Bush Crew diaries October 2023

Published on 26 September 2023

Spring and summer are the key times to observe the vast array of locally indigenous wildflower species across our various bushland reserves.

Our reserves burst with colour from the range of daisies, lilies, peas and other wildflower species. The flowers aren’t just decorative, they also provide a vital food source for pollinating insects from which the food web largely stems. The presence of insects supports predators and larger animals such as spiders, reptiles, mammals, and birds. They are crucial for the ecological health of our reserves.

In the 6-hectare Banyule Northern Grassland Reserve, the Bush Crew worked alongside the Friends of Darebin Creek this year to plant over 700 wildflowers comprised of 12 different species. Victoria’s grasslands of the volcanic plains have largely been lost due to urbanisation and agriculture with less than 1 percent of the original range remaining. Weed control efforts and species enrichment planting has helped to enhance biodiversity within the reserve and an array of different wildflowers can now be seen between September and May.

A number of the wildflower species you can see flowering over spring and summer can be found nowhere else in Banyule such as the Eryngium ovinum (blue devil) and endangered Cullen tenax (tough surf-pea). Ensuring the long-term survival of these wildflower species requires careful management targeting weed control and promoting regeneration of locally indigenous species through appropriate burning regimes.

You can help with the continued restoration of the Banyule Northern Grassland Reserve through joining the Friends of Darebin Creek for planting events in 2024.

For further information, contact Darebin Creek Senior Ranger Tom Crawshaw at tom.crawshaw@banyule.vic.gov.au