Hi Landcarer’s

Did you know that it is 30 years since 1 September was officially proclaimed as Wattle Day?

Bill Hayden, the then governor-general of Australia declared the day on 23 June 1992, after many years of acknowledgement across the country in different forms.

The Golden Wattle (acacia pycnantha) became the official floral emblem of Australia in 1988.

Wattle plants, aside from being extraordinarily beautiful, have other uses including fodder, a source of wood, medicine, perfume and oils.

Like with any plant, in the wrong place, with the wrong conditions it can become a weed as it is fairly resilient, which is what it is said to represent, resilience. The Golden Wattle also symbolises remembrance and reflection.

Did you know that it is suggested that the Australian wattle was the name adapted for acacias as they were often used in early construction with branches forming the wattles in construction.

If you would like to find out more about wattles and our other native species, we would love you to join our two workshops with Mikla Lewis on Wednesday, 28 September in Parkes.

We are pleased to welcome Mikla back to our area. We appreciate the assistance of the Lachlan Valley Branch of the National Parks Association as part of the afternoon workshop.

Please note that registrations are filling up quickly and are essential for these workshops.

The first workshop, running between 9am and 12pm (including morning tea and lunch) will have a focus seed collection and local plant species identification.

The afternoon workshop will be held in the field between 12.30pm and 4pm (lunch available from 12pm), and will offer insight into the processes and services that various organisms provide eg fungi (wood rotting, mycelium), fallen timber, leaf and seed litter etc on and in the ground, the importance of groundcover, shrubs and trees, birds and pollination etc.

These workshops are part of the Central West Landcare Region Protecting Precious Patches Project and is possible as a result of the Landcare NSW and the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust (BCT) co-managed and community-guided program, Partnering in Private Land Conservation Program aims to work collaboratively to build understanding and skills regarding biodiversity, educate private landholders on conservation efforts, and increase participation in private land conservation.

Workshop 1 – Biodiversity in Action – Seed Collection and Plant Identification

Workshop 2 – Biodiversity in Action – From the Ground Up Practical Flora and Fauna Identification

For further information on this article, please go to www.centralwestlachlanlandcare.org, twitter, facebook or Instagram @cwllandcare or contact Marg Applebee on 0418 611 053 or at cwllpo@hotmail.com