IT IS interesting at times to look at real figures.
The Maleny IGA through its Community Chest supports 134 groups with a combined membership of 6,352.
Thank you Maleny Supa IGA! A quick glance at the website shows Barung Landcare right up there with Maleny Hospital in terms of membership support, which is quite an achievement for a landcare group. We received more than $6000 last year from the Community Chest.
The locals clearly do value Barung’s work in helping us all to conserve and enhance our wonderful natural resources.
Another large number concerns the acacias, or wattles. September is officially spring and wattle time but we are already enjoying their pale yellow or gold flowers. There are 950 currently recognised Australian acacias, a very large number. Not all of course are suited to our climate, but some certainly are and they come in various sizes. Acacias are fast growing, useful pioneers, relatively short-lived although longevity varies with species. Some can be weedy when planted outside their own areas and two of these are Cootamundra wattle, Acacia baileyana, and the Mt. Morgan wattle, Acacia podalyriifolia. The latter, a popular and hardy shrub used in roadside plantings, will spread its seed into open forest edges.
Continuing to look at numbers, Barung is presently carrying about 132 different species of plants native to the vegetation types of our region. There is absolutely no excuse for not growing a diverse forest! Each chosen species will provide shelter and /or food for an unknown and possibly uncountable number of insects and other invertebrates whose identity is also frequently unknown. All are important, whether they provide pollination
services, return carbon to the soil or perform any other of the myriad tasks which contribute to a healthy, diverse environment. Their number is very, very large.
BARUNG NATIVE PLANT NURSERY
Nursery opening times: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday – 9am -3pm
Phone 5494 3151
Leave a Reply