The forests of the future were propagated by a dedicated team of volunteers whose efforts will help revegetate a degraded section of the Margaret River or Wooditjup Bilya.
Nature Conservation Margaret River Region’s Friends of Wooditjup Bilya volunteers recently teamed up with the Margaret River Community Nursery vollies to take cuttings and propagate more than 1000 seedlings from six different native species.
They’ll be used at Nature Conservation’s annual Wooditjup Bilya planting event scheduled for May next year, when there will be a community planting as well as ecological workshops, food and drinks, and live music to bring community together while helping restore the catchment.
The propagating workshop was a masterclass in how to grow native plants thanks to the knowledge and tutelage of nursery gurus Jeremy (pictured, below) and Jackie Ackerman. They’ve spent decades producing plants while operating the former Cowaramup Tube Nursery and more recently guiding volunteers at the Margaret River Community Nursery.
The couple’s tips for successful cuttings include collecting cuttings first thing in the morning, cut below the node for propagation success, and take cuttings from October to January when plants are more vigorous.
Joining them was permaculture educator Rod Hughes (pictured, below) – who formerly ran Perth City Farm and now teaches at Fair Harvest Permaculture – for a session on caring and maintaining your tools for conservation and restoration. He told participants: “Buy once and cry once. It’s really worth investing in high-quality, long-lasting tools. Look after them and you’ll use them for life.”
Friends of Wooditjup Bilya coordinator Lauren Scanlon described the session as a “real double dose of learning”.
“What a great morning learning how to care for our tools and care for country by propagating new seedlings,” she said. “The ethics of tool care demonstrates how even in how we use our tools we can become earth restorers. And learning to propagate native plants helps us to continue to restore the river. Huge thanks to Jeremy and Rod for donating their time and expertise to such a friendly and enthusiastic bunch of vollies. We look forward to planting these seedlings next May!”
Volunteers also did invaluable work and practiced their new-found skills by sharpening and maintaining tools used by Nature Conservation and Margaret River Community Nursery vollies as well as the Shire of Augusta Margaret River’s land care team.
The Friends of Wooditjup Bilya program is possible thanks to funding from the Shire of Augusta Margaret River’s Environmental Management Fund.
The program is designed to provide ongoing opportunities for locals to learn, connect and contribute to the Wooditjup Bilya or Margaret River; foster custodians to be caretakers of this special place; and help engage and educate locals on why the Wooditjup Bilya is worth protecting. Held on the first Thursday of the month, each event includes a different guided excursion followed by hands-on conservation work so volunteers can help make a real difference in the catchment.