Recently the Wellington Park Bushcare Group formed a relationship with the Understorey Network to grow plants at the Tolosa Community Nursery for rehabilitation of a site nearby in Wellington Park.

This all stemmed from a successful application for an Australian Government Envirofund grant, primarily to protect a population of the rare heath, Epacris virgata under threat from weed invasion. Adjacent to this area are exotic pines that are scheduled to be removed in the autumn of 2008 and then that parcel of land planted out with natives to the area.

By a happy coincidence, Gabrielle Balon, who was commissioned to prepare the group's Envirofund application, was familiar with the work of the Understorey Network and was able to initiate the link between the organisations. In addition one of the Bushcare group sponsors, Luke Chiu from Glenorchy City Council, was keen to encourage the involvement of the Tolosa Community Nursery in the project.

So for the first project report; five boxes of tubes were sown with seeds in late November, and as of mid December a box of Indigofera has sprouted profusely and already had a first thinning whilst the other boxes were just showing the very first signs of life breaking through the soil.

The Wellington Park Bushcare Group started in 2002 with the aim to maintain and enhance the native flora and fauna of the major natural icon, Wellington Park, and to educate Park users of the high biodiversity values and ways to protect them. The major focus is to endeavour to halt spread of weed species and eradicate where possible. Links have been formed with the Hobart and Glenorchy City Councils as well as the Wellington Park Management Trust and Parks and Wildlife Service.

The group provides opportunity for volunteers to repair environmental damage stemming from weeds and gain a sense of achievement and involvement in a project that has long term environmental and community benefit. The group spends a day each month on a working bee at various locations in the park, mostly getting rid of Erica, Gorse and Broom.

It is always very happy to welcome along new volunteers and can be contacted at wellingtonpark@iprimus.com.au or by ringing Peter Franklin on 6228 4889. Details of working bees can be found on the group's website at http://wellingtonpbg.googlepages.com/home

Photo:Mike Bowden and Peter Franklin, from the Wellington Bush Care Group, at the nursery propagating seed. The native plants will be used to revegetate a section of Wellington Park after the removal of pines.