Today we took a bus down to Hardwicke bay where we assisted some local volunteers in the removal of invasive weeds from a local park and garden.
The three mains weeds we were out to get were the Lincoln Weed, Wild Oat and Boxthorn. These weeds take water and soil/room from native plants and cannot support native ecosystems and the therefore outbreak of weeds can lead to the endangerment or even extinction of native species. Weeds can also take over space in dune encironments and kill off deep rooted native planst and cause harmful erosion of the sand dunes.
Humans are the main reason there are invasive weeds in Australia. Many plants that are now weeds were brought over from Europe because they were "pretty". Many weeds of the grass variety exist in Australia because they were brought over in the ships as packaging for things like beer and glass bottles. Other weeds have been brought over in ships from foreign countries and been deposited by sea when they empty their ballast tanks full of water containing seeds from their home country. Many newer plants that have been put on gardens have recently started to become recognised weeds, especially in fragile sand dune environments.
Weeds vary over Australia because certain weeds flourish in certain climates. But most areas of Australia are still affected in some way or another. Climate change is certain to have an effect on the weed problem in Australia. The lack of water and heat may cause the weeds to die out due to their European and wet origin. But some other weeds that require little water may flourish compared to others and may soon take over.
Luckily, many people volunteer to aid in the removal of weeds and conservation of naive species. Many people do this to help make the world better for future generations, to help their country or local area and give something back to the community, to meet new people or because they simply enjoy it.
There are many things that people can do to prevent the overrunning of Australia by weeds. People can choose to not plant foreign plants and instead choose to plant native species that can support local ecosystems and provide shelter for local wildlife. People can also volunteer in organisations that help conserve the local flora and fauna or simply pull out weeds at home to stop them spreading.
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