Australis Biological

Australia has native Polygala , a lot of them in fact . The majority are annuals that live in northern Australia.
They will be important test species in a biological control program for the invasive South African plant Polygala myrtifolia .
Here are some I found in the NT in the last week.

Last week the Australis Biological team tackled a difficult invasive tree problem on the Glenaulin Creek in SW Victoria. The site is not far from Dartmoor. The creek is habitat to the endangered Glenelg freshwater mussel (Hyridella glenelgensis). Sadly, the Glenaulin Creek is severely invaded by Sycamore Maple and heavy leaf fall in Autumn causes oxygen depletion to the detriment of mussel populations.
Restoration of the riparian corridor starts with removal of Sycamore Maple using methods that are sensitive to water quality and aquatic invertebrate health. Once removed, native vegetation is allowed to recover and will be assisted by planned revegetation.
The difficulty is the scale of the invasion. Around 2.5 kms of water way are impacted by Sycamore Maple with very dense populations ranging from carpets of seedlings to an overstorey of large mature trees.
Our mission is to remove Sycamore Maple as efficiently as possible over the length of the waterway. If unchecked, the infestation is destined to disperse into the iconic Glenelg River. We have used basal bark methodology, frilling and foliar application of target specific herbicides.
This project is funded by the Glenelg Hopkin CMA and supported by DEECA.

We’re at the Gippsland w**d and pest fest today talking all things w**ds in Rokeby Come down and say hello and see the big drone in action!

Chief remote pilot Kim Adair presents to Kangaroo Creek Landcare field day on the features of the DJIT40 spraying drone at a Blackberry Management Demonstration day organised with the help of Hepburn Shire Council. Dakota Contracting also gave a demonstration of their drum forestry mulcher. The two pieces of equipment complement each other. A great day for everybody.

So true for a lot of w**ds but especially those with long-lived seed banks

If your gorse is in flower you now have a very small window before it starts seeding. The only way to win against gorse is to stop it seeding year after year!

Improving riparian condition by removing invasive willows by hand with the help of our amazing winch at Barrongarook Creek in Colac Otway Shire.
Cut material will be mulched. Reed regrowth will soften the look but importantly help deter or slow down future invasions.
Thanks to Kim and Amy for the hard work.