Weed Wars continue along the Avon River

Over the last year or so Wheatbelt NRM has been mapping and eradicating Bridal Creeper and Small Flower Tamarisk infestations along the Avon River -  and we are now looking to share our new knowledge and useful experiences from these activities with the wider community.

How do you get a handle on invasive weeds growing along a major watercourse?

What do you do when you find a nasty infestation of Bridal Creeper  (Asparagus asparagoides) climbing over your back fence?

Treated Small Flower Tamarisk

 Does the Avon community need to tackle Weeds of National  Significance like Bridal Creeper and Small Flower Tamarisk (Tamarisk parviflora) growing along the Avon River?

 How do you eradicate a Small Flower Tamarisk plant over 5m high and 7m across??

 

 These are just some of the questions that will be answered at the Weed Wars & The Great Escape workshop in York on Saturday 27th April 2013.

This exciting weekend workshop will provide participants with an opportunity to:

• learn up-to-date- techniques for managing Weeds of National Significance (WONS) in the Avon region
• identify Bridal Creper and Small Flower Tamarisk, 
• hear from experienced weed controllers about control efforts undertaken so far along the Avon! 

 

  NEWS FLASH!

Josh Byrne (from ABC TV) will be presenting at this workshop!!  

So come along and hear about how your efforts in your rural town garden can make a difference to the Weed War being waged Along the Avon River!

To find out more please visit the Weed Wars and The Great Escape website and register for the workshop.

Bridal Creeper Control in the Avon River

A project aimed at mapping and control of Bridal Creeper (Asparagus asparagoides) and Tamarisk, both Weeds of National Significance (WONS), has begun in the Avon river. The aim of the project, funded by the Australian Government,  is to understand the distribution and abundance of these WONS and then develop an effective control program.

Greg Warburton from Wheatbelt NRM began the mapping earlier this month, and has already surveyed more tham 3km of the riverbank in Northam.

"We have plotted more than 200 occurrences of Bridal Creeper so far- and one site with Tamarisk" reported Greg.

'The focus of our efforts so far has been on mapping the Bridal Creeper while it is still lush and green from the recent rain' explained Greg. 'It dies back in summer and goes dormant, so then we'll focus on the Tamarisk'

Some early spraying has been done already.

Bridal Creeper  is a WONS because it can invade intact bushland and then smother the understory beneath its dense canopy. The resulting monoculture is hard to remove and acts as a source of propagules for new infestations.

Image courtesy of Florabase (http://florabase.dec.wa.gov.au/browse/profile/8779)

The bright red berries are spread readily by small birds.

Control of Bridal Creeper will benefit the plants and wildlife that use the waterway as a home and feeding resource, as well as many cultural sites along the river. This is a real win for the our regions namesake.

This project is specifically about controlling Bridal Creeper in the main channel of the Avon river, but anyone who wants to report an outbreak of Bridal Creeper in their area can email info@wheatbeltnrm.org.au