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Landholders Dave and Debbie Hooper
placed a Trust for Nature covenant on 16.5 ha of their Boisdale property
nine years ago, thus protecting it for conservation forever. and
preserving the hard work they have done to keep all of its threatened
vegetation healthy.
Over the years they have watched how the plant communities have
responded to the seasons. Most of the large trees on the block were lost
in the 1965 fires, Dave
said, but hollows are developing in the remaining
trees. Dave has given nature a hand by building his own nest-boxes which
were soon occupied by the Sugar Gliders. These tiny marsupials will help
keep the Red Gums healthy as they have a voracious appetite for the
leaf-defoliating Christmas beetle. Dave monitors and manages any pest
animals and is also steadily removing the Totem Poles (Melaleuca
decussata) that do not belong in this part of
the world.
The major threat identifed through the management plan completed with
Caring For Our Country funds was an invasion of Panic Veldt Grass. This
aggressive South African weed is almost constantly in seed and quickly
smothers out native herbs and out-competes grasses. Unfortunately it
fares well in sun or shade and is not an easy weed to tackle. Trust for
Nature has offered Dave its weed burner to trial scorching the area
where the weed has taken hold. As it is thought that
cool fires may invigorate
growth the policy is scorched earth with continual
follow-up of any germinants. As many Gippsland Plains grassy woodlands
are are invaded by this grass we will all be keen to see how this
strategy works.
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