Environment and Sustainability
A Friends of Wooditjup Bilya event
How do you restore a riverbank and what skills might you need along the way?
Join Nature Conservation's Ben Howell as he takes us on a journey rewilding the riparian zone. Since dipping a toe into the environmental space as a koala ‘wrangler’ on Kangaroo Island, Ben has enjoyed developing his bushland conservation craft over 20 years across private, local and state government sectors.
A seasoned native seed collector, he will often be out and about boring his kids with useless titbits in the hope they too will jump on the green bandwagon. With over a decade of environmental service provision specifically in the South-West region, Ben is now focusing on bushland conservation services with Green Room Conservation and as a Biodiversity officer with Nature Conservation MRR.
Joining Ben will be Louisa Barnacle, resident and river custodian who has worked to rewild and rehabilitate her Wooditjup Bilya property for over 15 years. Hear her tales of custodianship and care, mistakes made and the lessons learned along the way.
This hands-on session will cover:
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Overview of DBCA licensing and requirements
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Seed collection planning and timing
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Knowing when seeds are ready - coloring, 'tell' signs, endosperm/cut test
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Collection techniques - racqueting, bagging, hand strip, pruning
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Post collection to get seed to drop + seed cleaning techniques
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Seed treatment requirements prior to use (prop seedlings / direct seeding)
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Direct seeding + broadcasting - site requirements (weed control; soil prep-rotary hoe, disc etc.)
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Post seeding selective herbicide use
After the talk, join us for the work as we assist Louisa to control weeds, collect seed and restore the riverbanks.
The Shire of Augusta Margaret River is proud to partner with Nature Conservation to inspire our community to protect and enhance the environment of the Margaret River Region