Latest news with #nativePlants
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Couple 'panicked' by destructive discovery on outback roadside
An Aussie couple were left panicked when they pulled over on an outback road and noticed something unwanted staring back at them. Twelve large eyes were watching their every move, but it wasn't their own safety they were concerned about, it was the danger the creatures posed to the wider landscape. Photos supplied by Ellisha Martion and her partner to Yahoo News show six alarmed donkeys hiding in a narrow strip of vegetation after they wandered out of the Big Desert State Forest in Victoria's northwest. 'They were very aware of us, that's for sure. At one stage, they made a weird noise which scared me because they can be defensive. It was kind of like a grunt and a hiss, it was weird,' she told Yahoo News. With the park already being impacted by other feral predators like cats, foxes and deer, discovering another threat left her feeling worried about the rare native plants and animals that live there. The donkeys are likely an imminent threat to the landscape — invasive animal species are responsible for the highest number of animal extinctions in Australia. 'I was shocked. Donkeys weren't high on the list of things I was expecting to see. I was a bit panicked because we had no phone service,' Martion said. 'I wondered what we were supposed to do because we couldn't really catch them on our own.' The hooves of donkeys can be highly damaging to the wider wilderness area. Unlike the soft pads of native mammals, their feet cut deep into the soil like sharp poles, as images taken on Sunday highlight. Martion, the founder of Big Desert Dingo Research, was travelling through the landscape to monitor its critically endangered dingo population. As few as 40 are left in the state's northwest, and she's concerned about the impact that donkeys could have on them. Water is scarce in the region because there's no permanent supply, and there are fears the donkeys could drain and muddy the resource. Feral horses, deer and pigs create similar problems in Victoria's fragile High Country. 'There's not much water out there, we need to preserve it as much as we can,' Martion said. 'The area is susceptible to erosion. There are tiny native plants that are threatened with extinction, so having donkeys running over them isn't great.' 🌊 Grim find prompts calls to make $43.9 million change in Aussie waters 🪨 Inventor's valuable secret hidden beneath pile of rocks in outback 📸 Rare colour footage of extinct Australian animal seen again after 90 years The presence of donkeys in the area was confirmed using a trail camera two years ago, but this second sighting of what appears to be a larger group has sparked concern they could become established. Reports have been made to authorities about Saturday's incident, but it's unclear what action will be taken. Victoria's department of agriculture, which sits within the department of environment (DEECA) has been contacted for comment, but it did not immediately respond. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Daily Mail
24-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Australians urged to check their yards NOW as 'dangerous' plant rapidly spreads: 'Remove immediately'
An ornamental plant that was once purposefully added and grown in Aussie gardens has now been declared a weed that should be urgently removed. Spanish moss, a hanging plant native to tropical and subtropical America, has recently spread uncontrollably in parts of Australia, including Sydney. Local Sydney councils and land care groups are now actively requesting that residents inspect their yards and remove any Spanish moss from their gardens. Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides), known colloquially as 'old man's beard' is a blue-grey slender plant that's instantly recognisable for its chain-like stems and leaves, which hang and grow over live or dead plants. The plant doesn't have any roots, but its fluffy seeds and fragments are easily moved by wind, birds or even deliberately by people, which is how it spreads and grows in new areas. Spanish moss particularly thrives in warm, humid environments. Recent prolonged periods of heavy rainfall in Sydney has seen the decorative plant now rapidly spreading. This sudden growth of Spanish moss has been deemed to be detrimental to native greenery as it overwhelms native plants. The NSW WeedWise website, run by the Department of Primary Industries, now lists Spanish moss as a plant of concern. The listing explains that Spanish moss poses a problem to the native 'host plant' that it hangs off. The problem arises when the Spanish moss becomes so 'thick' that it 'shades the leaves of the host tree' - and potentially even 'smothers' it. The proliferation of Spanish moss can also 'damage' the host tree by causing 'branches [to] snap off'. Accordingly, several local Sydney councils like Willoughby City Council and Lane Cove Council have recently advised residents to remove any existing Spanish moss from their gardens and refrain from purchasing or sharing the plant. Spanish moss is already established in other parts of NSW, including the Lismore area and Lord Howe Island. It has also cropped up in parts of Queensland. Despite being officially recognised as an environmental weed, Spanish moss is not yet regulated under Australian law. According to the NSW WeedWise website listing, the simplest way to remove Spanish moss is 'by hand'. 