News - Volunteering in the Alpine National Park in search of hawkweed
Orange hawkweed - credit: Mountain Journal
We didn’t find any hawkweed and I’m glad I didn’t have my own hawkweed picture to post in this blog.
I spent one week volunteering with Parks Victoria looking for hawkweed - a State prohibited weed - in the Alpine National Park near Falls Creek.
It’s suspected that hawkweed was introduced in Victoria through second-hand ski equipment brought from New Zealand. Infestations of hawkweed can turn into a disaster for the fragile environment of the Alpine National Park but also for farmers in the adjacent valleys if the weed takes over.
As sightings of hawkweed became more prevalent over time, the State started funding a program through Agriculture Victoria and Parks Victoria to look for hawkweed and work towards its eradication.
Follow the pink flags!
Volunteers - morning briefing
Each year, Parks Victoria organises one-week volunteering programs where teams of about 15 volunteers search for hawkweed in the Bogong High Plains. If there’s a finding, Parks Vic get rid of the plant and monitor the area for many years.
The positive news is that less and less new plants are being found each year. However, since it takes up to nine years to get rid of a plant (they can re-emerge and are therefore regularly monitored!), there is still a lot of work to be done.
Agriculture Victoria has more info on this noxious weed, including what to do if you find one:
