Local environmentalists involved in the project talked initially about the history of the wetlands and the role they have played in improving the water quality of the Blackburn Lake (and waterways downstream), then talked through why the project was needed, highlighting the encroachment of weeds and the degraded native vegetation.
The group were then informed about the scope of the project, starting with the weeding stage, which will focus mainly on the removal of dead trees and woody and herbaceous weeds (such as Sweet Pittosporum, Ash trees and Milk Thistle species). Then they talked through the planting phase, which, once completed, will have introduced 4,000 new native plants to the understory and midstory.
To conclude the education session, the delivery and outcomes of the project were explained, focussing on the partnership between local council and community to undertake key elements of the project, and discussing the broader expected outcomes of the project, mainly being around improved biodiversity (through habitat creation) and improved water quality through natural processes of filtration.
It was a fun and friendly event which finished with a lovely afternoon tea to quench a hard-earned thirst at the end of the session.
