The Friends of Lord Howe Island ran their 93rd weeding ecotour 20 to 27 August. Twenty-two people came from Sydney, Brisbane and Victoria to participate.
On this trip, the Friends again assisted the Lord Howe Island Board weed team with projects. One was a visit to Blackburn Island to plant out more small trees as part of the revegetation program there. They also assisted with the removal of the invasive creeper, Coastal morning glory, which grows over the top of the newly planted trees, smothering them and taking their light, nutrients and water. Middle Beach was the site of the other project. There in forest, during the in 2018-19 droughts, many Blackbutt trees died. The opening up of the forest canopy to more light, led to an invasion by weeds such as Palm grass and Cape gooseberry. On a number of recent trips, the Friends have worked to free this area of weeds.
Additionally, this week the group also assisted private leaseholders with various projects. Gai Wilson had a Plumbago garden plant taking over her garden, so the Friends spent two mornings there removing this plant that had spread widely via underground suckers. The other project was to assist Jack Shick with the replanting of an old paddock, no longer used for grazing, and covered in dense kikuyu grass. The Friends had a morning with Jack and planted over 300 native shrubs and trees on a section of his lease. Jack was very appreciative of their assistance.
As well as contributing to conservation on the Island, the group enjoyed walks to Boat Harbour, Malabar, Transit Hill, Clear Place and a Ned’s Beach reef walk.
Along for this week also was Chris Reid, beetle expert from the Australian Museum, who was carrying out post rodent eradication beetle surveys. Chris took the Friends group out for workshops during the daytime and at night time doing these surveys, including Blackburn Island. Results will be presented in the next Signal.
Photos courtesy The Lord Howe Island Signal.
This article appeared in The Lord Howe Island Signal, 31 August 2022.
