An army of volunteers got stuck into weeding invasive species to help restore Nguraren Kalleep Reserve on the northern boundary of Margaret River township last week.
And they heard about the successes and challenges of managing a reserve so close to town from Friends of Nguraren Kalleep Reserve members and local conservationists Tracey Skippings and Jen Wilksch, weed guru Rick Ensley and Shire of Augusta Margaret River environment coordinator Hayley Bain.
It was all part of Nature Conservation Margaret River Region’s monthly Friends of Wooditjup Bilya events program, providing opportunities for locals to learn, connect and contribute to the Wooditjup Bilya or Margaret River.
Tracey, Jen, Rick and Hayley discussed the impact of weeds and how they had taken a stranglehold on the reserve, outcompeting native species and reducing valuable food and habitat for wildlife. They also touched on challenges for the reserve including litter, garden escapees, illegal trails and dogs.
But they told a story of hope too, which many weeds now being managed and native species returning, thanks to the hard work of volunteers, the Shire of Augusta Margaret River, and other groups.
“More than 20 volunteers did a huge amount of work including weeding thick kikuyu grass, weeding watsonia, blocking unsanctioned access trails and watering,” says Friends of Wooditjup Bilya coordinator Lauren Scanlon. “Removing the ‘kike’ was so fun as a team. We even had two volunteers sign up to the Friends of Nguraren Kalleep so they can continue the fun next Tuesday at their busy bee. Some volunteers even travelled from Nannup to participate!”.
Lauren said it was also “so inspiring hearing about the Friends of Nguraren Kalleep’s long term focus and dedication, as well as the impact of weeds in this area and what the Friends have done over time to combat them.”
The most recent work comes after another successful Friends of Wooditjup Bilya event the month before, when the friends joined forces with Margaret River Community Nursery volunteers for a deep dive into seed collecting, run by Cape Life Environmental Services.
“Brook and Alex from Cape Life ran an expert session on seed licensing, careful and ethical selection and collection of seed, what to look for, timing of seed and seed genetics,” says Lauren.
Volunteers visited several different sites collecting a range of river species, and then toured Cape Life’s processing facility.
“What a fascinating insight into the work that Cape Life and our local seed collectors do,” says Lauren. “We work so much with local plants in our revegetation, and it was so interesting to see the huge amount of work that happens prior to propagation. Huge thanks to Cape Life for their generous time and expertise.”
The Friends of Wooditjup Bilya program is possible thanks to funding from the Shire of Augusta Margaret River’s Environmental Management Fund. 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.
