Working Bee – Willows & woody weeds

Activity:  It’s time to knock off willows and other woody weeds!  All the weeds we will be tackling are of national significance or declared noxious in Victoria.

We plan to tackle several very large willows, some hawthorns and quite a few gorse plants.  It’s important to kill the willows as they support European wasps that can inflict very painful stings and are a significant nuisance to outdoor diners.  Where we’ve removed willows upstream, the wasp numbers are far lower.

For the large willows, we’ll be “drilling and filling”, that is, injecting herbicide into the bark and sapwood of the trunks.  For the smaller woody weeds, we’ll cut them down and paint the fresh cut outer layers with herbicide mix.

There’s also the opportunity to smash down the now dead blackberry canes.  This will make it easier to get access those areas for revegetation next year.  There are still a few small live blackberries that can be dug out, or cut and painted.

Where:  Meet at the corner of Alexandra Street and Fords Road, Campbells Creek for a 10:00 a.m. start.  Here’s a link to a map of that location.  We’ll be working from there downstream to near the end of National School Lane.

When:  10.00am on Sunday 5 December

Bring:  Please wear sturdy footwear, hat and gloves and clothing suitable for the weather.  Be aware that there will be long grass weeds shedding seed, so sock protectors are advised.

If you can, please bring any of the following:

• a charged cordless drill and drill bits (5-10 mm diameter).
• Heavy duty rake, blackberry slasher or similar implement to help smash down the dead blackberry canes.
• Pruning saw, bow saw, heavy duty loppers.

We’ll supply the rest.