Project Name
Weed Conversations
*Formerly Aussieweeds
Project Summary
In 2019, New South Wales witnessed one of the worst bushfires in the past decade affecting over 5.5 million hectares (7%) of land. Out of which, 37% of the national park estate (i.e., all categories of parks), 42% of state forests, and 4% of freehold land were within the fire ground. Naturally, the bushfires altered large areas of habitat for species and ecosystems in the State, including private and public lands. One of the many negative impacts of the bushfires was the growth of invasive species such as harmful weeds in these regions. Rural landholders are struggling to manage weed invasions in the aftermath of the Black Summer fires. The subsequent wet winters have accelerated weed incursions, meaning many landholders are discovering new weeds thriving on their properties. Yet limited financial or technical support is available to support landholders to manage weeds. Our website, Weedconversations.org aims to establish a virtual weed management hub, where landholders can readily access information about new weeds, identify which weeds to prioritize for management, and learn about management techniques that other landholders in their region have successfully used in fire-affected and other landscapes. In doing so, this hub will bring communities together to overcome current weed challenges.
Group Members
- Mohammed Salman
- Lokesh Bhatia
- Luke Brown
- Lachlan Jones
- Connor Rendoth
- Karsten Hilder
Supervisor
Dr Holly Tootell
Client
Dr Sonia Graham
Global Challenges Weed Research Team.
