This year’s National Tree Day event in Hobart had a twist to it. Instead of planting trees a trusty band of Bushcare volunteers were on the Queens Domain planting out ‘understorey’ species.
Understorey plants are the backbone of a healthy, thriving bushland ecosystem. They provide important habitat for many of our ground dwelling animals, including Hobart’s threatened eastern-barred bandicoots, as well as food, cover and nest building material.
Our volunteers spent the morning planting native kangaroo grass and lomandra tussocks to restore a patch of bushland that had been overrun by the highly invasive European plant 'wild mignonette'.
Offered for sale in Tasmania as early as 1845, the environmental weed found its way on to the Queens Domain through earthworks, had completely smothered one slope and threatened to invade nearby, rare grassy woodlands.
These strappy understorey plants will create great habitat for eastern barred bandicoots.
Reclaiming the high ground
Taking back this patch of bushland on the Queens Domain summit from the grassland bully has been a joint effort.
Our Bushcare volunteers have worked closely with the City of Hobart fire and biodiversity team to bring the wild mignonette under control.
The strappy understorey plants we planted for National Tree Day are settling in nicely, and will form a dense ground cover for local wildlife and attract pollinating insects.
The planting is part of a much broader City of Hobart project to restore the Queens Domain’s critically endangered grassy woodlands.
The work our volunteers are doing on the Queens Domain is vitally important in helping us tackle invading weeds and allowing rare native plants and herbs to prosper.
Grade six students planting a bluegum on the banks of the Hobart Rivulet.
Grade sixers take a bow!
We also celebrated this year’s National Tree Day with grade six students from South Hobart Primary School, who powered through our special Bushcare National Tree Day planting on the Hobart Rivulet.
They tackled the steep slope with skill, planting 20 trees, including blackwoods, white gums and blue gums as well as understorey species.
These trees will replace the weedy crack willows we are removing from the rivulet embankments.
As they grow they will provide shade and shelter for aquatic waterbugs and our rivulet platypus.
This is a huge achievement from these students, who are now part of a project that is removing harmful crack willows and replacing them with native habitat that will lead to a much healthier rivulet system.
Students had a great time planting native trees, shrubs and grasses.
Join Bushcare!
If you would like to get involved in the City of Hobart Bushcare program, just grab a copy of our latest working bee program and turn up to Bushcare!
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