Tackling weeds can be fun … really!
By Tania Kearney
My ‘communications’ role for Trees For Life can be a varied one but primarily means I need to convey to our members, volunteers and the wider public just what it is we do.
Within the organisation it could mean trying to explain to our volunteer growers what our bushcarers do and vice versa. To the general community, publicising the importance and scope of our work is one way we can hopefully recruit new members and volunteers.
For the past three years I have been able to confidently explain the role of a volunteer grower, as I’ve grown 30 boxes myself over that time. I’ve also helped plant trees on a regional property, along with other staff members.
I’m embarrassed to say however, that I did a Bush For Life workshop and Plant ID workshop more than three years ago but have never put any of that theory into practice. While I can communicate just what our seed collecting volunteers and bushcarers do by talking to them and taking photos, it’s another thing to experience it.
Thanks to a progressive CEO who sees the value in staff learning and understanding other roles, myself and colleague Glenys Perri (who also helps with the communications role in TFL), have decided it’s time to just do it.
So after first alerting Bush For Life staff to our desire to get our hands dirty, we were invited to participate in a Bush Action Team (BAT) day at Ironbank last Friday.
For those who aren’t fully aware of what a ‘BAT’ is, it’s a team of volunteers that goes out to a specific site and tackles a major problem with a couple of the BFL staff.
In this case, 14 of us worked on a small area within a 70-acre property tackling a broom weedfront.
Glenys and I were obviously the only novices in what was a very experienced team of volunteers and while hand weeding and cutting and swabbing broom sounds like a fairly simple task, we learnt there was a very strict process in place.
I caught the BAT bus up to the site from the office and got to know others who were collected on the way. Two of our long-time volunteers obviously knew the drill and immediately got out their knitting needles to bide the time until we arrived at the site.
I know our volunteers are special – all volunteers are obviously a special breed – but when I found out these ladies were knitting jumpers and beanies for the homeless on their way to volunteering with us, well that was quite humbling.
One of our talented BFL field officers, Jenna, drove the mini bus and trailer up in the hills like she was an old hand at it. And once we met other volunteers and Southern Operations Manager Peter Watton on site, she immediately set about making sure we all had the necessary equipment, were made aware of the hazards on the site and took precautions such as spraying the soles of our shoes with methylated spirits (to stop the spread of Phytophthora).
Glenys and I were admittedly a bit overawed by the different layers of gloves we could put on (a bit different to my Black & Gold rubber gloves) but once it was explained to us and we were kitted out, it was time to get to work.
Although I admit to not knowing much about weed infestations – and yes, that’s an overstatement – when we arrived at the location we would be working on, it was very evident just how much the broom was taking over everything in its path. Peter, Jenna and other volunteers happily guided Glenys and I in our efforts and landholder Andrew also worked alongside us all.
We did take a couple of breaks (including a delicious lunch put on by BAT coordinator Randall), but the time went very quickly and in the end, everyone was happy with the path of broom destruction we’d left. In the grand scale of the property it did look like we’d made a very small dent for 14 of us, but we can only imagine how daunting it would be for a landholder to look at such infestations and wonder how on earth he or she would tackle the problem.
We had some great chats and a few laughs but most importantly, came away feeling like we had really helped this landholder and the regular site volunteers (and of course the native vegetation) and had a great sense of achievement.
And although I had to bail out before the others finished, I’m already set to put my hand up for future BATs.
Not only have I now been able to see just how important the work is that our BFL team and volunteers do almost every day, I can also see how addictive the sense of achievement would be.
Next stop for Glenys and I is seed collecting, which is often done in all types of weather conditions and by all accounts is hard, dirty work. We know the seed collecting team won’t go easy on us, but in no way do we expect them to.
As long as they ensure there’s a cold beer available at the end of the day, we’ll be happy!
