A Small Environmental Event

Last Thursday morning I responded to the invitation sent by Graeme Stockton and forwarded by
Gerard Hogan to Torquay Rotary members. With a relatively clear morning I contacted Graeme and
offered my services for a couple of hours to nip in the bud the Spiny Rush, a potentially big
environmental weed threat in a property in the Spring Creek Valley. The working bee had been
pushed back a day due to heavy rains in the area. Eventually at 9:30 Thursday morning Graeme and
his workers, 8 in all, met at the lower cottages area at Ashmore Arts armed with Gum boots,
secateurs, gloves and eye protection glasses.
 

The task for the day was to cut all the mature seed heads off the existing population of the spiny
rush weed, After a brisk walk down into Spring Valley, and a climb through the farm fence, the
group split into two teams of four, one at each end of the weed cluster. Graeme gave a brief demo
of how to tackle the weed heads and we were into the weeds for the next two hours, some of the time
spent perched on the of the spiky weed in several inches of water. The banter of my team of
workers previously unknown to each other, was self-deprecating and quite funny. The work was
fairly strenuous, so soon we had all warmed up despite the crisp morning. Luckily the rain held off.
Very quickly we had all stuffed a considerable number of the pesky seed heads into carry bags. After
about two busy hours my crew began to pack up for the day. I joined them on the stiff climb up
through the beautiful Spring Creek valley environment, up past the breeding sites for threatened
species of native birds previously set up by Graeme and his volunteers who hold regular working
bees in the Valley.
As they say in the classics, I eventually arrived home “Tired But Happy.”
That evening Graeme telephoned to thank me for my contribution to his project. I thanked him for
the opportunity to be part of a most worthy endeavour. I believe the next step in the project is to
spray the weeds
Some days In Rotary, you find yourself fully involved in doing some good stuff- to be in the flow, as
some might say. This was one of those days for me. I had stumbled into this activity quite naively,
not at all sure what I was signing up for. Physically I was a bit challenged, but I coped ok. At the end
of the session, chatting with other volunteers, I felt quite proud of myself that I had actually done
something small but practical to attempt to protect the natural environment of this quite wonderful
part of the world that somehow I have landed in with my family. I had a close up personal view of
Spring Creek Valley and hope that it remains unspoiled for some years into the future. I will remain
in contact with Graeme Stockton, and support him and his conservation projects when I can. Oops,
sorry I did not get to take photos!
Greg Birchall