PRESERVATION PLAN: Swan Bay group mapping local weeding strategy

BELLARINE environmental volunteers are using their phones to map and track weed species in sensitive habitats to bolster conservation efforts in partnership with management authorities.

Swan Bay Environment Association (SBEA) is using web-based mapping software to monitor areas that have been treated by its members and the methods used to remove invasive plants.

The project aims to assist with co-ordination of activities and improvement engagement with community members and has attracted state government funding support.

SBEA president Greg Parry said the program had delivered a range of benefits for the Swan Bay environment since starting last year.

“That work started with mapping all of the existing weeds, estimating the proportion of different areas of the Borough of Quuenscliffe that were woody weeds and proportion that wasn’t,” he said.

“We’ve now got quite a comprehensive map of the whole borough that tells us where the weeds are; the areas that are too dense for amateurs, and require contractors and heavier equipment than we can manage.

“But there’s plenty of spots that are suitable for the volunteers and some spots that could be done by either.”

“The technology to do that has become a lot more accessible in recent times. You can do all of that sort of mapping now on your phone.”

SBEA is currently targeting areas at Narrows Beach and Point Lonsdale Rip View Carpark for its weeding programs – on the first Sundat and second Tuesday of each month.

Mr Parry said the group invited volunteer involvement at monthly restoration activities.

“Everyone talks these days about people’s mental health and just getting it in the in the bushes is a good for the way people feel like they’re helping.

“But our primary aim is to is to try and restore the coastal shrubland to something that looks like what it once did.”

Mr Parry said earlier weeding activities had noticeable impacts on areas’ appearance and how local wildlife could interact with them.

“It does make a big difference to the way areas appear.

“The area goes from being a closed area that you can barely walk through to an open area.

“We haven’t got the information other than anecdotes on this, but we suspect that there’s a lot of birds like wrens that will do a lot better where they’ve got areas open, areas where they can feed and still plenty of areas that they can disappear and hide.”

SBEA has received two grants from the state government in the past year, for coastal restoration near Swan bay through removal of woody weeds and a wider Queenscliffe coastal weed removal program.

The programs have involved partnerships with the Borough of Queenscliffe and Bellarine Catchment Network and dated back several years.

Initiatives have included experimenting with different removal methods to maximise effectiveness and efficiency, establishment of a co-ordination committee, and increasing frequency and volunteer numbers for weeding events.

The grants are part of the state government’s Coastcare program, which Environment Minister Ingrid Stitt said would “help our community groups drive positive change across our state’s precious coastal and marine areas”.