The town of Bingara was visited by a team of enthusiastic youth last month, working alongside Land Care and Upper Gywdir Lands Agency, to restore the habitat of the Regent Honeyeater on the Biodiversity planting site on "The Island" off Inverell Road under Campbell Bridge.
This UGLA and Land Care initiative is an on-going project committed to the regeneration of the land and its dependant wildlife. Originally Moree-based, the Green Corps group and team leader Micah Kunkel arrived on Monday January 21, to lend ten days of assistance, under gruelling heat most days and severe thunderstorms on their last leg. The three collaborating teams undertook risk assessments after viewing the various sites and discussed the possible danger zones.
Three young men from Moree participating in the restoration project near Campbell Bridge in Bingara. Inset: Maderia vines growing on one of the trees.
The teams had mapped out four proposed sites, three in ‘Maderia vines’ and the Biodiversity planting site, however Maderia vine’s site two was deemed inaccessible for OH&S reasons. The bank was so severely eroded that it revealed a drop off of five to six feet with dangerous debris below. The next two days the team spent pulling down the Maderia vines, as the bulbs have a rapid re-growth rate, posing a menace to the that area and threatening to spread.
The teams had mapped out four proposed sites, three in ‘Maderia vines’ and the Biodiversity planting site, however Maderia vine’s site two was deemed inaccessible for OH&S reasons. The bank was so severely eroded that it revealed a drop off of five to six feet with dangerous debris below. The next two days the team spent pulling down the Maderia vines, as the bulbs have a rapid re-growth rate, posing a menace to the that area and threatening to spread.
On the Biodiversity planting site, the Green Corps group commenced planting up to 200 native trees and re-mulched existing plants. The trees planted include the Mugga Ironbark (which is species specific to the Regent Honeyeater), River Red Gum, Acacia, Melaleuca, Callistemon and many others. "The mulching took most of the time, and it plays a vital part in weed resistance", Micah explained. This weed resistance lasts for a certain amount of time, giving the freshly planted seedlings a chance to survive.
There was a lot of work to do, including fence maintenance, whipper-snipping, watering, weeding, and conditioning the ground for planting purposes and all under 35 – 40 degree heat.
On their last day stormy weather threw a spanner in the works, however in the end they had successful results with their project and are back in Moree continuing with the restoration of the Mehi River corridor. The Green Corps program provides young people, aged between 17 – 20 years, with the opportunity to actively engage themselves in environmental projects while gaining on-the-project training and personal development opportunities.
Green Corps encourages and educates youth in the hope of building environmental awareness within communities.
Compliments of The Bingara Advocate
