Bush Regeneration

Help Me Weed My Garden Project

Managing Weeds on Private Property

Often the source of weeds in the National Park and on public land is private property. Discovering that you have a weed infestation on your property can be intimidating to address on your own.

Help Me Weed My Garden Project is a group of volunteers*, headed by a paid, professional Bush Regenerator, to assist property owners to effectively manage weeds on their property. Without controling weeds on our properties, the good work that other dedicated bush regeneration groups do on public land — month after month, year after year is undermined.

Our vision is to create a utopia where humans and native animals and plants can co-exist and thrive.

Problem we are wanting to solve:

1. Eradicate weeds on private property, thereby minimising weed impact on the National Park and public land.
2. Encourage native fauna to live in our back yards.

Purpose:

1. Education about indigenous plant species which will be beneficial to your garden, as well as the local fauna. Native gardens CAN be beautiful!
2. Education on how we can dispose of weeds on our own property, thereby diminishing our reliance on Council to move our problem to someone else’s back yard.
3. Social gatherings with a purpose — morning tea after our weeding session are always good!**
4. Engender conservation values in our community.

How does it work?

1. A co-ordinator is assigned. This person is responsible for booking the professional Bush Regenerator and broadcasting the details to the group.
2. A minimum of 3 volunteers to be recruited by the Property Owner.
3. Property Owner to pay the professional Bush Regenerator an hourly rate. It is essential that a professional Bush Regenerator is present to guide inexperienced weeders. Importantly, this is an avenue for sharing knowledge in our local community.
4. Sessions to be 2-3 hours.
5. Volunteers to provide their own weeding tools.

We are trialing this programme at South Elvina Bay. If you are interested in this programme, please contact Sandra Lazarides on the form below for more information.

Supported by:

This is an independent group of enthusiastic weeders headed by paid, professional bush regeneration expert, Paul Webb. Paul’s fee is paid for by the owner of the property on which the group weeds on. It’s a good idea for neighbours to combine their weeding efforts and share the cost.

*A minimum of 3 volunteers to be recruited by the Property Owner
** At the property owner’s discretion

Current Project at South Elvina Bay:

Contact: Sandra Lazarides

Weeding dates: At this stage we have booked in a 6 month schedule.
Monday 18th January 2021 – 7:30am-10:30am
Monday 12th April 2021 – 7:30am-10:30am
Monday 10th May 2021 – 7:30am-10:30am
Monday 14th June 2021 – 7:30am-10:30am
Monday 19th July 2021 – 7:30am-10:30am

Meeting point: Corner Normanhurst and Wirringulla Avenue, South Elvina Bay

What is provided? Weed bags are provided on the day. Volunteers are required to provide their own weeding tools. When time permits, morning tea is provided.

What to wear: Everyone is asked to dress appropriately in work clothes, hat, sturdy shoes and sunscreen. Insect repellant is advisable to repel ticks and mosquitos.

Targeted weeds

• Freckle face – Hypoestes phyllostachya
• Fishbone fern – Nephrolepis cordifolia
• Lantana – Lantana camara
• Jasmine – Jasminum polyanthum

Recent work

Freckle face – Hypoestes phyllostachya creeping into the National Park behind some private property was cause for alarm. This is the work in progress on the Lazarides, Gould and Freeburn properties targeting Freckle face – Hypoestes phyllostachya. Lantana – Lantana camara and other weeds are removed as well.

This is the dreaded weed, Freckle face (Hypoestes phyllostachya) taking over our back yards.

Freckle face (Hypoestes phyllostachya) infestation in the shadows and covering the slope. Jasmine – Jasminum polyanthum vine was also discovered lurking in the undergrowth.

This photo was taken after a long weeding session. The bare earth reveals where the Freckle Face (Hypoestes phyllostachya) previously lived very happily multiplying by the hundreds.

Left: Working very effectively on the slope.
Right: Satisfaction after our hard work.

Michelle, Lisa and Paul admiring their handy work.

Michelle seeking out the sneaky weeds hiding in the bracken.

The regular team working early in the day to avoid the heat.

Contact Us

Please use the form below to find out how to get involved. Membership is open and newcomers are always welcomed.