This month we started on the southern side of the Trig Hill, hand pulling or cutting and pasting re-growth gorse. It is a few years since we swept through that area, and it was needed.
The third area to be worked was high up on the eastern side of Knocklofty. KR 18. We walked uphill for 30 min. worked for 60min. searching on hand and knees for regrowth Spanish Heath, and the then 30 min. downhill again. The morning coffee was very welcome by then.
While we were there we saw some very, very steep, unauthorised, mountain-bike downhill runs. It is a wonder nobody has been reported hurt.
Then it was on to 193 Forest Rd. for small gorse, and some of us checked on the weeds uphill from Ross Rivulet, – foxglove, thistle, forget-me-nots. The gorse and hawthorn has not come back to that area.
Students from Mt. Stuart Primary School enjoy using Knocklofty Reserve for outdoor activities, and their Grade 6 wanted to help us maintain the reserve. So they were shown how to recognise and remove seedlings of Spanish Heath, and they were keen workers for a time.