weed species is likely to change and some weeds are expected to become much more invasive,” Mr Corke said.
“Land managers need to start thinking about these potential impacts because climate change may necessitate a complete re-appraisal of current weed management strategies.”
The workshop will not cover weed control in farm production areas. Council is investigating the feasibility of delivering a workshop on this topic in future.
The workshop is from 9am to 12.30pm and morning tea is provided. Participants must bring water and wear suitable, sun-safe outdoor attire including gloves.
Bookings are essential by phoning Council on (02) 6670 2400. Venue details will be provided on registration.