Category: Weeds
No ‘white Christmas’ for Alice please!
— by Kate
At this time of year, old Christmas Carols and songs are often heard through sound systems of businesses, shopping centres, radio stations, churches, parks, gardens and family homes (admittedly some of these areas may not reverberate with musical Christmas cheer!) But Land for Wildlife Central Australia request that you be mindful of what song you
Ecological Observations by Des Nelson
By Des Nelson My article on the origin and spread of Buffel Grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) posted in the Alice Springs News online (and shared on the Land for Wildlife blog as A Buffel Grass Story) promoted some discussion. Among topics it was said that the cover provided by Buffel Grass would prevent dust storms such
Property Profile: Olive Pink Botanic Garden
Note that sections of this article were written for the Australian Plants Society Alice Springs Inc. and the Alice Springs Field Naturalists Club as part of a joint walk of Olive Pink Botanic Garden the groups ran at the end of April. Regular visitors to Olive Pink Botanic Garden over the years will have noticed
A Buffel Grass Story
By Des Nelson Having recently heard the sometimes repeated view that CSIRO was responsible for the invasion of Buffel Grass in central Australia, I would like to present some observations of my own. I do not write of hearsay. I had first-hand experience of all places and events here described. In the early 1950’s I
Erodium Are Fun… Hear Us Out!
Heron’s Bill, Crowfoot, Cranebill, Storkbill. Call them what you like! I’m talking about the fun Erodium genus. Herbs in the genus Erodium (Greek: erodiós or ερωδιός, meaning Heron), have fruit that resemble long bird beaks (hence the name). They are closely related to the Geranium (Greek: geranós or γερανός, meaning Crane) genus and the Pelargonium
Property Planning for Wildlife
We all love the plants, animals and other aspects of the natural world that we are surrounded with and want to learn how to protect them – the best that we can. You can aim as high as you like – or as humble as you like. Just do what you can. At the basic
Plant Stowaways in Camel Harness
By Marg Friedel Back In March, Marg gave a talk to the Alice Springs Field Naturalists Club, which she called “Where did they come from and how did they get here? Examining the evidence for some familiar weeds of arid central Australia”. As part of her rummaging in the records of Australia’s Virtual Herbarium (AVH),
A Selection of Grasses from Central Australia
For those that attended the Biodiversity Matters: Buffel Busters Tour of Alice Springs, you may be familiar with the booklet that we have been developing—A Selection of Grasses from Central Australia (yet to be formally titled). The information used was sourced from an excellent online resource called AusGrass2, in combination with 30 grass samples collected
Biodiversity Matters: Buffel Busters Tour Video
Land for Wildlife assisted Arid Lands Environment Centre to run a Biodiversity Matters: Buffel Busters Tour on the 18th of February 2017. You can read more about the event at our Blog: Biodiversity Matters: Buffel Busters Tour of Alice Springs. Land for Wildlife were there to assist the Land for Wildlife properties to showcase the
Biodiversity Matters: Buffel Busters Tour of Alice Springs
Land for Wildlife kicked off last weekend with its first collaborative workshop for 2017 – a Buffel Busters inspiration tour of Alice Springs. Arid Lands Environment Centre hosted the event as part of their Biodiversity Matters initiative, with Land for Wildlife supporting the tour to a range of Land for Wildlife properties and other local
Buffel Grass Bashing – A Rewarding Addiction!
By Bruce Simmons Andy Vinter’s Bush Regeneration Handbook provides terrific practical information for anyone interested in arresting the progress of weeds, and Buffel Grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) in particular, on their block, streetscape or local feature. So you might go there as a starting point if you are interested in ‘bashing the Buffel’. My history with