'Spanish moss is easy to remove from the host plant though accessing plants may be difficult if they are growing in tall trees,' the listing reads. 'Plant material should be disposed of appropriately.' For advice regarding using herbicides to remove the plant, the WeedWise site suggests contacting the local council. The fast-spreading plant has already caught the attention of Aussie gardeners, with some even taking to Reddit to express their concerns. A r ecent post shared under the 'Gardening Australia' thread noted that Spanish moss had been 'invading bushland here in Sydney'. The original poster worried that if i he plant were 'not controlled now [it] will eventually smother our forests, cutting off light and extirpating shrubs and groundcovers'. Many of the responses to the Reddit thread urged any Aussies that see Spanish moss growing in public parks or nature reserves to report it to their local council and request for it to be removed. Community based north shore environment group STEP INC are among those actively working with local councils to raise awareness of the environmental issues posed by Spanish moss. A r ecent report posted on STEP INC's website in April read: 'The current regional strategic weed management plan for Greater Sydney is due for renewal in 2027'. 'Unfortunately, Spanish Moss has a low priority in our local council areas.' 'We hope that evidence and consideration of the impacts of Spanish Moss will lead to its banning from sale under the new plan.'
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
WisDOT shares the importance of burn management
(WFRV) – According to experts with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, prescribed burns and burn management play an essential role in the well-being of native plants in the state. In a release shared by WisDOT on social media, burn management is said to be a cost-effective and efficient way to manage plants while also preventing the spread of invasive species. Packers to participate in separate joint training camp practice sessions with Colts and Seahawks Just this past spring, officials say crews completed a controlled burn in Dane County at the World Dairy Wetland Site near I-39/90. Two months following the controlled burn, native plants were seen growing in abundance. The following are said to be benefits of controlled burns: Stimulates the growth of native plants Improves habitat Helps prevent invasive species Releases nutrients into the soil For more information about prescribed burns and their benefits, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
BBC News
08-06-2025
- Science
- BBC News
In pictures: Invasive plants killed off in Corrieshalloch Gorge
Invasive non-native plants have been cleared from crags of a 60m (197ft) deep gorge in the Highlands. Corrieshalloch, south of Ullapool, was created by meltwater from glaciers at the end of the last ice age about 11,000 years ago, and has a 45m (148ft) mile-long canyon takes its name from Gaelic for "ugly hollow".National Trust for Scotland (NTS) received funding for the work which involved contractors abseiling into the gorge. The plants removed or killed off included Japanese knotweed, rhododendron ponticum and American skunk species, brought to the UK from other parts of the world for planting in gardens, can smother native plants and damage fragile said the work at Corrieshalloch Gorge National Nature Reserve was part of its wider efforts to conserve native species.
ABC News
07-06-2025
- Health
- ABC News
WA government takes control of land next to children's hospice to allow development of 'a beautiful park'
The WA government has moved to take control of land next to the new children's hospice in Swanbourne from the City of Nedlands, after the council opposed plans to turn it into a parkland for terminally-ill children. The Perth Children's Hospital Foundation's plans to transform what it called a 'dust bowl' into a green oasis were blocked by the council, which owns Allen Park. The Lands Minister John Carey has moved to excise 3,000 square metres of land at Allen Park from council control, pending a motion in state parliament in the middle of this month. That would pave the way for the PCH Foundation's $4million plans to create a green space next to Boodja Mia, a $34 million respite and palliative care centre for children, due to be completed later this year. The City of Nedlands Council opposed the proposed park development, saying it wanted to build its own park on the A-Class reserve. A-Class classifications are used to protect areas of high conservation or high community value, but Mr Carey argued the council had not been maintaining the land in "any meaningful way". "It is a dustbowl. The Nedlands council have done nothing with this land and then right at the last minute they've said they do have a plan," Mr Carey said. "For the City of Nedlands to make some sort of claim that this land is of any significant or extraordinary value is simply false." The project will include the planting of up to 10,000 native plants, boosting tree canopy at the site to 62 per cent. Mr Carey said the park would be open to the public while also catering to patients and their families at the nearby hospice centre. The City of Nedlands has been contacted for comment.
