Our new community environment network of about 15 groups is aiming at "restoration" of the natural environment in our area - an area of about 30 X 10 km that also houses about 10,000 people. One of the main threats is weeds. This is a very hard issue to regulate (except for weeds that are of major threat to agriculture), and so we're looking for ways to change behaviour, with many residents not even knowing what an environmental weed is, especially as many are common garden plants. Doug has been to Australia several times but few people in his sessions have been interested in this topic. (Though one of his examples was to do with weeds in Toronto lawns). Is there anyone out there on the list that has used FSB methods for weedwork with urbanites, hobby farmers or commercial farmers?? And especially in SE Australia?
Karen Alexander
Southern Ranges
Environment Alliance
(east of Melbourne and Puffing Billy country for those in the know)
Invasive Weeds in Bushland in SE Australia
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Hi Lee,
The weeds I'm talking about are definitely non-native invasives! I am also a non-native here, having moved from Scotland nine years ago, but I've been studying the local flora for most of that time. The problem we have is weeds invading from our neighbours' private property and their lack of motivation to fix up their land. Another problem is essentially the opposite of what you describe - many people either have no idea that the plants they lovingly tend - or allow to sprout - in their gardens are invasive weeds, or else they don't care. Another challenge is exemplified by comments I often here from surveyors, workmen and the like (we get a lot of them here) to the effect that the creek I've painstakingly tended for years needs "a good clearing out". I see a healthy, nutrient-absorbing, erosion- controlling wetland community, they see an overgrown "drainage easement" that really ought to be scraped clean and ideally concreted or (even better, in their eyes) piped. I kid you not. There are bushcare groups here - probably the closest equivalent of what you describe - but they can't just march on other peoples' back yards. And the people with the worst yards are those least inclined to listen, as the confrontation between two of my neighbours last week proves.
Lorna
Hi Lorna & Karen,
There are 2 steps you can take that will make the task so much easier:
1. Control the 'outliers' - these are the small plants or small clusters of your environmental weeds that are at the forefront of the spread of the population onto new ground (yes it helps to think of your weeds are part of a population). This smattering of small plants or clusters of weeds over your land is responsible for most of the further spread of the population onto new ground (i.e. more weeds on your land area) than any widely spaced large clumps of weeds will ever be. The real bonus is, because they are small plants or clusters, the cost in energy or money to do this is very low in comparison to the large clumps. In this small but highly effective and efficient action you have stopped the spread of the weed populations on your land. A repeat every 6 months to 1 year (depending on the species) will keep it like this while you do steps 2 & 3 - even if you never manage to persuade your neighbour.
2. All weeds have habitat requirements. If you take actions to limit or remove their habitat they will not grow. This is true even if their is seed on the ground or being spread by wind/water/fauna or humans (machinery). So ask your self the question for each of the weed species you have "What does it need to germinate/grow"? This may in many cases be simple - for many species they need good light on a bare soil patch. Manipulate either of these conditions and these species will be substantially limited in their ability to spread. So also ask "How does it spread "? Key to this question is whether the plant propagates from pieces of stem.
3. Now address existing colonies and your efforts will really count. Use the answers from your questions in stage 2 to help here too. And talk to your neighbour again. If he sees the success you're having and importantly he is starting to feel the odd one out in the neighbourhood (see this paper to explain what I am referring to: http://www.ccp-online.org/en/details/griskevicius_03.php ) then you may be in luck.
All the Best
Chris
Chris Ferkins
Environmental Coordinator: Parks
Waitakere City Council
Private Bag 93-109
Henderson New Zealand
[email protected]
09 836-8000 ext. 8508
021 280-5361
Hello, First - it is important for you to designate between what is an invasive exotic weed versus what is an indigenous weed. It could be these weeds are native to your area and quite normal to be there. Here in the US we have groups called master gardeners that are volunteers trained in plants. We also have local extension agents that are associated with University and Government agencies that specialize in plant issues. Both of these groups will work with individuals, organizations, etc. to address habitat, landscaping, eradication, horticultural and similar sorts of issues. You may have groups like this in your area.
Lee Yokel
Environmental Education Coordinator
Environmental Education Network
Gulf of Mexico Alliance
Listserv http://www.disl.org/mailman/listinfo/gomaeen
Dauphin Island Sea Lab
101 Bienville Blvd
Dauphin Island, AL 36528
(251) 861-8201
(251) 861-7421 fax
[email protected]
GOMA working
website: http://www2.nos.noaa.gov/gomex/
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/gulf/
Hi Karen,
Your situation sounds like a much scaled-up version of ours, and I'd be grateful for any useful info that comes up. We live on a coastal 3- acre lot, shared between 12 houses, and for the past 8 years or so I've been trying to eliminate weeds and restore some indigenous vegetation to the creek area. Our biggest problem, however, is our neighbours' land upstream and downstream - out of control thickets of the local area's most famous environmental weeds. Recently I witnessed another neighbour trying to reason with the owner's son, explaining that the weeds were choking her garden. he responded by suggesting she climb the fence and clear his weeds if she didn't like them and got quite abusive.
Lorna
Hi Karen, its been a while since we last were in touch but understand your predicament. I am still in the field of pest management here in north Queensland and have attended Doug's introductory course recently. We ran a project here with Peri urban farmers called "healthy habitats" a bit of a spin on the "land for wildlife" program. This program worked with property owners to identify the natural values and indigenous flora and fauna while identifying pest problems and causes of such. Only a few landholders from each area could be funded because of costs and time associated with each property report and incentives. Behaviour change is best achieved when the desired actions are visible and durable, in our case much weed management activities are not visible when they happen on property. The use of gate signage, we found, can be of great benefit with this issue in announcing the landholders commitment to the practice. Council has a major part to play in making the environmental work on roadsides and parks visible and again signage works really well as has been the case in the Cardinia and Yarra ranges already. What are the benefits to managing weeds for environmental outcomes, we know but most people don't and cant really process it sell it on the benefits of being a good neighbour and overall environmental health, all of which i'm sure you are already using. We risk isolating people from the cause with the garden plant/pest issue. Prioritization environmental areas most at risk from garden plants escapees and work with these landholders to achieve the desired change, promote there positive actions and commitment to the cause. Have you considered involving your regional catchment group in a program (port philip?) and council and DPI has a role in enforcement, if required.
Hope this helps and good luck, some time has passed since your post and i am keen to hear how you got on with finding a solution.
Byron Kearns
Project Officer
NQ Dry Tropics
Australia