Students’ planting helps repair reserve

WITH the help of local young people, the Friends of Bannockburn Bush have been planting various tree species at the reserve to enhance its biodiversity.

Thirty-five students and staff from Bannockburn P-12 College, supported by three FOBB members, recently worked at the site for Schools Tree Day.

Together, they planted more than 250 trees, including manna gums for the benefit of the koala population, she oaks, red and yellow gums for parrots, and sticky everlasting, for a splash of colour at the reserve next season.

FOBB convenor Stuart McCallum said thousands of wallaby and windmill grass seeds were also spread by the students to restore sections of native grasslands.

“We were very pleased with the quality of the students’ work,” he said. “They accepted the responsibility that comes with planting and guarding trees, worked well together, and enjoyed the experience in perfect planting weather.

“The Friends group is very grateful to have so many students and families come along and help us to repair an area that had been swamped by hedge wattle.

“It is a big step for Biodiversity. It was a big day for myself, Susan Wishart and Peter Fricke but we couldn’t have done it without the students.”

Bannockburn College’s Nathan Clarke coordinated the students’ visit and was also impressed by their planting work, which he said was done with enthusiasm.

At the recent Community Tree Day, yam daisy and inland pig-face, alongside additional sticky everlasting and she oaks saplings were also planted my more volunteers.

Mr McCallum said acacia paradoxa or hedge wattle is a problem plant throughout the reserve following pine tree removal.

“While it is valuable safe habitat for birds, it can also become an invasive monoculture crowding out and excluding grassland plants and preventing natural regeneration of yellow gums,” he said.

As a result, the Friends removed and mulched hectares of hedge wattle earlier in the year.