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The wattles are in full flowers all over the reserve, and it is a delight to walk past and smell the bloom. This month we checked both sides of the Glover Track for weeds and reported the illegal  downhill mountain bike tracks constructed on the northern side of the track. Then it was looking for young gorse above the Weerona …

This month we did roving weeding either side of the Fiona Allan Track and above the Weerona Trail. There were very, very few weeds in the areas, and our workers were pleased to note this. Sunday, we removed gorse around the two first zig-zag bends on the Mt. Stuart Track. Then a walk into the Providence Valley Rivulet gully. And …

The first activity this month was cancelled due to high wind. The third Thursday we looked at 193 Forest Rd. Discussed what will be needed there to remove all the tiny gorse. I’m looking into it.  We then went on to work on the area next to 193, taking out small hawthorn, gorse, blackberries, forget-me-nots and thistles. That site is …

The month of May was spent doing the wayleave maintenance under the powerlines. We also removed some small gorse below the Bandicoot corridor, they are not easy to pull out, as the autumn has been quite dry. It is obvious how the soil is drying out and the small stones and rock are loosening on tracks and falling down banks.

Thursday mornings are really well attended, more so than Sunday afternoons, and we have been able to sweep through a wide area of the reserve centred around the Forest Rd. car park. Removing seedling gorse, broom, blackberries, hawthorn and of cause thistles and forget-me-nots! For some time, we have been worried about the weeds on the cliff faces of two …

This month we went through the areas above the Weerona Trail and Sandy Spit Track. We try to sweep through all of Knocklofty Reserve once a year, and sometimes you think: “ We have the introduced plants under control!” Then we have a cool wet spring and early summer, and it is surprising how many weeds and young gorse ‘pop …

In late January I noticed an unfamiliar sedge in Salvator Rosa Glen. So, our first activity in February clearing the lower part of the Glover Track of hemlock, broom and some gorse was cut short, as we decided to have a look at the top end of Salvator Rd. to see where the sedge came from, and if we would …

This month we did our half yearly wayleave maintenance under the power lines. Removing woody weeds and young tree saplings. The Sunday walk & talk with Phil Bell looking for Chaostola Skipper butterflies was cancelled due to a bad weather forecast. Butterflies need a period of warm weather and very little wind to flourish, and none of that happened in …

This month saw the end of our spring weeding of forget-me-nots and thistles in Providence Valley Rivulet. Some people fell we should just learn to live with these introduced weeds. However, we are trying to control it for a few years to give the endemic vegetation a chance to be established in the areas cleared of gorse. The plant-give-away went …

September’s first two activities were in Providence Valley Rivulet area. We talked about the ‘Paraclete’ estate and looked at the remnants of old road formations, stone fences, formed terraces and surviving introduced flowers. All signs of the early European settlement in Hobart. Then it was into hand pulling of forget-me-nots and thistles and more of the same for the third …