By Margaret Maccoll
A group of dedicated volunteer bushland carers from Heritage Park Bushland Care braved the rain on Monday to hold a Community Education event beside the Noosa River.
Organiser volunteer Joan Heavey said other groups including Noosa Integrated Catchment Association (NICA) came to the event which was held as part of a commitment to a State Government Community Sustainability Action grant. More than 50 people came along to learn more about weeds in the area and hear from researcher Joel Fostin on the effects of the leaf-hopper bug on Pandanus.
The grant has enabled the group to employ a contractor to help rid Heritage Park which is bordered by Golf Course Drive, Noosa-Cooroy Road and Griffith Avenue of the weed Singapore Daisy and purchase native plants and tools.
Joan has volunteered with the bushland carers for the past 15 years and seen the changes along Wooroi Creek from the removal of weeds. Joan said many in the group like her found weeding became addictive. “I used to spend five mornings a week up there,” she said. “Once you get started it’s very difficult to stop.”
