Wattle Day will be held at Mikla Lewis and Wayne Lavers’ property ‘Rosemont’ near Grenfell on Friday August 23rd. Participants will be shown the incredible diversity and benefits of wattles to the landscape, and this year there will be a prize for best dressed, as well as free wattle plants to take home.
“The official wattle day is on September 1st, but most of the wattles on ‘Rosemont’ are in full bloom by August so we wanted to hold the day when the wattles are looking at their best.” Mikla Lewis said.
“This year the event will be held down the back of the property where participants will have a guided wander through 12 year old and 5 year old direct- seeded paddocks where we will identify the different wattle species and compare the biodiversity qualities and features of both sites.
Stock sheltering in the Acacias. Photo: Mikla Lewis
“It is out thirteenth year holding Wattle Day,” Mikla said, “so it will be nice to take participants to parts of the property they may not have seen before.
We would love to see people having a bit of fun with the day and wear something yellow or dress up in something wattle-related. With a prize for the best dressed, of course!
We have over thirty wattle species either planted, direct-seeded or naturally regenerating at Rosemont, mostly local species”, she said.
“Some of the things we will be highlighting include how these wattle plantings can benefit farmers and attract wildlife.
We will also dispel some of the false information surrounding wattles, such as being short-lived and causing hayfever.
Wattles are legumes. They sequester carbon and add nitrogen to the soil creating an improved environment for plants to grow.
They are also wonderful for livestock. They provide shelter and sustenance, with all varieties being edible. There are also worming benefits for stock when they consume the tannins.
The number and diversity of wattles directly corresponds with the number and diversity of native birds and we now have an incredible 140 species of birds on the property, some of which are threatened species. The diversity we are seeing is just incredible”, Mikla said.
Participants can expect a morning tea of wattleseed-inspired cakes and biscuits and hear from Mikla under an old stand of Currawangs (Acacia doratoxylon) that overlooks the landscape, before a walk through the wattles. Lunch will also be provided, and participants are welcome to stay on and see some different wattles at the house plantings, or head off after lunch.
Acacia flexifolia out in flower on Piney Range Hall Road.
We can expect to hear more about wattles over the coming year as Weddin Landcare are in the process of compiling a guidebook for Wattles of the Weddin Shire, including flowering times and a map of the best places to see the different species of wattles.
“We’ve been having a wonderful time driving around and pinpointing the best places to stop and see wattles”, Claire Diprose, Local Landcare Coordinator said.
“It has been really rewarding exploring the different plant communities and seeing what else is out around the district.
We have around thirty varieties of wattles here in Weddin and we plan to highlight the most common ones so people can go out and find them.
Typically, the wattles are found in box-gum woodlands and up on the hills among the ironbarks and stringybarks.
We are sticking to public roadsides and the travelling stock reserves have some amazing diversity and are the safest areas to walk through away from the road.
It’s tricky to spot them when they aren’t flowering, so we are trying to get out there as much as possible from now until the end of the year so we can identify as many as we can” Claire said.
If you would like to see some wattles in flower, a few good roads to keep an eye on over the coming weeks are Pinnacle Road, Piney Range Hall Road, Quandong Road and Henry Lawson Way between Wilcox Road and Matchetts Road.
To register for Wattle Day get in touch with Claire Diprose at weddinlandcare1@outlook.com, and don’t forgot to wear yellow!